Tim Burton

Tim Burton is an American director, film producer, writer and artist. He was raised in Burbank, California. He spent most of his childhood drawing cartoons and watching old movies (he was especially fond of films with Vincent Price).

After graduation from high school, he attended California Institute of the Arts. Like so many others who graduated from that school, Burton's first job was as an animator for Disney. He worked on such films as The Fox and the Hound (1981) and The Black Cauldron (1985), but had some creative differences from that of his colleagues. Nevertheless, Disney recognized his talent, and gave him the green light to make Vincent (1982), an animated short about a boy who wanted to be just like Vincent Price.

Beetlejuice (1988) was another big hit, and Burton's name in Hollywood was solidified. It was also his first film with actor Michael Keaton. Warner Brothers then entrusted him with Batman (1989), a film based on the popular comic book series of the same name. Starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, the film was the most financially successful film of the year and Burton's biggest box-office hit to date.

Afterwards, Burton directed the film Big Fish (2003) - a much more conventional film than most of his others, it received a good deal of critical praise, although it disappointed some of his long-time fans who preferred the quirkiness of his other earlier films. Despite the fluctuations in his career, Burton proved himself to be one of the most popular directors of the late 20th century.

The films mentioned above are not the only ones Tim Burton was invloved in - He also worked on Edward Scissorhand,  The Nightmare before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow and Mars Attacks.

Clip from Mars Attacks: