In this essay I will be talking about different types of sound and lighting among these three movies. How they differentiate and how they are similar. The first cinematic technique I studied while watching these movies was sound. Non-diegetic sound is when the characters cannot hear the music or sound, it is used for foreshadowing, it can add suspense, happiness or cheerfulness. Diegetic sound is when the characters can obviously hear the music or sound. In The Corpse Bride Tim Burton uses non-diegetic sound a lot like when Victor is in the woods practicing his vows there is quiet, slow music.

When Emily comes back from the dead Victor runs and in the back there is loud fast paced suspenseful music. Diegetic sound is used when Victor and Barkis Bittern are fighting the characters could hear the sword and fork clanking together when hit and when the sword chopped the alter the characters would be able to hear that. It is also used when Victor is running through the woods to get away from Emily, Victor snaps a few branches and accidently snags his shirt, all the birds and owls are squalling away. Victor’s character can hear these diegetic noises.

In Edward Scissorhands Tim Burton uses non-diegetic sound to show suspense. When Peg enters Edwards mansion and when she walks up the stairs there is slow suspenseful music that shows something’s not right. When Peg figures out that Edward has scissors on his hands the music gets loud and fast, but soon stops when she realizes he’s completely harmless. When Edward gets mad because he sees Kim go towards Jim, Edward storms off and the music gets very fast and loud because Edward is mad, he cannot hear this music himself though.

Diegetic sound in this movie is when Edward moves his hands; the characters can obviously hear a snipping sound. Or when Peg walks around the mansion, the characters could hear the clicking noise of her high heels on the floor. Edward’s character could definitely hear the alarm when Jim locked Edward inside his house to get him in trouble with the cops. In Big Fish Tim Burton uses non-diegetic sound when the kids go to the witch’s house to look at her eye.

Burton uses it to create uncertainty while Edward walked up to the witch’s door and when the kids saw the witch the music got fast and loud. It is also used when Edward goes into the dark spooky side of the forest. Diegetic sound in this movie is when the band plays music because the giant and Edward are leaving the town, or when the black cat ran across the witches porch and made a loud hissing noise. Also when Edward is in this new strange town, they are dancing and playing music, Edward would be able to hear all of these diegetic sounds.

The second cinematic technique I studied is lighting. There is high key lighting which is very bright, low key lighting is mainly filled with shadows and darkness, creating suspense or suspicion. Bottom or side is direct lighting from the bottom or side often used to make characters evil or dangerous. Front or back lighting is lighting from the front of back making the character look soft or innocent. In The Corpse Bride there is not that much color or light, it is mainly low key lighting.

This low key lighting is being used to create deep shadows a In Edward Scissorhands Burton uses low key lighting when Peg goes into Edward’s mansion to show how dark, spooky and suspicious it is. Front or back lighting is also used when Kim is telling her story about Edward to her granddaughter, the lighting shows how sweet and innocent she looks. It is used when Peg sees Edward up close. The front lighting makes Edward seem harmless like he wouldn’t hurt a fly and helpless and the same time because he’s lonely and cannot do very much for himself.

In Big Fish Tim Burton did not use as much of his Gothic Literature side as he does in most movies. Burton uses high key lighting to make most of this movie pretty bright. When Edward is a hero, all the town loves him, or he gets to this new town it is very perfect, bright but at the same time strange. Burton also uses low key lighting when Edward and the giant leave out of town and Edward goes into the dark eerie dark forest. Tim Burton is a brilliant director; while some of his movies have a mix of Gothic Literature some tell a wonderful story without all of the horror.