Auteur: Tim Burton

Keeping themes, mise-en-scene, and more in mind, these notes analysis Tim Burton films to prove that he is in fact an auteur in every sense of the word. This theory has its fair share of critics. There are those who see film-making as a collective effort, and therefore it is unfair to see the final product as the sole work of the director. There are also actors, lighting and sound engineers, set designers, make-up artists, cinematographers, composers, screenwriters and film editors involved in the process who contribute a great deal to the project. While most of these artists contribute to the overall mise-en-scene (set design, character's behaviour,...), auteur critics do acknowledge that it is the mise-en-shot (camera positioning, duration of each shot, framing) that make the difference between films and can distinguish certain directors from everyone else (Buckland, 2008). Films made by Tim Burton are easily identifiable. They incorporate his beliefs and values. They feature actors and crew members that are frequently a part of his team. Furthermore, the stories are told from his perceptive, both in terms of themes and the style (mise-en-shot).