Stop Motion Experimental Film with Reflective Analysis

link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZeNxbkzogw

Reflective Analysis

Josh, Steph, Emily and I made a stop motion film about society and how it influences our lives. Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. We did this by having a white ball of play-doh being a person who gets squashed by society, shown by the hand flattening it, and it being tied up, with the string at the end of the sequence. Our film uses a lot of symbols in the form of the string and the play-doh, because this shows that humans can be 'morphed' and 'shaped' to do whatever society wants it to do. In total we took 250 images and this created about 44 seconds of film. If we were to do this again, we would need to take more images to make it longer and this would also allow us to put more symbolism in the sequence and make the message that we are trying to put across more clear. We found some parts difficult to film as we needed the sequence to look as fluent and real as possible. We also found coming up with ideas to symbolise our message quite difficult too, as they had to be possible to create. We attempted to create a variety of shots such as close ups and pans around the ball as this would be effective and make the sequence seem like it wasn't made up of images. We think that this stop motion sequence is very successful despite it's minor flaws such as lighting and fluidity.

Experimental Film Exam Response: Un Chien Andalou, Le Jetee and Meshes of the Afternoon

'Experimental Film requires a different kind of spectatorship.' Has this been your experience? [35]

Experimental films are full of strange mixtures of images, situations, words and expressions that may not tell a cohesive story but, in the end, don't have to in order to achieve an emotional goal. This type of film therefore requires the spectator to shift their conventional cinematic expectations to accommodate more radical narrative techniques, themes and meaning construction. 

Un Chien Andalou, the infamous 1929 surrealist short film from Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, attests to this. 
I think that this film was very strange in the terms of having no narrative, and this made it quite difficult to watch. After watching it for the second time, I then understood the constant use of repetition and the referral to the box and the ants in the male's hand. The themes of the film were religion, with the reference to the hole in the hand like Jesus, taboo topics with the nudity of the female character, and generally being about being in a dream-like state. This film makes you think about things featured in the film and makes you ask questions. Parts of the film are quite disturbing to watch such as the eye cutting scene and when the female's armpit hair ends up over the male character's mouth. The thought of your eye being severed by a blade makes me cringe and I find this difficult to watch. The title of the film makes no sense either once translated to English and this shows me that the film is going to be quite surreal and odd. I do like the film because it makes me experience different emotions and I like the surreal style. Some of the film explores the relationship between men and woman with men and woman dressed up as the opposite sex. This is meant to show that men don't understand women and this is also a theme in some of the other experimental films I have watched. I like the idea of having no diegetic sound because this then emphasises the film being an art form and visual medium. Parts of the film are quite shocking but over this is a very interesting film to watch.

Chris Marker became known internationally for the short film La Jetée (1962). It tells of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel by using a series of filmed photographs developed as a photomontage of varying pace, with limited narration and sound effects. I think that this film is a very good example of experimental film because it is a completely different style and it's one that I've never seen before. As a fan of science fiction films, I can see the relationship that modern day sci-fi has to La Jetée and I can also see similar themes such as having no way of changing time due to the paradox. This theme can also be seen in films such as Terminator. There is a narrative to this story and this is something which is not common in experimental films. The film relates to time and in some parts it looks like a time lapse, as if the male lead is dreaming about time travel instead of participating in it. There is a non-diegetic voice over featured in this film to narrate what is happening in the photographs. The photographs that make up the film symbolise that time doesn't move and memories, which is the fuel for the time travel, are simply just mental photos. The film explores dreaming versus  reality and this makes you question whether things are real. This is mentioned during the narration when he says 'real birds, real cats'. La Jetée also relates to the film Minority Report, featuring Tom Cruise with the reference to the covering of the eyes. There is the small section of the film where the woman blinks and because the film is made up of images, I wondered whether I actually saw it. This challenges my perceptions and this is the impact I think the filmmaker wanted to create and it confused me slightly. In the film, the male protagonist sees his own death as a young boy due to the paradox and this has certainly influenced modern sci-fi films because I have seen a similar narrative before watching this. Technical skills in this film include dissolves and fading as well as panning and zooming into and around the images. This makes the film seem more like a motion film instead of being made up of still frames. In total, I like this film because it has very clever ways of portraying the themes and it is an early sci-fi film, which is my favourite genre of film.

Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) is a work that maintains all of the mystery, tranquility, unpredictability, and personal attachment that is ever present within the world of dreams. I think that this film is very well made and I understood quite a lot of it, despite it being experimental. The main theme for this film is to show woman's perceptions of men's interpretations of the female gender. This is shown by a black figure, which is seen throughout the film, who has a mirror for a face. This is a symbol for the female's perception as this figure represents men. As this film was made by a female director, feminism is a huge factor in this film. In the 1940's, female directors weren't really seen, as they were ideally 'stay-at-home mothers'. Maya Deren decided to then make this film with these themes to speak out on behalf of women. I think that the non-diegetic sound in this film is very annoying and this made the film very difficult to watch. The music is made up of somebody tapping a drum in different tempos and a slightly annoying wind instrument. It is quite high-pitched and this is what gives discomfort while watching this film. Another theme of this film is sleeping and being in a dream-like state. This is what attracted me to like the film, as I like things based on dreams. There is a fade of an image, with a shot of Deren's eye closing, which represents the process of falling asleep. Then, a time-lapse of Deren asleep follows and this shows that dreams don't really have a concept of time. A knife and a key are two recurring objects in this film and this relates to the theme. The knife represents a dagger on the male's perceptions of women, and these perceptions involve the 'mother' role, which typically involves keys to look after the home. After thinking about these representations once I watched the film, I really liked the whole idea of using subtle objects like this to replace other messages being portrayed in the film. Meshes of the Afternoon has gone on to inspire music video's such as Muse's Supermassive Black Hole, which involves similar figures with mirrors for faces. In total, I really like this film because I agree with the themes and the feminist issues, and I think that the symbolism in the sequence is very effective.

Short Film (La Haine style) with Reflective Analysis

Our short film was based around the film La Haine, which is an urban story that we have bee studying. We chose to base it around this because it was easy to recreate similar shots used in the film. Our sequence featured a variety of shots such as long shots, mid shots and the occasional close up. We wanted to show the pointless activities that the people living in the projects undertook on a day-to-day basis. To add to this we used a had-held camera to make some shots look as if it were a documentary. We also used a point of view shot from the perspective of Rebecca, to make it look like she was watching Emily and myself. We used three females instead of three males to make our film diverse from La Haine.

Presentation Script

Presentation Script: Can Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's screen collaborations be seen as an auteur approach?

PROJECTOR: Image of Tim Burton shown on screen [item 24], Edward Scissorhands theme song played [Item 28]

SPEAKER: My research project is based around the well-known working relationship of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. My intention is to explore this relationship and then go on to answer the question, is Tim Burton an auteur? Auteur theory is the "basic premise that a movie director, in certain circumstances, can be assigned the title of 'author'." [11]. A US film critic, Andrew Sarris, stated that, "the strong director imposes his own personality on a film; the weak director allows the personalities of others to run rampant." [11]. This quote means that an auteur is a director who has recurring themes, actors and subjects in his films, which distinguishes them from other ordinary directors who may use many different styles or actors in their films. Tim Burton is known to be an auteur, and his constant casting of his friend and working partner, Johnny Depp is one of the reasons why.

PROJECTOR: Image of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp together [item 25, image]

SPEAKER: Before meeting Burton, Johnny Depp was the heart-throb in the television series, 21 Jump Street. The soon-to-be star played Officer Tom Hanson and was in the show for three years. [17] Depp didn't want to be seen as a 'poster boy' for the rest of his life and wanted something different. This was when he met Tim Burton and was cast as Edward Scissorhands. The duo explain in this interview with Jonathan Ross when asked about how Burton found Johnny Depp and why he was casted for this character.

PROJECTOR: Clip of interview with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp [item 22] (play from 1.00 to 2.11)


SPEAKER (cont): As you've just heard, Johnny Depp seemed like the perfect actor for the role of Edward Scissorhands as he was misperceived for a section of his acting career, due to his part in 21 Jump Street. Whenever asked, Tim Burton always states that Johnny Depp is very similar to him and this is why the pair constantly work together. In an interview with Burton, he was asked what was "the basis of the bond between (Burton) and Johnny Depp that enables (Burton/Depp) to work together so successfully?" [4] and he responded with "I realised something about Johnny...which is that he has baggage too. He looks a certain way, but who he is goes far beyond his appearance. There's a lot going on with Johnny." [4]. This statement informs us that Depp is very similar to Burton and this is the reason for him being casted as the main character for Edward Scissorhands. This point relates to Auteur Theory as Tim Burton puts parts of his personality in each of his characters and this is a factor of the theory as many directors, who are seen as auteurs, commonly do this.

