Designed anti-litter poster that won top prize in local California refuse company contest, while still in high school; Burton's artwork adorned Burbank garbage trucks for one year

After graduating from art school, worked as animator at Walt Disney Studios

Released first animated (stop-motion) short film, "Vincent"; film won several film festival awards

Made live-action short, "Frankenweenie," which inspired Paul Reubens to give him his first feature directing assignment

Feature directing debut, "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," starring Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman); also marked first collaboration with music composer Danny Elfman

First collaboration with Michael Keaton, Wynona Ryder and Jeffrey Jones, "Beetlejuice"

Founded Tim Burton Productions

Helmed the enormously popular "Batman," starring Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Michael Keaton as the caped crusader

First feature producing credit, "Edward Scissorhands," starring Johnny Depp and Ryder; also directed

Helmed "Batman Returns," starring Danny De Vito as the Penguin; Reubens showed up in cameo as the Penguin's father

Feature acting debut in Cameron Crowe's "Singles"

Produced "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas," a 72-minute animated musical feature, directed by stop-motion guru and friend Henry Selick

Second feature with Depp starring as the title role in "Ed Wood"

Turned the directing reins over to Joel Schumacher but retained his connection to the franchise as a producer of "Batman Forever"

Produced Selick's stop-motion animated feature "James and the Giant Peach"

Produced and directed, "Mars Attacks!"; second film with Nicholson, who played dual role of US President and a sleazy Las Vegas car dealer

Directed first TV commercial, pitching Hollywood Gum for the European market

Reteamed with Depp (as Ichabod Crane) on "Sleepy Hollow," adapted from Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Helmed the remake of "Planet of the Apes," starring Mark Wahlberg

Directed "Big Fish," a life-affirming story about fathers and sons; starring Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor

Reteamed with Johnny Depp (as Willy Wonka) to remake Roald Dahl's classic tale "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

Helmed the animated feature "Corpse Bride" starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter; received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature

Helmed "Sweeney Todd" the feature adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical; reteamed with longtime collaborator Johnny Depp who played the title role; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director for a Motion Picture