Tim Burton's Influence On The Film Industry

Tim Burton is one the most influential and perhaps oddest individuals in the film industry today. Having not only directed about a hundred films, he’s also produced, written, and animated others, while making his own art! Of course, Burton’s diehard fans will recognize his work, but there is a wide audience that hasn’t even heard of Burton’s films and certainly hasn’t heard of his background. Who exactly is Tim Burton and how has he changed the industry of film with his unique sense of style? How did he become such a visionary director and how has his style of ‘Burtonesque’ shaped film? Well, it all started in the suburban city of Burbank, California, of all places! On August 25, 1958, the first son to Bill and Jean Burton was born. They named him Timothy Walter “Tim” and they would later have another son named Daniel. Tim’s mother owned a cat-themed gift shop and his father was a minor-league baseball player that found work later in the Burbank Park and Recreation Department. Tim went to school at Burbank High School, but he was much more interested in film and art rather than his studies. As a teenager, he would start to make short films in 8mm film or stop motion animation in his own backyard, being inspired by writers such as Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss. At this time, he was also
However, this all changed with his film ‘Big Fish’. Burton’s father had died in 2000, and so did his mother in 2002, which is why he gravitated so much to this particular story. Based on the novel of the same name, it was about a man named Edward Bloom and the stories he told while he tried to reconnect with his son. There were still many elements of Burton’s familiar style, such as the whimsicality and bigger than life characters, but it was also more toned down and dramatic. The film definitely showed another side to Burton’s talent and personally reflected his