Amy S. for EEX3241 - McKinney/Cross - UCF Fall 2010 10/26/10

1. Amy Spears
10/26/10
EEX 3241 – McKinney/Cross
Fall 2010

2. What is Xtranormal?
 Xtranormal is a website that allows you to make movies
and give characters dialogue by simply typing something
into your computer.

3. Who can use Xtranormal?
Anyone! Xtranormal is free to use for basic use, and you
can upgrade for more options. You can even download
a free version to use on your computer so that you are
not confined to the internet or the website.

4. Pros:
 Easy, fast, and free! What could be better?
 Can choose your own characters and voices.
 Can enter contests and win prizes.

5. Cons:
 Voices sound like computers, not people.
 Isn’t a quality video
 Blocks out many of the options for free use; it makes
you upgrade and pay to receive all the benefits.
 Doesn’t save automatically so it is easy to lose your
work.
 Takes a long time if you want to get everything just
right.
 The camera angles don’t let you see all action.
 Doesn’t let you place characters in different places.

6. How to use Xtranormal: Step 1
 Go to http://www.xtranormal.com/
 To make a text-to-movie, create the appropriate option
on the page.

7. How to use Xtranormal: Step 2
Choose a theme from the thirteen different options
available, as well as if you want one or two actors.

8. How to use Xtranormal: Step 3
Write the script you would like your characters to use.

9. How to use Xtranormal: Step 3
Insert pauses when you would like your characters to
think or act stumped by dragging the pause button
into your script.

10. How to use Xtranormal: Step 3
Give your characters actions by clicking on the action
button in the toolbar and choosing which action you
would like them to take, then drag it into the script.

11. How to use Xtranormal: Step 3
Give your characters expressions by choosing the
expression icon on the left hand toolbar and dragging
it into your script, then choosing the appropriate
expression.

12. How to use Xtranormal: Step 3
Allow character to point by dragging the pointing action
in the toolbar into the script and choosing the correct
response.

13. How to use Xtranormal: Step 4
Change which character is talking by adding a script
block; click the little addition symbol in the bottom
right corner of the text box.

14. How to use Xtranormal: Step 5
Change the scene by clicking on the icon on the bottom
left and choosing the background and scenery that you
want.

15. How to use Xtranormal: Step 6
To change the soundtrack, click the soundtrack option
on the bottom left side of the page and choose what
you want.

16. How to use Xtranormal: Step 7
Change the actors and voices by clicking on their icons at
the bottom left side of the page and choosing what you
want them to look like.

17. How to use Xtranormal: Step 8
 Preview, Publish, and Save your video by clicking the
options at the bottom right corner of the page.

18. See the Final Production!
When you are finished with your video, you can save it to
your account, share it with your friends, and embed it
on a website.
Click here to see my finished video.

19. Ideas for usage in classroom:
 How does this pertain to us as future teachers? There
are many ways you can use this website in the
classroom, and here are just a few ideas:
 Make a lesson interactive.
 Have students make a video as part of a presentation.
 Have students turn a story into a movie.
 Have students write a movie.
 Create characters in the class and make a movie about
them.