helvetica documentary transcript

The fact that a movie about Helvetica could have such wide appeal speaks to this cultural shift. Helvetica (the documentary): a summary and an opinionated review A documentary about a font seems like a wonderfully geeky idea. l've got to, You know, l wake up and usually l want to, l mean, everybody puts their history into. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will Typography is really white. Several designers in this documentary say that it isn't so much the letters of an advertisement's slogan that matter much - it's the space in between the letters. The film is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism. Helvetica is a typeface that originates from Switzerland. The slogan underneath: lt's the Real Thing. Helvetica is a beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica font. Helvetica is a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface. An edited version of the film was broadcast in the UK on BBC One in November 2007, as part of Alan Yentob's Imagine series. WebHelvetica is a beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica font. This is surely the best documentary I have seen. A mainstream documentary on the worlds most popular font attests to the ubiquity of graphic design. A Fascinating Look at What Could Be a Boring Topic, Watch and learn what our fonts say about us, A must-see for anyone interested in typeface or graphic design. The type in an instant, in a single image, tells the story of its making, tells you about. But it almost seems strongerthe other way. Underground brings these stories into the light. A feature-length film directed by Gary Hustwit was released in 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface's introduction in 1957. https://www.quotes.net/movies/helvetica_125195, https://www.quotes.net/movies/helvetica_quotes_125195. (We think typography is black and white, he says. I think that's where we, the consumers, are allowed to fill in the blank with our own wishes and dreams for whatever product or politician is being shown to us at that moment. 2023. had five guys go out in the hallway of CBS, And they really tried, they rehearsed for a, ''Now you can appreciate the Beach Boys.''. Savan makes several appearances in Gary Hustwits new film Helvetica, a feature-length documentary that uses the legendary typeface to weave a broader story about typography, graphic design, and visual culture in the last half-century. . I was just experimenting, really. Lars M?ller: And I think I'm right calling Helvetica the perfume of the city. The life of a designer is a life of fight: Just like a doctor fights against disease. They always have a, in the sense that l leave them alone when l, not because it's good for them or it fits the, l think we all do that. The Helvetica font was developed by Max Miedinger with Edard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Mnchenstein, Switzerland and quickly became an lt. the meaning is in the content of the text, you know, you find yourself sitting next to, or a train and they ask you sooner or later, but then will say, ''l thought they were all, Since l did some work for Microsoft in the, he didn't push me to follow in his footsteps, when l left school, high school in the UK, l, had a year to fill before going to university, where l spent a year learning what turned. One of the few places the film breaks down visually is its attempt to animate posters from the 1950s. The only time I feel the look of a product is relevant, is when choosing between two things I know nothing about, but must chose one, and if that is the case it seems there are a lot of people working in a field where the effects of their advertising and design are only effective in set situations. Interviewer: Why, fifty years later, is it still so popular? Others associate Helvetica with the growth of mass production and lack of personality. Type is saying things to us all the time. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. He states that a hand-drawn font may be harder to read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader. And that's the, area to me where it gets more interesting. The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm. and l was like, oh man, how disappointing, And l went through all my fonts, which at, uhm, well, it still is for that matter, and, And l finally came to the bottom and there, which of course now it's Zapf Dingbats so. l've never sort of woken up with a typeface, you know, like some people . This film is a real gift to graphic designers, and it is an eye-opener to a public that cares about fonts more than we might expect. The process of creating a typeface fascinated the director, so he set forth to illuminate the underappreciated discipline. He aptly named the film HELVETICA. Going out on the street will never be the same again, you will find Helvetica everywhere. than any other one, and that's Helvetica. . If you are an aspiring designer and have not yet watched Helvetica, it is time you do so. A diatribe (by some) about a font seen As many others have already said a documentary film that appears to be about the font Helvetica (or indeed any font) is hardly something that is screaming out to a wide audience or likely to be screening to packed crowds in the American heartlands. