Your story, drawn and animated, with a voice for every character
A cartoon used to mean drawing every character, recording every voice and animating every shot. TallyReel does that part for you. You give it a situation or paste a story, the AI writes it as shots with each character's lines, draws everyone in one cartoon look so they stay the same from shot to shot, voices each of them, and animates the shots at real speed with sounds that match the picture.
You choose the look and how much moves: fully animated, key moments, or a storybook with camera moves, each with its own price. This page covers how a cartoon gets made, 36 ideas that suit drawn characters, two scripts written as dialogue, and the questions people ask first.
Updated 25 October 2026 · by Danish, who makes TallyReel
A customer asks the baker for yesterday's priceMake this
The plumber who arrives on time and shocks the whole streetMake this
A shopkeeper explains the return policy to a very confused shopperMake this
Two friends discover your café's secret menuMake this
The salon client who says just a trim, and means itMake this
A tutor turns maths homework into a detective storyMake this
The gym's mascot gives a pep talk on January 2ndMake this
Scripts you can copy
About 30 seconds each when read aloud. Paste one into TallyReel as your own script, or change the details first.
The script behind the video above
The Mango Bargain
1
Seller: Fresh mangoes! The best in the market, only five hundred a kilo!
2
Grandma: Five hundred? At that price, the mango should sing to me.
3
Seller: For you, aunty, four hundred. A very special price.
4
Grandma: My grandson says they are two hundred online. With free delivery.
5
Seller: Online mangoes don't come with a smile. Three hundred, and I carry them home for you.
6
Grandma: Deal. I live at the top of the hill. Bring water. And a hat.
Script 2
The Cat Who Wants a Raise
1
Cat: I'd like to talk about my salary.
2
Owner: You're a cat. You don't have a salary.
3
Cat: Exactly. I guard this sofa sixteen hours a day, and I'm paid in dry food.
4
Owner: You sleep on the sofa sixteen hours a day.
5
Cat: I guard it with my eyes closed. That's advanced security.
6
Owner: Fine. What do you want?
7
Cat: Tuna on Fridays, the sunny spot by the window, and you're sitting in my chair.
How a talking cartoon gets made
Cartoons are made in the TallyReel web app. Pick Animated on Create.
1. Type the situation in one line, or paste a whole story and it is acted out as written, with its people, events and lines.
2. Choose the language, the length, tall or wide, the kind of funny (dry, slapstick, wholesome, savage or awkward) and, if you like, the ending to build towards.
3. The AI writes the skit beat by beat: who speaks, what they say and how they move. Edit any line, or have a scene or a single line written again.
4. Tally reads the story for each person's look and voice and each scene's place. Change any of it before it is drawn.
5. Pick the look: 3D cartoon, Storybook or Anime. Each character is drawn in the poses the skit uses, and you can redraw one up to two times or swap it for one of our cast or your own character.
6. Every character speaks in their own voice with their lips in sync, and the finished cartoon is ready to download or post.
Writing a cartoon that people finish
The cartoons that get watched to the end have one situation, two or three characters who want different things, and a last line that flips it. Start on the problem, not on hello. Keep the cast small: up to four people can be in a skit, but two is usually funnier, because each line is a reaction to the one before.
Give each character a voice that sounds like who they are. The voice is designed from a short choice: a friendly man or woman, a cheeky boy, a sweet girl, a kind grandfather or grandmother, a big gentle giant, or a tiny squeaky critter. A grandma who sounds like a grandma does half the comedy for you.
Run it as a series. The same characters in a new situation each week give viewers a reason to come back. Keep each character's description the same from episode to episode so they stay recognisable.
Plans, credits and motion
Animated looks come with any paid plan or credits. Stick figures use 150 credits a minute. The drawn looks use 400 credits a minute, cast included, since every character and place is drawn for it. Motion adds 150 credits per 10 seconds that move: choose Pictures, Key moments or Fully animated. A shot that doesn't move stays a picture and costs nothing extra.
Questions
Can AI turn my story into a cartoon?
Yes. Paste the story and it is acted out as written, with each character drawn, voiced and lip-synced. You can edit the skit before anything is drawn.
Do the cartoon characters' lips move?
Their mouths move as they talk, inside fully animated and key moment shots. Each character speaks in their own voice, and every line is shown as a caption too.
Can I use my own character?
Yes. Any character in the cartoon can be swapped for your own, made from a picture you upload or a description, or for one of our ready-made cast.
What cartoon styles are there?
Five looks: 2D cartoon, 3D cartoon, Anime, Storybook and Stick figures. Everyone in the story is drawn in the look you pick, so the video stays consistent.
Is the AI cartoon maker free?
Drawn cartoons need a paid plan and use 400 credits a minute, cast included. Stick figure skits are on the free plan if you want to try the skit writer first.
Type the idea into TallyReel, read the script, and it makes the video for you: in the browser, on your phone, or in Studio on your own computer. Start on the free plan.