For such a visually distinct filmmaker, Burton talked of how he is relying less and less on storyboards in order to maintain a freshness in the work. "Because it's so hard to get a film going," he said, "and making it is such a joyful and spontaneous experience that, even though sometimes you may have boards for certain F/X sequences, I don't really rely on them because it cuts out a really fun part of the set and shooting.
"I never made a decision to be a director," he claimed. "I just liked making things. If it was a drawing or a Super-8 film, it was fun. That was the energy, to make something. I just feel very lucky that it worked out to be directing because I enjoy it more than any of the other types of making things. It's always nice to be surprised."