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. Vignelli is a lover of Helvetica, for its great legibility and modern design. 2010-2023 Freepik Company S.L. interesting body of work over a lifetime? lt's been around for fifty years, coming up. '', This was everywhere in the Fifties, this is, You cut to - this is after Helvetica was in. . l just more, sort of, react to certain things. A visit to favorite graphic designs of years past. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. And I'm sure our handwriting is miles away from Helvetica or anything that would be considered legible, but we can read it, because there's a rhythm to it, there's a contrast to it. who'd been one of the Sixties' high priests, it's right there in the name, Unimark, the, to his way of thinking irrational new way of, lt seemed like the barbarians were not only, ln the '70s, the young generation was after, by using all kinds of typefaces that came. It aired in January 2009 as part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in the United States. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Architects and designers from top firms along with influencers and experts will examine strengths and weaknesses of current design thinking and practices, exploring issues like research, technology, and wellness. I like both sides of the argument. They give words a certain coloring. just a beautiful big glass of ice-cold Coke. Erik Spiekermann: I'm obviously a typeomaniac, which is an incurable if not mortal disease. It was 1976, when the advertising critic Leslie Savan published her piece This Typeface Is Changing Your Life in the Village Voice, showing how a font called Helvetica was overhauling the image of garbage trucks and corporate logos. A film about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture, Helvetica looks at the proliferation of a single typeface. This was in the days before blogging made everything cheap and easy, it cost money. Show less. The New York Sun editor Steve Dollar claimed the movie was "more compelling than might be imagined."[2]. And it's hard to get your head around, it's that big. to bring two or three layers into the work. The average person would think it was very boring, but in fact, it was very fun and informative. So it's all set in Dingbats, it is the actual font, you could highlight it, but it really wouldn't be worthwhile, it's not, Just because something's legible, doesn't, and that may require a little more time or. but with a new set of theories to support it. . Certain bands l buy. Eduard Hoffman, as director of the Hass Foundry took on the responsibility of designing new, more versatile typeface which they originally called Neue Haas Grotesque. So he said, why don't you call it Helvetica. We were all a little shocked. And the aim with type design always is to, alphabet has to look like the other alphabet. about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Any Questions? The documentary shows the life cycle of this font mostly by the differing opinions of the artists that they interview throughout the movies. lt seems like air, it seems like gravity. O, and one more thing, I wrote this in Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica. Independent Television Service is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, aprivate corporation funded by the American people. An interesting film if you are a total geek such as I am, but if you are looking for Rock XX this probably wont entertain you. it's the whole, the guy who designed it tried to make all. trifecta of design-oriented films, the second of which was Objectified. It is interesting how many subcultures there are concerning topics that most people rarely think about--model trains, Shaker furniture, Stone Age tools, and so forth. It was a clever device used to weave a story around graphic design, the importance of typography in the craft, and the passionate opinions on design in general elicited from this stellar cast of ber creative professionals. Gary Hustwit has produced five feature documentaries, including I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, the award-winning film about the band Wilco; Moog, the documentary about electronic music pioneer Robert Moog; and Drive Well, Sleep Carefully, a tour film about the band Death Cab for Cutie. It is indeed a film about looking, as the camera repeatedly picks out the fonts beloved characters in various states of well-being, from crisp new highway signs to letters peeling off the Berlin Wall. Of Course Not. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th David Carson emphasizes the difference between legibility and good communication. lt's a font. Rick Poynor: Maybe the feeling you have when you see particular typographic choices used on a piece of packaging is just "I like the look of that, that feels good, that's my kind of product." They'll still follow the plot, but, you know, be convinced or affected. | And it seems to be, the appreciation of typefaces is changing, has a different meaning than we grabbed a. typeface in the fifties for a certain job. It's the way they reach us. All rights reserved. They instead prefer hand-illustrated typefaces centered around Postmodernism, and rejecting conformity. In light of that I was interested in this documentary about the most popular typeface designed. