Video classes

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class one. I'm Mr. Bell.

Sam: And I'm Sam. I've always wanted to make a cartoon.

Mr. Bell: Then you're in the right place. We were made with the same editor you're about to use.

Sam: How long does a first one take?

Mr. Bell: About five minutes. Two characters, a line each, and they say it out loud. Let's start.

Mr. Bell: Everything starts at jabbertoon.com, in your web browser. There is nothing to install and no account to make. At the top of every page is a bar: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge.

Mr. Bell: Press Cartoon, and the editor opens. Let's look around before we touch anything. The picture at the top left is the stage: your cartoon plays there. Beside it is a list called In this world: everyone in your cartoon. Under the stage is the timeline, with a row for each character. Their lines go on their rows.

Sam: So the stage, the list beside it, and the rows underneath.

Mr. Bell: Right now the stage is empty, so it shows one button: Add a character. Press it.

Mr. Bell: On the right are the characters you can add, each with its name and its picture. Sunny is a person.

Sam: I'll start with Sunny.

Mr. Bell: Sunny steps onto the stage, and into the list.

Mr. Bell: A conversation needs two. In the list called In this world, press plus Character, and the characters show again.

Sam: And Grump, the dog.

Mr. Bell: Now two characters are on the stage, and both are in the list.

Mr. Bell: To give Sunny a line, pick Sunny: press Sunny's name in the list. A row of buttons appears over Sunny on the stage.

Mr. Bell: The first button is Say. Press it. A box opens on the right, for what Sunny says.

Sam: Any words I like?

Mr. Bell: Your own words. Click the box that says Type the words, and type. Here, Sunny asks Grump to make a cartoon.

Mr. Bell: Under the box is a button: Add it. Press it. Sunny's line goes on Sunny's row in the timeline.

Mr. Bell: Now Grump: press Grump's name in the list. Grump's buttons appear over Grump.

Mr. Bell: Press Say again. The same box opens, this time for Grump.

Mr. Bell: Click the box, and type what Grump says back.

Mr. Bell: Press Add it. Grump's line goes on Grump's row, right after Sunny's, so they take turns.

Mr. Bell: Under the stage, on the left, is the blue Watch button. Press it.

Sunny: Hi Grump! Want to make a cartoon?

Grump: Woof! Can I be in it?

Sam: They're speaking, each in its own voice.

Mr. Bell: Last, name your cartoon. At the very top is My world: press it, and type a name. Use a made-up name, not your own.

Sam: Can I watch it again?

Mr. Bell: As often as you like: press Watch.

Sam: That was quicker than I expected.

Mr. Bell: Two characters, two lines, two voices. That's a real cartoon.

Mr. Bell: Next class, we'll make them move: walk, wave and react.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome back. This is class two.

Sam: Last time, Sunny and Grump talked. Can they move too?

Mr. Bell: They can. Today Sunny walks over to Grump and waves, and Grump is happy to see Sunny.

Sam: Walk, wave and a happy face. Let's go!

Mr. Bell: We start where we always do: at jabbertoon.com, in your web browser. At the top of every page is a bar: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge.

Mr. Bell: Press Cartoon, and the editor opens. The stage is at the top left, the list of who is in it beside it, and the rows underneath.

Mr. Bell: First, our two friends again. The stage shows one button: Add a character. Press it.

Sam: I'll pick Sunny.

Mr. Bell: Sunny steps onto the stage.

Mr. Bell: In the list called In this world, press plus Character, and the characters show again.

Sam: And I'll pick Grump.

Mr. Bell: Now both are on the stage. That part you know from class one.

Mr. Bell: Now the new part. Pick Sunny: press Sunny's name in the list. A row of buttons appears over Sunny.

Mr. Bell: The first button is Say, from last time. The second is Walk to. Press it.

Sam: Where can Sunny go?

Mr. Bell: Anywhere on the stage, or to someone. Under Or pick one, press Grump.

Mr. Bell: Sunny walks over to Grump, and stops beside Grump.

Mr. Bell: Next to Walk to is Do. Press it.

Mr. Bell: On the right are the moves Sunny can do.

Sam: Can Sunny wave?

Mr. Bell: Press Wave, and Sunny shows you the move.

Mr. Bell: To keep it, press Put it on Sunny's row. The wave goes on Sunny's row, right after the walk.

Mr. Bell: Now Grump. Press Grump's name in the list.

Mr. Bell: This time, press Feels. These are the faces Grump can make.

Sam: Grump should be happy to see Sunny.

Mr. Bell: Then press Happy.

Mr. Bell: Under the stage is the blue Watch button. Press it.

