Some characteristics of Tim Burton
 Flamboyant visual style often marked by dark/ grey/
black/ white/ silvery tones
 Castles and Gothic mansions
 Outcasts from society e.g. Edward
Scissorhands
 Contrast between “normal” suburban society
and the world of the outcast
 Individual versus society
 Night time and shadows
 Fairytale style/ storytelling
 Black humour
 Characters with strong physical ailments/ very
noticeable physicalities such as being very short
 The use of music- often includes church choirs and
organs

Misunderstandings
 Childlike fantasy
 Gadgets and machinery
 Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter
often feature
 Death and graveyards
 Burton films often include dead dogs, clowns, black
and white checkered floors, twisted trees, jack-o'lanterns, scarecrows, striped snakes, butterflies, and
redheads in his films.
 Main characters are often outcasts with a pale face
and dark hair.
 Visual style and themes heavily
influenced by Gothic horror films
of the twenties and thirties,
especially those of James Whale
and F.W. Murnau, along with the
films of German Expressionism.
The illustrations of Edward Gorey
are another major influence.