No matter how dark or bright the film is, it will always use a gothic theme. In almost all of Burton's films the main characters have a similar personality; peculiar in their own way, but at the same time they are outcasts in a world where no one can relate to them. Another thing you might find in his films are flashback scenes, a technique he uses to add a story to his main characters, explaining why they are the way they are. He also likes to use actors who have similar concepts to his. Few actors like Johnny Deep, Helen Bonham Carter and Christopher Lee conformed to his standards and repeatedly collaborated on his films. Tim Burton has an unusual visual style of characters, props and settings that stand out in his film in an exaggerated way. When Tim Burton writes his film, his style becomes more distinct and striking. He creates characters from his life experiences, such as Edward Scissorhands who represents him in his childhood days. His films show his true nature as a person and his style continues to influence many who go through similar experiences. Despite the unusual, Burton plays the normality into his eccentricity