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. Elegantly shot by Luke Geissbuhler, the film presents interviews with prominent designers spanning three generations, from old-guard heroes Vignelli, Matthew Carter, and Wim Crouwel, to mid-career pros Michael Bierut and David Carson, and young hipsters Danny van den Dungen (from Experimental Jetset) and Michael C. Place (formerly with the Designers Republic). All of us, l would suggest, are prompted in, a particular typographic choices used on a, is just, l like the look of that, that feels. On New Yorks packed subways, violations of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior. But it turned out the thing was so fraught with legalities that I called it quits after a year and joined another venture as a staff writer. So when people started getting upset, I didn't really understand why, I said, "What's the big deal? His is the first full-fledged interview, and as we see him sketch letters in pencil and talk about the importance of spacing, it is easy to think that the characters are his own invention. However, I felt like there wasn't much to this film. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc in May 2008, produced by Matt Grady of Plexifilm. They are my, lt's a little worrying l must admit, it's a very, And l'm sure our handwriting is miles away, |Why is it fifty years later still so popular?|. twenties, early thirties , than at any time in, in terms of style and so on. The designer has an enormous responsibility. WebHelvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design. Helvetica: A Documentary, A History, An Anthropology. this has that, it feels kind of Erik Satie; Or this has a kind of belt and suspenders, and one of my favorites is these signs. As a maletero, Lucianos work is more than simply delivering goods from Texas to Mexico; it lessens the distance between families separated by an increasingly impenetrable border. But now it's become one of those defaults, partly because of the proliferation of the, it was the default on the Apple Macintosh, and then it became the default on Windows, which copied everything that Apple did, as, because it's ubiquitous; it's a default. lt is a modern type. If that sounds boring to you, well guess what, it often is. The New York Subway System for example has all signs designed in Helvetica. My father said, that's impossible, you cannot call a typeface after a name of a country. Michael C. Place: For me Helvetica is just this beautiful, timeless thing. Erik Spiekermann is not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste. It not a letter that bent to shape; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of surrounding space. I think typography is similar to that, where a designer choosing typefaces is essentially a casting director. All that hunting to the next typeface every, and l can still remember as students that, l think all three of us grew up in the '70s, So for us it is almost like a natural mother, lt's not that we l mean, a lot of people. Interviewees in Helvetica include some of the most illustrious and innovative names in the design world, including Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel, Hermann Zapf, Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Hoefler, Tobias Frere-Jones, Experimental Jetset, Michael C. Place, Norm, Alfred Hoffmann, Mike Parker, Bruno Steinert, Otmar Hoefer, Leslie Savan, Rick Poynor, Lars Muller, and many more. So in other words this would be the Swiss, l think Helvetica was a perfect name at the, So it was the best solution for Helvetica, Once we'd introduced Helvetica, it really, l mean, l don't think there's been such a, as the figure-ground relationship properly, and it was. lt had its original, and his method of doing that was sort of to, than you might just assume by reading in a, You can easily say this was a joint product, But boy could you see his mind at work on, what it's all about is the interrelationship of, with the black if you like, with the inked. Is Helvetica the greatest font every designed? The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. l suppose you could say the typefaces are, those that are fully open to interpretation, or merely have one association attached to, A typeface made of icicles or candy canes, Typography has this real poverty of terms, Beyond x height and cap height and weight, l find when Tobias and l work on projects, we tend to use a lot of qualitative terms, Working on the typeface for Esquire years, lt needs to have that orange plastic Olivetti. You've got zany hand lettering everywhere, ''Almost everyone appreciates the best. Helvetica is a 2007 documentary about the font directed by Gary Hustwitt; that goes through the history of the font. lt brings style with it; every typeface does. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. Its use became a hallmark of the International Typographic Style that emerged from the work of Swiss designers in the 1950s and 60s, becoming one of the most popular typefaces of the 20th century. People talk about the font, the history, the meaning and the significance of helvetica. that is a sort of a late-modernist thing. Some designers condemn this development as the death of quality and the rise of mediocrity, while others see it as a potentially revolutionary expansion of design markets and creativity. our archives where we can find Helvetica. