A Close-up on Burton’s Style Tim Burton is a well renowned director, who has been contributing to the movie-making world since the 1980s. As a director, Tim Burton uses his twisted and creative mind to create these fantastical worlds with unique, larger-than-life characters that in a way reflect reality. Throughout his films, Tim Burton uses music and sound, editing techniques,and shots and framing to control the audience’s emotions and make them relate reality to his outlandish movie universes.
To start, Tim Burton uses music and sound to intensify raw, emotional moments in his films. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, diegetic sound of the people talking about the last kid finding the golden ticket was used as Charlie was walking down the street. The use of these voices show that Charlie is upset and disappointed by the news and make the viewers feel sympathy towards him.
Later on in the scene, Charlie finds a ten dollar bill on the sidewalk and joyfully picks it up, intending to buy a candy bar. Burton’s usage of the upbeat, cheerful music as Charlie runs to the candy makes the audience feel happy for Charlie because being able to enjoy a chocolate bar or having the money to do so is a very rare occasion for him considering he lives in poverty.
The use of diegetic sound is also present in Burton’s film Edward Scissorhands when the police officers are yelling at Edward to drop his weapons, not realizing that his “weapons” are his hands,Burton exploits in this moment that Edward feels vulnerable and scared while the viewers feel troubled and defensive because they realize that Edwards is harmless, even though the police officers does not. The audience can relate to Edward because as humans they have all felt vulnerable and exposed for who they are in their personal lives.
Not only does Tim Burton manipulate music and sound to connect the emotions of both the audience and characters, he also uses editing techniques. In Big Fish, Burton uses flashbacks to show the viewers who Edward Bloom is and how he became the person he is. In one flashback it shows Edward being held down to his bed because he was growing too fast as a young boy and how it taught him that he was meant to be something big and important.
By doing this Tim Burton makes the audience feel sorrow for Edward because in the moment when he’s telling the story he is again held down to his bed as he awaits death. The audience also feels happiness towards him because this flashback symbolizes that Edward is a big fish. In Edward Scissorhands Burton uses the eye-line match when the inventor first presents the hands to Edward as an early Christmas gift but does not get them, showing that Edward longs to have them. This makes the audience feel upset for Edward because they know that something must’ve gone wrong if he did not have those hands.
The use of the flashback technique is also present in Edward Scissorhands when Edward’s inventor gives him the hands to replace his scissors but then the inventor dies in that moment. Again, Tim Burton does this to make the audience feel sorrow for Edward because it reveals to them that he wants to be normal and accepted so badly. Finally, Tim Burton uses the shots and framing cinematic technique to again connect the audience with the characters in the films. In Big Fish, Burton uses a close-up shot when Will and Edward had been fighting about Edward stealing Will’s “thunder” at a party.
By using this close-up shot Burton exposed the hurt and anger between the father and son, but Burton also helped the audience feel the tension from the screen. This moment brings the viewers back to a time in their life where they had a feud with a loved one and how much hurt they both left hurt. Later on in the film a two shot is used when Will goes to visit Jessica Hill, a woman who loved his father. This shot creates a connection between the two as Jessica is about to tell Will something important about his father.
The audience feels anxious at this moment ecause they know that when there is a one-on-one conversation it is most likely valuable. In another one of his films, Edward Scissorhands, Burton uses a long shot when Edward is walking into Peg’s house for the first time. This shot shows that Edward feels a mix of vulnerability and security as he stands in the living room alone and out of place. The audience can relate to Edward’s feeling because they know how scary it is to be in a new place, but also how reassuring it is to know that there is someone there who cares.
As a director, Tim Burton uses all types of cinematic techniques throughout all of his films, he uses music and sound, editing techniques, and shots and framing to connect the audience’s feeling with those of the characters in the film. Burton also does this to show that his over-the-top movie worlds are closely related to reality. By using his God-given talents and natural skills, Tim Burton is able to direct and create fascinating films that attract an audience and fanbase of all ages.
