Through the same emotional process, legendary Disney animator Joe Grant, who was Pete Docter's mentor, also inspired certain aspects of Carl's personality. But for young Russell, the inspiration came from another direction … Pete Docter explains: “To create Russell, we simply wondered what could get more or a reaction and make grumpy old Carl hopping.” And so this unbearably positive young boy came to life, filled with such energy and willingness to the point of infuriation, and who never knows when to stop …

In spite of the overflowing imagination of UP's creators, one of the key elements of the film was directly inspired by our world. For the mythical falls of the Paradise of South America, Pete Docter was inspired by the magnificent Angel Falls and the Tepui Plateau located in Venezuela. The director confides: “It is a strange and fascinating place which I never knew existed before starting the project. At Pixar, we like getting involved in our research and when I heard about this place cut off from the world, I knew that I had to go there. It took three days to get there; that was a true expedition! You take a plane, then another smaller one, then you drive for hours, then you take a helicopter, then a jeep and finally you walk. When I got there, I could not believe my eyes. This plateau lined with cliffs in the middle of an ocean of a jungle is an absolute sanctuary. It's like discovering another world, and it was the ideal set for our film.” Although Angel Falls was already the highest waterfall in the world at more than 978 meters, the film-makers did not hesitate to raise those of the film more to the vertiginous height of almost 3000 meters.



As for the fauna and flora of the place, they also took some liberties, in particular with the incredible 4 meter bird that Russell names Kevin. Jonas Rivera comments: “Unfortunately, no one has found yet a creature like Kevin in this magical place. There are however all sorts of animals which only live there. It is due to the site's geographical isolation. This plateau is cut off from the rest of the world, lined by cliffs which place it 1000 meters above the rest of the region. The life follows its own logic there. This is the place where Arthur Conan Doyle set masterpiece, 'The Lost World'. Effectively, in this 60 million year old environment, certain species which disappeared elsewhere - like dinosaurs - would have been able to survive here. It is a land of legends and mystery, an ideal place for our adventure. There is always so much to discover up there and that is why Charles F. Muntz has to go there …”

Contrary to the film's explorer, the creators were taken to the plateau by the simplest of means. Pete Docter remembers: "We climbed for about 2 kilometers. There's no road. You climb these rocks, you move on as you can, up to the summit. We stayed at the top three days, sleeping in tents. We walked a lot, observed, drew. We also took tons of photographs. It was an impressive experience. It also allowed us to undergo exactly what a journey to this lost corner of the world could represent for a 78-year-old man!”