# Nawmal > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nawmal > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nawmal.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawmal > Source revision: 1356958210 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Nawmal**, formerly known as **Xtranormal**, is a web and desktop [do-it-yourself](/source/Do-it-yourself) [animation software](/source/Animation_software). It is produced by **Technologies Nawmal Inc.**, formerly Nawmal Ltd., a Canadian [digital entertainment](/source/Digital_entertainment) company based in [Montreal, Canada](/source/Montreal,_Canada). Nawmal turns words from a script into an animated movie using [text-to-speech](/source/Text-to-speech) and animation technologies.[1] ## History Nawmal's predecessor, Xtranormal, was launched after four years of [software development](/source/Software_development).[2] It was established as a [storyboarding](/source/Storyboarding) tool for writers and film directors. The original intent was to allow users to create videos by choosing from a menu of pre-designed characters and sets, and scripting their own dialogue.[1][2][3][4] Xtranormal's **State** platform allowed casual users to create their own animated videos, and could be downloaded for free and run offline. At some point, State was replaced with a newer version of the animation software called **Xtranormal Desktop** (or, XD). Like State, XD was free to download from the Xtranormal website, but is no longer available after Xtranormal's shutdown.[4] Xtranormal also released a web-based animation software tool called **Movie Maker** (alternately known as "Text-To-Movie"). Movie Maker offers users a more limited subset of functionality in exchange for the convenience of a web browser. Xtranormal videos could at one time be created through an interface directly on the [YouTube](/source/YouTube) website.[3] In 2011, Xtranormal launched a subscription service called *Xtranormal for Education*. This program aimed to empower teachers and students by giving them a new way to express themselves in the classroom. Teachers could create and grade animation-based assignments directly from their web browsers. *Xtranormal for Education* was implemented in K–12, university and special needs classes all over the world.[citation needed] On January 30, 2013, Xtranormal's CEO at the time told *[Forbes](/source/Forbes)* magazine that Xtranormal was at break-even but the future was in mobile, so they were focusing on their new Tellagami app, a spinoff platform that is more limited than Xtranormal's.[5] However, on June 28, 2013, the company stopped accepting new users, stopped processing transactions for its XP virtual currency, stopped distributing Xtranormal Desktop, and then announced that they would be discontinuing their current subscriptions, points plans and existing services as of July 31, 2013.[6] They encouraged users to use up existing points and to publish and download their created movies before that date.[6] Xtranormal's online services were taken down shortly after, with the content of their website replaced by a holding page showing the company's logo, a set of media player control buttons, and the word "pause",[7] but in early October, the placeholder was gone, thus their site was shut down completely. Its official [YouTube](/source/YouTube), [Facebook](/source/Facebook), and [Twitter](/source/Twitter) pages had also been deleted.[citation needed] The site was briefly home to a store called "The College Shop" in November 2013, but that disappeared as the following event took place.[citation needed] In April 2014, Xtranormal's domain hosted a close mirror of the site called Nawmal Ltd. which acquired Xtranormal's intellectual property.[8] In July 2014, it was announced that the assets of Xtranormal had been acquired by Nawmal Ltd.[9] As of 2016, Xtranormal's new parent company, Nawmal Inc. has split Xtranormal into 2 different animators named after the company itself, both just like Xtranormal, except one being for professional use, and one being for education use.[10] As of 2020, Xtranormal had a new feature of Nawmal Inc. but is introducing new VR, AR, advanced customization and more.[citation needed] ## Legacy Some user-created videos reached more than a million views on YouTube.[1][3][11][12] According to [NPR](/source/NPR), Xtranormal's most successful videos featured a conversation between "a wise guy who is the voice of reason" and "a tone deaf, argumentative adversary".[13] A popular subgenre of content involved career professionals [satirizing](/source/Satirizing) their workplaces[1][14] or students satirizing their [college majors](/source/College_major).[15] In 2010, the short film *[Sleeping with Charlie Kaufman](/source/Sleeping_with_Charlie_Kaufman)* by director [J Roland Kelly](/source/J_Roland_Kelly), animated entirely with Nawmal, premiered at the [Little Rock Film Festival](/source/Little_Rock_Film_Festival) and was shown at The Rome International Film Festival in [Rome, Georgia](/source/Rome,_Georgia). Xtranormal videos once formed a recurring feature on the late night FNC talk show *[Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld](/source/Red_Eye_w/_Greg_Gutfeld)*, and were featured as part of a [GEICO advertising campaign](/source/GEICO_advertising_campaigns).[16] The Micros series of shorts about the world of online poker has been the most popular Xtranormal web-series on YouTube.[17] Some videos created on Nawmal have appeared on shows such as *[The Colbert Report](/source/The_Colbert_Report)*, *The Kroll Show* and *[Howard 100](/source/Howard_100)*. A viral November 2010 cartoon by real estate manager Omid Malekan criticizing [quantitative easing](/source/Quantitative_easing) by the [Federal Reserve](/source/Federal_Reserve) was referenced by [Federal Reserve Chairman](/source/Federal_Reserve_Chairman) [Ben Bernanke](/source/Ben_Bernanke) in his [memoir](/source/Memoir).