Helvetica is considered to be one of the most popular and widely used typefaces in the world. The marketing director at Stempel had the, This is very important: Helvetia is the Latin, You cannot call a typeface after the name. Only much later I learned what determines modernism, and this and that David Carson: It's very hard to do the more subjective, interpretative stuff well. In addition to showing at AIGA chapter events and schools of art and design, the documentary has played at film festivals including Hot Docs, Full Frame, SXSW, and even the International Istanbul Film Festival. An excerpt of the film was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "fonts." 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. Switzerland use the font as its hallmark for example, 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. The film toured around the world for screenings in selected venues, such as the IFC Center in New York, the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, and the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco. Interviewees inHelveticainclude 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, and Lars Mller. Imagining the film from an outsiders perspective, I might have been confused early on that Vignelli created Helvetica. Web. (Providing the films dominant voice of authority is Rick Poynor, a writer who speaks from a deep knowledge of designs evolution and internal discourse.). The fact that a movie about Helvetica could have such wide appeal speaks to this cultural shift. 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. . and descenders and all that kind of thing. . 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. However, I felt like there wasn't much to this film. So, he said, why don't we call it Helve-ti-ca. our archives where we can find Helvetica. Its a movie about graphic designabout the evolution of the profession over a 50-year period, about sea changes in style and ideology, about the people who create and implement typefaces. The New York Subway System for example has all signs designed in Helvetica. For those of us who take interest in such things, of course! It received its television premiere on BBC1 in England in November 2007, and was broadcast on PBS in the US as part of the Emmy award-winning seriesIndependent Lensin Fall 2008. I love the subject matter! To work there, to do. going to fit in, you're not going to stand out. Being the geek I am, when I first heard the title, I was there! Typefaces express a mood, The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. This was in the days before blogging made everything cheap and easy, it cost money. They'll still follow the plot, but, you know, be convinced or affected. Coke. . What are you talking about?" Wim Crouwel: You're always a child of your time, and you cannot step out of that. l think that typography is similar to that, There's very little type in my world outside, lt definitely makes the world outside the, that's just a couple blocks down from the, the place with the bad letter spacing out, l think even then people might have known, The fact that it's been so heavily licensed, has kind of furthered the mythology that it's, And even for us professionals that's hard, l kind of find myself buying into the idea, And realizing, wait a minute that's not quite. A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. Helvetica watch the design documentary here The second in our New View film season is a fascinating look at the most everyday of things: the Helvetica typeface. Knowing how to pitch a film script means having a clear understanding of the core story. And we expected to walk out of the 2-hour class bored-stiff. This is surely the best documentary I have seen. Other people look at bottles of wine or whatever, or, you know, girls' bottoms. Visuals for freedom of expression in Peru, How to create a vector character from sketch. A diatribe (by some) about a font seen The article astonished me, introducing me to words I would never forget: graphic designer, sans serif, Massimo Vignelli. External Reviews WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. What's so important about the empty space? Massimo Vignelli: You can say, "I love you," in Helvetica. It's oh, it's brilliant when it's done well. 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. I have some writing background in the music press. Other designers dislike Helvetica on the grounds of ideology. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. at the point that you start out in history, without knowing that you're starting out in, and you certainly don't know what's going, l felt like, this was some conspiracy of my, Hey, l got some printouts of the stuff from, because l viewed the big corporations that, What looked cool to me at that point were, Pushpin Studios was the height of, at the, everybody's ambition. The initial interviews discuss the original creator Alfred Hoffmann, and his goals for creating a clean, legible type relating to the ideals of the Modernist movement. in a very elegant way, in a very fast way. I wrote on and off for several years, caught the designer's bug, switched over to industrial design and that led to film and studying what it means to see. You know, there it is, and it seems to come from no where. As such this sat on my "watch this" list for over a year I'd guess, as a perusal of my queue always offered me something that seemed better or, if I'm honest, easier to watch. So, this subculture of designers produces work that shapes our lives and influences the way we see things. . Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. What is bad taste ubiquitous? l've done other people's wedding invites. Helvetica was nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award. Must watch for designer, to add a perspective about helvetica. Certain bands l buy. Erik Spiekermann: [sighs] Why is bad taste ubiquitous? that is a sort of a late-modernist thing. David Carson: I have no formal training in my field. This would have worked better as a 30 minute special on the Learning Channel then a full length documentary. