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EmersonGifford
21November2015
English9
Mrs.McAllister
StyleAnalysisofTimBurton

DirectorssuchasTimBurtonareputunderalotofpressuretomakeafilmgreat.While
alsowantingagreatstory,viewersstrivetoseegreatcinematictechniquesinthemoviesthey
paytowatch.TimBurtonuseslighting,nondiegeticsound,andvisualtechniquestohelpthe
viewerunderstandwhatemotionsthecharactersarefeelingandwhatthey
s
houldfeelaboutthe
characters.
Directorsoftenusevisualtechniquesforconversation,ormorecomplicatedthingssuch
asrevealingacharacter'sfeelingtowardssomething.In
EdwardScissorhands
,TimBurtonuses
zoomtoenhancethecharactersthoughtsandfeelingstowardsanevent.Forexample,when
BurtonzoomedinonEdward'sfacebeforegettingarrested,thezoomshowsEdwards
nervousness.Unlikethezoomthatwasusedtoshowconversationbetweentheneighborandthe
officer,thezoomusedtoshowEdward'sfacebeforegettingarrestedshowstheviewerhow
scaredhewasforwhatwastohappennext.AnotherexampleofzoomiswhenKimfinds
Edwardaloneinhishouseneartheendofthefilm,zoominginfromamediumshotenhancesthe
viewofKimsface,showingherrelieved,yetsademotions.Althoughdirectorsoftenzoominon
anobjecttoshowimportance,zoominginonafacemagnifiesemotion.Afinalexampleiswhen
Edwardgotlockedintheroom,thezoomshowshisconfusiontowardsthesituation.Unlike
zoomthatwasusedtoshowconversationbetweenJimandPeg'sdaughter,thezoomusedto
showEdward'sfacewhenhegotlockedintheroomshowsuncertaintytowardswhatwas
happening.Burton'suseofzoomprovidesaneffectivetooltohelptheaudiencefurther
understandthecharactersfeelingstowardsasubject.In
CharlieandtheChocolateFactory
,Tim
Burtonusesalongshottoshowsomethingsmovementorsize.Forexample,wheneverybody
wasonthefactoryfloor,Wonkawasusinghishandsandtorsotoexpressbodylanguage,andthe
longshotwasfarenoughawaytoshowhiswholebodymoving.Andyetalongshotona
landscapestressestheenvironmentofthescene,alongshotencasingbodylanguageshows
emotionthroughmovement.Anotherexampleoflongshotiswhentheyshowedthefactoryfor
thefirsttime,thelongshotshowedhowlargeitwascomparedtothecitybehindit.Unlikea
longshotonacharacterindangershowstheirvulnerability,alongshotonalargebuilding
enhancessize.AsecondexampleofalongshotiswhenAugustusGloopfellintothechocolate
river,thelongshotshowedthemovementofhimdoingso.Althoughalongshotshowingbody
languagemaydescribeemotion,alongshotofAugustusGloopfallingintothechocolateshows
hismovementtowardsthechocolateriver.Burtonsuseofthelongshotgivesthevieweranidea
aboutsomethingssizeordistinctmovement.In
Bigfish
,amediumshotisusedtoshowequality
betweencharacters.AninstancewhereamediumshotisusedwhenSandraandEdwardwere
havingadiscussionabouttheirrelationship,themediumshotdoesn'tgivepowertoanyspecific
character.IfTimBurtonusedalongshotinstead,itwoulddiverttheaudiencesattentionto
somethinginthebackgroundormakethemfearforthecharacters.Anotherexampleiswhen
Edwardisatthecircus,heswatching,smiling,andhavingagoodtime,andthemediumshot
doesn'tgivepowerorvulnerabilityinanyway.IfBurtonhadusedacloseupshotinstead,it


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wouldhavemadetheaudiencewanttofocusonhisfacialexpression,howeverthemediumshot
doesnot.Afinalexampleiswheneverybodywassingingatchurch,themediumshotgaveequal
powertoeverybodyintheroom.IfTimBurtonchosetousealongshotinthatsituation,the
audiencewouldfearthatsomethingbadmayhappen,butthemediumshotsimplygivesequal
power.Burton'suseofvisualtechniquesprovidesaneffectivetooltohelptheaudience
understandwhoandwhathaspoweroverothersinsizeandstrength.
