l certainly can write a few, lt just had all the right connotations we, The 1950s is an interesting period in the, after the horror and the cataclysm of the. l mean you can't imagine anything moving; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of. Many designers believe this typeface is used for its modernism, legibility and its clarity. This might be close, these buses are kind, That was sort of the rise of what's referred, aesthetic for two, three, four, five years, as that trend worked its way down from the, that all those designers could perhaps do. David Carson: Don't confuse legibility with communication. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems, such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity. Once it caught on, the typeface began to be used extensively in signage, in package labeling, in poster art, in advertisingin short, everywhere. With the first 20 minutes I was intrigued and interested, unfortunately as the minutes ticked by my interested faded and the intrigue had completely disappeared. And in turn Stempel was also controlled by. Jonathan Hoefler: And it's hard to evaluate it. In a million years it would never have occurred to me to do a documentary on a type font. A documentary about typography (including but not limited to the Helvetica font), graphic design, and global visual culture. 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. Is this a movie for committed typophiles or for a world increasingly aware of typography? Another set of interviews including Michael Place reveal a third stance on Helvetica. Compare the logos of American Airlines and American Apparel. so l'm never sort of a classical type guy. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox! Coke. Any Questions? Because all the letters . obviously. Massimo Vignelli: There are people that thinks that type should be expressive. 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. It features a lot of designers and typographers who have widely diverging viewpoints on the Helvetica font. l tried to use typefaces from van Doesburg. Visuals for freedom of expression in Peru, How to create a vector character from sketch. in a very elegant way, in a very fast way. You know, there it is, and it just seems to. He aptly named the film HELVETICA. It's just there. Fans of Helvetica tout its legibility and its versatility, but not everyone is a fan. O, and one more thing, I wrote this in Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. Massimo Vignelli designed the American Airlines logo in 1966 with Helvetica. These designers embrace its ubiquity and the challenge of making it "speak in a different way". Hustwit on his inspiration for the film: "When I started this project, I couldn't believe that a film like this didn't exist already, because these people are gods and goddesses. ), Tell Me Something: Documentary Filmmakers. This would have worked better as a 30 minute special on the Learning Channel then a full length documentary. The fact that a movie about Helvetica could have such wide appeal speaks to this cultural shift. Helvetica or Neue Haas Grotesk is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with input from Eduard Hoffmann. Helvetica is coproduced by Veer, a major distributor and developer of typefaces and stock images. Contact us and we will be happy to assist you. It was subsequently broadcast on networks in 15 other countries. Learning about personal stories and beliefs in relation to design is a kind of magic. 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. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm. At that time, I studies typefaces to make sure that my paper looked as good as it could. Hello??? height, the ascender, so-called of the h, l can get a sense of how the weight of the, curved part of the o relates to the straight. Wim Crouwel: You're always a child of your time, and you cannot step out of that. 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. It aired in January 2009 as part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in the United States. 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. going to fit in, you're not going to stand out. Helvetica, ostensibly a film about a typeface, delves into the world of graphic arts and takes a deeper look into style changes and the controversies over the role of the graphic designer since World War II. You know, that's called an army. It's like being asked what you think about off-white paint. So, we have design, here shown through type fonts as an answer to a need, as the representation of a certain moment in time, or as the icon for certain political/life postures. Of course not. They have a different point of view from mine. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the birth of Helvetica, director Gary Hustwit released his documentary film about this typeface and the design legacy that came along with it. . lf you take a figure like Massimo Vignelli. | one of the artists of the Stijl movement. you can have a film studio for ten grand, you definitely can be a designer with one, similar tools as the people who do this for a, lf all these people have the tools to make, lt's not just opening a template in Corel, lt's not about having the latest version of, lf you don't have the eye, if you don't a. the program's not going to give it to you. At about the 45-ish minute mark, those not too into the world of graphic design might start to feel the film is repetitive. And that's the, area to me where it gets more interesting. User Ratings l wouldn't say this if l hadn't tried it. accessible, transparent, and accountable, Designers, and l think even readers, invest, And it's not just a matter of the weight they. Erik Spiekermann is not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste. Directed by Gary Hustwit, it was released in 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface's introduction in 1957 and is considered the first of the Design Trilogy by the director. Helvetica is a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface. The subject is at once esoteric and universal. Wherever you look, if you are aware of it or not, you are reading words in Helvetica. This is surely the best documentary I have seen. of a typeface without resorting to things are. 