BP2_Go!Animate Web 2.0 Tool

Go!Animate Logo

Go!Animate is a website where you can create animated videos easily and quickly. This is useful for creating media content for you to use in the classroom. However, Common Sense Media (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/goanimate), a website that gives parental guidance for media, rates this as suitable for ages 13 years and up, if students are using the site.  Animated videos posted may contain content not suited for younger students.  This is not a problem if you are creating your own content for students to consume.

Common Sense Media Site

You can open a free Go!Animate account which allows you to create one cartoon character and gives you two other to use.  

Go!AnimateCharacters

You can use a unique URL to link to the content or an embedded code.

Go!Animate URL or EMBED

Go!Animate Screen Shot

You add scenes, emotions, voices, and objects by merely clicking or typing onto an easily navigated screen. In addition, you can add special video effects, character expressions, movement, and music to your animations. Basically, you direct your animation and control every aspect with easy to use tools.

Go!Animate Editing Screen

 
If you wish to have further creative control, you can pay low fees to download the animation or create other characters.

Example of Go!Animate Characters Combined with ComicLi

I co-opted different characters using similar backgrounds to create cartoon characters for a group film we created for a previous course without having to pay. Each member created a character with a matching background. We then used ComicLife to created comic pages.  If you create your film using the Go!Animate website, you may choose to use your own voice or the electronically created voices that will say what you type in the fields. It is much like the Xtranormal commercials Geico has been airing lately. However, Go!Animate videos have a different look to them.

Example using Go!Animate and ComicLife  

I highly recommend Go!Animate for creating animated video quickly and easily. It is an easy way to create an entertaining medium to express your chosen content. Trying it is free so please take a look. It is one more tool you can add to your tool box.