Cinematic Techniques In Tim Burton's Dismal Whimsical Stories

Indisputably, Tim Burton has one of the world’s most distinct styles when regarding film directing. His tone, mood, diction, imagery, organization, syntax, and point of view within his films sets him apart from other renowned directors. Burton’s style can be easily depicted in two of his most highly esteemed and critically acclaimed films, Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Burton ingeniously incorporates effective cinematic techniques to convey a poignant underlying message to the audience. Such cinematic techniques are in the lighting and editing technique categories. High key and low key relationships plus editing variations evinces the director’s elaborate style. He utilizes these cinematic techniques to

Tim Burton is one of the most unusual and unique directors of our time. He brings characters to life by putting them in a habitat they don’t belong. His movies “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Corpse Bride”, “Charlie and the chocolate factory”, and “Edward Scissorhands” all demonstrate how one of a kind his movies are. Using cinematic techniques, Tim Burton points out the misfit character and shows how different they are then everyone else. His use of camera angles, lighting, and sound give the viewers a different perspective on the movies, and help pick out the individual character.

First off, Tim Burton, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, uses camera angles to show a lot of different views of the factory and the whole movie. For example, high angle is used when the trucks are pulling out of the factory parking lot at the beginning showing that the golden tickets are going out into the world. This creates the effect of showing the factory in its entirety which makes

second example of evidence is Violet, the little girl who makes all the trouble of making a very bad decision by chewing the three course meal gum. During the point in time she started to look like a blueberry and the camera angle started to lower. The scene achieved the desired effect when Violet appearance has control over Mr. Wonka by eating the gum. Therefor the angle lowering just made the purpose of the scene more noticeable. The purpose was she looked bigger than everyone

Not every low angle in films represents dominance and authority. While conveying strength of Ben's, it can deliver weakness of Barbra’s in the same story. Likewise, the effect could vary significantly depending on the intended purpose of the director even if same angles are used in the work. In the movie Night of the Living Dead, Romero creates two opposite atmospheres by positioning the camera below eye

Camera angles and shots are essential technique for the director to draw meaning to the character’s stories. A key camera angle is a high angle. In classic westerns the antagonists are presented in high

Lighting can impact the mood and notion of a certain scene. Tim Burton, in "Edward Scissorhands", uses lighting to convey the emotion of the character and the scene. For example in the multiple scenes where the character Kim is featured, there is a glowing, faint but noticeable light around her, creating a calm aura. This has a positive effect on the audience because the lighting manipulates how Kim is perceived, which is pure and angelic. In addition to this film, Burton uses lighting quite immensely in his short based on Vincent Price, "Vincent". Vincent was based on a little boy named Vincent Malloy who was obsessed with actor Vincent Price and the brilliant poet and writer Edgar Allen Poe. In this short he dresses and acts as Vincent Price and reads day and night the work of Poe, he also invents odd concoctions and one day hopes to dip his aunt in wax for his wax museum. Over the multiple scenes, you can see Burton's use of dark lighting to portray Vincent Malloy's dark mind. For instance in the scene where Vincent's mother locks him in his room and tell him to stop letting his imagination get the best of him the lighting goes dark, which conveys Vincent's mood as sad, dark, and tormented. Another instance of Burton using lighting to impart the mood is in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". In the specific

Within the film, Edward Scissor hands by Tim Burton, the composer uses film techniques to display distintivitvely visual. The impressive use of camera angles and camera shots both encompass the distinctively visual element. Camera angles are used to emphasise the characters view on certain scenes, for instance, when Edwards the main character is staring at Kim, a young girl who lives in the town. A eye level shot is used, to emphasise the emotions that Edward is feeling towards Kim, it also shows the deep scars that are on Edwards face, a sign of both pain and torment both from earlier on in his life but also towards Kim’s boyfriend, as deep down he knows things about her boyfriend that she doesn’t, deep down like his scars. The composer also uses camera shots to give the audience understanding of the setting. The use of long shot on the town which shows a fair amount of landscape is used to contrast between Edward’s mansion on the hill, being all dark and scary looking, but yet a town at the foot of the hill which is colourful, vibrant and peaceful looking. The composer used this shot, to show how such differences can be put aside each other, but the community

Director Tim Burton is brashly thought of as having a dark, macabre, and humorous style in his films. This being true, there is a multitude of ways that the style is created for the audience. Furthermore, Burton’s cinematic technique usage is a direct mark of creative exposure of this dark style throughout the duration of a film’s story. Director Tim Burton uses diverse cinematic techniques to create a variety of effects that represent his style of grim childlike misfortune, tampered by opulent optimism.

