Tim Burton is an American film director, producer, artist and writer known for his dark, quirky style. Some of his most famous films include Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Burton grew up in California and developed a love of dark fantasy stories as a child. After studying animation, he directed his first short film Vincent in 1982. This led to him directing films like Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Burton is known for blending dark humor and Gothic styles with mainstream popular films. He continues to direct films influenced by his odd childhood imagination.