Create Quick Animated Videos with YouTube

Want to create your own viral video, but don’t know how to operate a camera, find willing participants, or fiddle with video editors to upload your masterpiece?

Well thanks to YouTube, the barrier to creating your own fun animated videos is lower than ever. Just visit youtube.com/create, and choose from either GoAnimate, Stupeflix, or the popular Xtranormal service to create and upload videos directly to your YouTube account.

Both GoAnimate and Xtranormal allow you to choose from a bevy of pre-packaged characters and voices, and within minutes you can create your own quick animated videos. Just follow the helpful wizards, type in your script, choose your characters, and let your imagination run wild! Stupeflix is a bit different than the previous two services, as it allows you to create videos which include any mix of maps, photos, images, and music. Here’s a quick video I created in just a couple of minutes using the GoAnimate service through YouTube:

The service is currently in beta according to Mashable, and was released just before Google’s announcement of $100 million of original programming for YouTube.

Author and journalist Susan Orlean (left) has written two nonfiction pieces that have been turned into films. She’ll discuss her new book, Rin Tin Tin, in Mediabistro’s first online Literary Festival & Workshops starting July 16. Other speakers include Rebecca Skloot, Jason Boog, and Jason Allen Ashlock. Register now.