Introduction
Tim Burton is a brilliant director, producer, writer and artist. In ‘Vincent’, he is able to show his multi-faceted talent. He wrote the short animation as a tribute to one of his favourite actor, Vincent Price. He displays his talent at mise-en-scene through production elements such as music, editing, camera placements, lighting and special effects in the cartoon. He also portrays the theme through the content of the story and literary devices in the poem. He is able to draw on his skills to bring out his view of how adults’ works and acts on reality and children strive on imagination.
Body
Although the short story is mainly occupied with the portrayal of Vincent and his obsession with the activities that involve the darker side, Burton is able to bring in the contrast of the adults’ sense of dominion and the child’s powerlessness. Burton uses mise-en-scene and focuses his camera to project Vincent’s aunt as more powerful by making her look big and fat. This shows her as intimidating as compared to puny Vincent. He also projects Vincent’s mother as tall. That gives the impression that she is more powerful than Vincent. This sense of the towering adults reduce Vincent to the sense of powerlessness in their midst.
Burton also uses music as the ambience to give a picture of how adults’ sense of reality seems right and the child’s imagination seems bizarre. The cartoon begins with a single recorder in minor key in a peaceful and soothing environment. This is where Vincent is behaving in an approved way by the adults. The lone instrument also gives a sense of isolation and aloneness. When Vincent indulged in his preference for Vincent Price and bats and spiders, the music begins to change to organ music, from simple to richer tune. They imply the state of mind of Vincent. As Vincent’s activities are rolled out, the organ music with its gothic effect gives