THE ‘UP’ HOT AIR BALLOON
Seen here is the famous Disney Pixar UP hot air balloon at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta in 2009. The balloon was built and designed by Exclusive Ballooning and took six months to complete.
The balloon has an active volume of 84,000 cubic feet and features 540 individually sewn balloons, each with 13 panels, attached to the digitally printed envelope. The inflatable house which completely covers the basket and burners was made from PVC and was attached after the hot air balloon was inflated. The house was then zipped up around the burner frame and secured in place prior to the fans being switched on and the house taking shape.
The balloon was built to promote the film UP which became the first ever animated feature to open the Cannes film festival. The film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, making it the second animated film in history to receive such a nomination, following Beauty and the Beast (1991).
There’s a great write-up with tons of pictures of the balloon’s 2009 promotional tour on the Exclusive Ballooning website if you want to learn more.
And below is my favourite scene from Up. Not one word of dialogue. Makes me tear up every time.
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