JibJab Online Animation and E-Cards

JibJab is a Califonia-based animation studio. The company was founded in 1999, but really took off in 2004 when it produced a parody of This Land is Your Land featuring the heads of George W. Bush and John Kerry. JibJab still produces some original content, but in 2007 the site introduced new options to let users create their own animations.

JibJab has a wide assortment of eCards, animations, and photos that you can personalize and send to friends and family. The cards and videos labeled "Starring You" allow you to inlay the faces of your personal acquaintances by uploading photographs from your computer or Facebook. In addition to the wide variety of heartfelt cards and videos for special occasions, JibJab is also all about fun, providing an array of hilarious sendable videos.

There are a few videos and cards on JibJab that you can make and send for free, but to have access to all JibJab has to offer, there is a twelve dollar per year subscription fee. By joining JibJab, you will have access to create and send unlimited cards and videos. To use JibJab you can either sign in with Facebook, or create an account by providing your first name, a valid email address, password, and date of birth.

JibJab consists of four main sections: Birthdays, eCards, Everyday Fun, and Originals. Each section has hundreds of customizable photos and videos. Although you need to create an account to send most of these e-cards, the 'Everyday Fun' section has several free 'Starring You' customizable videos that are a great way to get a feel for the site.
First, choose the video that you would like to customize. Then, upload the photos of the people you would like to star in the video from your computer or Facebook.
After you choose your heads, you will be able to make adjustments to the size and scale of the heads so that they fit into the animations. The next screen will allow you to fine tune these adjustments. Next, select the mouth on the faces of your characters. JibJab will animate your selection to make it look like your characters are talking. Your video will then be available to preview and send.

You can share your JibJab animations and cards using Facebook, Twitter, email, or a blog. Once you pay for a JibJab account, you will also be able to share your creations on YouTube.
For an added fee of $4.99, you can download the video to your computer and save as an MPEG-1 file which is both Mac and PC friendly. This way, you can make a DVD, put the video on your iPhone, add it to a PowerPoint presentation, or just share it at home.

Having first gained popularity for its political satire videos, JibJab is a versatile company that distributes original content. Its latest endeavor is an app for the iPad called JibJab Jr.
This app provides you with children's books that can be customized with your child's face, name, and skin tone, which is a great way to get the attention of your young one. The photos can be uploaded from your photo library, Facebook, or iPad camera, and can be placed in animated stories that can be read on the iPad.
You can download the app for free through iTunes or the AppStore, and then choose from a variety of other stories for an additional fee.