Everyone studies Jack Skellington and Edward Scissorhands. Today, as we dive deeper into the Halloween season, we want to turn the lens on some of Tim Burton's underrated characters, where he explores and subverts character tropes, and find out what we can learn from them. For screenwriters and directors, these characters might look like stock types at first, but Burton twists them into something memorable.Here's how Burton reinvents 10 common tropes through underrated supporting players.Otho (Beetlejuice) - YouTube www.youtube.com The Know-Nothing Know-It-AllGlenn Shadix's Otho casually mentions being schooled in chemistry, working as a hair analyst, and claiming to be one of New York's leading paranormal researchers "until the bottom dropped out in '72."Otho genuinely believes his own expertise. When he conducts the séance that nearly destroys the Maitlands, he's shocked it goes wrong. Supporting characters don't need arcs. Otho's unchanging delusion drives the climax, proving that a character with one clear, consistent flaw can be useful.Simone (Pee-wee's Big Adventure) - YouTube www.youtube.com The Caged Bird MetaphorDiane Salinger plays a truck stop employee who dreams of visiting France. She appears in one sequence, speaks beautiful French in her tacky uniform, and avoids her brutish boyfriend. We know her immediately and root for her.Burton gives her a payoff most filmmakers would skip. When Pee-wee encounters Simone at the film's end, she's finally Paris-bound. A character defined by a single, specific desire becomes instantly understandable. Clarity of motivation matters more than complexity of backstory. You can create a satisfying character arc in under...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Tuesday, 7 October