Development Hell
Stop motion in tedious action. Photo by Walt Disney Pictures
4. The process of stop-motion is a painstaking endeavor, where on average one animator can only produce about five seconds of footage per week. However, Burton is no stranger to the process. Though he didn't ultimately end up directing "The Nightmare Before Christmas" due to the film being mired in development hell (pun intended), Burton produced, wrote, and created the characters. When he finally got a chance to direct his first stop-motion picture, "Corpse Bride" earned an Oscar nomination for best animated feature.