Directors (stage/film)

Tim Burton

                             Tim Burton

Tim Burton was born in Burbank, los Angeles, on 25th of august 1958. From a young age it was quite apparent that he was gifted, although he was never very good in school, and it was obvious to those around him that he was not a book worm. Instead he found joy in painting drawing and movies. After high school in 19976, at the age of 18 Tim attended the California institute of the arts. Cal arts had been founded by Disney and used as a breeding ground for new animators, though they did offer other courses. Burton entered the Disney animation program in his second year thinking it would be a good way to make a living. 2 years later in 1979 he was drafted into the Disney animation ranks. Soon after the studio realized that his talent was not being used to its full extent, so they made him a conceptual artist which is a person who designs the characters for films. If you are familiar with burtons art work then you will realize that it is far from normal Disney animation so it didn’t go down too well. However he did get let loose on his own projects, these included a poem and artwork which years later would form the base for one of his most famous pieced, the nightmare before Christmas. (Ali Head)

                          Tim Burton’s film history.
                                       
                                      

Tim Burton has been making films since 1971 and since then has made a lot of films, some small scale but well known such as peewee’s big adventure , some huge films like mars attacks! and even some which were never aired like Frankenweenie and lost in oz. In 1971 Tim Burton wrote and directed his first short film, called “The island of doctor agor” at age13. It was based on H.G. wells story “the island of doctor moreau, and starred himself and few of his friends. His second film was a short animation called “stalk of the celery” which he wrote directed and also animated. The film was done entirely in pencil. The film quickly caught the eye of his class at cal arts and also gained interest by Disney who then offered the young Burton a job as an animator. 1982 Burton made Vincent a 6 minute stop motion film done in black and white. Based on a poem he wrote about a young boy who (like Burton as a child) fanaticizes about being Vincent price. Price himself provided narration for the short. The next film he worked on was Beetlejuice, Burton originally wanted to cast sammy davis jr as the Bio-exorcist beetlejuice however after meeting Michael Keaton became convinced of him playing the part, referring to him as a “manic livewire”. The film was made on a relatively small budget of $11 million, but grossed $32 million within its first 2 weeks, it then went on to gross more than $73 million. Burtons ability to produce low budget films impressed studio executives and he was finally given his first big budget film, batman. There was some tension involved with making the film due to Burton wanting to cast Michael Keaton as batman, due to his successful last role as beetlejuice. Burton believed that batman should be an ordinary although wealthy ban who wears a bat costume to scare criminals, rather than casting a bulked up actor. He even cast jack Nicholson as the joker in a move to calm fan’s fears and also to interest the older generation who might not be interested in superhero films. When the film opened it was backed by the biggest marketing and merchandising campaign in film history at the time. And grossed over $400 million worldwide. Burton began to make the majority of his big films in the 90’s, making films such as Edward scissorhands, batman returns and the huge cult classic the nightmare before Christmas. Edward scissorhands was written by Burton and Caroline Thompson. Casting Wynona Ryder from her work in beetlejuice and also casting 80’s teen idol Johnny depp as Edward. Edward was the creation of an eccentric old fashioned inventor (played by burtons childhood idol Vincent price, in his last on screen appearance before his death) Edward looked human but due to the untimely death of his creator was left with scissors for hands. The film is widely seen as the autobiography of burtons own childhood. Vincent price is said to have remarked “Tim is Edward”. This has been considered his best film by both fans and critics. Despite the success of batman Warner bros. declined to make Edward scissorhands, and eventually Burton agreed to film the sequel, under the condition that he would be given total control. this led to the making of batman returns starring Michael Keaton as batman, Michelle Pfeiffer as cat woman and Danny de Vito as the penguin. Concerns were raised that the film was too scary for children, and audiences were uncomfortable with the overt sexuality of the film, personified by catwoman’s fetish inspired costume. Some of the fans loved the darkness and quirkiness while other felt it wasn’t true to the comics. Burton even made many changes to the penguin which would then be applied in both comics and cartoons, the penguin went from being a normal man with a pinstripe suit to being a small man with a long hooked beak-like nose, flipper like hands and even a penguin shaped body. The film grossed over $280million world wide. Burton then went on to write and produce, but not direct the nightmare before Christmas, the film was based on a poem written by Burton during his time at Disney, the film went on to have a massive cult following as well as renewing interest in in stop motion animation. One of the deleted scenes from the film is the vampires playing hockey with the decapitated head of Burton, the head was later replaced by a jack o lantern. The film was made with animatronic puppets and rather large scale sets. The largest animatronic was of the character oogie boogie the puppet of which stood between 2 & 3 feet tall and had a mould which weighed 200 pounds. The next film Burton made was Ed wood, a smaller scale film depicting the life of Ed wood jr, a man sometimes called “the worst director of all time” the film was a homage to the low budget sci-fi and horror films of burtons childhood. Sleepy hollow has been marked as the return of vintage burton, the supernatural setting, unique sets and an offbeat performance by Johnny depp and another gothic score by danny elfman. Rather than Ichabod crane being a school teacher he is a detective with an interest in forensic science. The film was a tribute to old English hammer film productions. The film won an academy award for best art direction, and 2 BAFTAs for best costume design and best production design. The film was a turn around for burton, in both his professional and personal life. He left behind his haunted forests and colourful outcasts to direct planet of the apes, a film which made a lot in the box office but was slated by critics. Scince then tim burton has gone on to make such films as Big fish, Charlie and the chocolate factory, corpse bride, a film with a similar style to the nightmare before Christmas, however not as big. The film received an academy award nomination for best animated feature film. And Sweeny todd, the deamon barber of fleet street. (sean McKenzie)

Some of the work by Tim Burton work has of lately been transformed into works of Buite and bizarreness’

With the 2006 stage adaptation of Tim burtons classic movie Edward scissor hands Its a hugely original gothic fairy tale that is simple and universal to tell through music and movement produced by Matthew Bourne who has peevishly has done adaptations of swan lake and the nutcracker using the romantic score originally composed by Danny elfman makes the backbone of the piece and the movement and vision by Bourne tells the story of Edward

Tim burton and his team only gave the rights to bourn as they felt he could tell the story in a way that could of not have been captured in film as ballet is movement and mainly based upon touch and with the main character having scissors for hand automatically makes him the ultimate expressing himself through movement rather than words.

In 2007 Burtons earlier work of his poem’s that where written in 1997 have been transformed and adapted for stage for the bizarre but fantastic play of Vivian grouts adventure in another metropolis witch sold out at the arches and had successful performances in Fringe and panopticon music hall before hitting the Citens theatre

The one woman shows inspired by Burtons poem voodoo girl haunts the memory like a strange perfume: clinging, sinister and full of promise Joyce McMillan the Scotsman

Of late Tim Burton has brought to life of the Stage musical Sweeny todd

Sweeny tod doped at the uris therter on march1st 1979 and was written by hugh weeler and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim it is set in mid 19th century London the storys sees Todd sent to prison for a crime he doesn’t commit and returning to have his revenge .

Tim burton keeps true to his work by turning the stage show in to a gothic and stunning work of art with firmilyer actors like Johnny depp and helin Bonham carter along with a new face of Jane Wisener a 4th year music thearter student at the rsamd who plays todds daughter Joanna. "Chris McMillan