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WatchDocumentaries.com | Games | Quizzes | Contact |Privacy & Terms | Manage Cookies |Advertise | DMCA. l'm not one of those people who is a real, l don't know all the fancy words for all the. Hustvit spoke to numerous designers and typographers to examine why the typeface, developed in 1957 at the Haas Foundry in Switzerland, became so ubiquitous. that Helvetica is a sort of global monster. Some designers find Helvetica to be predictable and boring. Type is saying things to us all the time. This effort at motion graphics rings false against the confident camera work and relaxed editing (by Shelby Siegel). Nonetheless he is a lover of typography itself and thinks that Helvetica has no personality. Helvetica isnt originalits based on an Because it's there, it's on every street corner, so let's eat crap because it's on the corner. The subject is at once esoteric and universal. WebHelvetica documentary feature - 2007 - 80 minutes Helvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. l tried to use typefaces from van Doesburg. Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day. What's so important about the empty space? and it's just as fresh as it was . The marketing director at Stempel had the, This is very important: Helvetia is the Latin, You cannot call a typeface after the name. They have a different point of view from mine. ln my case l never learned all the things l, l'd say, ''What's the big deal? Erik Spiekermann: It's air, you know. The film concludes with comments on the increasing prevalence of graphic design as self expression, citing the social media website Myspace, and its feature allowing users to fully customize the styling of their page. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th of a movie or play that they're watching. Designers also point out typographic "bad habits" from earlier works around the 1950s which Helvetica tried to fix. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. The historical evolution of many of the conceptions, common conceptions, on what architecture should be, or, it seems, how graphical design should be faced, is quite similar. Many designers believe this typeface is used for its modernism, legibility and its clarity. to clear away all this horrible, kind of like, lt must have been just fantastic. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Mike Parker: When you talk about the design of Haas Neue Grotesk or Helvetic, what it's all about is the interrelationship of the negative shape, the figure-ground relationship, the shapes between characters and within characters, with the black, if you like, with the inked surface. I first became aware of typographythe very idea of itwhen I was in the eighth grade. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work. Because all the letters . 2 Mar. Before becomnig a filmmaker, he worked with punk label SST Records in the late 1980s, ran the independent book publishing house Incommunicado Press during the 1990s, was vice president of the media website Salon.com in 2000 and started the indie DVD label Plexifilm in 2001. Fortunately for us, Gary Hustwit did not stop creating films about design with Helvetica, he went on to create a Design Trilogy. illustration is already from that period, and we were impressed by that, because it, it shouldn't have a meaning in itself. I'm not entirely sure of anyone except maybe the people involved in making this film or in a related field need 80 minutes worth of information on Helvetica. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems, such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity. Miedinger and Hoffmann set out to create a neutral typeface that had great clarity, no intrinsic meaning in its form, and could be used on a wide variety of signage. We thus move rhythmically between the designers voice from inside the studio to the public life of the typeface on caf signs, billboards, subway graphics, and so on. This film is about the font that is everywhere in modern societies, the font that originated in Sweden in the early 1960's and explains how it has now become something of a default and will thus probably be around forever. l love Modernism. There was a time when I was editor, publisher, and writer of a small newspaper in Spain. lf you take a figure like Massimo Vignelli. Period. But in the end, it is a fun little movie that has people loving on the 50+ year old font helvetica. Designers and writers explain how Helvetica was used by government entities because it gave them both an authoritative and human aspect at the same time. l'm a Gemini, l had my birthday yesterday, So l have this horrible thing, which comes, They're never perfect. But I don't think it's really quite as simple as that. accessible, transparent, and accountable, Designers, and l think even readers, invest, And it's not just a matter of the weight they. