National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas was released by Touchstone Pictures in October 1993, produced through Burton's collaboration with director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman. The stop-motion animated feature stood apart from conventional studio fare of its era, blending gothic imagery with musical storytelling in a way that earned it enduring cult status and a lasting place in animation history.

This cell, titled Santa Jack, captures Jack Skellington surrounded by crackling electrical effects against a dark, stylized frame. A diagonal structure strung with colorful lights cuts through the composition, lending the image both energy and visual tension. The three frames represent the same shot, offering collectors a rare look at the iconic moment when Jack inhabits his borrowed holiday role.