Tim Burton Essay - Grade: b PDF

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Tim Burton techniques and influences...

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Tim Burton Essay

Tim Burton is a well know born and raised American director who is highly regarded across the industry for his unique and special film style. Burton produces highly creative films and stimulates the audience through his unconventional characters and his dark and mysterious ideas and storylines. Many of Burton’s films are based of his child hood experiences and can reflect what life was like for him. Tim Burton was born in 1958 in Burbank, California where he spent most of his childhood in his home detached from the world, drawing, painting and watching B grade horror and science fiction genre films where he grew a love for B grade actors such as Vincent Price heavily which inspired and influenced his childhood drawings and early films. Tim Burton has a unique film making style which sets him apart from all other film makers, his style has strong ties to what his childhood was like through his countless drawings and films that he created such as Edward Scissor hands. This further illustrates Burton’s feelings as a child, constantly being left out and different to society around him. He displays this world of his childhood to the viewers through the techniques such as stop motion and the influences and relationships that he shared with B grade actors. Edward Scissor hands is a strong example of Burton’s unique style which was heavily influenced by his exposure to B grade horror and his unusual imagination. The film Edward Scissor hands is often seen as his staple piece, being used to display to others Burton’s typical unique films.

Edward Scissor hands strongly displays Burton’s early influences. Growing up in Burbank, California in the centre of the action surrounded by numerous film studios which played a large role in Burton's life. He never felt that he fitted into the rest of society and feeling different to everyone else Burton spent his time drawing. This is where the early idea for his first film Edward Scissorhands came to life and thus became the start of what was to become his film making career. With his strong love for Vincent Price through the countless B grade horror films that he watched, Vincent played the father of Edward in Edward Scissor hands. Edward is a symbol of Burton's abstract childhood, never fitting with the rest of the society being “different” to the rest. Vincent Price being the father of Edward in the film can be said that Vincent Price was almost like a second father to Burton, with him looking up and aspiring his work, similar to how Edward displays in the film.

Burton displays many stylistic film techniques across his films. Most notably Burtons favourite film technique is the use of stop motion. Symbolism, juxtaposition, wild camera angles, dark lighting and costuming help him achieve a German Expressionism style of film making. Extensive use of prosthetic make up and imaginative set designs create a sense of fantasy that both intrigues and involves the audience. Burton carries the same techniques across all his work making it his own unique style for everyone to love and expect from a Tim Burton film. The combination of techniques in his films create and irregular and abstract scenes which helps Burton express his personality by showing the audience how outsiders of society similar to him feel. Excellent! You write clearly and articulately. Your information is relevant and well researched. In the movie Edward Scissor hands Juxtaposition and colour are used to form difference. An example of this can be seen in Edward being significantly different to the rest of the town who are all very similar sharing many characteristics. The first scene juxtaposes Edwards’s dark black gothic house with the rest of the bright and happy town which illustrates how different Edward is compared to the rest of society. Unlike the town the house is also abstract being a unique tower shape compared to the identical box houses. Costume design is also a key technique in Edward Scissor hands as it helps to reveal the body language of a character and their background. In comparison to the rest of the town Edwards’s attire of white and black clothes and wild jet-black hair heavily contrasts the bright and colourful attire of the town with neat and tidy appearance. The German Expressionism style of dark lighting and wild camera angles is used to show the differences and challenge the audience. German Expressionism is heavily used in the scenes of Edwards's Mansion where everything is darkly lit and is accompanied by obscured camera angles to represent to strong differences between the two environments. Wild angles are also shown when Jim is killed to create interest for the viewer and to indicate the significance of the event by putting us in their world. Sound effects add to the emotion emphasising what has happened or building up an event that is yet to come. This can be seen when Edward is cutting hair for the people of the town with the sharp loud cutting noises that grow louder as he progresses to pets, which creates unease for the viewer predicting that something bad is going to happen. Very good use of examples to back up your argument. Another key technique in Burton’s films is the use of symbolism. Burton uses symbolism in his movies to help create a deeper understanding of characters emotions and relay what others may be thinking. In Edward Scissorhands an example of symbolism can be seen in the factory where Edwards’s father and creator gives Edward hands for Christmas. The hands act as a symbol for normality, representing what it is like to be normal, to be able to touch and relate to others. Upon giving Edward his new hands, Edwards’s father dies. His

death could also be seen as symbolic as now Edward is truly alone, not ever being able to fit into society and forever remaining different for the rest of his life. Similar to Burton’s consistent stylistic techniques, Burton also carries many of his actors over to other films. This is because Burton has formed a strong relationship with the actors and similar quirky personalities which helps build on his unique film making style. Actors such as Johnny Depp Wynona Ryder and Vincent price star in many of Burton’s films. Johnny Depp with his quirky style of acting fits Burton’s characters perfectly. Their strong relationship creates a way for Burton to develop his characters as the both seem to speak the same language. Burton can specifically form a role around Depp in his movies.

Although being highly loved and valued by hisaudience, Burton’s career didn’t have the easiest beginning. After being fired from Walt Disney for the only reason that his and their creative style were complete opposites, movies directed by Burton weren’t all box office hits. Although Edward Scissorhands did have an enormous succession, there were many that didn’t perform too well. Burton had and remains to have a very singular mind which Walt Disney didn’t like and didn’t want anything to do with. Burton creates in a way no other man could, and his imagination is most certainly like no other. Because of his unique and unseen style many people misunderstood his style and he was heavily judged. Many thought his style was too strange, to horrific and not too suitable for children. Critics have judged Burtons’ work incredibly harsh over the years all because of their misunderstanding and misinterpretations of his style of film making. Critics completely dismissed what he is trying to get across and only focused on the creepy style of the films. Although certain reviews have been a setback to Burton, he has kept on striving in the film industry doing what he does best and because of this, he is now regarded very highly by many people these days. Timothy Burton is a highly respected man, and without him the filming industry would not be the same. He changed our understandings greatly of how we perceive films by adding a deeper understanding to his work. Many young aspiring film creators can learn from Burtons ways and how courageous you need to be in the industry to strive for success. Burton’s stylistic film techniques and similar characters have made him loved by many with many people creating a great love for German Expressionism....