Tim Burton has long captivated audiences by infusing whimsy into horror, a distinctive flair evident in his imaginative storytelling. One of Burton’s signature techniques is his use of stop-motion animation, which gained mainstream popularity through films like “Beetlejuice” and the Henry Selick-directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This iconic animation style was established early in Burton’s career at the age of 24 with the Disney-backed stop-motion short “Vincent,” a precursor to his beloved cinematic works.
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The short film “Vincent,” released in 1982, centers on a young boy named Vincent Malloy who navigates his world through the lens of his idol, horror legend Vincent Price. His vivid imagination conjures up monsters, including a snake-like creature reminiscent of the sandworm from “Beetlejuice,” and he fantasizes about turning his pet dog into a zombie, a nod to Burton’s later project, “Frankenweenie.” Despite his family’s attempts to ground him in reality, Vincent’s dreams only intensify his sense of isolation.
Stephen Chiodo, who later gained fame for “Killer Klowns from Outer Space,” brought “Vincent” to life with stop-motion animation. The choice of using a homemade clay style perfectly captured the essence of Vincent’s imaginative world, offering a blend of realism and childlike wonder. Interestingly, “Vincent” initially wasn’t intended to be a film at all, despite its pivotal role in shaping Burton’s cinematic trajectory.
In “Burton on Burton,” as noted by Remind Magazine, Burton shared that “Vincent” began as a concept for a children’s book. He expressed a desire to use this kind of animation, stating, “I felt there was a gravity to those three-dimensional figures that was more real for that story.” By employing a tactile medium like clay, Burton made his eerie creations both tangible and fantastically dreamlike.
Vincent Price, the horror icon who inspired the film, also lent his voice as the narrator. Burton reflected on his admiration for Price’s work, explaining, “When you’re younger, things look bigger, and you find your own mythology, what psychologically connects to you. Those movies, just the poetry of them, and this larger-than-life character who goes through a lot of torment—mostly imagined—just [spoke] to me…”
Tim Burton originally pictured Vincent as a book
In the book “Burton on Burton” (via Remind Magazine), the director explained that “Vincent” was supposed to be a children’s book. “I wanted to do that kind of animation because I felt there was a gravity to those three-dimensional figures that was more real for that story,” he wrote. Tim Burton knew that using a rough, tangible medium such as clay allowed his creepy creatures to feel real while making them feel like we conjured them up in our own imaginations.
Along with being inspired by the horror legend, Vincent Price himself was the film’s narrator. Burton explained his appreciation for Price and his movies, saying, “When you’re younger things look bigger, you find your own mythology, you find what psychologically connects to you. And those movies, just the poetry of them, and this larger-than-life character who goes through a lot of torment – mostly imagined – just [spoke] to me…”Â
Finding your own mythology is exactly what “Vincent” is about as he imagines what his world would look like if he were Price. A few years later, both men would work together on what would be Price’s last film, and their collaborations cemented their legacies as dreamers who taught adults that it’s okay to explore their imaginations well after childhood.