Yes, we’re serious. Xtranormal just rolled out some fun, free Mother’s Day greetings that anyone can use. See for yourself, and send some now.

They’re super simple: choose a message, personalize it for mom, and go. We’ll even deliver it the morning of Mother’s Day if you’d like! (That’s May 13th, for those of you panicking while reading this )

Three Premade Messages

When you get started, you’ll have your choice of three premade message themes. Our adorable Pawz actors can present something heartfelt:

Those silly ChuChuz actors can deliver something humorous:

Or, if your Mother’s Day message is a little less traditional, our Stikz actors will lend something unique for that DIY feel:

Personalize and Surprise

Don’t feel like using our premade Text to Speech messages? No sweat! These are more for anyone who’s feeling tongue tied. Try the built-in option for recording your own voice. The actor will lip sync to it automatically, guaranteeing you’ll make mom proud. Just look for this button:

Preview, edit, or re-record your message as much as you’d like. When you’re ready, tell us who to deliver it to, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Oh, and don’t worry about your message showing up too soon. Again, an option to have the video arrive Mother’s Day morning is baked in and checked by default. Simply turn it off if you want yours sent immediately:

Remember, these are completely free for anyone to send – you don’t even need an Xtranormal account! Share some with all the mothers in your life – the moms in your family, the moms amongst your friends, extremely proud pet lovers, obsessive plant owners, anyone.

But be sure to hurry, as we can only keep this area open until a little after Mother’s Day. This is a holiday that should never taken for granted, so we really wanted to do something special for it. Hopefully you will too.

Enjoy, everyone, and on behalf of Xtranormal, word to your mother.

Skyler

Our Montreal office recently put together some behind-the-scenes interviews to tackle these tough questions. Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

While our staff is gathering up the hits and picks from our own list of favs, we’d love to feature your favorites and give you freebies! Read on to find out more.

Now’s Your Chance

We want to show off some of your work or find out the story behind some of your favorite Xtranormal videos. What have you made that you’re proud of? What have you seen recently or in the past that really made you laugh, think, smirk, or share? Think fast, because we’re going to give away some Xtranormal Points to those who play along.

Here’s how it Works

Share some links! – The more good stuff you can think of, the better. Just drop them in the replies below, or, if you’re shy, contact us directly here. What you share is up to you — are you out for some shameless self promotion? Have a link that’s always been a hit with friends? Or maybe you found a hidden gem in the archives, like this one:

Pepsi Challenge

In-house is preferred – Without giving away too much on about how our upcoming sections and features will work, we’ll say that we’re definitely preferring Xtranormal “watch” URLs for this. Stumped on how to find Xtranormal links? Try the Search feature (which we’re continually updating). It’ll scan all kinds of things if they’re public — titles, video dialogue, usernames, etc. — so chances are good you can pan for gold there.

The Search bar is at the top right of any Xtranormal page. Sorry, it doesn't serve alcohol.

Free XP! – Each account that shares their favorite Xtranormal links will get hooked up with 100 Xtranormal Points. Sweet, eh? Give shoutouts to as many of your favs as you’d like, but we can only hand out one award per account (sorry, copy/paste fanatics). Some movies are very popular, so reply early in order to share something that hasn’t been taken! Again, just list what you like in the replies below or contact us directly.

Also, the actual link really helps. Believe it or not, only having a description like “that one where the guy says the thing” doesn’t always turn up results

And hey, we’re not biased against non-Xtranormal URLs. We understand that a lot of videos have been shared on YouTube, embedded on blogs or made separately with our Desktop software. If you want to share those separately, that’s great! We’ll eventually be looking to feature great storytellers or people in the community in the future, so while these don’t fit into the exercise above, they’re definitely appreciated.

For now though, watch, share, and earn XP!

But above all, have fun.