PROJECTOR: Image of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp [Item 25]

SPEAKER: Burton has a very strange and distant personality, which is something he likes to portray in the characters featured in his films. Edward Scissorhands is the most similar in regards to personality and how the character acts etc. This has been stated that Burton's greatest character [18] is Edward Scissorhands. "Edward Scissorhands is as Burton as a character can get; his alienation from suburbia, his dark shaggy hair (and) pale complexion..." [18]. In this sequence from Edward Scissorhands, Edward is discovered by Peg, the Avon lady who takes him in and gives him a family. When Edward is found, he is distant and seems scary and peculiar, which is very similar to Burton and his personality.

PROJECTOR: Sequence from Edward Scissorhands [Item 1] Sequence where Peg finds Edward in the large house.

SPEAKER: So as you saw, Edward seemed peculiar and Peg thought she was going to be in danger when he began to get closer to her, due to his scissor hands. However when Edward began to talk to her and came out of the darkness and into the sunlight, she saw that he was a gentle person and she saw his "trusting nature and sweetness"[18]. Burton's personality and ideas for his films are sometimes perceived that way. However, these weird and strange thoughts work in Burton's films, as you can see from the amount of success they always produce. Whenever Burton and Depp are thought about, many people think of their relationship being very symbiotic. This means that are very close and they understand each other well. In an interview with Esquire Magazine, the Burton stated that "There are partnerships where one person is good at one thing and the other is good at another... But we're very connected in terms of taste." [27] This states that the pair have a very symbiotic relationship, in Burton's own words. Depp has stated "Even when we first met, we connected on all these super absurd levels" [26] and this goes on to back up the previous point.

PROJECTOR: Image of a drawing which Tim Burton did when he was young boy [Item 23]

SPEAKER: This image is a drawing of Burton's idea of Edward Scissorhands, from when he was thirteen. It could be argued that this looks like Johnny Depp, despite the duo not meeting until the late 80's. This must be a 'happy coincidence' however it is strange. Another thing which allows Tim Burton to be called, "auteur" is his constant reference to the actor, Vincent Price.

PROJECTOR: Clip of The Inventor reading a story to Edward in Edward Scissorhands [Item 1], After clip has ended project image of Vincent Price, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp on the set of Edward Scissorhands. [Item 26]

SPEAKER (CONT.): In Edward Scissorhands, Price plays Edward's creator, who could also be seen as a father figure. Price also worked with Burton by doing the voice over for Burton's short film, Vincent, which is about him. [19] This could be seen to be an auteur style factor, as reference to Price and his genre is a regular thing that is seen in Burton's films. Sweeney Todd [3], featuring Depp, is a film version of the famous musical, which was made by Burton in 2007. The film features singing, which means that Burton must have trusted Depp, despite it being out of his comfort zone. This continues to show us the strong working relationship that the pair have.

PROJECTOR: Clip from Sweeney Todd, song 'Epiphany' [Item 3]

SPEAKER: Another factor which may make Burton an auteur, is the constant use of the protagonist being a romantic and the idea of falling in love. This can be seen in Edward Scissorhands [1] where Edward falls in love with Kim, the beautiful daughter of the family who find him. It is also seen in Sweeney Todd [3] where one of the main characters, Mrs Lovett is in love with Todd, despite him not seeing it. It could also be argued that the proposal scene in Alice In Wonderland [2] is very romantic, when Hamish proposes to Alice. This also shows that Burton sees himself as Depp in these romantic roles because these are things he can't express, therefore he has to use his characters to do this for him.

PROJECTOR: Clip from Alice In Wonderland, when Hamish proposes to Alice. [Item 2] Then show clip from Edward Scissorhands scene “Because you asked me to.” [Item 1]

SPEAKER: However Burton and Depp don't always work together and the pair have both been known to work with other actors and directors. Could this be argued that this is the factor which makes Burton an ordinary director instead of an auteur? Burton has been known to have a very good relationship with actress Helena Bonham Carter as well as Depp. One thing that is known is that Burton and Bonham-Carter are in a long-term relationship and have been since 2001. [29] It is sometimes argued that despite her having a smaller role than Depp, Bonham-Carter had more screen time than Depp in the most recent film Burton has made, Alice In Wonderland. Depp plays the Mad Hatter, while Bonham-Carter plays the Red Queen. It could be argued that the relationship the Hatter and the Red Queen have is similar to Burton and Carter's, with her being 'bossy' and demanding things constantly. 

