Tim Burton

Tim Burton (born 25.8.1958)

Tim Burton is an American, Golden Globe-winning, Academy Award-nominated film director

Tim Burton: Childhood

Tim Burton was born to Bill Burton and Jean Erickson, in Burbank, California. He spent his formative years watching low budget horror films in his home near the Valhalla Cemetery.

After Tim had graduated from Burbank High School, he won a scholarship from Disney, to attend the California Institute of the Arts, studying Character Animation. His first job in the field was cell painting for Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings animation. He later served an apprenticeship at the Walt Disney Studios.

Tim Burton: Film Career

Burton's debut short film was Vincent, a stop-motion film based on one of his own poems about a boy that fantasises about being Vincent Price. Price provided narration for the film. His next major project after this was a Japanese-themed production of Hansel & Gretel, for the Disney Channel. Burton followed this with another short film (live action this time), Frankenweenie.

Burton was then chosen, by the actor Paul Reubens, to direct Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, the big-screen vehicle for his character Pee-Wee Herman. This film was the first in which he collaborated with musician Danny Elfman. Elfman has gone on to score all of Burton's film, apart from Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd.

Burton's next major project was Beetlejuice, an oddball comedy starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton (as the title character). The film won the Oscar for Best Makeup Design.

Burton's first big-budget project was Batman. He clashed with the studio executives over his decision to cast Michael Keaton as Batman. The film became one of the biggest box office hits of all time.

The producer then went on to work with Winona Ryder again. This time, she appeared alongside Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands. This film became the first of a long stream of collaborations between Depp and Burton.

On the grounds that he would be granted full artistic control of the film, Burton finally agreed with Warner Brothers that he would direct the Batman sequel, Batman Returns. Again, Keaton was cast as Batman, and the film also featured Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken as the line-up of baddies. He initially began work on the third film in the franchise but was thrown out by Warner Brothers when they found out that Burton intended to continue the tone of the first two films.

Burton's films The Nightmare Before Christmas (which he wrote and produced) and James and the Giant Peach (based on the Roald Dahl story) generated a renewed popularity in stop-motion animation in film.

Burton's next film, Ed Wood, starring Depp again, was a flop at the time of its release (1994) but has since become a cult classic. Likewise with Mars Attacks!, which was initially met with disdain by American audiences but has since risen in popularity.

Sleepy Hollow, starring Christina Ricci and Johnny Depp won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction. It also won two BAFTAs for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

In 1996, Burton's book, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories was published. The book was a collection of poems about different fictional characters.

Although Planet of the Apes was a commercial success for Burton, it was received dismally by film critics. It was during the making of this film that Burton met his future partner, Helena Bonham Carter. She went on to star in a number of his films.

Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney and Helena Bonham Carter, received four Golden Globe nominations

Corpse Bride, Burton's third stop-motion film, featured the voices of Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. It received an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

In 2007, Burton's first live action musical Sweeney Todd: the Demon barber of Fleet Street was released. The film won an Academy award for Best Achievement in Art Direction. Johnny Depp, as Sweeney Todd, was nominated for Best Actor.

Tim Burton: Personal Life

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter have a son, Billy Ray Burton (b.2003) and a daughter, Nell Burton (b.2007).