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                                              Burton will remain forever 

         The society has evolved tremendously throughout the years, with different trends and styles becoming more and more popular. It’s a society that is always creating more ideas and constantly changing, but there are few moments and people that will go down in history as remarkable and unforgettable.  One of these prestigious people is Tim Burton. Being the director of many big time movies, he has the ability to send a message through his work like no other, which will make him and his productions famous and memorable in the media world for years and years to come. Tim Burton’s experiences, ideologies and unique character have all been the reasons behind the success he has today.

         The most significant concept about Tim Burton is his personality. What makes Tim Burton such a magnificent being is that he has always stayed true to himself and what he believes in. Often times, people enter in a person vs persona conflict where their persona becomes what they are trying to portray to other people. From being a child to an adult, Tim Burton has not let society change his values or who he really is. Tim Burton has managed to stay grounded, one of the hardest things do in today’s society that is constantly telling us how things should or should not be done.  Tim Burtons doesn’t have the problem of creating a persona because he truly does not care about what people think of him. “Wanting people to like you is nice, but I’m confident that there’s always going to be lots that don’t,” Mr. Burton said with gallows humor and genuine pride. “I’ll always be able to hang on to that.” He recently made this comment to the London press that were asking him about his lifestyle. Tim Burton has discovered the key to success which is accepting the fact that not everyone is going to like him, and that he will always receive negative comments and critiques. By Tim Burton staying true to himself, he has been able to show the world how talented and unordinary he can be. The result of this is astonishing productions like Batman and Alice in Wonderland. The thing that is most inspiring about Tim Burton is the fact that he did not create a persona even when he had the right reasons to do so. As a child, Burton was very misunderstood. He saw himself different than anybody else, often isolated from all of his classmates at school. Being misunderstood and feeling different than others is often the reason why people create a persona in order to fit in and be “cool”. However, Tim Burton loved the fact that he was a bizarre and as a child, he was able to express it through his art work. Through his art, he expresses his thoughts and it is where he was able to let his imagination run wild. It was through drawing that he started discovering his astounding talent. Burton is one of the few directors in the movie industry that has not allowed fame to change him. As a result, fans are able to see his creativity and uniqueness in his films. It’s the feeling that people get as they walk into a bizarre world while watching his films that will always make him a recognizable and truly remembered person in the world of media.

         Not only will Tim Burton’s qualities help him stay known in the media but also playing a very big role is how the audience interprets and accepts his work. In Tim Burton’s case, interaction with an audience is more than necessary in order for his message to be sent across; this is considered cool media. During the 1960’s Canadian Marshall McLuhan brought in the idea and importance of hot and cool media. Tim Burton as an icon and leading example in many different areas like movies and art would be considered part of cool media. In order to understand who he is and his movies, there has to be some sort of interaction. The 8 key concepts of media that fall under the category of cool media help to better explain how and why Tim Burton is such an important and long lasting figure in the world of media. For example, Tim Burton was able to construct a reality for society and many people. Much of our reality is based on media messages that have been pre constructed, so in a sense and too many people, Tim Burton has been able to construct many peoples reality. From the very beginning, Tim Burton has set out a specific message, with the interpretation and conclusion built in. His message is that it is not necessary to fit in or be popular in order to have success in any kind of business. Being different and unique is what is going to lead a person in the right path, as proof to his message he has the endless list of successful movies that he has directed over the course of his career. The most important part however, is the way the audience interprets his work and the meaning that they decide to give it. As individuals we manipulate Tim Burton’s work and manipulate in a way that will be useful to us and our own personal needs in our life. Many people can interpret his work in many different ways, some see it as a way to escape and return back to their childhood memories. Others understand his message as motivation in using imagination as a way to express who they are, and most importantly some use him as a way in accepting the fact that is perfectly fine in being a little weird and different. It is evident that there are many ways in which people can interpret Tim Burton, and it is the variety of ways that people can find meanings in Tim Burton that makes him so special. With having numerous amounts of interpretations, Burton makes it easy for a variety of people to connect with him and his work. This way, as a society, they will be able to pass on their interpretations of what Tim Burton is really all about to the next generations, which will ultimately make Burton a pop culture individual that will always be identified and remembered.

          Probably McLuhan’s most known and significant theory is “The medium is the message.” What McLuhan was able to discover is that the qualities of a medium have as much effect as the information it transmits. Tim Burton might have created many meaningful messages but they are useless unless there are multiple ways in which his messages can be seen or received. Thanks to many of Burtons successful productions, like Planet of the Apes, and Sleepy Hollow there have been millions of different mediums created to send his message. Some examples are t-shirts, posters promoting his movies, articles, trailers, interviews etc.  There are many ways in which Tim Burton’s work and message can be sent across, therefore, people in the future will find themselves coming across one of movies or directly with the producer himself. What makes Tim Burton so powerful is that he has become something more than a producer. Not only are their messages in his movies but behind the person he is as well. His difficulties growing up allowed him to create a character that is unlike no other. Also, along with this theory comes the idea that the message the medium presents can change a person’s lifestyle, and in the end, it is saying something about the person and who they are. Not only are the different forms of media helping send Burtons message across but it is also labeling the sender. Before this was seen as an idea of Mass media, where the sender gives information to a receiver and the cycle would repeat, but because of the way technology has evolved over the years, it has quickly changed. Now, tribes are formed to spread the idea of Tim Burton and what he has accomplished. For example, there are many blogs created dedicated to Tim Burton. On these blogs, many people are able to share their opinions and common interests in him. There are thousands of Burton dedicated fan blogs that are easily accessible and that can quickly inform new members to what Tim Burton is all about. It is safe to say that technology will make it extremely easy for people to become aware about Tim Burton and his fascinating work. 

        Tim Burton is a true inspiration that will be remembered for many years to come. With the help of Marshall McLuhan’s theories about media it is clear to see that his name will stay around for a very long time. Burton’s personality has set him apart from other directors and known celebrities, which gives him media staying power. Also, the fact that there are multiple ways in transmitting his message that is accepted by different kinds of people will make it very easy to learn about him and enter his fan base. Tim Burton is not only a great individual but he has produced some of the best movies in Hollywood history, he has everything going for him that will keep him acknowledged forever.