Netflix Dark Crystal Launch Event
When Netflix's tech team hit a wall, I built an interactive voiceover booth system in a single day that processed over 3,500 guests—and earned personal thanks from Jim Henson's daughter.
01 The Challenge
Netflix was launching The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance—the long-awaited prequel to Jim Henson's 1982 cult classic. As part of the launch event, they wanted an interactive voiceover booth where guests could record themselves dubbing scenes from the show.
The concept was brilliant: let fans step into the world of Thra and voice their favourite characters. The problem? Netflix's tech team were struggling to implement a way for people to see and read the captions in real time while recording.
I was working with Studiotime LTD, the company providing the professional recording booth. They needed someone who could solve the caption sync problem—fast. The event was imminent.
02 The Solution
Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones. While others were looking at complex video editing software and real-time caption APIs, I went back to basics.
I built an interactive web video player with timestamped captions that allowed users to follow along perfectly while recording their own voiceover inside the professional booth. Pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—no frameworks, no dependencies, no points of failure.
Tech Stack
- Frontend: Vanilla HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Browser: Microsoft Edge (for autoplay capabilities)
- Hardware: Professional recording booth by Studiotime LTD
The Edge Advantage
One clever workaround: I used Microsoft Edge instead of Chrome to load the player. Chrome has restrictions on autoplay that would have required user interaction on every page change. Edge allowed instant playback when switching between scenes, keeping the guest experience seamless and the queue moving.
I was working in a team of three, but I was the only one with the technical know-how to build this. The others handled the booth operations while I made sure the tech just worked.
03 The Process
Build time: one day. That's it. When you strip away the unnecessary complexity and focus on what actually needs to happen—video plays, captions appear at the right time, user records—the solution becomes obvious.
The real challenge wasn't the code. It was throughput. How many people could we get through the booth in a day? Thanks to the streamlined pipeline I'd built, I was able to onboard guests quickly, explain how to use the system in seconds, and keep the line moving.
Over the course of the month-long event, we processed upwards of 3,500 people through that booth. Each one got their moment as a voice actor in the world of Thra.
04 The Results
The booth was a hit. Thousands of fans got to experience something unique, and the tech worked flawlessly throughout the entire event. No crashes, no sync issues, no frustrated guests.
After the event, Lisa Henson herself—daughter of Jim Henson and CEO of The Jim Henson Company—took the time to have a personal chat with me to thank me for my hard work.
— That's not something you forget.
05 Lessons Learned
This project reinforced something I already believed but don't always practice: you don't always need complex processes to solve simple issues.
Netflix's tech team were probably looking at enterprise solutions, APIs, and complicated integrations. I solved it with vanilla web tech in a day. Sometimes the "boring" approach is the right one.
If I did it again, I'd probably put a bit more effort into the visual design. The functionality was flawless, but I was so focused on making it work that aesthetics took a back seat. For an event celebrating Jim Henson's legacy, it deserved to look as good as it performed.
But you know what? It worked. 3,500 people had a great experience. And Lisa Henson said thank you. I'll take that.