Lightingplaysaveryimportantpartinafilmasitsetsthemoodforthescene.In
Edward
Scissorhands
,TimBurtonuseslowkeylightingtocreateasuspensefulfeeling.Forexample,
whenPegwaswanderingthroughthemansion,thelowkeylightingcreatedafeelingofanxiety,
whichaddstotheoverallfeelingofsuspense.IfBurtonchosetousehighkeylightinginstead,
themoodwouldbecomemoreserene,butinchoosingtousethislowkeylightingitmakesthe
moodbecomecreepy.Next,whenJimandEdwardwerebreakingintothehouse,thelowkey
lightingmakestheviewersfeelsuspicioustowardJim,causingasuspensefulmood.IfBurton
usedhighkeylightinginstead,theviewerswouldfeelcalmertowardsJim,howeverinusingthis
lowkeylightingwheneverheisonscreen,itmakeshimseemdangerousandscary..Burtonuses
lowkeylightingtograbtheaudiencesattentioninmanydifferentways.In
Charlieandthe
ChocolateFactory
,TimBurtonusedhighkeylightingtoshowahappymood.Forexample,
whenGrandpaJoewasworkinginthecandystore,thehighkeylightingmadetheviewersfeel
happieraboutthesituation,whichaddstothehappyfeeling.IfTimBurtonusedlowlighting
instead,thescenewouldhaveadepressingfeelinginsteadofahappyonehecreatedusingthis
highkey.Next,whenthechildrenfirstenterthedoorstothefactoryforthefirsttime,thehigh
keylightingcausesaveryhappymood,asitbrightensthechocolatewaterfallandoverallsetting.
Ifhehadusedlowkeylightinginstead,thenmoodwouldturndark,alongwiththelighting.
Finally,whenMr.Bucketwasworkinginthetoothpastefactory,thehighkeylightingmadethe
readersfeeljoyful,astheynoticethateventhoughMr.Bucketwasstuckinsuchadeadendjob,
hiscommitmenttohisfamilymakeshimhappy.IfBurtonusedlowkeylightinginstead,the
moodwouldbecomemuchmoresaddening.TimBurtonsuseofhighkeylightingprovidesa
closerfeelingtothegloomierscenes.In
Bigfish
,Burtonusesneutrallightingtoestablishacalm
mood.Forexample,whenWillandJosephineareatdinner,theneutrallightinggivesthescenea
softandeasyfeeling.HoweverifBurtonusedhighkeylightinginstead,themoodwouldbecome
happier.AnothercasewherethelightingsparksthemoodiswhenEdwardisworkinginthe
circus,theneutrallightinghintsthatnothingdramaticisgoingtohappen,causingthemoodtobe
laidback.Unlikewhendarklightinginascarysituationcausestheviewertobeworriedabout
thecharacterinquestion,darkerlightinginthissituationcreatesaromanticmood.Another
exampleofneutrallightingiswhenWillandEdwardarehavingaconversationtheneutral
lightingmakestheaudiencefeelrelaxed,astheplacidlightportraysacalmscene.IfBurtonhad
usedlowkeyhere,thescenewouldseemverymysterioussincenothingintensewasgoingon,
butinthissituationheusedneutrallighting,whichportraysacalmscene.Burtonusesallkinds
oflightingasaformofforeshadowing,lettingtheviewerknowwhatwillhappennext,orletting
theviewerknowwhatemotiontheyshouldbefeeling.