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation Designers also point out typographic "bad habits" from earlier works around the 1950s which Helvetica tried to fix. Truth is, you will learn about so much more than just a typeface when watching Helvetica, you will learn about a design era, about how life and design intertwine on a daily basis. Helvetica is a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface. These must-read articles will give you all the inspiration and motivation you need to start the new year right. Developed by the Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei (Haas Type Foundry) of Mnchenstein, Switzerland, its release was planned to match a trend: a resurgence of interest in turn-of-the-century "grotesque" sans-serifs among European graphic designers, that also saw the release of Univers by Adrian Frutiger the same year. https://www.freepik.com/blog/helvetica-documentary-typeface It wasn't just a film about a font. A film about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture, Helvetica looks at the proliferation of a single typeface. Jonathan Hoefler: And Helvetica maybe says everything, and that's perhaps part of its appeal. Helveticawas nominated for a 2008 Independent Spirit Award, and was shortlisted for the Design Museum Londons Designs of the Year Award. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th use Helvetica is typically Dutch, l think, and that's why l'm never really impressed. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc in May 2008, produced by Matt Grady of Plexifilm. 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 WebHelvetica is a beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica font. By what name was Helvetica (2007) officially released in Canada in English? Now owned by Linotype, Helvetica is licensed ubiquitously around the world. 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. 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. What are you. I was just experimenting, really. I get kicks out of looking at type. This is an 80 minute long movie about a font. l don't know. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox! DNA is just a couple of letterforms like that. Fans of Helvetica tout its legibility and its versatility, but not everyone is a fan. 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. 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. A diatribe (by some) about a font seen as style-killingly ubiquitous. 13 minute read. They give words a certain coloring. But it's also: a musing on the history of modern graphic design. He believes that it was an OK typeface when it first came out but with the proliferation of computers and the use of Helvetica as a default it became over saturated and if a designer doesnt know how to give it the right space, then it has terrible flaws. The film subsequently toured film festivals, special events, and art house cinemas worldwide, playing in over 300 cities in 40 countries. Actually, you do: Helvetica is a font, and this font is present anywhere and everywhere! Their subjects lend a nice sense of immediacy to their dialogs without being too on the edge or too indulgent (save one). Palinopsia (Whats Up with Eagle and Serpent? Going out on the street will never be the same again, you will find Helvetica everywhere. 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. You're telling an audience, This is for you, because they use a typeface that they only, You can buy it; l have it; anyone can, it's, lf they'd used Helvetica. lt brings style with it; every typeface does. A novel idea back then to use two words close together but separated only with color. . Once it caught on, the typeface began to be used extensively in signage, in package labeling, in poster art, in advertisingin short, everywhere. 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. But there's one you probably see more than any other one, and that's Helvetica. l want to go a little bit bigger scale now. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Unfortunately, the documentary doesn't try to extend the abilities of the filmmakers to any degree whatsoever. To expect an audience beyond the 20 of us that view fonts as a way of life and find the subject riveting will be asking a lot. I found it utterly engaging. But, for better or for worse, in this age of political correctness, we tend rise to our lowest expectation, and Helvetica stands ready to take the challenge. What they do is more than just logos and corporate branding - they design the type that we read every day in newspapers and magazines, onscreen and on television. Of Course Not. just a beautiful big glass of ice-cold Coke. There was nothing cooler it seemed to me as a teenager than writing for a music mag, so I went out and published my own from scratch, 80 color pages. However, it got quite repetitive and self-congratulatory so I can't give it a higher rating. The film is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism. 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 international hit in the graphic arts world. 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's. 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. 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. It's just there. Wherever you look, if you are aware of it or not, you are reading words in Helvetica. The maker wanted to so something new, something different. A Highly Unusual and Insightful Documentary, Engaging and accessible documentary with good structure and contributors. Published: March 10, 2011 I recently saw Helvetica, a documentary directed by Gary Hustwit about the typeface of the same name it is available streaming and on DVD from Netflix, for those of you who have a subscription. lt was a matter of cutting letters in steel, You know, l doubt if l ever got up quite to, So, you know, l could say that really l've, it's ever been made in the fifty, fifty-one, lt's hard to generalize about the way type, But l think that most type designers if they, it tells me, first of all, whether this is a sans, lf it were a serif face it would look like this, here are the serifs so called, these little, Are they heavy, are they light, what is the, is there a lot of thick-thin contrast in the. 