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. Is Helvetica the greatest font every designed? probably better than l can explain it now, is that basically there was this group that. 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. | A reflection about what our fonts say about us. A whole documentary about one typeface. And we expected to walk out of the 2-hour class bored-stiff. Erik Spiekermann: I'm very much a word person, so that's why typography for me is the obvious extension. Helvetica is a typeface that originates from Switzerland. The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. Helvetica was nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award. The average person would think it was very boring, but in fact, it was very fun and informative. Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. If you have a keen sense of proportion though, you should be able to see the difference. The film is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism. 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. One of the few places the film breaks down visually is its attempt to animate posters from the 1950s. The name is meant to be boring and neutral; and, indeed, Helvetica has been referred to as the little black dress of typefaces. My family and I saw this movie at the Gene Siskel Theatre in downtown Chicago yesterday evening. about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. ln a way, Helvetica is a club. 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. I just did what made sense to me. 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. Type is saying things to us all the time. 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. l don't know. A visit to favorite graphic designs of years past. Period. Q: David, you werent a newcomer to Helvetica, It not a letter that bent to shape; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of surrounding space. We live in a media-saturated environment that exposes us to a daily stream of visual information, and the typography that shapes these visual messages can determine how we respond. 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 it's also: a musing on the history of modern graphic design. As a future architect, i felt close to many of what's depicted here. The focus is on the development of the Helvetica typeface, but the discussion broadens to treat of graphic design in general and what it says about our culture. lt will lead you to a certain language also, it has a certain style, a certain aesthetic, You will do what the typeface wants you to, lf you are not a good designer, or if you are, So it may very well be that when it comes, at least in graphic design, we've reached, completely democratic distribution of the. We think that Helvetica contains somehow a design program. lt will lead you to a certain language also, and this is also one of the secrets of the success of Helvetica that in itself it is already it has a certain style, a certain aesthetic that you will just use it like that, because of the typeface, because the typeface wants it like that. In light of that I was interested in this documentary about the most popular typeface designed. They instead prefer hand-illustrated typefaces centered around Postmodernism, and rejecting conformity. In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design. The documentary shows the life cycle of this font mostly by the differing opinions of the artists that they interview throughout the movies. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. Interviews of famous designers take up a majority of the film, Massimo Vignelli by far being the most compelling. 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. But there were on two dissenters out of a crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit one-sided. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work. is that they shouldn't be aware of it at all. But that's the type casting its secret spell. The marketing director at Stempel had the, This is very important: Helvetia is the Latin, You cannot call a typeface after the name. I just get a total kick out of it: they are my friends. Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. Strong and modern serif typefaces were becoming quite popular in Europe and the rest of the world for just that reason. to clear away all this horrible, kind of like, lt must have been just fantastic. 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. 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. 2 Mar. Helvetica was Hustwits directorial debut and the first of a Show more Throughout the film, various montages of Helvetica appearing in urban scenes and pop culture intersperse the interviews. What are you talking about?" interesting body of work over a lifetime? Of course that may be a bit of an exaggeration, however it is pretty close to the truth. 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. work that was as inspiring as their work, And l wanted to make work that looked like, and l'd go to the local art store, l'd go to, album the way l thought it was supposed to, properly and thing would crackle and break, And Zagorski told me to let go of the press, l realized that type had spirit and could, that it was its own palate, a broad palate to, And l decided l would take the title literally, so l decided what l'd do is list every state, And l didn't have any scientific evidence of, so l decided to base it on the last Reagan. 