Inspired by fairy tales, pop culture, and gothic traditions, Burton started to make stop-motion movies early in his career, as he felt it was the best way to express himself. He never saw himself as a good artist, but once he told himself that did not matter, his career began to soar.
We all know the fall and Halloween season would not be the same without Burton's works: Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Edward Scissorhands are all movies that are loved during all parts of the year, but especially Halloween. Arguably, the season would not be the same without them.
Tim Burton's creative process is not as complex as one might think: he collects things all around him that inspires him, including people he sees, individual objects he likes, or whatever inspires him. He begins work with simple sketching, which is the best way for him to "see" his creations. Burton is often quoted saying that he "doesn't really care if it looks bad, as long as it makes sense" to him. Collaboration is also a large part of his creative process and loves to get other creators' insights on what should be fixed, improved, or changed. Burton always gets feedback on his works, which is a significant part of his creative process. Similar to the research Brian Uzzi and Jarrett Spiro conducted in their study Collaboration and Creativity: The Small
World Problem, Burton has a clear small world network of creatives who he considers similar to himself and who "see" art the same way he does, and by working with them, Burton is perpetually able to make amazing art through cinema. The art, in fact, comes before the story in most cases, with the characters often making their own story as Burton works on them.
Sketching and drawing have always been an immense part of Burton's life: he draws everywhere, at all times, on anything he can. He draws on sometimes more than ten notebooks at the same time and if he doesn’t have paper, he uses napkins, tissues, tables or even walls. Burton describes his constant need to draw as a way to focus and put out anything that might be stuck in his imagination.
Burton, as of right now, still seems to be a 'little c' creative, but I feel he has the potential to become a 'big C' as his career develops. Burton refuses to categorize his own work, but that does not mean others haven't. You always know Tim Burton when you see it, and that alone is a characteristic of all great creatives. Similarly, Burton uses his art to express himself, and the way he feels regarding just about anything. His work transcends the boundaries of movies created just for 'kids' or 'adults'; people of all ages enjoy his work time and time again. Burton's work with stop-motion and claymation is unprecedented within his field, with his work has inspiring countless others and touching the hearts of so many people, even children, all around the globe.
Spooky Sources:
https://the-artifice.com/art-tim-burton/
https://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/TBEssay.pdf
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/tim-burton-boyhood-traumas-of-a-director-1910871.html
Tim Burton's creative process is not as complex as one might think: he collects things all around him that inspires him, including people he sees, individual objects he likes, or whatever inspires him. He begins work with simple sketching, which is the best way for him to "see" his creations. Burton is often quoted saying that he "doesn't really care if it looks bad, as long as it makes sense" to him. Collaboration is also a large part of his creative process and loves to get other creators' insights on what should be fixed, improved, or changed. Burton always gets feedback on his works, which is a significant part of his creative process. Similar to the research Brian Uzzi and Jarrett Spiro conducted in their study Collaboration and Creativity: The SmallWorld Problem, Burton has a clear small world network of creatives who he considers similar to himself and who "see" art the same way he does, and by working with them, Burton is perpetually able to make amazing art through cinema. The art, in fact, comes before the story in most cases, with the characters often making their own story as Burton works on them.
Sketching and drawing have always been an immense part of Burton's life: he draws everywhere, at all times, on anything he can. He draws on sometimes more than ten notebooks at the same time and if he doesn’t have paper, he uses napkins, tissues, tables or even walls. Burton describes his constant need to draw as a way to focus and put out anything that might be stuck in his imagination.
Burton, as of right now, still seems to be a 'little c' creative, but I feel he has the potential to become a 'big C' as his career develops. Burton refuses to categorize his own work, but that does not mean others haven't. You always know Tim Burton when you see it, and that alone is a characteristic of all great creatives. Similarly, Burton uses his art to express himself, and the way he feels regarding just about anything. His work transcends the boundaries of movies created just for 'kids' or 'adults'; people of all ages enjoy his work time and time again. Burton's work with stop-motion and claymation is unprecedented within his field, with his work has inspiring countless others and touching the hearts of so many people, even children, all around the globe.Spooky Sources:
https://the-artifice.com/art-tim-burton/
https://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/TBEssay.pdf
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/tim-burton-boyhood-traumas-of-a-director-1910871.html
Another collaboration that comes to mind with Burton is his relationship with Johnny Depp. Depp stars in many of his movies and seemingly understands the vision of Burton. Both know how to create a creepily playful cinematic experience. I always thought of Burton and Depp as really "out there", but it seems like his creative process is relatively simple, in that he still draws upon mundane, everyday experiences. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI love that Burton seems to disregard the boundaries when it comes to his creations, like you said. I can remember being a kid around Christmas and Halloween time watching the Nightmare Before Christmas and thinking "what is this weird juxtaposition of the jolly Christmas spirit and horrifying nightmarish monsters?" Is this a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie?? I can't tell! Similarly, I love that his movies are not strictly for children or adults. The story lines are both whimsical and complex, meaning I can still wholeheartedly enjoy his movies today just as much as I did when I was 10.
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