Skyler

Yes! Did you notice we’re in the first week of Spring here? Temperatures are warming (which is great news for our Montreal office ) and everyone’s gearing up for all kinds of Spring traditions – Spring break, Spring cleaning, um… playing with Slinkies. Slinkies are springs, right?

We’re not the only ones enjoying the change in season though. Spring tends to brings renewed interest in a lot of our characters who may get passed over during the colder months (and no, our Pawz actors do not hibernate each winter!) Here are some examples to consider for a Spring fling.

Spring Break! Enjoy the great outdoors.

The Pawz pups are roaming the grassy hillsides (in their bunny costumes, of course!), the Colorz characters have their swimsuits on, and the Playgoz are getting in a bit of tennis time:

Click any image to see its Collection on Xtranormal

For the outdoor enthusiasts, there are also golf courses in Colorz, a flowered background in Pawz, and a few more sunny spaces in Playgoz to browse.

Headed back to school? That’s cool.

Teachers, when your students come back, chase those post-Spring Break blues away with Xtranormal! The Peepz collection has everything you want for school being back in session, so if you haven’t set up a free trial of our educator tools, hop Spring to it.

Of course, we also have a great lineup of updates and new additions ready to bloom soon. We can’t say too much now, but we’ll put it this way: some (Spring) fresh things are in store for everyone on Xtranormal.

What could be coming? Do you have some seasonal requests for us? A Springtime vid you’d like to share? Add it to the replies below! Watching your stories in action always puts a Spring in our step. 

(All right, no more Spring puns. Promise.)

Springcerely,

Skyler

(Oops)

In the meantime, don’t forget that our star-packed Celebz collection has its own Academy Awards setup and tuxed-up actors.

Recognize this Academy Award nominee? He's in the Celebz Collection!

For fanatics, these assets are perfect for doing things like out-of-the-box Oscar viewing invites. Otherwise, you can always pay homage or turn the tables on some of your favorite celebrities. This promo for last year’s Golden Globes is a great example:

While geeking out about the awards, we whipped up a couple quick clips poking fun at favorites for Best Picture that you might enjoy.

First, the Beigez collection was (silently) screaming to do a parody of “The Artist:”

Xtranormal Presents: “The Artist”

We then spared no special effects expense in bringing you an Xtranormal version of “War Horse” using the ChuChuz:

“War Horse” – The Xtranormal Premier

(Ok, just kidding.)

Want to put yourself on the path to Oscar glory? Any of the collections featured above are a great place to start. Otherwise, feel free to share your favorite Oscar predictions and reflections or link to your own award-worthy Xtranormal videos below.

Have fun.

Skyler

Let’s talk politics. It’s an election year here in the US, and though it may be cold outside, the political debates are already heating up. The Republican Primaries are causing quite the commotion, and love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying this process is commanding lots of attention.

Tired of watching from the sidelines? Then it’s time to jump into the political arena yourself! We’ve beefed up our Celebz collection with a little red meat this Primary season.

The Challengers

That’s right. Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are the latest two to tango with the rest of our political figures in the Celebz collection. And to help everyone out, we’re giving them a chance to explain themselves at the podium. Just set up a monologue (choose the “1 actor” option when starting a new project) to see these as Set options:

Of course, we made both of these new sets compatible with our Inlays feature as well. So if you’d like to cycle through important images in the background or on the podium labels as you make your points, go for it.

The Incumbents

As you get things politically charged, don’t forget that the Celebz collection has been building up other political figures since 2010! Ready to meet the challengers right now are President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and a wide array of popular political pundits from TV. Remember this promo from the 2010 elections?

There are also existing sets that have set the stage (literally) for any dream debates you or your fans have been waiting for. Again, just browse the actors and sets in the Celebz collection to get inspired or take the action to places like the White House press room or a political debate setting featuring both parties’ political symbols: 

Naturally, all of these can also be found in our downloadable Xtranormal Desktop software as well, which allows you to use more advanced features like having up to 12 actors in a project, actors that walk around, and customizable camera controls.