A cinematic technique used in the Tim Burton movies is eye level frame. Charlie and the chocolate factory, Edward scissorhands and The nightmare Before christmas all use this cinematic technique. “Charlie and the chocolate factory” uses this technique when charlie is sitting down with his family at night eating dinner, the camera frame is always at eye level when the family is taking to each other, making them all equal to one another. Tim burton uses this technique in “Edward scissorhands”, again they are all sitting together at dinner and the frame being used is eye level creating the feeling that no one is greater than the rest. Also using the cinematic technique is “The

A latter high angle shot involves the elementary school teacher. Mr. Bigey (Georges Flamant), the teacher, is first demonstrated in this film by using a high angle close-up. This angle presents the teacher as a figure of authority and rule. Furthermore it establishes a feeling control. Humans are most likely to look up to, figuratively speaking, figures of authority and control. As to follow with the storyline, the teacher is almighty and can direct the children in any sort of fashion he pleases. He has the control. This particular angle is appropriate for this scene because it establishes, right away, that Mr. Bigey is a force to be reckoned with. For example, when someone is knocked out in a fistfight and the first view they see upon awakening is the opponent towering over them, they are more apt to recognize the authority and control considering the view. That is why this angle works. Speaking of view, the next shot that will be discussed gives an entirely different feel, partly because of the view, but it does remain within the definition of a high angle shot.

Tim Burton uses low angles, eye-level angles and high angles in order to contrast human and mans in a distinctive way as well as address the relationship between them. Additionally, he also uses closeup shots and medium shots to create mood and impression and at the same time, show that Edward and people of the neighborhood live in very different conditions. Both of these cinematic techniques leave the audience with meanings which justifies the theme of the movie. These methods of filming shape meaning as well as cause the movie to turn out as an interesting one. Some people might be somehow different than others by an extreme amount, but do understand that we still have sameness within each other, and they have no reason to be disliked

Ct 1 camera angle Low When Charlie walks up to the factory they give a low angle to show the massiveness of the factory, giving the effect of how small the children and their parents are compared to what Willy Wonka has done. In Edward Scissorhands during the aftermath of the movie Tim Burton uses a low angle while Edward is sculpting to show the snow that falls from it. He does to show that Edward is the reason that snow is able to fall just as when it did when Kim had danced in the snow before, he uses his talent to make something beautiful instead of something Evil. In Big Fish Burton uses low angle as Edward walks up to the giant to show how big he is compared to Edward, giving the effect of how as amazing as he seems Edward is still

These low angle shots make Edward look powerful while he is accepted. For Example, when Kevin brings Edward in for show and tell Edward is shown with a low angle shot while the class is shown at level shot. This makes him look powerful and the kids cheer when he finished his paper cutting. This helps his efforts to be accepted. This scene is accompanied by frantic music that ends in a heroic jingle. Another scene where Edward is accepted is when he starts cutting dogs hair. Joyce then asks if he would cut her hair. The neighbourhood love the hairstyle that Edward gave her, so every woman lines up to get their hair done they way the want it. This scene is accompanied by fast paced strings. When he cuts their hair it is filmed with a low angle shot to make Edward seem powerful. The people love him for it which makes him feel more confident in himself and he is accepted into the neighbour hood. This is his new found signature talent. Finally, the last scene is where Edward is on a talk show with Peg. Edward and Peg on the talk show and are asked numerous questions. Edward and Peg are shown with a low angle shot to give them a powerful presence. Although this scene is not accompanied by music, the crowd clap and cheer at various questions, such as his favourite thing in town being the friends he’s made. This proves that the presence of low angle shoots is an indication of the theme of acceptance towards

Through the use of high and low angles (“a shot that is made by placing the camera above the subject angled downward” and “a shot made by placing the camera below the subject angled upward” respectfully defined by Jon Lewis, author of The Essential Cinema), are almost balanced in this scene. (Lewis) For example, during the first part of the scene, Mrs. Kane, Susan Alexander, and Mr. Gettys are seen as closer to the camera and at a low angle. This could possibly demonstrate that they are more active in the scene than Mr. Kane. Meanwhile, it appears that Mr. Kane is shorter and smaller than the other characters, again hinting at his inability to control the situation.