PROJECTOR: Clip from Alice In Wonderland, sequence where Mad Hatter fits the Red Queen with a selection of hats. [Item 2]

SPEAKER: William Goldman, an American novelist and filmmaker, often argues against auteur theory, and makes a point which asks why 'auteurs' are the authors of their films by stating, 'How in the world is Stephen Spielberg the "author" of that? Why is it often referred to today as "Stephen Spielberg's Jaws"?'. This is a valid point and it could be argued with Tim Burton. Why are Burton's films referenced to as 'Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland' and 'Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands'? In regards to Edward Scissorhands, Burton wasn't the only writer for the film, as he received help from Caroline Thompson [20]. So surely this makes the film Thompson's as well as Burton's? 

SPEAKER (CONT.): Despite Burton also using Helena Bonham Carter in his films quite frequently, this doesn't stray from the title of auteur as this could be considered as another feature to the theory. I personally do not think that this makes Burton an ordinary director because Burton will never be ordinary due to his personality, which is always seen in his films, and despite him not using Johnny Depp in every single film he produces and giving other actors more screen time, there will always be auteur factors within the films which still give him the auteur title such as the types of characters used in his films. In regards to William Goldman's view on auteur theory, the films that Burton makes are solely his own ideas and visions. This then gives him the right for the film to be called a Tim Burton film. It adds to his auteur title even further. The types of films that were created and produced by Burton is an new style of film itself which could be called 'Burton-esque'. Films such as Henry Selick's Coraline take on this style of film to honour Burton's way of filmmaking. Henry Selick was the director for Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas therefore Selick would be familiar with Burton's style of work.

PROJECTOR: Screen shot of The Nightmare Before Christmas IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/) to highlight details of the film.

SPEAKER (CONT.): Johnny Depp and Burton have made 8 films together [16] and their 23 years working together have been extremely successful and a credit to the film industry. In conclusion, Tim Burton can certainly be seen as an auteur in regards to his partnership with Johnny Depp and his film making because Burton portrays his own personality through the use of Depp and without this, Burton's films wouldn't be as good as they are. It is Burton's quirky personality and amazing ideas which make his films as great as they are.

Exam Question Response: City of God

5. Discuss some of the techniques used in your chosen films to provoke audiences into taking a particular point of view towards characters and key events. 

In the film, City of God, there are certain camera techniques which do provoke the audience into taking a particular point of view towards characters. The main character that the audience may side with is Rocket, a young man who aspires to be a photographer. Rocket is not a hoodlum, like the people he grew up with such as Lil' Ze, he just wants to become a photographer and get out of the City of God. I personally took the point of view about certain situations in the film from Rocket as I thought he was always in the middle of things. You can see this by where the camera saw him. Rocket was always situated in the centre of conflict. An example of this is in the beginning/end sequence where Rocket is between Lil' Ze's gang and the police. The use of camera rotation and close up at this point shows that this has been the case since Rocket was very young, as the film goes back in time to when Rocket and the others were younger.
Rocket is very similar to a character in La Haine, which is another film I have studied. This character is Said. Throughout the film, Said is constantly seen to be in the middle of conflict which is exactly like Rocket. In La Haine you can see that Said is in the middle throughout conflict whenever Vinz and Huburt get into an argument. Said is placed in the middle of the camera shot and this shows the audience that Said is the peacemaker in the trio.
The same, however cannot be said for Rocket. Despite always being in the middle of the shot, Rocket does not actually attempt to fix the conflict which occurs throughout the film. Rocket continues to follow his dream of being a photographer. Rocket's aspirations are very similar to the hoodlum's. The hoodlum's, such as Lil' Ze just want to shoot people with guns, whereas Rocket wants to take pictures of things which could be considered shooting things too, as this is what you do with a camera.

Exam Question Response: La Haine

How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques?

La Haine is a french film about riots that occurred during the 1990s in Paris, France and the surrounding areas. These riots were about the French banlieues, which are the living areas in Paris for immigrants and non-French people. This includes people of religion such as Jewish, Islamic and even Afro-French people, which are the religions of the three people who feature in the film. The film's main text is the after effects in these places in the 24 hours after the riots took place. This has a major impact on me because this instantly makes the film a true story because as I know from my own knowledge, these riots did happen around 1995. I think La Haine depends on distinctive film techniques during the film to make it so believable and to make people realise that these events did occur almost 20 years ago.