It’s going to be a long year, so don’t expect the political spotlight to go away anytime soon. And while Xtranormal isn’t out to endorse any one side, we understand that expression is important here. Some might argue that not all Xtranormal movies are created equal, but amongst the shouting and satire, millions of hits on YouTube and Xtranormal have shown us that the right video at the right time has the power to simplify the complex, turn disagreements into open discussions, and arguing to educating. That’s something special no matter how you play politics.

And sure, it’s also fun to make political figures do the robot

Enjoy

Skyler

The (American) English Invasion

To back up our original American English Male, we’ve added three additional American English voices. First, say hello to American English Male 2

Country Time

American English Male 3 gives our voices a bit of that country twang. Be sure to show it a little Southern hospitality in some of your new projects.

Hip Hop? Hooray!

The inflection on American English Male 4 gives it a bit of old school hip-hop sound. But beyond its Hip Hop name, it has a very distinct, crisp means of pronouncing your words that can provide a “fresh” take on existing ideas.

Crikey! Australian accents!

Yes, Australian accents are here again. You’ll find Australian English Male 1 “down under” the American options when choosing. As Text-to-Speech English accents go, this is one of the best on our platform.

Other Great Additions

Along with the four English options above, eight new voices have arrived in Spanish, Norwegian, Dutch, and Swedish. Remember, our non-English languages are the real deal and not just English accents! If you’re learning a new language, teaching one, or would like to recommend Xtranormal to friends in other parts of the world, give ‘em a shot.

16 English-speaking voices. 50+ more in additional languages. These are great options, but we understand that people want all sorts of variations, accents, inflections, and more for their projects. That’s why we’ve also got our mad scientist hats on and are getting ready to show off some new Text-to-Speech tech in the service soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you haven’t hit up Xtranormal in a while, you may have missed another recent game changer for the service – voiceovers! Yep, if Text-to-Speech isn’t really your thing any more, just record your own voice or upload some sound clips. Your actors will lip sync to these automatically! This makes it easier than ever to really open things up with stuff like celebrity impressions, funny accents, screams, sighs, or other sound effects. 

These are your stories. We’re just happy to lend a voice (or twelve) if we can.

Enjoy

Skyler

With a few clicks, anyone can have a personalized valentine sent to friends or family. Yep, anyone! We’re not requiring any kind of account creation or login to try this out, so feel free to share the love (literally).

In a hurry? Do something quick!

In an Xtranormal first, we’ve already set up ready-made message templates for you. Skip the actor or set selection, and get right to the good stuff:

• Something for Kids – the digital equivalent of the corny yet cute valentines we all used to get in grade school!

• Something for Singles – Perfect for sending to anyone who’s not into trying to find a Valentine’s Day date this year.

• Something for Couples – A silly note to let your +1 know you’re thinking of him or her.

Got a second? Do something creative.

Make things personal! We’re giving everyone free access to our voice recorder for these so everyone’s valentines can be one of a kind. It’s as simple as recording what you’d like to say — we do the rest, including having the actor lip sync and move about.

Alternatively, type in anything you want your actor to say, and one of our text-to-speech voices will deliver the message (though these probably won’t sound as suave as your own ) When you’re ready, type in your valentine’s email address and send it off for instant brownie points. You and your valentines will get a personalized email showing off your video in seconds!

And seriously, send as many as you’d like for free. No one has to sign in or sign up for anything.

Just hurry! We’ll only have this puppy up until February 15th, so spread the word (along with your love) if you want to make the most of it. The URL is pretty easy to pass around:

http://xtranormal.com/valentine

Have fun, and happy Valentines!

Skyler

Machinima.com, the red-hot online network with billions of viewers, is changing the world. Their badass content creators and amazing fans have spawned a special place on the internet for gamers and budding young-at-heart animators everywhere. But you already knew that. We just wanted to repeat it here because Machinima threatened our families because today we’re announcing that some of your favorite writers of Machinima content will be creating a couple new web series using Xtranormal. Let’s do this!