[18][19] ## See also - [Vyond](/source/Vyond) - [Muvizu](/source/Muvizu) - [Moviestorm](/source/Moviestorm) - [iClone](/source/IClone) - [PowToon](/source/PowToon) ## References 1. Stein, Jeannine (2011-04-24). ["Using video to fight workplace stress"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141113175056/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/24/health/la-he-xtranormal-20110424). *Los Angeles Times*. Archived from [the original](http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/24/health/la-he-xtranormal-20110424) on 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2024-07-13. 1. Albrecht, Chris (October 8, 2008), ["Xtranormal Launches Text-to-Movie Making"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101115231648/http://gigaom.com/video/xtranormal-launches-text-to-movie-making/), gigaom, archived from [the original](http://gigaom.com/video/xtranormal-launches-text-to-movie-making/) on November 15, 2010. 1. Newman, Jared (March 24, 2011), ["Make Your Own Cartoons and Slideshows on YouTube"](https://techland.time.com/2011/03/24/make-your-own-cartoons-and-slideshows-on-youtube/), *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))*. 1. Grotta, Sally Wiener & Grotta, Daniel (April 2, 2010), ["Make Bobbleheaded Animations Easily With Freebie Xtranormal State"](http://www.pcworld.com/article/192187), *[PC World](/source/PC_World_(magazine))*[dead link]. 1. Wing Kosner, Anthony (January 30, 2013), ["Tellagami Makes Fast, Fun User Generated Video Content For The Mobile Generation"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2013/01/30/tellagami-makes-fast-fun-user-generated-video-content-for-the-mobile-generation/), *[Forbes Tech](/source/Forbes)*. 1. ["Important Message From Xtranormal"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130630120600/http://blog.xtranormal.com/index.php/important-message-from-xtranormal/). Xtranormal Blog. June 28, 2013. Archived from [the original](http://blog.xtranormal.com/index.php/important-message-from-xtranormal/) on June 30, 2013. 1. ["Storytelling | Xtranormal"](http://www.xtranormal.com/). 2013-08-01. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130801162532/http://www.xtranormal.com/) August 1, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-07-21. 1. ["move over to nawmal"](http://www.xtranormal.com/). 2014-04-03. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140403165339/http://xtranormal.com/) April 3, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-11-21. 1. ["Xtranormal"](http://xtranormal.com/). Nawmal Ltd. 31 July 2014. 1. ["Home"](http://www.nawmal.com/). *nawmal.com* 1. Humphries, Matthew (July 2, 2010), ["Best Buy suspends employee for making funny iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo video"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111212020824/http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/best-buy-suspends-employee-for-making-funny-iphone-4-vs-htc-evo-video-2010072), Geek.com, archived from [the original](http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/best-buy-suspends-employee-for-making-funny-iphone-4-vs-htc-evo-video-2010072/) on December 12, 2011, retrieved December 10, 2010. 1. Siegler, MG (July 1, 2010), ["Best Buy Trying To Fire Employee Over Those Hilarious EVO Versus iPhone Videos"](https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/01/best-buy-iphone-4-evo-4g/), TechCrunch. 1. Kurwa, Nishat (2011-01-05). ["Behind Rise Of Xtranormal, A Hilarious DIY Deadpan"](https://www.npr.org/2011/01/05/132653525/behind-rise-of-xtranormal-a-hilarious-diy-deadpan). *NPR*. Retrieved 2024-07-13. 1. Edwards, Jim (2011-01-19). ["Xtranormal, Where Office Dissenters Skewer Their Bosses and Clients"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/xtranormal-where-office-dissenters-skewer-their-bosses-and-clients/). *CBS News*. Retrieved 2024-07-13. 1. Charbonneau, Léo (2011-01-20). ["So you want to do a PhD in the humanities?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201026073229/http://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/margin-notes/so-you-want-to-do-a-phd-in-the-humanities/). *University Affairs*. Archived from [the original](https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/margin-notes/so-you-want-to-do-a-phd-in-the-humanities/) on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2025-04-21. 1. Hart, Hugh (October 26, 2010), ["Video: Robo-Talking Superhero Ad Uses Text-to-Voice Trick"](https://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/10/geico-superhero/), *[Wired](/source/Wired_(magazine))*. 1. Hustvedt, Mark (June 3, 2011), ["The Micros: Nerds Web Series Flops a Boat"](http://www.tubefilter.com/2011/06/03/the-micros-poker-nerds-web-series-flops-a-boat/), *[Tubefilter News](/source/Tubefilter)*. 1. Weigel, David (2010-11-22). ["The Man Behind the Quantitative Easing Cartoon Speaks!"](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/11/the-man-behind-the-quantitative-easing-cartoon-speaks.html). *Slate Magazine*. Retrieved 2024-07-24. 1. Malekan, Omid (2018-10-01). ["I Created 'The Bernank' on YouTube. And I Was Mostly Wrong."](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/business/dealbook/bernank-financial-crisis.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved 2024-07-24. ## External links - [Nawmal Ltd.](http://www.nawmal.com/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nawmal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawmal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawmal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.