Doll Face Disneybound
This weekend Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas turns 25! Since I also celebrated my 25th birthday this past July I may seem a bit biased, but 1993 was a pretty cool year — especially for Halloween lovers. In fact, another Disney Halloween classic just celebrated its 25th anniversary in July. (Two days after my birthday — no big deal!) Hocus Pocus also released in 1993 on July 16!
Nightmare Before Christmas is a holiday season staple — covering the theming of both Halloween and Christmas. So it’s no wonder that this movie is so prominent during the last quarter of each year! While I’ve only seen this movie a few times, I still have so much respect for Nightmare Before Christmas and its impact on Disney fans especially this time of year.
Ready to meet the biggest Nightmare Before Christmas fan alive? Cue Paris — my Disney bestie and the ultimate Nightmare Before Christmas fan! You can check out her blog post on this Disneybound look here.
To celebrate this exciting milestone, I’m sharing ten facts you probably didn’t know about Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas!
1. The Movie Plot Was Inspired By The Retail Industry
On the DVD commentary of the film, Tim Burton explained that growing up in a sunny place like Burbank, California meant that holidays weren’t marked by seasonal changes — but instead holiday decorations! The idea that Halloween and Christmas decorations are sold almost simultaneously to an effort to hit both holiday selling seasons, planted the seed of this original movie idea for Burton.
2. Tim Burton Didn’t Direct The Movie
Despite the movie including his name in the title, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas was not directed by Tim Burton! Since Burton was busy with Batman Returns, the movie’s responsibility fell to his Disney Animation colleague Henry Selick. The Nightmare Before Christmas was also Selick’s feature directorial debut! Tim Burton only spent about 8-10 days on set during the two year production period.
3. 400 Different Heads Were Used For Jack Skellington During Filming
One thing that sets this animation apart is the that it was created through stop-motion. In order to cover the wide range of facial expressions that Jack makes throughout the movie, 400 different heads were used during filming. Similarly, Sally had different masks for each facial expression as well. Since she has long hair it was easier to replace masks on her face rather than removing her entire head each time!
4. Model Artists Drew The Concepts, Characters, and Settings With Their Non-Dominant Hand
The purpose of this method was to give the film a twisted and unsettling look. This extra step helped to create the unique designs that were unlike any other film at this time. Talk about going the extra mile for quality!
5. Shooting Started Before The Script Was Complete
Since filming something stop-motion is such a lengthy process, filming started before Nightmare Before Christmas‘ script was even complete! Once a few of the songs were approved, Selick and a small team of 13 specially trained animators got to work without a final screenplay. In fact, the song “What’s This” was one of the first parts of the movie filmed.
6. One Minute of Film Required About One Week of Filming
A movie filmed in stop-motion is no quick task. A team of over 100 worked week after week for 3 years to complete every single frame of this masterpiece. The film consists of 24 frame per second and with a film of over 110,000 frames, you can imagine that it took awhile. It’s amazing to realized that so much time and energy went into one minute of film!
7. Jack Skellington Reappears in Other Selick Films
Since Jack Skellington’s film Nightmare Before Christmas was his feature directorial debut, it only makes sense that Selick would work him into his other films! Jack reappears in one spooky scene of Selick’s 1996 stop motion/live action adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach as a skeleton pirate captain. In 2009 for Selick’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, Jack’s smiling skull reppears in the yolk of a cracked egg!
8. Disney Wanted Eyes For Jack Skellington
It’s hard to imagine the iconic Pumpkin King any other way, but during production Disney fought for Jack to have eyes. They thought the open sockets of the skeletons would be too scary for children, but Burton and Selick wouldn’t budge! In the end, Jack Skellington stuck to his true skeleton form and proved that he didn’t need eyes to connect with the audience.
9. There Are Some Hidden Mickeys in the Film
Although Disney has since grown quite proud of their association with Nightmare Before Christmas thanks to the movie’s success, they didn’t always claim the film. Despite the company’s initial reluctance, they still allowed Burton and Selick to include a hidden Mickey within the film. During the scene where Jack’s gifts attack, there is a flying stuffed creature with a sharp-toothed grin that is supposed to be Tim Burton’s version of Mickey Mouse. To take things a little further, you’ll notice that the girl is wearing a Mickey nightgown and the boy is wearing Donald pajamas!
10. Tim Burton Rejected a CGI Sequel
Disney has found success in straight-to-DVD sequels of their animated films, but Burton didn’t want this for Nightmare Before Christmas. He says that he’s always been protective over the film, trying to keep the movie’s purity for those who love it.
As the years pass the fanbase of this one-of-a-kind holiday film only continues to grow! In celebration of Nightmare Before Christmas‘ 25th Anniversary there are plenty of new pieces available that are inspired by the movie. Here are a few of my favorites that are Sally-inspired!
Although Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t my favorite Disney film, I still have so much love for what it represents! It’s a film like no other and has ultimately become a classic in its own right. This Disneybound idea is one that is out of my normal style spectrum, but I really enjoyed taking on this style challenge as Sally and making it my own!
Outfit Details:
Chambray Ragdoll Tee (Use Code “KAIT10” for a Magical Discount!) | Black Patterned Skirt (similar here) | Tall Black Heel Boots (similar here) | Kate Spade Minnie Mouse Earrings | Hyperion Dreamer Watch (Use Code “KAIT10” for a Magical Discount!) | “We’re Simply Meant To Be” Gold Bracelet (Use Code “KAIT10” for a Magical Discount!)
