$150 for pro edition

$50 standard



Ever wanted to make your images talk? It may not be at the top of everyone’s wish list of features but once you start it is strangely addictive. Crazy talk is now into its sixth instalment and this latest version has expanded the feature set to allow multiple model animation, more advanced facial modelling, and an animation stage, among others.

The software allows you to take just about any image and animate it to give the appearance that the image is fully alive and able to talk. There’s a full range of templates included and the software works just as well, if not better, using hand or computer drawn characters. Crazy talk then allows you to specify the angle and the shape of the head, pinpointing the positioning for the eyes and mouth. You then have a choice between three levels of accuracy to fine-tune your exact head positioning and masking for the animated area. For a more light-hearted effect you can add cartoon-styled eyes and teeth to your subject.

Once you have your animated model you can then add a voice to it, whether it’s your own, from something pre-recorded or from an included sample. In the pro version you can control the facial movements for the voice like a puppet using your mouse, or alternatively, just let the software interpret the vocal. The pro version also adds HD output, extra timeline features, sound effects and motion galleries.

The result is an eerily live creation that shifts around and winks at you when left for any time on screen. But to get to this takes time and patience. The website contains a range of tutorial videos to help guide you through the process, and you’ll need them as certain parts aren’t always straightforward. Exporting can be done straight to YouTube or a range of media formats – though ours went out of sync when we did. Overall though, it’s a great piece of kit that you’ll lose hours in.