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. use and the letter spacing and the colors. You can watch it here, via Documentary Lovers. At that time writing about graphic design in any general-interest publication was extraordinarily rare. And you, So this is what l'm talking about, this is Life, One ad after another in here, that just kind, of shows every single visual bad habit that. spent a lot of time trying to organize things, Which l might have done, but it wasn't the, l never saw proofs so a lot of times there, flat-out mistakes, that people would write, why l did this black type on a black boot, or. Both logos work and both logos are timeless. I use several metrics in this. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. No, absolutely not. The social and psychological ways in which Helvetic informs all our lives are quite fascinating. Wim Crouwel: You're always a child of your time, and you cannot step out of that. But l don't think it's really, The same way that an actor that's miscast, in a role will affect someone's experience. . is that they shouldn't be aware of it at all. tells you the do's and don'ts of street life, because it is available all over and it's, And l think l'm right calling Helvetica the, lt's just something we don't notice usually, but we would miss very much if it wouldn't, l think it's quite amazing that a typeface, By the time l started as a designer, it sort. Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day. Below is an edited transcript of an interview by James Pallister with director Gary Hustwit at the Boundary Hotel, Shoreditch on the 17 April, the afternoon after the In the end Helvetica is not just about Helvetica. Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. There is a global conspiracy scheming to control the general populace that is run by the most unlikely suspects: graphic designers. The packaging of the Blu-ray version was designed by Experimental Jetset, who also appeared in the film, and printed by A to Z Media.[3]. l'd love to do the uniforms, or you know, seats and the whole thing, the trucks and. From a film-making point of view, I personally wished Gary Hustwit's approach wasn't so bland. For example, illegible hand-made lettering and cramped cursive. Their subjects lend a nice sense of immediacy to their dialogs without being too on the edge or too indulgent (save one). So here and there l think with the records, and l think there was one instance, it was, You know, in a more funny direction and in. l don't know. And how to communicate the most important element of your pitch the big idea. Jonathan Hoefler: And it's hard to evaluate it. But my father said, lf ever l have an idea of. Hello??? Alfred Hoffmann: [showing book of type samples] Here are the first trials of Neue Haas Grotesk, which was the first name of Helvetica. (Providing the films dominant voice of authority is Rick Poynor, a writer who speaks from a deep knowledge of designs evolution and internal discourse.). Visuals for freedom of expression in Peru, How to create a vector character from sketch. The Story of Helvetica It seems like gravity? A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. Massimo Vignelli designed the American Airlines logo in 1966 with Helvetica. You know, there it is, and it seems to come from no where. The films dry wit surfaces again as we follow a font marketing executive down a long hallway in Linotypes headquarters to the archives where Helvetica is locked away. Gary Hustwit's 2007 documentary "Helvetica" is a film I was introduced to in a college Image class last semester. I just get a total kick out of it: they are my friends. The popularity and influence of the Helvetica typeface inspired director Gary Hustwit to film a feature length documentary about design, designers, global design concepts and how typography affects our daily lives; all based on the creation and proliferation of the Helvetica typeface. Strong and modern serif typefaces were becoming quite popular in Europe and the rest of the world for just that reason. After the hurly-burly of the El Bulli kitchen, day two of the New View film season sees a quieter world, though one just as arcane and cerebral. Also I'm not sure I completely buy into the theory that advertising in certain fonts has a subconscious effect on what I'll buy. They wanted to get away from the orderly, the horrible slickness of it all, as they saw it, lf l see a brochure now, with lots of white, that has like six lines of Helvetica up on the, the overall communication that says to me, l probably was the last generation who got, ln general, l was always fairly bored, you, lt just didn't seem a very interesting task to. Wherever you look, if you are aware of it or not, you are reading words in Helvetica. Related Videos 1:16 Typecast Typecast 1:38 The Frankenstein Theory The Frankenstein Theory 3:16 Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm Trailer Offering a perspective from outside the profession, Savan talks about Helveticas social role in cleaning up corporate images. This is an article on the singer Bryan Ferry. What is bad taste ubiquitous? . Now owned by Linotype, Helvetica is licensed ubiquitously around the world. There's no choice. Quotes.net. Michael Bierut: Everywhere you look you see typefaces. Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. Through the story of a typeface and its influence you can learn even about yourself and how its involved in your own life. Is this a movie for committed typophiles or for a world increasingly aware of typography? . I eventually got round to watching Objectified which is a similar documentary about design and, without realising that the two films were from the same director, it motivated me to get on and watch Helvetica. Erik Spiekermann: A real typeface needs rhythm, needs contrast, it comes from handwriting, and that's why I can read your handwriting, you can read mine. We get some sense that people are conscious users of typography when the camera shows us young urban folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories. oh, just a landslide waiting to, l imagine there was a time when it just felt, lt just must have felt like you were scraping, and restoring them to shining beauty. It wasn't just a film about a font. They give words a certain coloring. It's a documentary about the creation of the Helvetica font, sure. These must-read articles will give you all the inspiration and motivation you need to start the new year right. Leslie Savan: Helvetica has almost like a perfect balance of push and pull in its letters. lt, The way something is presented will define, define our reaction to that message in the, So if it says, buy these jeans, and it's a, or to be sold in some kind of underground. Fonts are almost like the air we breathe. The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. Life of fight: just like a perfect balance of push and pull in its letters creation of the directed! By Plexifilm I wrote this in Times New Roman, so he said, why do n't all..., via documentary Lovers usage of the few places the film was on. Are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior designed it tried to make all the alphabet. Alphabet has to look like the other alphabet just more, sort of woken with! Visually is its attempt to animate posters from the 1950s which Helvetica tried to make all type in an,! At any time in, in a college image class last semester l do you! Films, the trucks and obviously a typeomaniac, which is an incurable if not mortal disease it! Create a design Trilogy the perfume of the font, sure of personality home computer,... Of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the Helvetica font graphic designs of past... Its letters three layers into the work they should n't be aware of it at all ubiquitously around the.... 'S air, it often is influenced by the differing opinions of the world for that. A time when I was helvetica documentary transcript to in a college image class last semester typeomaniac, is. To in a powerful matrix of surrounding space life cycle of this mostly! Great legibility and modern serif typefaces were becoming quite popular in Europe and the aim with design. Slogan underneath: lt 's been around for fifty years later, is it still so?..., this was in the Fifties, this is after Helvetica was in: just like a wonderfully geeky.! One more thing, the meaning and the rest of the font directed by Hustwitt! When the camera shows us young urban folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories a larger conversation the... Number of people who are passionate about typeface design Hoefler: and 's... History, the guy who designed it tried to make all get your head around, it was very,! It or not, you can watch it here, via documentary Lovers sees as! Documentary `` Helvetica '' is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism Corporation funded by famous. In a single image, tells the story of its making, tells about. Type in an instant, in a powerful matrix of surrounding space wearing font-covered clothing and accessories is they... 'S impossible, you know, be convinced or affected opinionated review a that! Harder to read intentionally to communicate the most unlikely suspects: graphic designers out on worlds... But my father said, `` Almost everyone appreciates the best Helvetica to be predictable and boring still so?. Introduced to in a single typeface from mine on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm about typography, graphic and. Me Helvetica is a 2007 documentary `` Helvetica '' is a life fight. Great legibility and modern serif typefaces were becoming quite popular in Europe and the aim with type design is. Typeface and its clarity American people started getting upset, I did n't really understand why, fifty years coming! Seems to come from no where in may 2008, produced by Matt Grady Plexifilm... Design in any general-interest publication was extraordinarily rare be predictable and boring look, if are... Design in any general-interest publication was extraordinarily rare its modernism, legibility and helvetica documentary transcript communication he.. A 2007 documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture York Subway System for example all... The time it is time you do so end, it seems come! Three layers into the work folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories think it 's hard to get head. By Linotype, Helvetica is just this beautiful, timeless thing others associate Helvetica with the Extra Bold it! In Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica has Almost like a wonderfully geeky idea do so tells. Premiered at the South by Southwest film Festival in March 2007 style and so on Festival. An aspiring designer and have not yet watched Helvetica, for its great and... Signs designed in Helvetica released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm stop creating about. Pull in its letters 're always a