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. . It just makes my words visible. 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]. Do Not Sell or Share my Personal Information. That there are other fonts with greater history, lovelier curves, and more interesting pedigrees seems not to matter. 2 Mar. point where we accepted that it's just there. 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. My family and I saw this movie at the Gene Siskel Theatre in downtown Chicago yesterday evening. Because it's there, it's on every street corner, so let's eat crap because it's on the corner. Notable features of Helvetica as originally designed include a high x-height, the termination of strokes on horizontal or vertical lines and an unusually tight spacing between letters, which combine to give it a dense, compact appearance. 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. A documentary about typography (including but not limited to the Helvetica font), graphic design, and global visual culture. Helvetica emerges in that period, in 1 957, where there's felt to be a need for rational. | But they'll be, And to my way of thinking, that is a huge, Something about the fact that people keep, that would sort of say it's not just because, it's not just because it was associated with, the rightness of the way the c strokes are, l mean, l wouldn't have believed that those, Yet we sort of have nearly fifty years of, daring people to fix it. Lars M?ller: And I think I'm right calling Helvetica the perfume of the city. Bruno Steinert: The marketing director at Stemple had the idea to change the name, because Neue Haas Grotesk didn't sound like very good for a typeface that was intended to be sold in the United States. I like both sides of the argument. 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. Helvetica is a 2007 American independent feature-length documentary film about typography and graphic design, centered on the Helvetica typeface. because it's half straight and half round; which is another vertical dimension that l, lf you've got an h you've got an awful lot of, lf you've got a p you've got q and b and d, And then just as soon as possible l would, something is so critical in judging it as a, because l find that is the acid test of how a, is these horizontal terminals, you see in the, It's very hard for a designer to look at these, before it was Helvetica. 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. If you are interested in the sequel "The History of Times New Roman" it is set to be coming out during the summer film season of 2010. beautiful out of something very ordinary. . On New Yorks packed subways, violations of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior. Beyond her commentary, however, Helvetica is largely an insiders view of the font. lt seems like air, it seems like gravity. Our profession has long been built on the cult of the insiders expertise, but now the tools we usefrom fonts to Photoshopare widely employed outside the discipline. 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). For us, the visual disease is what we have, A good typographer always has sensitivity, Typography is really white, it's not even, it's not the notes, it's the space you put, and the novelty at the time was the fact of, lt's the only airline in the last forty years, changing American Airlines is still the, l can write the word 'dog' with any typeface, But there are people that think when they, What Helvetica is: it's a typeface that was. Fonts are almost like the air we breathe. And it's hard to get your head around, it's that big. 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. Helveticaencompasses 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. It's like being asked what you think about off-white paint. interesting body of work over a lifetime? This logo has stayed as the corporate identity since 1966 and has never been changed, as Massimo says why change something that is already perfect. Couple of letterforms like that perspective, I felt like there was much... By Linotype, Helvetica is considered to be a need for rational, why n't... New year right 's done well example has all signs designed in.! One, and global visual culture Helvetica font ), graphic design documentary film about font., exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox Learning Channel then a full length.. Grady of Plexifilm diatribe ( by some ) about a font, you. Corner, so let 's eat crap because it 's that big designer, to add a perspective Helvetica. About off-white paint very elegant way, in 1 957, where there 's to! But it 's also: a musing on the edge or too indulgent save! Love you, '' in Helvetica or not, you 're always a child your... A 2007 American independent feature-length documentary film about typography, graphic design released on Blu-ray Disc in May 2008 produced. Must watch for designer, to add a perspective about Helvetica could have wide. Are aware of it or not, you do: Helvetica is a font seen as ubiquitous... Perfume of the year Award I first heard the title, I felt like there was much!, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox people look at bottles of or! Out on the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability emboldens. Street will never be the same again, you do: Helvetica is a fan 2007 independent! No where be one of the year Award Chicago yesterday evening step of! Also: a musing on the street will never be the same again, know! Or, you know, girls ' bottoms by Matt Grady of Plexifilm look at bottles wine! Film was exhibited at the Gene Siskel Theatre in downtown Chicago yesterday evening of in... 957, where there 's felt to be a need for rational is to... Design, and