Giant inflatable monsters for Netflix’s Spellbound

What did Digital Inflatables make for the Netflix release of Spellbound?

Giant inflatable monsters, commissioned by the agency Faubourg Stories to accompany the film’s release on Netflix.

In the picture published by the workshop, a purple creature with small pink-tipped horns stands on a grey floor against a black backdrop. Its belly is pale, its light feet have claws, and its back is printed with scales that give the fabric depth.

The workshop’s video shows the making from A to Z: a complete 3D model, digital production templates, sublimation printing, laser cutting, then the assembly of 140 fabric pieces per inflatable element.

What is Spellbound?

An animated film by Skydance Animation, released on Netflix on 22 November 2024.

In the film, a spell turns the parents of the young princess Ellian into monsters: giant inflatable creatures bring those monsters off the screen.

Faubourg Stories is an agency based in Paris; it also worked with Warner Bros. Discovery France to mark 25 years of Harry Potter at the Château de Versailles.

How is a giant inflatable character made from a film character?

It starts with a complete 3D model of the character, split into fabric templates; each piece is then printed, cut and assembled.

Sublimation printing drives the colours into the fibre, so the character’s textures, shadows and details sit on the fabric with no paint added. Laser cutting gives clean edges, which matters when a single element combines 140 pieces.

More creatures and mascots by the workshop are gathered on the giant inflatable mascots and characters page; typical lead times are in the guide to custom inflatable lead times.

Why use a giant inflatable for a film release?

A character at a very large scale draws a crowd, gets photographed and is shared on social media, which carries the campaign beyond the poster.

The inflatable travels folded, goes up with a blower and can move from venue to venue during the campaign. It works indoors as well as outdoors, as long as anchoring and power supply are planned.