lt is a modern type. you know, it's just there. 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. 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. In a million years it would never have occurred to me to do a documentary on a type font. I think typography is similar to that, where a designer choosing typefaces is essentially a casting director. between characters just hold the letters. Through the story of a typeface and its influence you can learn even about yourself and how its involved in your own life. One of the biggest things to happen to typography in recent years is hinted at near the end of the film, when Poynor talks about how members of the general public are becoming not just a passive audience for typefaces, but users in their own right. It's just it's just there. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. 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. There's no choice. 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. 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. lt is a very clear type. 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. Later, other interviewers point out criticisms of Helvetica. it wasn't intended to be this cool thing, Well, we are less obsessed with Helvetica. Now you might think this is a dry and boring subject (as I did before I saw the film) but it is in fact a WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 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. It's a documentary about the creation of the Helvetica font, sure. 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. It took me six months to get an issue out while juggling school and other stuff. in a very elegant way, in a very fast way. 2010-2023 Freepik Company S.L. . of both type foundries, Stempel and Haas. lt's very hard to do the more subjective, But if l bring the same group off the street, and say, ''Okay, now let's interpret that, that nobody else could go. Interviewees in Helvetica include some of the most illustrious and innovative names in the design world, such as Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel, Hermann Zapf, Neville Brody, Michael Bierut, Paula Scher, Tobias Frere-Jones, Bruno Steinert, Leslie Savan, Rick Poynor, and Lars Mller. l've got to, You know, l wake up and usually l want to, l mean, everybody puts their history into. Fonts don't just appear out of Microsoft Word: there are human beings and huge stories behind them."[1]. 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. They give words a certain coloring. So he said, why don't you call it Helvetica. A documentary about a typeface? It aired in January 2009 as part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in the United States. otherwise you wouldn't be able to read it. Framing the interviews are images of Helvetica from the streets of European and American cities. Learning about personal stories and beliefs in relation to design is a kind of magic. Designers and non-designers will learn quite a lot from this film. l see stuff and to me, if it makes me go. So, he said, why don't we call it Helve-ti-ca. Those are the people, you know, putting their wires into our heads. 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. to bring two or three layers into the work. Or you can say it in Extra Bold if it's really, l can write . Watch Helvetica here. Rick Poynor: Graphic Design is the communication framework through which these messages about what the world is now, and what we should aspire to. An interview with semiotic professors or cultural historians or even the man on the street wouldn't have hurt, but at least the film doesn't pretend to be something it is not. Undoubtedly. Copyright 2023 Independent Television Service, Inc. Well send you funding deadlines, events, and film news. l'm a Gemini, l had my birthday yesterday, So l have this horrible thing, which comes, They're never perfect. 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. that design is part of that need to rebuild, And it's Swiss designers in the 1950s who. Wherever you look, if you are aware of it or not, you are reading words in Helvetica. and then someone is offering you a clear, refreshing, distilled, icy glass of water. the influences in graphic design were like, lt's only after that we really looked at Josef, When we started the office we really said, When it comes to type, we will only use, if. 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. It's the way they reach us. l just more, sort of, react to certain things. But I don't think it's really quite as simple as that. Helvetica: A Documentary, A History, An Anthropology. Filmmaker Gary Hustwit explores urban spaces and the typefaces that inhabit them, speaking with renowned historians and designers about the choices and aesthetics behind the use of certain fonts. It was by far, the most NOT-boring documentary i've ever seen. Hoffmann commissioned a former type salesman and freelance designer, Max Miedinger to draw a new typeface based on the nineteenth-century German workhorse Akzidenz Grotesk. . 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?|. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will The type in an instant, in a single image, tells the story of its making, tells you about. The Story of Helvetica l want to go a little bit bigger scale now. We finally arrive at a bank of files containing precise drawings of the letterforms (Helvetica is in binder 24). It's like being asked what you think about off-white paint. The film is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism. point where we accepted that it's just there. They didn't know what they were caring for. obviously. I kept wondering as I watched how the film would speak to nondesigners. 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. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th 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. They'll still follow the plot, but, you know, be convinced or affected. Compare the logos of American Airlines and American Apparel. 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. Interviews of famous designers take up a majority of the film, Massimo Vignelli by far being the most compelling. oh it's brilliant when it's done well. lt's. . The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. l did, which believe me, is just the worst job you. The film makers somehow came up with the idea of doing a cultural history of the Helvetica font which has become the almost universal default modern font over the past 50 years. Hustwit reports that many nondesigners who saw Helvetica have told him it changed the way they look at their environment. 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. 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. Where and how to watch the Helvetica documentary The directors mission in creating this film was to show the world that a typeface doesnt just pop up from your computer programs, that there are interesting people and stories behind them. Michael Bierut: It's The Real Thing. From a film-making point of view, I personally wished Gary Hustwit's approach wasn't so bland. Interviewer: Why, fifty years later, is it still so popular? Helvetica is probably the most popular typeface on Earth today, after its invention in 1957 by Max Meidinger and Eduard Hoffman at the Haas Type Foundry, Switzerland. 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. Its cult appeal lies in seeing our profession (and our obsessions) portrayed on screen with such dignity and depth. lt brings style with it; every typeface does. WebThe official trailer for "Helvetica", a documentary film by Gary Hustwit. Originally named Neue Haas Grotesk, it was soon renamed Helvetica after the Latin name for its home country. Offering a perspective from outside the profession, Savan talks about Helveticas social role in cleaning up corporate images. Erik Spiekermann is not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste. If you have a keen sense of proportion though, you should be able to see the difference. The subject is at once esoteric and universal. It just makes my words visible. And it is so nice that the employer allowed this experiment. However, it got quite repetitive and self-congratulatory so I can't give it a higher rating. On New Yorks packed subways, violations of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior. The fact that a movie about Helvetica could have such wide appeal speaks to this cultural shift. 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). With its clean, smooth lines, it reflected a modern look that many designers were seeking. 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. Directed by Gary Hustvit, the film is the first of a trilogy examining In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design. the conclusion of one line of reasoning was, l can't explain it l just love, l just like, l just get a total kick out of it. our archives where we can find Helvetica. 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. ), Tell Me Something: Documentary Filmmakers. Helveticais a cinematic 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. l think that the whole image of modernism. to return to an earlier way of designing. The Hass Foundry and the Hoffman family keep the original artwork for the design of the typeface as a way to remember just how important this new design became over the years and how it influenced design thinking around the world. (We think typography is black and white, he says. So when people started getting upset, I didn't really understand why, I said, "What's the big deal? | 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. from books and then copy it or something, l would really say that it's almost in our. . 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. You know, there it is, and it just seems to. A visit to favorite graphic designs of years past. A mainstream documentary on the worlds most popular font attests to the ubiquity of graphic design. There's nothing ''extramarital'' about that. A diatribe (by some) about a font seen as style-killingly ubiquitous. l wouldn't say this if l hadn't tried it. 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. Helvetica is a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. 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. At its core Helvetica is a documentary about the creation and widespread use of the typeface of the same name. And we expected to walk out of the 2-hour class bored-stiff. Because it's there, it's on every street corner, so let's eat crap because it's on the corner. 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. Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. 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. You have to breathe, so you have to use Helvetica. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. . Helvetica is a 2007 documentary about the font directed by Gary Hustwitt; that goes through the history of the font. 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. 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. 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. This is an article on the singer Bryan Ferry. 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