Timothy William Burton was born on August 25, 1958 in Burbank, California. He was not particularly good in school and was an introverted, unassuming person from the beginning. He found his pleasure in painting, drawing, and movies. One of his hereos was actor Vincent Price and Tim mainly enjoyed the movies Godzilla, The Hammer horror films from Great Britain, and the work of Ray Harryhausen.In 1976, after high school, Burton attended the California Institute of the Arts. He entered the Disney animation program his second year, thinking it would be a good way to make a living. In 1979, he was drafted to join the Disney animation ranks. He was brought in to work on the Fox and the Hound, but did not enjoy being an animator at all. After Disney realized this, he was set loose to work on his own projects. One of these projects included a poem and artwork that years later would become The Nightmare Before Christmas, the animated short Vincent, and the live-action short Frankenweenie.Receiving little exposure for the films, Burton still got to work with his idol, Vincent Price, and the film, Frankenweenie, landed him his first feature directing job. He got to work with the film Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. After Beetlejuice and Batman, Burton finally had full creative control over a feature film, Edward Scissorhands. He then went on to direct many more films. His most recent ones include Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Corpse Bride. Tim Burton is one of the most well-known directors today and is respected for his work and creative talent.
