13-08-2023, 02:26 PM
(13-08-2023, 01:04 AM)Stuart Wrote: I am sure Martin Lambie-Nairn stated that the balloon never went where intended when filming the idents, so was generally replaced by GCI or composite shots.
I think the actual balloon was normally used for live public events, which of course doesn't detract from its iconic status.
That's right. It was a nightmare trying to align the balloon with the location and various weather conditions. One of the original ideas was that the physical balloon *could* also be rolled out for set-piece events, such as the FA Cup Final. The idea being: it'd fly over the venue giving a sense that the fourth wall had been broken. The reality: much the same as filming the actual thing, trying to plot a predetermined course for a balloon proved fraught with challenges. It also became quite quickly apparent that the actual aerospace the balloon would be allowed in wasn't, shall we say, favourable to set-piece events.