Sam: Sunny walks over and waves, and Grump smiles!

Sam: Can I watch it again?

Mr. Bell: As often as you like: press Watch.

Sam: So a walk, a move and a feeling, and they act.

Mr. Bell: That's how every cartoon character acts: where it goes, what it does, and how it feels.

Mr. Bell: Next class, they'll do things together: follow, chase and run away.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class three.

Sam: Sunny and Grump can talk now. Can they sound different?

Mr. Bell: Yes. Today each one gets a voice, and then we make a real video to keep.

Sam: A video of my own! Let's go.

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. At the top of every page is a bar: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge.

Mr. Bell: Press Cartoon, and the editor opens.

Mr. Bell: Our two friends first. Press Add a character.

Sam: Sunny, please.

Mr. Bell: In the list, press Add, and the characters show again.

Sam: And Grump.

Mr. Bell: You know this part from class one.

Mr. Bell: Today they talk, and then we make a real video. Press Sunny's name in the list.

Mr. Bell: Press Say. A box opens for Sunny's words.

Sam: Sunny says: Grump, I have a big surprise for you!

Mr. Bell: Press Add it. The line goes on Sunny's row, under the stage.

Mr. Bell: Now Grump. Press Grump's name.

Mr. Bell: Press Say.

Sam: And Grump says: A surprise? Is it a bone?

Mr. Bell: Press Add it. Now they each have a line.

Mr. Bell: Every character can have a voice of its own. Press Sunny's name again.

Mr. Bell: Beside Look is a tab called Voice. Press it.

Mr. Bell: Here is every voice. They are all free, and each line is made right here, on this computer.

Sam: Can Sunny have Adam?

Mr. Bell: Press Adam, and listen.

Sam: Now Grump.

Mr. Bell: Press Grump's name.

Mr. Bell: Press Voice.

Sam: Grump needs a funny voice.

Mr. Bell: Try George. It says British man, right beside it.

Mr. Bell: Press Watch, and listen to them both.

Sunny: Grump, I have a big surprise for you!

Grump: A surprise? Is it a bone?

Sam: Grump sounds so fancy!

Mr. Bell: Now the video. A video is named after its world, so we name ours. Press My world, at the top.

Mr. Bell: Type a name. A made-up one, never your own. We'll call it The Big Surprise.

Mr. Bell: Beside Watch is Record video. Press it. The story plays from the start, and the editor makes the video as it plays.

Sam: We don't press Watch first?

Mr. Bell: No need.

Mr. Bell: Your video is ready. Press Save the video, and it goes on your computer, voices and all.

Sam: So I can send it to anyone?

Mr. Bell: Yes. It is a real video file. A phone or a computer plays it.

Sam: Adam for Sunny, and a British voice for Grump.

Mr. Bell: And a video file, made on your own computer, with the voices in it.

Mr. Bell: Next class, we make a character of our own in the Forge.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome back. This is class four.

Sam: So far our cartoons had Sunny and Grump. Can I make a character of my own?

Mr. Bell: You can. Today you make one in the Forge, and then it acts in your cartoon.

Sam: My own character. Let's build!

Mr. Bell: We start where we always do: at jabbertoon.com, in your web browser. At the top is the bar: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge.

Mr. Bell: Today we make a character of our own, so press Forge.

Sam: It looks like a workshop.

Mr. Bell: It is one. Here you can build anything: a character, an animal, a car or a house.

Mr. Bell: Let's make a character: press Make a character.

Sam: She's turning round!

Mr. Bell: That is Ria, one of the cast, in 3D. You start from one of them and make them your own.

Mr. Bell: Press Walk, and she walks on the spot, so you can see how she moves.

Sam: Can I make her top red?

Mr. Bell: Under Colours, press Top, and pick red.

Sam: Red it is.

Mr. Bell: A bigger head is easier to see in a cartoon. Move the Head size slider to the right.

Mr. Bell: Every character needs a name. Click the Name box, delete Ria, and type a made-up name.

Sam: I'll call her Zig.

Mr. Bell: Now press Use it in the cartoon.

Sam: Zig is in my cartoon!

Mr. Bell: Zig can act like any character. Press Zig's name in the list, and Zig's buttons appear on the stage.

Mr. Bell: Press Do. The moves Zig can do are on the right.

Sam: Can Zig wave?

Mr. Bell: Press Wave, and you see the move.

Mr. Bell: To keep it in the cartoon, press Put it on Zig's row.

Sam: And watch it?

Mr. Bell: Press Watch.

Sam: Zig waved at me!

Mr. Bell: A character you built, in your own cartoon.

Sam: I built Zig, and Zig waved in my cartoon.

