Tim Burton

Hi, chaps!

Long time no see, right? Do not disappoint that much, I love writing believe me but love watching TV series, movies, reading and just staring at my white ceiling as well. Plus my laziness is my main enemy. Anyway, as you might know, or maybe no, I am studying Media & Entertainment MANAGEMENT (omg I just get crazy at management part, sorry). The last module we got some interesting tasks and since I already handed in all my assignments long time ago and I hope they are almost graded I decided to share some of them with you. It might be helpful or at least interesting to read (I hope).

No more words and let's just jump to the topic I want to share with you. Today I want to talk about one of my favourite directors, his background, style and work path.

Have you ever felt that you are different? Or maybe it was a time when people were telling you are weird? I did. And Tim Burton along with his movies made me understand that being weird and out of this world is actually cool. In one of his early interviews, he said: “Because I was categorised as “weird” person I felt like I was able to do whatever I want. I didn’t have a reputation and that is why I was not judged”.

Tim Burton is a great director and simultaneously a painter, a producer and a screenwriter. This outstanding creator was born in 1958, in Burbank, California. However, he had been repeatedly stressing that he feels like he was born in a wrong place. Since California is too sunny and unchanging. That is why later on he will move to London – where he will finally feel at home as he claims the city has its own structure.

When talking about Tim’s childhood he is describing it as “private hell”. He admits that he was one of those kids, who were trying to turn everything into a science fair. Simultaneously he hated school a lot and still it reminds him of horrible memories. That is why, as a small boy he kind of isolated himself from the world and started being interested in cinematography. That was the time when he was categorised as “weird”. He was never scared of monster movies and literally soaked into one from 1950's. Soon he started associating himself with Frikenshatain character. And as a child dreamed of growing up and becoming a mad scientist. From the very beginning, he was escaping from the reality and coming up with plots and ideas. And already at the age of 13 made his first stop-motion animation film. Blessed with a great imagination coupled with excellent drawing skills, Burton converted his passion into his career.

Tim Burton was inspired by such people as classic horror films director - Roger Corman. Also by Ray Harryhausen and his stop motion animation. Tim even went to university to learn animation and this style stays to be his favourite. Today he lives in Arthur Rackham’s house who was an illustrator Tim was inspired by.

It is interesting to know that he was very successful as a student and after graduation, he began working as an animator for Walt Disney Studios. However, that collaboration lasted less than for a year. After Tim formed his own production company, he directed Batman, which became the most successful film of all time, setting the opening weekend box office record of $50 million. Soon, his “The Corpse Bride” received an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.

He has a unique style. The one which is outstanding as much as Tim as a person. For example, he has a phobia of chimpanzees and yet he was directing the movie about them. Saying that he turned his fear into a positive aspect making his evil character one of the fiercest in the film. Additionally, he is representing INFP personality, meaning that while being calm, reserved, or even shy he is seeking for ideal, all the time searching for ways to make things better. This extreme shy can be explained by the fact that he has Autism. He is always wearing black but simultaneously prefers coloured underwear and socks on. Finally, he is obsessed with photos, explaining that they tell stories, which are not complete and you always have some space for imagination.

While moving to the style within the movies it can be said that his original, quirky style that frequently drew on elements of the fantastic can be explained by mental issues. Nevertheless, to make it a bit clearer Beetlejuice is often considered as a prototypical Burton film. He has his creative differences. It is interesting to add that even today his films still all start in his sketch pad. And ends up in dark, gothic, macabre and quirky horror and fantasy films. Moreover, his movies always have an effective use of musical interludes. Most of his films focus around a misunderstood outcast and include characters who distrust the protagonist. Even “Batman” was changed a lot becoming the darker adaptation of the former film and being centred more on the villains than the superhero.

People tend to tell him: 'You either have a lot of confidence or you're completely insane'. And he just keeps on doing what he loves. Some of the movies are challenges for him, like for example Alice in Wonderland as he never liked the movie. What is more, Tim hates new technologies like special effects and graphics that is why after this project he admitted that probably it was the only movie he was filming in such a way. Additionally, Tim doesn’t like to change actors in his movies and that is why Johnny Depp can also be seen as one of his signatures. Director has created a number of memorable films that have inspired countless other filmmakers and developed a signature, quirky so once you see the name “Tim Burton,” you know you’re in for something offbeat. The beautiful grotesque world, developed by the person who continues making his particular brand of cinema.

It should be said that there is no clearly defined filmed as his signature one. The reason for that is that he is using his signatures in all of the movies. That is why I decided to talk about the 2016 movie - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and emphasis on his signatures within it. This decision was made due to the fact that I have seen it not long ago and because it is pretty popular so most of the listeners can recognise it.

Tim Burton is one of those directors who has an easily identifiable visual style. Almost all of his films revel in gothic imagery. From the characters themselves to the props, to the houses and cities where the films take place are sculpted in an almost cartoonish way to emphasise “goth” features. Often Gothic architecture and atmosphere are brought together with sunny Los Angeles. His visual style is unique, bringing together 19th and 20th-century European art aesthetics and American kitsch. And we need to admit that this Burton’s brand of quirkiness connects with millions and his films have universal appeal. Nearly all of Burton’s films focus on the main character who is some sort of outcast from society. In this case, it is Jake. After the death of his beloved grandfather, he is in depression as there is no one else who can understand him. He was always out of this world but yet he was for the first time alone. Additionally, colour is a large part of Burton's camera mastery. The use of dark and light as the contrast is another signature of the director. The darkness fits in well with his gothic imagery, but he uses light to emphasise certain aspects. There is a lot of camera movement in the films of Tim Burton. It is used expressively and the effect is pure mastery of cinematic craft. Sometimes, it feels like one is on a rollercoaster or ghost train. He uses a lot Point of View shot. That shows what a character is looking at represented through the camera. One of the signature Burton camera moves is the high-angled tracking shot that glides and weaves. However, what is interesting is his characters. We all know that Tim Burton loves pancake white makeup, black eyes, spirals, and stripes — but those are not the only things he loves to feature over and over again! There are several things I have highlighted in this movie:

• Never trust a smiling face with a bit of weight in a Burton movie.

• The night monsters. These monsters are built to threaten, propel or set boundaries for Burton's cast.

• The Burton world is stuffed with insanely wonderful parent figures. There's usually one elderly character ready to pick up the pieces and tuck you into a soft waterbed.

• The Blonde Ingénue. This director's obsession with the innocent, blonde о is so strong he's be-wigged countless brunettes to get that perfect bleached from all sins look.

To conclude everything mentioned above, Tim Burton is a wizard of odd. And while watching Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children you will be taken into the world where anything is possible ... but the impossible is even better. The film feels a bit overstuffed. That is why the fun runs out much before the film ends. But as one critic said: “stick with it just for those times when Burton flies high on his own peculiar genius”. All in all, this movie is infested with Burton’s usual gaggle of creepy-crawlies.

I would like to finish this small article with Burton's words: "You try to work out problems as you go along. Some people get therapy, some people get to make movies".

Thank you for reading till the end! Hope I will post soon again ahhaha, for now, that's it. K Bye! 😘

Don’t forget we are the scriptwriters of our life!

xoxo,

LuNa*