I think that the main sequence that shows this is the sequence after the montage at the very beginning of the film. The non-diegetic music fades out and this music is not typical French music, as it is Reggae, which is typically associated with Jamaican people. The fade in music shows that, just like any other, this riot faded out and people stopped destroying stuff and fighting. A news report then starts and a French woman begins talking. We continue to see the montage as almost a POV shot as it shows the riots how you would typically see them if you were watching them on the news. The media is also a big influence in this film, and also influences a certain character in this film too. The news report states that a young person named "Abdul Ichaha is in a critical condition in hospital" after being beaten by a police officer during the riots.

This has an effect on me because I think that is disgusting behaviour, and that would never happen here in England. The media seems to influence these young men too, as they are making a 'typical American gangster pose' that would probably be seen in a modern gangster film. Halfway through this news report there is a transition that looks like a television being turned off, which gives the impression that people living in Paris would do this because they don't really care about things like riots going on in the banlieues. Then a clock stating the time 10:38 appears on the screen and this is accompanied by a ticking clock sound. This makes it clear to me that the film is about time and shows that, especially in this situation, time is very limited. There is then a straight cut to see Saïd, an Arab who lives in the French banlieues because he is an immigrant. There is a shot noise which sounds like a gun being fired as it cuts to see Saïd. This makes me realise that something is about to happen and I start to get apprehensive about what this may be. There is a slow close up on to Saïd's face, and he has his eyes closed, with no diegetic sound around him. Then once he opens his eyes the diegetic sound resumes and this represents Saïd coming back to reality and opening his eyes to what has really happened during the riots.

There is then a straight cut to see the back of Saïd and this represents that the film will be from Saïd's point of view. You can hear a helicopter overhead and this is a constant reminder that the people that live in the banlieues are always being watched and can't escape. The camera goes over Saïd's head and we see a line of police officers. This clearly shows the conflict between the authorities and the people living in the banlieues. The camera then cuts to pan across the line of officers in a wide shot. With their stances, you can see that the police have power over people. Before the pan, there are two young people who walk across the shot and they seem intimidated by the row of authorities.  You can also see there is poverty around the banlieues as there is graffiti on the wall behind Saïd's close up in a previous shot. The same reggae music from the montage becomes diegetic sound in this sequence as it is being played in the background. The point of poverty and conflict becomes even more clear as the camera continues to pan around to the back of a police van, where Saïd is vandalising it. You can see conflict from this because he writes 'Fuck The Police' along with his name.

This shows a sense of identity, which is needed in the banlieues and is a common theme amongst the characters in this film.

I think that the film techniques used make me, as a viewer, feel different ways such as tense because of the sound effects and camera shots used.

Annotated Catalogue

Subject: Tim Burton

Focus of Study: Auteur/Recurring Actor
Resources: 3x Chosen Films
6x Books
8x Internet
3x Images
2x Interview
1x Magazine
1x Sound

Title/Question:
Can Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's screen collaborations be seen as an auteur approach?

Films:
Item 1- Edward Scissorhands (1990)
I chose this film as my feature film because this one of the first films Burton and Johnny Depp did together and it is notably the most successful of Burton's career. Edward Scissorhands (played by Depp) is about a young boy with scissors for hands who is an 'outcast character' to the neighbourhood.  I am going to use this film to answer my question by showing how the title character is 'moody and dark' and represents Burton and his personality. I will also be showing how Johnny Depp has a certain acting quality that Burton likes in his films. Edward Scissorhands is certainly a suitable feature film for this question as Edward Scissorhands is Burton's own story whereas most of his other films are adaptations of past films. (Extremely Useful)

Item 2- Alice In Wonderland (2010)
Alice In Wonderland is my second film of study because it continues to support the Burton and Depp relationship theory. Alice In Wonderland is about a young girl who falls 'down the rabbit hole' and meets the Mad Hatter (played by Depp) and uncovers a make-believe land. This film again reflects Burton's personality as it is weird yet visually imaginative. I will use this film to back up the other answers to my question as it shows that despite not being the main character, Depp is still featured in the cast. I will also explore how Depp is extremely versatile and can be shaped to look very different, just like he does in this film, and if this is another reason for the recurring use of him. (Useful)
                                                       