Mr. Bell: Anything you make in the Forge can join your cartoon: a person, an animal, even a car.

Sam: What's next?

Mr. Bell: Next time, a move of your own. See you then!

Mr. Bell: Welcome back. This is class five.

Sam: Our characters can walk and wave. Can they do a move nobody has made yet?

Mr. Bell: They can, if you make it. Today you make a move of your own, key by key.

Sam: A move of my own. Let's make one!

Mr. Bell: We start at jabbertoon.com, in your web browser. At the top is the bar: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge.

Mr. Bell: Moves are made in the Forge too, so press Forge.

Mr. Bell: This time, press New move.

Sam: A person, a list of parts, and a timeline.

Mr. Bell: The timeline is the move's time, from the start on the left to the end on the right.

Mr. Bell: First a name. At the top is the move's name. Click it, and type Big wave.

Mr. Bell: A wave is the arm. Under Pick a part, press right arm.

Mr. Bell: A move is made of keys: where a part is at a time. Tap the timeline a quarter of the way along. That is half a second.

Mr. Bell: Now slide Turn the part far to the right.

Sam: The arm went up! And a diamond is on the timeline.

Mr. Bell: That diamond is a key.

Mr. Bell: Tap the timeline half way along: one second.

Mr. Bell: Slide Turn the part back a little.

Sam: The arm dips.

Mr. Bell: Tap the timeline three quarters of the way along: one and a half seconds.

Mr. Bell: And slide Turn the part far to the right again.

Sam: Can I see it?

Mr. Bell: Press Play. The arm goes from key to key, and round again.

Mr. Bell: It is a wave. To keep it, press Use it.

Sam: Big wave is in My moves.

Mr. Bell: Every character can do it now. Let's see. Press Cartoon.

Mr. Bell: Press Add a character.

Sam: I'll pick Sunny.

Mr. Bell: Press Sunny.

Mr. Bell: Press Sunny's name in the list, and Sunny's buttons appear on the stage.

Mr. Bell: Press Do. The moves are sorted into kinds.

Mr. Bell: Yours are under My moves: press My moves.

Sam: There it is! Big wave.

Mr. Bell: Press Big wave.

Mr. Bell: To keep it in the cartoon, press Put it on Sunny's row.

Sam: And watch it?

Mr. Bell: Press Watch.

Sam: Sunny does my wave!

Mr. Bell: A move you made, done by a character in your cartoon.

Sam: Three keys, and it is a wave.

Mr. Bell: Every move is made that way: a part, a time, a turn. More keys, more parts, and you can make a dance.

Sam: I'm going to make a dance.

Mr. Bell: See you next time!

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class six.

Sam: Sunny always stands in a meadow. Can Sunny go somewhere else?

Mr. Bell: Today you make a world of your own: a house, and someone who lives by it. Then you walk in.

Sam: My own land! Let's go.

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. Today we press World.

Mr. Bell: This is your world, in 3D. You are standing in it. The row along the top is what you build with.

Mr. Bell: Press Brick.

Sam: Can I build a house?

Mr. Bell: Press Box. A box takes two clicks: one corner, then the other.

Mr. Bell: In its menu, pick Hollow. A room: walls, a floor and a roof.

Mr. Bell: Click the grass ahead and to the left. The first corner.

Mr. Bell: Now further off, to the right.

Sam: A whole room, in one go!

Sam: How do I get in?

Mr. Bell: We make a door. Press Take out.

Mr. Bell: Click the bottom brick in the middle of the wall,

Mr. Bell: and the one above it.

Sam: A doorway!

Mr. Bell: Now someone to live here. Open Someone, and pick Ria.

Mr. Bell: What they do: Waves.

Mr. Bell: Click the grass beside the house.

Sam: She's waving at me!

Mr. Bell: Let's go in. Hold the left arrow a moment, to turn to the door,

Mr. Bell: then hold the up arrow, and walk.

Sam: I'm inside my own house!

Mr. Bell: Your world can be a cartoon's place too. Press Cartoon, at the top.

Mr. Bell: Press Place.

Mr. Bell: Press Your world.

Mr. Bell: Press Add a character,

Sam: Sunny, please.

Mr. Bell: Press Watch.

Sam: Sunny is in my world, by my house!

Mr. Bell: Your own world, in your own cartoon.

Sam: I built a house, and then I walked in it.

Mr. Bell: And the same land is your cartoon's world.

Mr. Bell: Next class, we make your land into a level, with a goal to reach.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class seven.

Sam: My land is nice, but there's nothing to do in it.

Mr. Bell: Today we make it a game: something to win, and something to keep away from.

Sam: A game of my own! Let's go.

