Analysis Of Tim Burton's Style Of Filmmaking

Tim Burton is an American film-maker who creates mysterious and odd storylines to send the message of recognizing differences along with remembering to be kind to everyone, including those who people consider “special” or “unique”. As a child, Burton didn’t have the typical childhood that kids experienced. He was considered as an introverted outcast, and weird. Burton’s parents didn’t favor him much, either. Basing it on his childhood, and an influence from writer, editor, and literary critic Edgar Allen Poe, his film points are generally characterized by darkness and dark colors. Tim uses his psychological problems to create odd and interesting movies. He creates his own specific style that no other film-maker has. Tim Burton utilizes literary, dramatic, and cinematic techniques to create the effect of contrast and equality; and is unique and different as compared to other directors because of the way he uses his movies as an odd and different platform.

Tim Burton uses literary techniques by constructing dark, fairytale like stories. His storylines consistently contain an odd main character. For instance: an outcast, or reject. He employs dark, haunted, and mysterious stories moreover with scary creatures and objects. In the movie Edward Scissorhands, Edward is displayed as “weird” or “unreal”. The storyline includes one bad guy, which is James, the arch-nemesis and Kim’s ex-boyfriend. He is portrayed as a rebel who would kill to keep his girlfriend. Other than The Princess Bride, the two antagonists are Prince Humperdinck and Viziini, whose goal is to kidnap Princess Buttercup. Both movies have the same plot, which is a love story, consisting of the boy will do anything to get the girl. Although Edward rarely talks, when he does it’s ominous or meaningful. Compared to the neighborhood, you hear constant blabbering from the housewives of absolutely anything that comes to mind. As compared to The Princess Bride, the storyline is a traditional fairytale love story, and is more lighthearted while Edward Scissorhands is unexpected and darker.

Tim Burton uses dramatic techniques by working with dark, weird costumes and set design, along with we The costumes consist of distinct, dark colors and often, dark objects. They wouldn’t be considered as “everyday clothes”. The odd character Burton forms usually has an odd past. The set design contains scary objects, trees, houses, and castles. They also consist of scary faces and odd contraptions. In the movie Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, the hollows are the gory, slenderman looking creatures created from the experiment in 1908. They have shark-sharp teeth covered in blood, a blank head and face, along with extremely long legs, arms, and tongues. In The Princess Bride, there is no frightening bad guy. The bad guy is just the charming prince. In Edward Scissorhands, there is a scene with Edward snipping a tree into a beautiful figure, and a housewife, watering the grass. She suddenly recognizes his talent and brings everyone from the neighborhood to see, which soon escalates to him from cutting dog hair to human hair. This scene shows how most people think Edward is scary due to his looks, but then realizes he has a great talent, and resolves in the women loosening up and liking him. This scene also shows how Tim brings Edward’s strangeness into other people’s lives, giving them a different feel of something that has never been experienced due to the normal and generic neighborhood.

Tim Burton uses cinematic techniques and behind the scene effects to create his movies more mind-pulling and interesting. He uses contrasting light that is either very dark or very bright. Especially in Edward Scissorhands, Edward’s castle on the top of the hill is completely isolated, and the weather and colors are dark. On the other hand, the suburb, housewife like neighborhood consists of neon bright colors, and a perfect, dollhouse-like setting. Compared to The Princess Bride, the colors are usually the same, and are light and calm. At times he puts in odd and messed up angles along with CGI on animals and creatures. In Miss Peregrine’s, the CGI is used on the children when they use their powers. Such as Emma, having the power to manipulate fire. And Miss Peregrine, when she can change into the form of a bird. Burton sets the tone when music is very happy and light or mysterious and low. We see the happy music and joyful and sad settings. We see happy music in a joyful setting when Jack first discovers the beautiful castle surrounded by beautiful nature. Then we see happy music in a sad setting, such as when the kids stand outside of the castle with creepy-looking gas masks on, watching the nazi’s almost drop their bomb onto the castle, just before Miss Peregrine stops time. The happy music and very low lighting in this scene shows that this is just routine, and everything will be completely fine. Burton’s use of music, lighting, colors, set design, and costumes keep the audience expecting the unexpected, and is very effective.

Tim Burton is a very interesting film-maker like no other. He creates the most odd and scary movies that kids can watch. Using his psychological problems to make movies really gives meaning, and a great film, too. Tim Burton's movies, employing the techniques of 'double shot' and 'front lighting', offer the viewer a world of romance along with innocence.