Director Tim Burton showcases drawings, calls movies his 'troubled children'

Oscar-nominated director Tim Burton says he has no favourites when it comes to his movies, describing them all as "troubled children".

Known for films including Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride, Burton has also been showcasing his drawings and models in exhibitions.

In an interview, Burton reflected on the show's latest incarnation, the The World of Tim Burton, which opened on Wednesday (Oct 11) at the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, Italy.

Below are excerpts edited for length and clarity.

Q: How involved have you been with the exhibition?

Burton: "It started with the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) show [in 2009] which took a couple of years to curate. This [show in Italy] is sort of an offshoot of that."

Q: What is it like seeing your work?

Burton: "When I first saw it [the show in New York], it did feel like laundry hanging on the wall. I felt quite exposed. I feel that way with films, I like making them but then I get sort of terrified of showing them."

Q: How important are your drawings to your movie making process?

Burton: "When I first started out I didn't really communicate very well, some people say it remains to this day, but I always felt drawings were a way for me to get ideas out. [For example] I'd just draw like a Jack Skellington character [from 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas] and I didn't even know what it was for. Drawing brought out my subconscious."

Q: How did the strikes in Hollywood affect production on Beetlejuice 2?

Burton: "I've got two days of shooting left. I know exactly what we need to do, as soon as the strikes are over, take off the pause button and go do it."

Q: Do you have a favourite of your own films?

Burton: "I have no favourites. They're all your troubled children."

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