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. Press World.

Mr. Bell: Last time you built a house. Today your world becomes a level: a star to reach, and a danger on the way.

Mr. Bell: Open An object, and pick the red block.

Mr. Bell: Click the grass ahead, on the left.

Sam: Red means danger!

Mr. Bell: Now pick A star.

Mr. Bell: Click the grass straight ahead, a little way off.

Sam: How does the star know it's the goal?

Mr. Bell: We give it a rule. Press Pick,

Mr. Bell: and click the red block first.

Mr. Bell: Give it a rule: touching it starts you again.

Mr. Bell: Press Done.

Mr. Bell: Now click the star.

Mr. Bell: Give it a rule: touch it to win.

Mr. Bell: Done.

Sam: Can I play it?

Mr. Bell: Hold the up arrow, and walk to the star.

Sam: I made it!

Sam: I made a real level, and I won it.

Mr. Bell: Something to reach, a danger on the way, and a rule for each. That's a level.

Sam: I kept off the red block and reached the star.

Mr. Bell: And every rule you gave is in the Game tab too, under Rules, to change.

Mr. Bell: Next class, we make a whole game from a blank page.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class eight.

Sam: Last time my world became a level. Can I make a whole game?

Mr. Bell: Today you do: from a blank page, with the Game tab's own buttons.

Sam: A game of my own, from nothing. Let's go!

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. Today we press Game.

Mr. Bell: Here are games to play.

Mr. Bell: And beside Play is Build, where you make your own. Press it.

Mr. Bell: Here is Start a place to walk. Press it.

Sam: It's empty!

Mr. Bell: A blank page. Every part of the game, we add with a button.

Mr. Bell: First its name. Click the game's name, and call it Star Dash.

Mr. Bell: Then what the player has to do. Click its objective, and type it.

Mr. Bell: In Lay ground, pick A path.

Sam: Can we have stars?

Mr. Bell: In Add a thing, pick New: a star.

Mr. Bell: When it touches you: you take it. Every star is a point.

Mr. Bell: Make it yellow.

Mr. Bell: Press Put a Star in the level.

Sam: There it is!

Mr. Bell: A second one: in Add a thing, pick Star.

Mr. Bell: Two blocks further on.

Sam: Now something to bounce on.

Mr. Bell: Press A box. A box can be a pad that throws you up.

Mr. Bell: Where it is across, and how wide.

Mr. Bell: Thin, like a pad.

Mr. Bell: Along the path, after the stars.

Mr. Bell: And how high it throws you: three and a half blocks.

Mr. Bell: Orange, so you can see it.

Mr. Bell: Now a shed to land on. Press A box again.

Mr. Bell: Two and a half blocks tall: too high to jump, but not to bounce.

Mr. Bell: Grey, like a shed.

Sam: And the golden star?

Mr. Bell: In Add a thing, pick New: a star again.

Mr. Bell: Call it Gold.

Mr. Bell: When it touches you: you found it, the level is done.

Mr. Bell: Big and orange, so you can't miss it.

Mr. Bell: Press Put a Gold in the level.

Mr. Bell: On top of the shed: along the level to 2012, across in line with the path, and up three.

Sam: Can we have a dog?

Mr. Bell: A guard dog. In Add a thing, pick New: a dog.

Mr. Bell: It moves: turns to face you. It keeps an eye on you.

Mr. Bell: Press Put a Dog in the level, and move it beside the shed.

Mr. Bell: Now you. Press You.

Sam: Can I be Ria?

Mr. Bell: In You are, pick Ria.

Mr. Bell: And the score's word: STARS.

Mr. Bell: Press Where can you walk. It checks you can reach everything.

Sam: All of it!

Mr. Bell: Now play it. Press Play, beside Rules.

Mr. Bell: And the big Play.

Mr. Bell: Click the picture, and hold the up arrow.

Sam: I bounced right onto the roof!

Mr. Bell: A goal, points on the way, and a jump to make. That's a game.

Sam: Stars, a pad, a shed and a golden star. I made all of it.

Mr. Bell: And every part of it is a button you can change, or play again.

Mr. Bell: Next class, a game with depth to walk around in.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class nine.

Sam: Our last game was seen from the side. Can a game have depth?

Mr. Bell: Yes. Today you build a place in 3D: a road, a house and Ria, and then you walk in it.

Sam: A real 3D place! Let's go.

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. Today we press Game.

Mr. Bell: Here are games to play.

Mr. Bell: And beside Play is Build, where you make your own. Press it.

Mr. Bell: Here is Start a place to walk. Press it.

Sam: Whoa, it's 3D!

Mr. Bell: Open ground under the sky, and you, standing in it.

