The Balloon


Director/animator Yoann Lemoine under Wanda Production brings us this whimsical animation for French children’s TV station Tiji. What I love about this animation is its nod to children’s book style illustration and storytelling. Each moment is ripe with painterly texture and small wonders like the Yeti parents pushing their sled bound child down the mountain as the balloon floats by.

All these style and animation decisions hold true to the wonder and imagination of children and I am sure this spot will have every child in France yearning for more. I can just picture kids biting their nails in fear of the delicate balloon popping as it faces all these dangers on its journey skyward. I only wish that in the end we could pull out to see the myriad of balloon’s actually creating the wonderful colors of the galaxy.

About the author

Jon Saunders

/ www.jonsaunders.tv
internet surfer/designer extraordinaire

8 Comments

Simon Robson

fantastic, superb story-telling and style. Had me riveted. At the point the balloon floated off into space, I wondered why it didn’t pop, seeing as space is a vacuum and all that. But then i realised, this isn’t for me, it’s for kids and I’m too old and analytical to be fully enchanted by a piece like this. More’s the pity. All in all one of the best pieces I’ve seen up here for a while.

boca

Haha, I also wondered why it didn’t pop, but then again there shouldn’t be any sound of laser beams and explosions in all Scifi movies either…
Amazing piece! Indeed one of the best ones here in a while.
Ah, ze French! :-D

nargles

Beautiful. The music is perfect too.

Habitat

i just came a lil. spectacular work!

4DRH

very poetic ….i love it

dulaney

I like how the music really helps the balloon seem delicate. I was anticipating it to eventually pop, but it was a nice surprise at the end. Very cute.

allot

cute. love it

Lilian

“I only wish that in the end we could pull out to see the myriad of balloon’s actually creating the wonderful colors of the galaxy.”

ditto.

So beautiful. I’m very moved…..The sound design of alternating stillness/quietness and whooshing of stuff really works to create moments of tension and suspense….

What does the end slogan mean? Anyone speaks french?

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