Super Robrothers DX

The first of these is Super Robrothers DX, created by the talented Mr. Dustin Peña. Here’s how he describes himself:

“Dustin Peña is a self-proclaimed master of nothing. He lives in a shitty apartment in Sherman Oaks and spends most of his time trying to look at the back of his head in the mirror. He is friends with Steve’s dog and enjoy’s long walks to the liquor store. He is best known as the creator/writer of the Ghost House series on Machinima for which he is not known. He is even bester known as the star of Machinima’s Mario in the Morning which was a real piece of piss. If seen in public he should not be approached.”

 

And with that, we bring you the (brief) into to Dustin’s series, Super Robrothers DX:

That was a tease, we know, but check the series on YouTube every Thursday for new episodes. Here’s the synopsis of our heroes (R.A.M. and R.O.D., the stars of the show) as described by Dustin:

Super Robrothers DX is a high-brow comedy about two robot brothers with absolutely nothing to do. In order to combat their mundane existence, R.A.M. and R.O.D. use the magical power of “green screen” to transport themselves into stupid situations with semi-hilarious results! Adventure awaits all those who dare to journey with the Super Robrothers on their adventure journeys! Can you resist the call of some journious adventurous journey adventures of journey and adventure?! The answer is “yes”. Yes you can.

 

Great news for Xtranormal fans: to compliment this, there’s a new set on Xtranormal that lets you “green screen” (meaning use our Inlay feature) both the entire background as well as the floor your actors are on. Watch for it to work its magic in upcoming episodes of Super Robrothers DX after we learn a bit more about these characters. For now, you can catch it in the Robotz Collection.

Welcome, Machinima Peeps!

We’ve given the writers free reign over these original new series, so needless to say, text-to-speech will never be the same again. (The first episode of Super Robrothers DX forces you to ask questions about robot vaginas, for instance. Yep. Robot vaginas.)

If you’re new here from Machinima, welcome! Sit back, subscribe to Xtranormal on YouTube, and remember: Xtranormal is super-simple to use, so this could be your own shot at world domination with a big web series! (Or if nothing else, a new way to make fun of Call of Duty n00bs with your friends.)

By the way, if you’re a Machinima junkie like us our more-advanced Xtranormal Desktop software is definitely recommended for you. It’s loaded with fancy features, free to download, and perfect for those who watch these episodes with a Challenge Accepted attitude.

Xtranormal folks! If you haven’t already, visit Machinima on YouTube. Soak up the great gaming references, hilarious plays on memes, uncensored language, and side-splitting silliness.

Welcome again, Machinimators, and enjoy the show.

Skyler

Yes, you probably see them every day when you check Facebook: engagements, reunions, wedding receptions and other excuses to get a little dressed up and have all sorts of awkward social situations are constantly in our lives.

So today, whether you’d like a second chance at reliving the big dance or simply want to poke some fun at these ridiculous rituals, we’ve added ten new (yet… retro) actors to the Peepz collection along with a couple dance floor settings for any wedding, prom or other needs as part of our February asset release. Check ‘em out!

(Click an image for a full-size view)

See if those don’t have you remembering some of your wallflower moments or gearing up for Xtranormal-style wedding announcements soon. (’cause seriously, the Chris Brown wedding thing is done. Stop it.)

If you’d like to ask any of these assets out, you’ll find them now in the Peepz collection online.

Or, want to kick things up a notch? We’ll also be placing them in our Xtranormal Desktop software, which lets you use 12 actors from any collection together at once. You’ll also get a much better view of the prom/wedding set there because of Desktop’s free-roaming cameras, so classic setups like the buffet table, a photo arch area, the wedding singer’s stage, sitting areas, a wedding cake, and the dance floor are easy to tackle. Nice!

Have fun with these Peepz, peeps. 

Skyler