TimBurtonusesnondiegeticsoundtohelptheviewerinknowingwhatisgoingonina
certainscene.Thisreallyshowsin
EdwardScissorhands
,whenBurtoncontrastsbetweenhappy
andsadthemedmusictomaketheviewerfeelthesameaboutascene.AnexampleofBurton
usingfeelingswayingmusiciswhenEdwardfirstseesapictureofKimwhenheentersher
house.Themusicplaystheaveryhappyandsofttunewhichcanbeheardthroughoutthefilm


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anytimetheyhaveanintimatemoment.UnlikewhenBurtonusedsadmusictoshowa
relationshipbetweenPegandEdwardwhentheyfirstmet,thishappymusiccreatesthesame
feelingbetweenKimandEdward.AnotherexampleofBurtonusingthismusicisduringthe
snowdancingscene,whereEdwardcreateshisfirsticesculptureandKimdancesinthesnow
comingfromit.ThemusicandEdwardsscissornoisearetheonlysoundsheardinthisentire
scene.Themusiccontinuestoplayaveryhappyandsoftsound,remindingtheviewerthat
EdwardandKimarehavinganintimatemoment.AlthoughBurtonoftenusesthiskindofmusic
foracongratulatoryfeeling,thistimeitisusedtoenhancethefeelingbetweenthecouple.A
finalexampleofBurtonusingmusictoconnectthecoupleisinthelastmomentbetweenKim
andEdward.Insteadofahappyandsoftsoundlikepreviouslyused,Burtonusesdark,slow
soundingstringinstrumentstohelptheviewerunderstandthatthisisstillanintimateyetvery
sadmoment.Unlikewhenthesadanddarkmusicthatisusedforanintensedeathorlossscene,
thisisusedtocreateafeelingoflove.TimBurtonhasalwaysbeenknownforusingmusicto
createasenseofgreatsadness,happiness,oranythinginbetweenforhisgreatfilms.In
Charlie
andChocolateFactory
,Burtonlowersthevolumeofthestringinstrumentsandusestypesof
noiseweknowinthebackgroundtomaketheviewerworryaboutthemaincharacters.For
examplewhenWillyWonkastrugglestosaytheword,parentsandthestringinstrumentsget
quietertomaketheviewerfeelconcernedabouthim.UnlikewhenWonkatalkstoGrandpaJoe
withoutstuttering,Wonkasstutterwhensaying,parentsstartstoconfirmthesuspicionthat
Wonkaisnotnormal.AnotherexampleiswhenAugustusgetsstoppedinthevacuumandthe
stringedinstrumentsgetveryquiet,causingtheviewertowonderwhatwillhappennext.Unlike
themusicgotveryintensewhenVioletwasgettinglargertomaketheviewerwonderwhatwill
happennext,theygetthesameeffectusingveryquietmusic.Burtonschangeofvolumein
stringedinstrumentscausestheviewertobeuncertainofwhatwillhappennexttothecharacter.
AfinalexampleiswhenCharlie,Wonka,andGrandpaJoelaunchthroughtheglassroof.Atthe
momenttheygothrough,thestringinstrumentsplaysuspensefulmusicwhichmaketheviewer
worrythattheywon'tmakeitthrough.UnlikewhentheOompaLoompasaresingingtheirsongs
andthesuspensefulstringinstrumentsmaketheaudiencehappy,thestringedinstrumentsmake
theviewersfeelscaredforthecharacters.In
CorpseBride
,TimBurtonusesstringinstrumentsto
maketheaudienceworryaboutcertainaspectsofthestory.AnexampleiswhentheEmily(the
corpsebride)ischasingVictor,theintensestringinstrumentscausetheaudiencetoworrywhat
theoutcomewillbe.UnlikewhenVictorisatthealtarabouttogetmarriedandthestrings
instrumentscreatedhopeintheviewerseyes,thestringinstrumentsduringthischasingcauses
theviewertoworryaboutVictorssafety.AnotherexampleisafterVictorfinishesplayingthe
pianoandbeginstotalktoVictoria,thestringedinstrumentsstarttoplayasoftandquiettune,
showingthattheytrulylikeeachother.UnlikethemomentwhenVictoriasmotherwalksinon
themtogetherandthemusicgrowslouderandfaster,theinstrumentsplayingaslowandsoft
tuneshowtheaudiencethatVictorandVictoriaareverymuchinlove.TimBurtonsuseof
stringedinstrumentsmakesthescenemoreorlessintenseandmakestheaudienceworryabout
maincharactersinthevideo.
Burtonsuseofcinematictechniquessuchaslighting,nondiegeticsound,andvisual
techniqueshelpthefilminmanydifferentways.Thesetoolsoftendescribeaformof
foreshadowing,asenseofpower,andoftencausedifferentfearstowardsthecharactersin
question.Howeverallofthemtogethergiveaperfectdescriptionofthemoodinthescene.