Item 3- Sweeney Todd (2007)
Sweeney Todd also stars Johnny Depp and again the character has a similar personality and also has a dark past like Burton. Depp plays the main character once again and is a successful film, just like all the others the previous ones the 'duo' have made together. Sweeney Todd is about a barber and serial killer who murders his customers with a straight razor and processes their corpses into meat pies. The film is undoubtedly dark and moody. I plan to use this film to answer my question by pointing out how Johnny Depp is comfortable playing Burton's dark characters and how this shows through the success of the film. (Useful)

Books:
Item 4- "Tim Burton Interviews - Bert Cardullo/edited by Kristian Fraga (2005)" 
This book features many different interviews with Tim Burton as well as others such as Johnny Depp. In this book there are roughly five different passages that I may be able to use to answer my question and back up my other answers too. All passages are Burton being asked questions about his working style and techniques. I will use quotes from these questions and responses such as this to answer my question because they are direct quotes from Burton himself. (Very Useful)

Item 5- "Pocket Essentials Film Tim Burton - Michelle Le Blanc and Colin Odell (2001)"
The Pocket Essentials books are all very informative and this one about Tim Burton is no different. This book features information about Edward Scissorhands which backs up all theories I have which answer my question in regard to this film. I will also use quotes from the book to answer any questions about why Edward Scissorhands is played by Depp and if the character has any relation to Burton. (Useful)

Item 6- "Burton on Burton- Foreword by Johnny Depp, Edited by Mark Salisbury (2006)"
This book features many pages about my feature film, Edward Scissorhands, and about the ideas and making of it. This book features many original drawings of what Burton wanted Edward to look like and it then compares the original to Depp. The book also then has Burton explain the reasons for these ideas and talks about Edward's similarities to Burton. I am going to use this book to answer my question by making use of the comparisons and original ideas. (Useful)

Item 7- "Johnny Depp-A Kind of Illusion, by Denis Meikle (2004)"

This book features many useable quotes from Johnny Depp about his relationship with Tim Burton. I am going to use these I my research. However I am also going to quote a certain page (page 92), which will allow me to argue against my question as it shows that Burton was unsure about Depp before their working relationship started. (Useful)

Item 8- "Teach Yourself Film Studies-Warren Buckland (2008)"
This book features a large and specific section on Auteur Theory, which is a main part of my study. I am going to use this to explain what the theory is and why Burton may be seen as an auteur. (Extremely Useful)

Item 9- "Adventures In The Screen Trade- William Goldman (1983)"
This book features a counter-arguement to the Auteur Theory by Goldman, which I am going to use to argue against my answer as it is something that I have not yet considered to talk about in my presentation. (Useful)

Internet:
Item 10- "http://movies.about.com/od/thecorpsebride/a/corpse091405.htm"
This is an interview with Johnny Depp. In this he talks about Tim Burton and their relationship, especially when working together. I am going to use quotes from this item to answer Johnny Depp's perspective on the duo's relationship and how the process occurs. I will also use this interview to further my other answers to the question such as whether Johnny Depp is a reflection on Tim Burton. (Useful)

Item 11- "http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A22928772"
This is a definition of Auteur Theory, which is part of the subject matter for my project. I am exploring this theory and researching whether Tim Burton can be classed as an auteur. This website also uses Burton as a case study which I am going to use quotes from as it answers and summarises my question answer. (Extremely Useful)

Item 12- "http://www.starpulse.com/news/Stephanie_Nolasco/2010/05/24/qa_with_alice_in_wonderlands_tim_burto"
This is an online interview with Tim Burton where he is being asked questions about his film Alice In Wonderland (which is my third chosen film). The interviewer asks Burton two questions about Johnny Depp and he gives a positive answer however doesn't really go into depth about his answer whereas in other interviews he has. I am going to use this piece by using quotes from Burton's answer, however I am also going to use this item to argue against my own question. (Useful)

Item 13- "http://www.totalfilm.com/features/interview-with-tim-burton" 
This is an interview with Burton, in which he is asked about Johnny Depp and answers with a possible reason as to why he used him in Edward Scissorhands. However this interview also features a question about Helena Bonham Carter, another actress who Burton often uses in his films. This interview will be similar to Item 12 and it will be used to answer, as well as debate against my question. (Useful)

Item 14- "http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/film/features/20767-qaa-johnny-depp-a-tim-burton"
This is an question and answer session with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. The pair are asked questions about their relationship and they both give in-depth answers. I am going to use this item by quoting some of the relevant responses to answer my question and influence my research. This makes the item useful. (Useful)

Item 15- "http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632397/johnny-depp-tim-burton-talk-about-their-long-history.jhtml"
This is another interview with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, where they are both asked questions about their film, Alice In Wonderland. Burton is asked why Depp is always used in his films and he replies with an answer which states that he only casts Depp if he knows that he'll be able to play the character in question. I am going to quote this to answer my question, however I am also going to use a quote from the article which talks about Depp's amount of screen time which isn't a huge amount. This quote will be used to argue against my question.

