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 Disney. The film marked a landmark achievement in stop-motion animation, blending gothic imagery with musical storytelling in a way that found immediate cult status and enduring mainstream appeal across generations of viewers.

This cell captures Santa Claus in a quiet, domestic moment — seated in a warmly lit interior with wooden paneling and a clock on the wall, reviewing a scroll or list in his hands. The three frames hold nearly identical compositions, preserving a sustained, contemplative beat from the sequence. It is a rare still look at one of the film's most grounded and recognizable figures.