Tim Burton's visual style is often influenced by the artistic movement known as expressionism. Expressionism emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction to the realism of the time, focusing on expressing emotions and subjective experiences through distorted and exaggerated forms.
Much of this style is heavily influenced by German expressionist artists and filmmakers in the early 20th century (LACMA). Distortion, spooking shadows, heavy makeup, dreamlike settings, and some overarching feelings of dismay are characteristics of both Burton's work and German expressionism.
By examining and understanding the influence of writers such as E.A. Poe and Roald Dahl, as well as Dr. Seuss and classic fairy tales, the sources of Burton's cinematic style become clear.
What is Burton's style and what cinematic techniques does he use to achieve it?
Throughout all his films, director Tim Burton uses many film techniques and cinematic elements. However, when Burton wants to control the audiences' emotions, and twist the mood of the scene, he uses lighting, non-diegetic music, and framing and angles to achieve the desired effect.
Tim Burton's visual style is often influenced by the artistic movement known as expressionism. Expressionism emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction to the realism of the time, focusing on expressing emotions and subjective experiences through distorted and exaggerated forms.
Tim Burton's Eccentric Set Design and Art Direction Explained
How was Tim Burton inspired by German expressionism?
But this video essay also illustrates how he mined those German classics for ideas on set design, stark and suggestive lighting, the use of shadows and even actors' performances (note the labored physicality of some of his characters).
With a style so distinct the adjective 'Burtonesque' was coined, Tim Burton has written, directed, and produced numerous iconic films - encompassing cult favorites, box office smashes and inventive adaptations.
Burton, however, embraces the dark elements” (134). The essay also names Edgar Allen Poe and Vincent Price as major influences on Burton's dark style. His first project, Vincent, was inspired by both. Burton says he related to both of these men and even considered Vincent Price to be a mentor.
Tim Burton's generosity and persistence of getting through depression, makes him a true hero. He completely changed how people saw horror and introduced the new concept of stop motion animation. By being his unique self, Burton managed to become an award winning film-maker.
When Tim Burton was an eager young animator and filmmaker working at Disney Studios in the early 1980s, he made an inventive live-action short film inspired by his childhood in Burbank and the love of a family dog.
Burton was compelled to utilize stop-motion animation because it could bring something purely imagined to vivid life in a way that 2-D animation couldn't.
Even in those early shorts, Burton's gothic style is clear to see. Take a look at Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride and Dark Shadows, for instance, and you'll see shades of his horror-tinged formative work spring to life in big budget features.
Burton is 65 years old and was born on August 25, 1958, in Burbank, California. He attended the California Institute of the Arts, studying character animation. He was an animator's apprentice with Walt Disney Animation Studios. Vincent was his first film – a six-minute black and white stop-motion short.
Has Tim Burton ever made a movie without Johnny Depp?
Frankenweenie Was Tim Burton's First Movie Without Johnny Depp Since Big Fish. Despite the fact that Johnny Depp held an impressive film streak with Tim Burton, the director ultimately did not cast the actor in Frankenweenie.
The theory says that first is Frankenweenie, following Victor's childhood years and his relationship with his dog, and then comes Corpse Bride, with an older Victor whose dog has died (for good this time), though he reunites with him now as a skeleton.
Burton's art and cinema are hugely influenced by Expressionism. This opens in a new window. Burton's own aesthetic reflects German Expressionism more than any other style.
The genesis of Edward Scissorhands came from a drawing by then-teenaged director Tim Burton, which reflected his feelings of isolation and being unable to communicate to people around him in suburban Burbank. The drawing depicted a thin, solemn man with long, sharp blades for fingers.
Burton loves using black and white stripes to create a striking contrast amidst his darker color palette. And you can do the same! Stripes get a bad reputation because of their visual impact. Horizontal stripes, for example, can have a widening effect that can make you look broader than you are.
If you asked Burton, he might trace it back to his upbringing in Burbank, California. It was a place where he always felt like a misfit growing up, save for when he was hanging around the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery at the end of the street where he and his family lived.
Edward Scissorhands is considered by many to be Burton's movie masterpiece, and it also marked his first of several collaborations with one of his favorite actors: Johnny Depp.