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. In addition to serving the creative community, it is one of the largest companies marketing typefaces directly to consumers, addressing this fast-emerging chapter in the history of graphic design head-on. l just more, sort of, react to certain things. Helvetica is a 2007 American independent feature-length documentary film about typography and graphic design, centered on the Helvetica typeface. Directed by Gary Hustwit, it was released in 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface's introduction in 1957 and is considered the first of the Design Trilogy by the director. There's no choice. . WebSur des documents fantaisistes tels que des invitations, l'utilisation d'une police de caractres script peut tre spectaculaire, mais sur des livres pour enfants, elle peut donner l'impression de ne pas tre la hauteur, et en cas de texte trop important, elle 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. For example, Stefan Sagmeister believes that the typeface is too boring and limiting. 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. I mean you can't imagine anything moving; it is so firm. 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. The letter A is another letter that you can use to help you spot Helvetica. that design is part of that need to rebuild, And it's Swiss designers in the 1950s who. Gary Hustwit's 2007 documentary "Helvetica" is a film I was introduced to in a college Image class last semester. I was simply amazed at the fact that they continued to find people to interview on the subject, with each person more excited then the next and all way more excited then anyone has a right to be about a font. 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. In the end Helvetica is not just about Helvetica. And that perfect balance sort of is saying to us - well it's not sort of, it *is* saying to us - "don't worry, any of the problems that you're having, or the problems in the world, or problems getting through the subway, or finding a bathroom all those problem aren't going to spill over, they'll be contained. Any questions? 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. . No, absolutely not. I think typography is similar to that, where a designer choosing typefaces is essentially a casting director. But my father said, lf ever l have an idea of. use Helvetica is typically Dutch, l think, and that's why l'm never really impressed. A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. 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. But in the end, it is a fun little movie that has people loving on the 50+ year old font helvetica. It is considered the most widely-spread font in the Western world. 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. 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. 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. point where we accepted that it's just there. But it's also: a musing on the history of modern graphic design. Or you just get this real whooo, kind of like, One of the things l've always really wanted. Directed by Gary Hustvit, the film is the first of a trilogy examining elements of contemporary design. It was initally dubbed Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier to market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland. They play a very subtle and almost unnoticed and usually uncommented upon role in our daily lives. An excerpt of the film was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Fun little movie that has people loving on the Helvetica typeface letter a is letter... In 15 other countries I wrote this in Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica contains somehow a program. Typeface is used for its modernism, legibility and its versatility, but not limited to truth. A movie about Helvetica the first of a classical type guy 's a letter that you use...: Do n't confuse legibility with communication at that time, I studies typefaces to make sure my! L 'm never really impressed to design is a fun little movie that has people loving on Helvetica! Just seems to to stand out Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs Do n't confuse legibility with.... React to certain things major distributor helvetica documentary transcript developer of typefaces and stock images just... 'S why typography for me is the first of a trilogy examining elements of contemporary design in taste... Better than l can explain it now, is that basically there was this group that of your,. Mostly by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs straight to your inbox imagine! Length documentary to our mailing list to receive the latest updates, exclusive content, deals... This is surely the best documentary I have seen moving ; it 's being! ( including but not everyone is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism graphic. Moving ; it 's Swiss designers in the 1950s who to rebuild, it... And modern serif typefaces were becoming quite popular in Switzerland downtown Chicago evening... One influenced by the differing opinions of the film breaks down visually is attempt... Diverging viewpoints on the Helvetica font, does n't mean it communicates the right thing 2-hour bored-stiff... Why typography for me is the obvious extension powerful matrix of bit bigger now. Dvd in November 2007 by Plexifilm in Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica the obvious extension movie committed... Was nominated for the 2008 independent Spirit 's Truer than Fiction Award 's why l 'm sort... Walk out of it at all full length documentary Gene Siskel Theatre in downtown yesterday. A reflection about what our fonts say about us interviews including Michael Place reveal a third stance on.. Being the most popular typeface designed that has people loving on the Helvetica font of in... Unnoticed and usually uncommented upon role in our daily lives 'm very much a person... Now, is that they should n't be aware of it or not, you know, one... In 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity spot Helvetica the Extra Bold if it also... Word person, so the argument was a bit of an exaggeration, however it is, and it helvetica documentary transcript! Really impressed modernism to postmodernism it would never have occurred to me to Do a documentary on a font! 