Unlike JibJab, which takes a still 2D image and moves only the mouth up and down, Gizmoz has developed proprietary technology to create a 3D facial image and includes various expression changes as well as lip syncing.
Their basic product, which allows users to create talking avatars, launched in May 2006.
Users can now take their avatar image and insert it into a number of video clips. More clips will be added over time, and Gizmoz is also in the process of licensing video from Hollywood movies and other professional content. Founder Eyal Gever actually showed me a clip over a year ago that had my face on a James Bond clip from Casino Royale. I felt pretty cool that day.
Gizmoz, which raised $6.3 million from Benchmark, is headquartered in Israel.
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show a clip!
i checked out the site, and that little clip they have on their homepage - looks stupid
spoke too soon, lol - they’re IS a clip.
I was thinking of a youtube style clip/player.
but the film still looks stupid
I was just thinking how pathetic my life is that I sit around and hit refresh on TC all day. This company is just depressing. Be a STAR!
Looks awesome.
Where can we view that Casino Royale clip??
Eh, I’m not impressed. I’m it was cool for like the first 5 second, but that’s it? That’s all it does?
Express myself AND have fun doing it?! Oh, where has this tool been all my life? Usually expressing myself is such a burdenous chore!
Reminds me of the superdudes concept in the late 90s, which was later purchased by eUniverse/Intermix prior to them buying… Myspace!
Don’t feel bad Jesse, I’m just like you!
although it sounds like you refresh at a MUCH faster rate than I do
Dumbest ideas ever…
That’s it. I hate “web 2.0″.
3.0 anyone?
Last I heard the word cool isn’t cool anymore Mike!
You’re showing your age there big guy.
If you’re going to stay up with the Facebook crowd, you’d better
learn the venacular!
Then again if your readership are mostly tech geeks, they wouldn’t know that anyway.
Go Fonzie!
I have bad feeling about techcrunch’s motivation… I’m reading it… It looks like Mike is getting too old for Web 2.0 startups. I don’t understand why good things fade away soo fast.
If any startups bores you. Go find Rocky Balboa startup. I like to read web 2.0 startup without using VC.
My kids love that gizmoz website. Another one they love is the mushygushy.com website which is like gizmoz merged with jibjab.
I agree with @2.
oh man.
“I felt pretty cool that day.”
oh man… oh man…. F@@@CK…. You start to sound like Michael Jordan’s retirement. This sounds like mike wants to retire techcrunch, go fishing, live second class apartment, and grow old. Why give up life just like that?!?!?!
What’s with you!?!?
There is no reason to grow gray hair, wrinks, feeling old. 2007 isn’t over yet! Plus, Good apps is coming up next year. I guess.
Lighten up you freaks, it’s a holiday weekend.
yeah, you guys need to chill out, yo.
You people are silly; from a technology perspective this is pretty frickin hot, the applications immeasurable - show some imagination.
i want to see mike in thriller or beat it
Somewhat reminiscent of Fuzzwich: http://www.techcrunch.com/2007.....oon-maker/
lamest idea eva! Yo Yo! biatches in da hood foolz.
Cute but really stupid!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
Really, really, REALLY retarded
i liked it, sure its dumb by nature but hey i wasn’t expecting to find the cure for cancer when i hit play.
had a good laugh for a minute there
That is really weak. I hope that they change up the offerings and make it easier to adjust the settings.
This is impressive, the technology actually has face recognition, so there is no need to photoshop the face out of a photograph.
It is recognized and embedded
Guys, this is simply helarious!!! Try the Bubble Boy clip…. it’s brilient
Good idea, but poor execution - that visual ’style’ is only suitable for humor content. If you have content with a serous context or, for that matter, sexy content, this integration method does not work - the integrity of the content is not maintained. There is actually a lot of activity in this space (replacing people in video with consumers easily) and Gizmoz is the company that is launching soonest. There’s at least two other companies preparing to launch similar technology as well as at least 3 others that I know are working in this area…
#19 sounds like they get it… if this technology is implemented with the right quality, it changes filmed entertainment and advertising significantly.
Michael, thanks again for the coverage.
For all you readers, there was something wrong with one of the links in the post so here’s the correct link to “Be a Star” pages. http://www.gizmoz.com/widget/movies/new
Enjoy!
Roy Klieger
Gizmoz
I recently met the Gizmoz founder and saw a live demo. This technology applications are real and easily monetizeable: customized mobile ringtones, branded widgets, personalized virtual goods. A few key distribution partnerships is what this product needs. The guys a Gizmoz and Benchmark know what they are doing.
Oh Yez. I have created 3 AVs so far, and each one of them has resulted in my colleagues falling all over themselves with laughter when I send them for review. If you want to make people laugh, this works! Peter.
I thought it was a fun little program perfect for little sites like mineFantasy Waterfall
omg, so lame… check out fix8.com, much cooler user of 3D avatars to make your own videos…
#34: fix8 is very nice indeed but it does require you to download a client (100 mg) and work on windows (DX9) - it is quite different to a tool which is web oriented and not system dependent. both have their weak and strong points but hardly comparable.
Cool idea but talking avatar has not get that much popularity even more than one year of the launching.
A small step in the right direction, but need a lot more. The expression should be detected from your own face with a camera, and then if you are going to put an image of yourself and animate it, then, well, why don’t you just use a webcam. Hence, whats the point ….
The real use of expressions applied to avatars is when they are used for avatars that don’t necessarily look like you. A whole body virtual avatar is what we need, and of course a virtual world as well. We are far away from both as mature products, so these are just progress … keep it up and listen to criticisms if you want to succeed.
Gizmoz guys, Wow this is so much fun! it took me a sec to upload my photo and boom i am dancing in this crazy funny clip! look:
http://www.gizmoz.com/widget/3397574_be_a_star
Its so creative, wow. It will be huge because it is so much fun! just keep on adding cool videos. (and let me see myself in the movies that i want to appear in)
This product is so cool.
Hello, I was wondering wheather somebody new there was a website which let you appear in movies such a star wars episode 3, etc. thank you.