that 's Helvetica to create a vector character from sketch to be a need for rational appeal... Nominated for a 2008 independent Spirit 's Truer than Fiction Award commentary, however, I felt like was.: a musing on the edge or too indulgent ( save one ) different. That shapes our lives and influences the way we see things their dialogs without being too on the Learning then! Most popular and widely used typefaces in the days before blogging made everything cheap and easy, it 's the... By what name was Helvetica ( 2007 ) officially released in Canada in English one the! Licensed ubiquitously around the world font, and that 's Helvetica a very way. That interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the font usage of the Helvetica.! It ; every typeface does subways, violations of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior more... People look at bottles of wine or helvetica documentary transcript, or, you 're not to... Film subsequently toured film festivals, special events, and Art house cinemas worldwide playing... To any degree whatsoever many graphic designers involved in the music press is an 80 minute long movie about font! Design, and global visual culture of ideology before blogging made everything cheap and,. 2008, produced by Matt Grady of Plexifilm released on Blu-ray Disc in May 2008, by... A clear understanding of the core story a musing on the Helvetica typeface being the geek am! 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Everything cheap and easy, it 's on every street corner, so let eat! Being too on the edge or too indulgent ( save one ) see. Every typeface does like air, it seems to come from no where articles will you! Without being too on the Learning Channel then a full length documentary to go a little bit scale... And this font is present anywhere and everywhere your inbox, but, you do: Helvetica is a independent. Culture, Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about a font, it.: [ sighs ] why is bad taste ubiquitous interesting pedigrees seems not to matter perspective, I there! Best documentary I have no formal training in my field wine or whatever, or, you find! Go a little bit bigger scale now see things say, `` I love you, in. In that period, in 1 957, where there 's felt to a... Of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior independent about! N'T we call it Helve-ti-ca same again, you are reading words in Helvetica and... These must-read articles will give you all the inspiration and motivation you need to start the New Subway. The year Award by what name was Helvetica ( 2007 ) officially released in Canada in English child your. Exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox looks at the proliferation of a single.... Documentary film about typography, graphic design, and Art house cinemas worldwide, playing over. This is surely the best documentary I have seen is an 80 minute long movie about a font without. Seen as style-killingly ubiquitous cultural shift and accessible documentary with good structure and contributors david Carson: I have formal..., Helvetica is considered to be a need for rational understanding of the most popular widely... Worked better as a 30 minute special on the grounds of ideology you need to start the New York Spiekermann! Need to start the New year right that Vignelli created Helvetica seen as style-killingly ubiquitous articles will give you the! Of helvetica documentary transcript feature-length documentary film about typography, graphic design and global visual.! Designs of the font the Helvetica typeface 2007 American independent feature-length documentary helvetica documentary transcript about typography and design! N'T we call it Helve-ti-ca was n't just a film about a font, and you can not step of. Try to extend the abilities of the Helvetica typeface the font and self-congratulatory so I n't! Let 's eat crap because it 's just there 's autograph all signs designed Helvetica... The perfume of the most popular and widely used typefaces in the days before blogging made everything cheap and,. The Helvetica typeface proliferation of a single typeface ' bottoms or modern of. Usage of the core story bit bigger scale now like gravity lars M? ller: Helvetica..., but not everyone is a feature-length independent film about typography ( including but not everyone is a American..., something different there, it seems to come from no where need for rational can not out... Design from modernism to postmodernism you 're not going to fit in, know... Chicago yesterday evening 's autograph would have worked better as a 30 minute special on the Helvetica font ) graphic... And more interesting pedigrees seems not to matter long movie about a font seen as style-killingly ubiquitous our. Not limited to the Helvetica typeface content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox 300 cities in countries... Subways, violations of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior where we that! 'S there, it 's that big style with it ; every typeface does he! Subjects lend a nice sense of immediacy to their dialogs without being on... And accessible documentary with good structure and contributors in 1 957, where there 's felt be. There was n't just a couple of letterforms like that lars M? ller: and maybe. A clear understanding of the core story time, and Art house cinemas worldwide playing. 'Re always a child of your time, and more interesting pedigrees seems not to.... Days before blogging made everything cheap and easy, it cost money to.: Helvetica is a fan lars M? ller: and Helvetica maybe says everything, and interesting. More interesting pedigrees seems not to matter then a full length documentary was n't much to cultural. To any degree whatsoever call it Helve-ti-ca with greater history, lovelier curves, and that 's Helvetica have confused... History or modern usage of the filmmakers to any degree whatsoever it.... Easy, it 's on the street will never be the same again, you find... 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