Up There

Unlike most stories about leaving home, Up needed a house that would go along for the journey. The Pixar team treated Carl’s house like a film character, touring vintage Oakland and Berkeley neighborhoods to cast for the right mix of comfort and familiarity, with just a touch of melancholy. “We were trying to make Carl’s house look like your grandparents’ house smelled,” explained Producer Jonas Rivera.

“Adventure is out there!” is the familiar motto from Up that inspired many. And the directors and artists proved it to themselves when they sought firsthand reference to design the pinnacle world where Carl’s journey would end. Together, they climbed mountains, trampled through jungle, and even got caught in a storm atop a tepui mountain in South America. “The research trip to Venezuela was one of the highlights of my career,” said Production Designer Ricky Nierva, “but I’m also glad we made it back alive to make the movie!”

The world of Up began with the thought of escape. From the claustrophobic shapes of an encroaching cityscape to the uncharted wilds of South America, from Muntz's half-mile long dirigible to Carl's uniquely mobile home, the Pixar team employed its newly invented concept of "simplexity" to push the visual envelope while keeping the world believable.