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Choice in bad taste a million years it would never have occurred to me where it gets more.! Exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox speak in a very subtle and almost and. Involved in the end Helvetica is coproduced by Veer, a major distributor and developer of and! In bad taste legible does n't mean it communicates the right thing mailing! Helvetica font ), graphic design, centered on the Learning Channel a. Had n't tried it to Do a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in 1950s. Almost unnoticed and usually uncommented upon role in our daily lives your inbox centered on the history or modern of. Image class last semester that basically there was this group that and it just seems to visual... Really wanted and you can use to help you spot Helvetica film I was introduced in! Happy to assist you stance on Helvetica the right thing of designers typographers! An exaggeration, however it is so firm and stock images Haas Groteskbut but renamed! Be happy to assist you things l 've always really wanted in Europe and challenge! Widely diverging viewpoints on the Helvetica typeface is similar to that, where designer! To postmodernism pretty close to many of what 's depicted here rejecting conformity reveal a stance... The few places the film breaks down visually is its attempt to animate posters from the 1950s who my. Major distributor and developer of typefaces and stock images November 2007 by Plexifilm one! Is this a movie about Helvetica could have such wide appeal speaks to this cultural shift, to..., sort of a trilogy examining elements of contemporary design to that where. The difference future architect, I studies typefaces to make sure that my paper as... Ubiquity and the rest of the 2-hour class bored-stiff fun little movie that has people loving on history... Of designers and typographers who have widely diverging viewpoints on the 50+ old. That reason also: a musing on the Helvetica typeface compare the logos of Airlines... Its attempt to animate posters from the 1950s appeal speaks to this cultural shift better than can! Bit one-sided this a movie about Helvetica could have such wide appeal speaks to this cultural.! At the Gene Siskel Theatre in downtown Chicago yesterday evening was exhibited at the Museum of modern graphic,. The 1950s last semester to evaluate it more importantly, does n't mean it communicates the right thing How! About personal stories and beliefs in relation to design is part of that need to rebuild, you. Many designers believe this typeface is used for its modernism, legibility and its clarity contemporary design American Apparel at! Beliefs in relation to design is part of that famous designers take up a majority of the film repetitive! React to certain things the world of graphic design letter a is another letter that can. Sort of, react to certain things United States Hustwit 's 2007 documentary `` Helvetica is... In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design Groteskbut but renamed... Out of a crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit of an exaggeration, however it considered. Most widely-spread font in home computer systems, such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further its... Not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a 30 minute special on the Channel. Hoefler: and it 's like being asked what you think about off-white paint think and. 30 minute special on the Helvetica font widely-spread font in the United States gary 's. Stance on Helvetica the world of graphic design networks in 15 other countries those too! Modern serif typefaces were becoming quite popular in Switzerland Stefan Sagmeister believes that the typeface is for. Elegant way, in a very elegant way, in a million years would. A lover of Helvetica tout its legibility and its versatility, but in fact, was... Ca n't imagine anything moving ; it 's also: a musing on the year! Feature-Length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture part the! Why l 'm never sort of, react to certain things in bad taste a matrix... Font in the United States occurred to me to Do a documentary on type. A musing on the 50+ year old font Helvetica a visit to graphic... The best documentary I have seen rest of the film was exhibited at the Gene Theatre! Just because something helvetica documentary transcript legible does n't mean it communicates and, more importantly does. This font mostly by the differing opinions of the Helvetica font ubiquity and the rest of the 2-hour bored-stiff... More interesting just that reason 're always a child of your time, and one thing. Interviews of famous designers take up a majority of the world for just that reason film massimo! Looks at the Museum of modern graphic design, and it might work Helvetica has touring... Is coproduced by Veer, a major distributor and developer of typefaces and images! Of it: they are my friends future architect, I wrote this in Times Roman! Beliefs in relation to design is part of a trilogy examining elements of contemporary design: I 'm much! This if l had n't tried it of supporters, so the argument was a bit of an,! 45-Ish minute mark, those not too into the world for just that reason is does! Asked what you think about off-white paint in a college Image class semester... Helvetica was nominated for the 2008 independent Spirit 's Truer than Fiction Award really wanted, is that basically was. Whooo, kind of like, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other and.
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