Item 16- "http://letterboxd.com/adrian/list/best-buds-johnny-depp-tim-burton/"
This is a summary of Burton and Depp's films, which includes the year it was made. Once you click on the film poster, the link shows you a small plot analysis which tells you what the film's story is, as well as showing people's reviews and thoughts about the film, many of which mention Burton and Depp's pairing. I am going to quote some of the (relevant) comments about the film as this will back up some of my previous answers. (Useful)

Item 17- "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092312/"
This is the IMBd page for 21 Jump Street, the television series which stared Johnny Depp before he met Tim Burton and was cast in Edward Scissorhands. This is to be used in my presentation when I talk about before Johnny met Burton. (Useful)

Item 18- "http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-greatest-tim-burton-characters/edward-scissorhands-edward-scissorhands-1990"
This is a ranking of Tim Burton's best characters, where Edward Scissorhands ranks as number 1. There is an explanation below the image of the character where it is stated how similar Edward is to Burton. I am going to quote this part of the site in my presentation as this helps influence my answer. (Useful)

Item 19- "http://timburton.wikia.com/wiki/Vincent_Price"
This is a Tim Burton 'wiki' page on Vincent Price. This features a small piece of text that states what Tim Burton and Price have worked together in, which I am going to use in my answer. (Useful)

Item 20- "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099487/"
This is the IMDb page for Edward Scissorhands which features information about the film. I will use this information in my presentation.

Interview:
Item 21- "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ClVG10TYg"
This is an interview with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, which took place Arsenio's Hall in 1990. This was the year that Edward Scissorhands (my feature film) was produced and released in cinemas. In this interview the duo get asked about things such as; where the idea for the film came from, what Edward's personality is like and they also talk about how successful the film was and would be in the future. I am going to use quotes from this interview to answer my question as they get asked them during the interview. (Useful)

Item 22- "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clu6s7DfJnA"
This is an interview where Jonathan Ross talks to Johnny Depp and Burton about 21 Jump Street in a interview with him and Burton. This is going to be shown as Johnny talks about going from being in 21 Jump Street to in Edward Scissorhands.

Images:
Item 23- "http://artoftimburton.tumblr.com/image/28865702677"
This is an drawing of Edward Scissorhands, which Tim Burton drew as a teenager. I am going to use this image as a visual aid and explain my views on how I think this drawing looks like Johnny Depp, even though the pair didn't know each other until 1990. (Useful)

Item 24- "http://herocomplex.latimes.com/books/tim-burton-opens-up-about-his-weird-mental-process/"
This is a photograph of Tim Burton. This is going to be used as a visual aid for my audience so they can see what Burton looks like and if they are unfamiliar with his appearance, this will help.

Item 25- "http://www.johnnydeppfan.com/portraits/p318.jpg"
This is an image of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton which will be used as a visual aid during my presentation.

Item 26- "http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2011/05/memories-of-vincent-price-for-his-centennial-celebration/"
This is a image of Vincent Price, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp on the set of Edward Scissorhands. This will be used as a visual aid in my presentation.

Magazines:
Item 27- "http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/deppandburton0108"
This is a magazine article which includes an interview with both Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. I am going to use the start of the interview in which Burton gives an answer to my question from his own personal perspective. I am going to quote this as this will support the rest of my answer. (Useful)

Sound:
Item 28- "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NogOtenplCM"
This is the theme song for Tim Burton's film Edward Scissorhands. This will be played at the very start of my presentation.

Newspaper:
Item 29- "http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/tim-burton-helena-bonham-carter-2349458"
This is an online newspaper article about Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, which states at the end how long the couple have been in a relationship. This is going to be used while arguing against my answer. (Useful)

Rejected Items
Book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (Updated Edition)- Preface by Jason Solomons, General Editor - Steven Jay Schneider."
This book basically told me what happened in the film and didn't really offer any new information which would answer my question. There was only one page, in which it stated what happened in the film, of which I already knew, therefore I will not be using this in my research.

Internet "http://sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/burton/"
This is an article about Tim Burton and his work over the years. Featured in this article is an analysis of Burton's film, Edward Scissorhands. However, despite Edward Scissorhands being my feature film, I am not going to use this item because the text features no relevance to my question in which I could use to answer it.