Mr. Bell: First a road. In Lay ground, pick A road.

Sam: Can I have a house?

Mr. Bell: In Add a thing, pick New: a house.

Mr. Bell: Press Put a House in the level. It stands right in front of you.

Mr. Bell: Now someone to live there. In Add a thing, pick New: Ria.

Mr. Bell: In It moves, pick walks about where it is put.

Mr. Bell: Press Put Ria in the level.

Sam: Right beside the house!

Mr. Bell: Press Where can you walk. It walks your place from where you start, and says what you can reach.

Mr. Bell: Now walk in it. Press Play, beside Rules.

Mr. Bell: And the big Play.

Mr. Bell: Click the picture of your town, and hold the up arrow. It walks you to your house.

Mr. Bell: Left and right turn you.

Sam: I can walk right round it!

Sam: My own town, in 3D.

Mr. Bell: And you can walk anywhere in it.

Sam: A road, a house, Ria walking about, and I walked round it all.

Mr. Bell: That's a place to walk: a game with depth.

Mr. Bell: Next class, we build with a helper.

Sam: See you then.

Mr. Bell: Welcome to class ten.

Sam: Can an AI help me build things?

Mr. Bell: Yes. Any AI assistant that can use tools can build with Jabbertoon. Then you make it your own.

Sam: Teamwork! Let's go.

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. Further down the home page is Build it with AI.

Mr. Bell: Press How to connect your AI.

Mr. Bell: Here's the address your assistant connects to: jabbertoon.com slash M C P. In Claude or ChatGPT, it's a custom connector.

Sam: So my AI can use Jabbertoon's tools?

Mr. Bell: Free, and with no key. Then you just ask. We asked an AI assistant for a red and white lighthouse, and it gave us a link. Let's open it.

Sam: Wow. Stripes, a railing, even a lamp. But I want a blue roof.

Mr. Bell: Then change it. In Parts, press Roof.

Mr. Bell: Under Colour, press Blue.

Mr. Bell: Press Use it, and the lighthouse is yours: in your cartoon, your worlds and your games.

Sam: The AI made the first try, and I made it mine.

Mr. Bell: That's building with a helper.

Sam: An AI built it, and I changed it.

Mr. Bell: Your helper starts it. You finish it.

Mr. Bell: That's all ten classes. Now go and make something of your own.

Sam: See you there!

Mr. Bell: Welcome to an extra class.

Sam: Last time Sunny walked and waved. Can Grump do something alone?

Mr. Bell: Yes. Today Grump follows Sunny, then chases Sunny, and Sunny runs away.

Sam: A chase! Let's go.

Mr. Bell: As always, we start at jabbertoon.com. At the top of every page is a bar: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge.

Mr. Bell: Press Cartoon, and the editor opens.

Mr. Bell: First, our two friends. The stage shows one button: Add a character. Press it.

Sam: I'll pick Sunny.

Mr. Bell: In the list called In this world, press plus Character, and the characters show again.

Sam: And I'll pick Grump.

Mr. Bell: You know this part from class one.

Mr. Bell: First, Sunny goes for a walk. Pick Sunny: press Sunny's name in the list.

Mr. Bell: The second button is Walk to. Press it.

Mr. Bell: Under Or pick one, press Right side. Sunny will walk over to the right.

Mr. Bell: Now Grump. Press Grump's name in the list.

Mr. Bell: This time we don't tell Grump where to go. We give Grump a brain. Press Together.

Mr. Bell: At the bottom, under By itself, with someone, are three things Grump can do.

Sam: Can Grump follow Sunny?

Mr. Bell: Press Follow, Sunny. Grump will go wherever Sunny goes.

Mr. Bell: Under the stage is the blue Watch button. Press it.

Sam: Sunny walks, and Grump trots right behind!

Mr. Bell: Now let's make it a chase. Press Grump's name again.

Mr. Bell: Press Together again.

Mr. Bell: This time press Chase, Sunny. Grump will run after Sunny instead.

Sam: Sunny needs to get away!

Mr. Bell: Then press Sunny's name in the list.

Mr. Bell: Sunny has a Together button too. Press it.

Mr. Bell: Press Run away from, Grump. When Sunny's walk is done, Sunny runs away from Grump.

Mr. Bell: Press Watch.

Sam: Sunny walks, Grump chases, and Sunny runs for it!

Sam: Can I watch it again?

Mr. Bell: As often as you like: press Watch.

Sam: Grump did all of that alone.

Mr. Bell: That's a brain: follow, chase or run away, whenever the row is empty.

Mr. Bell: Next class, we'll give them a place to be: a world of their own.

Sam: See you then.