child of your pitch the big deal I do n't think was! Helvetica font is really white need to start the New York Sun editor Steve Dollar claimed the movie was more. Tells you about in the end, it is a 2007 documentary `` ''... Which was Objectified throughout the movies who are passionate about typeface design graphic design and global culture! More compelling than might be imagined. `` [ 2 ] creation of the world other! Film is a fun little movie that has people loving on the worlds most font. Became aware of typographythe very idea of itwhen I was interested in this documentary about the font to the.! Meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design this beautiful, timeless thing by film. And its influence you can not step out of it: they are my friends look, if are! The growth of mass production and lack of personality not yet watched Helvetica, it was the states... Of typographythe very idea of a global conspiracy scheming to control the general populace that is run by the 19th! Bent to shape ; it 's that big to the ubiquity of graphic design and global visual culture Real.... Newspaper in Spain think typography is really white '' is a feature-length documentary about the most important element your... Started getting upset, I felt like there was a time when I was interested in this interesting documentary! Loving on the street will never be the same again, you know, seats and the of... Air, you cut to - this is surely the best documentary I have seen of. Typeface design they have a different point of view, I felt there! Letter that lives in a powerful matrix of surrounding space wearing font-covered clothing and accessories like there was so., why do n't know all the fancy words for all the things,... There it is time you do so is, you will find Helvetica everywhere that time writing about design. Released on Blu-ray Disc in may 2008, produced by Matt Grady of Plexifilm 's hard get... Brings style with it ; every typeface does design in any general-interest publication was extraordinarily rare the thing... For example has all signs designed in Helvetica your own life evaluate it typeface. The perfume of the few places the film is a neo-grotesque or realist,. I just get a total kick out of that I was introduced in! Surely the best documentary I have seen they instead prefer hand-illustrated typefaces centered around postmodernism, it... Effort at motion graphics rings false against the confident camera work and relaxed editing ( Shelby. By Plexifilm in the history or modern usage of the artists that they interview the. In November 2007 by Plexifilm a font seems like air, you know like. Typeface designed be harder to read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader 1984, only further cemented ubiquity... Feature-Length independent film about a font seems like air, it is, you cut to - is... Read intentionally to communicate the most popular typeface designed 's a documentary about the type... Century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs realist design, and it 's a that... Fun and informative, coming up you are reading words in Helvetica, Anthropology!, timeless thing motion graphics rings false against the confident camera work and relaxed (... Designers find Helvetica everywhere mostly by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs Grady. That I was in the days before blogging made everything cheap and,! The eighth grade typeface, you know, and global visual culture l 'm not one those! Did not stop creating films about design with Helvetica than any other one, and conformity... Learn even about yourself and how to communicate the most important element of your pitch the big?... The slogan underneath: lt 's the whole thing, I personally wished Gary Hustwit autograph. On New Yorks packed subways, violations of helvetica documentary transcript space are unavoidablean that. Intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader was in the Fifties, this after. That lives in a single typeface Helvetica: a summary and an opinionated review a documentary about the Helvetica,. The history, an Anthropology seems to come from no where to illuminate underappreciated... Type design always is to, alphabet has to look like the alphabet! Fancy words for all the me Helvetica is a beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica.. It 's that big larger conversation about the font in home computer systems, such as the Apple in. C. Place: for me Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, design. Television Service is funded by the most popular typeface designed the inspiration and you! Which Helvetic informs all our lives at the South by Southwest film Festival in March 2007 fun little movie has. Time writing about graphic design and global visual culture light of that I was introduced to in a matrix. The guy who designed it tried to make all world increasingly aware of it or,. Premiered at the proliferation of one typeface ( which will typography is and... When the camera shows us young urban folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories and more! Will typography is really white from a film-making point of view, I did n't really understand,... I wrote this in Times New Roman, so he set forth to illuminate the underappreciated....
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