Interview "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl6ymkucHAs"
This is an interview with Tim Burton, here he talks about his most recent film, Frankenweenie. In this interview, Burton talks about his film as well as his love of stop motion, however this is no use to me as none of my chosen films are stop motions, such as Corpse Bride. Burton doesn't mention Johnny Depp as he doesn't feature in the cast of this film, therefore this item is invalid to my research and I won't be using it.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (small scale research project) -Books

Actor Johnny Depp is one of the most commonly used actors in Tim Burton's films. Does this make him an auteur and are there reasons for it?

Books

• "Tim Burton Interviews -edited by Kristian Fraga". - Includes many interviews from different people throughout Burton's career.

1. Page 39- Burton's Edward Scissorhands (feature film) is discussed as well as the plot which helps explain one part of my question. It explains how this story was personal to Burton as this is how he often felt as a teen, therefore needed somebody such as Depp to portray his emotions (this stated later on in the book) - "This gave Burton the freedom to direct Edward Scissorhands, a profoundly personal project he'd first conceived as a teenager. A simple fairytale gift-boxed in a sophisticated design package, the story concerned a castle-bound boy with shears for hands, who's plucked from his fortress of his solitude by an angelic Avon lady and thrust into the banal wonders of suburbia. Yearning and sentimental, the movie felt like Burton's ache, and was affectingly played by a cast that included...and Johnny Depp." 
2. Page 132- Depp speaks about films and how he wants to make them with emotion, Burton talks about Depp and his creative input's to the characters he plays. Talks about character Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow (2nd film) and refers to Depp not being 'prim and perfect'. - "...makes an actor an A list star. 'Maybe I'm a dummy,' says Depp...'But I don't worry that a lot of my films haven't had big results at the box office, because I'm not a businessman. Believe me, I would love for one of my movies to be accepted by a wide audience, but I'm not going to do a film just because it's going to do that.' That's fine with Burton. 'Johnny isn't going to be the same in every movie. Plus, there's freedom with someone who's not concerned about how they look in a movie....Actually, if it were up to him, he'd look a lot worse.' Depp initially wanted to play Ichabod Crane with a long prosthetic snipe nose, huge ears, and elongated fingers. Not surprisingly, tos suggestions were shot down. But after he read....the actor (Depp) was inspired to take the character further."
3. Page 156-7- More discussion about Edward Scissorhands and how the film is personal to Burton. - "Following the phenomenal success of Batman, Burton make Edward Scissorhands, a modest fairytale staring Johnny Depp. One of Burton's most admired films and his most personal, it's the story of a misfit who has scissors instead of hands and can't get close to people without accidentally hurting them.."
4. Page 171- Question asked by Kristine McKenna about Burton and Depp's relationship and why Burton always casts Depp for a main or important role in his films.- "Playboy: What's the basis of the bond between you and Johnny Depp that enables you to work together so successfully? Burton: I realised something about Johnny when he played Edward Scissorhands, which is that he has baggage too. He looks a certain way, but who he is goes far beyond his appearance. There's a lot going on with Johnny. I think I respond to the fact that he's perceived a certain way but isn't really that way, and I also love that as an actor he doesn't care how he looks-he has a real freedom in that regard. We've done three films together- Scissorhands in 1990...and Sleepy Hollow in 1999-and he's been completely different in all of them. I'm excited by all the possibilities with Johnny."
5. Page 185- Question asked by audience member in 2003 about working with the same/different people. Burton refers to Depp.- "Audience member: Do you like working with actors that you've worked with before, or new people? Burton: Well, both. You know, what's fun about working with somebody like Johnny [Depp], whom I've worked with three times, is that you get to see them do different things each time. And that's a real energy that's unique to that specific kind of thing. When you work with people that like playing characters, it's a lot of fun to see them change...it's just a lot of fun."

• "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (Updated Edition)- Preface by Jason Solomons, General Editor - Steven Jay Schneider."

1. Page 791- Edward Scissorhands.- "...Edward Scissorhands, a decidedly left-of-center fairytale that remains the most whimsical and touching film of Burton's career so far. The Edward of title (Johnny Depp) is not a man at all, but the creation of The Inventor...Edward looks human enough, except for one detail-he has scissors instead of hands-and he lives a solitary life in a crumbling mansion high above the neighborhood of pastel coloured houses..."