An original cartoon everyman stands in front of looping gameplay, talking straight to camera, explaining something while reference images pop in and bold captions punch each line. This is the talking narrator format that took over short video, and the Cartoon Narrator recipe on EmpirioLabs makes one from a single topic. It writes the script, voices it in a dry deadpan delivery, animates the character so the mouth moves with the words, drops him over satisfying gameplay, and burns in the captions.
It works because the character gives the short a face and a personality while the gameplay keeps the screen alive and the captions carry the words. You type a topic or paste a script, pick the gameplay behind him, and the whole reel is generated and stitched for you. The character is an original EmpirioLabs creation, so every video is yours to post.
See it in action
What you need
Just a topic, like "why we forget our dreams" or "how WiFi gets slower when more people use it". Paste your own script if you want it read exactly. Pick the gameplay background and a caption style, then generate.
How to make a cartoon narrator video
1. Open the Compose tab
In the EmpirioLabs playground, open Templates and switch to the Compose tab, then choose Cartoon Narrator.
2. Enter your topic
Add a short brief, or switch to Script to paste your own words. The AI writes a dry, funny, accurate explainer with a hard hook on the first line.
3. Pick the gameplay behind him
Choose the background style the narrator stands in front of: satisfying pressure-washing, an endless runner, open world driving, an obstacle course, and more. Each one is an original generated loop.
4. Choose captions and generate
Pick a caption style, keep sound effects on for the transition pops, and generate. You get an editable storyboard first, then the finished vertical video with the character lip-synced over the gameplay.
Using the cartoon narrator via the API
The same recipe is on the API. Submit a plan, review the storyboard, then render.
curl https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1/videos/compose \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $EMPIRIOLABS_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"recipe": "cartoon-narrator",
"mode": "plan",
"brief": "Why we forget our dreams seconds after waking up",
"gameplay_style": "open-world-drive"
}'The response returns a job you poll at /v1/jobs/{id} for the storyboard. Send the storyboard back with "mode": "render" to get the final MP4.
Pricing
Compose bills per generation step at the normal EmpirioLabs rates for the models it uses: the script, the voiceover, the character animation, the images, and the captions, with no separate template fee. You only pay for what each video actually generates.
Try the cartoon narrator now
Open the Cartoon Narrator in the EmpirioLabs playground, or browse every recipe on the generation templates page. Full API details are in the EmpirioLabs documentation.
