Have your heard about Splash and Bubbles? I’m a fan of all things Jim Henson, so I’m super excited. Splash and Bubbles is the animated series that uses this awesome new digital puppetry technology to teach kids about marine biology and ocean science concepts. The Jim Henson Company, creators of fun series like Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid, teams up with Herschend Enterprises to bring us the latest in kids programming using the latest technology out there!
Watch Splash and Bubbles to follow the adventures of Splash, a yellow fusilier fish who travels all over the oceans before returning to his family in Reeftown. In his hometown, he creates his own fish posse with three other curious sea creatures – Bubble, Dunk and Ripple. Splash’s new friends have led sheltered lives, so Splash’s travels open their eyes to what lays beyond the confines of their neighborhood. Together the friends explore the oceans, meet other marine animals and habitats and bring back lesson to their friends and neighbors in Reeftown. Splash and Bubbles premieres on PBS KIDS this November 23.
I’ve been in awe of the genius behind The Muppets since I was a kid, so it’s no surprise that I would love to get a job with the Henson Digital Puppetry Studios. This mind blowing patented technology allows spontaneous real-time performance recorded or broadcast live, generating a very high yield of animation per minute and cutting both animation time and costs exponentially. This new system gives producers, directors and performers higher levels of spontaneity, quality and interactivity than ever before. Due to its proprietary nature, Henson Digital Puppetry Studios’ design works with traditional soft puppetry maneuvers, allowing the Creature Shop to draw performance talent from its stable of internally-recognized puppeteers.
The end results allows animation to be composited into computer-generated environments in real time. The system’s animated characters are therefore also “directable”, like actors, and the animation can thus be used as a pre-visualization tool as well as a final product. The animation can be broadcast, or streamed, taking advantage broadcast platforms, local digital networks or the global Internet infrastructure. The animation can also be applied to many mediums, including web-broadcasting, computer games, television and film.
I visited the studios for a first-hand look at the process! Here are some pictures from their last rehearsal. There’s so much going on! I also snapped some pictures of the reception area cuzz Kermie!
Photo by www.alexandrabeverlyhills.com
