Digital puppets come to life in new Netflix kids show ‘Word Party’

Behind the scenes of the new Netflix show “Word Party,” which uses digital puppetry to create its characters.

Visiting the Jim Henson Creature Shop is just as cool as you might imagine. I saw a bunch of recognizable puppets from my childhood. These were all made the old fashioned way out of various materials. But I was here for a different reason. To check out a high tech new way of making puppets with computers, actors and real time animation.

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They call it Henson Digital Puppetry and it’s a way of creating digital characters in real time using actors who control a setup with their hands and feet. Their actions are instantly transformed into movements and emotions on screen. It’s very cool to see.

The technology is being used on a new Netflix show called “Word Party.” It’s for the tiniest TV viewers and teaches kids vocabulary. Each episode is 11 minutes long and the entire first season is now streaming on Netflix. A second season will premiere in October. My kids have been watching the show and they are really liking it. It’s cute, educational and fun.

Watch Word Party on Netflix