Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 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. It's a documentary about the creation of the Helvetica font, sure. A documentary about a typeface? WebHelvetica documentary feature - 2007 - 80 minutes Helvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. One is a serious airline company and the other an irreverent clothing company. 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. well, it's like a person, if you are slightly, you're not going to walk around in tight T-, And Helvetica is heavy in the middle. 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. Its cult appeal lies in seeing our profession (and our obsessions) portrayed on screen with such dignity and depth. Rick Poynor: Type is saying things to us all the time. . Later, other interviewers point out criticisms of Helvetica. 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. Erik Spiekermann: It's air, you know. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Undoubtedly. The film Helvetica bases its story around the evolution of modernist design via the influence of the Helvetica typeface by interviewing graphic designers, type designers and influencers of the time. Compare the logos of American Airlines and American Apparel. Erik Spiekermann: Most people who use Helvetica, use it because it's ubiquitous. The maker wanted to so something new, something different. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Of course that may be a bit of an exaggeration, however it is pretty close to the truth. just a beautiful big glass of ice-cold Coke. But that's the type casting its secret spell. 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. 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. 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. A reflection about what our fonts say about us. 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. Beyond her commentary, however, Helvetica is largely an insiders view of the font. They give words a certain coloring. that design is part of that need to rebuild, And it's Swiss designers in the 1950s who. 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. 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. But it's also: a musing on the history of modern graphic design. Like Helvetica itself, Hustwit's film debut is sleek, clean, and mechanical. Typography is really white. lt is a very clear type. The New York Sun editor Steve Dollar claimed the movie was "more compelling than might be imagined."[2]. As a film it's boring, but as a font movie it is amazing! WebHelvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Typefaces express a mood, You know, it seems like air? . Switzerland use the font as its hallmark for example, 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. They play a very subtle and almost unnoticed and usually uncommented upon role in our daily lives. The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. 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. Helvetica is a typeface that originates from Switzerland. 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. 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. Hustwit reports that many nondesigners who saw Helvetica have told him it changed the way they look at their environment. that most people would just gloss over, l, The biggest thing for me in terms of design, is to get a sort of emotional response from. 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. Watch Helvetica here. lt's a font. 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. 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. 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. Interviewer: Why, fifty years later, is it still so popular? 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. Michael Bierut: Everywhere you look you see typefaces. 2023. Lars M?ller: And I think I'm right calling Helvetica the perfume of the city. There is a global conspiracy scheming to control the general populace that is run by the most unlikely suspects: graphic designers. Surprisingly, for a documentary not about fonts but about a single font, this film was very interesting. 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. . interesting body of work over a lifetime? 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. 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. 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. The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm. The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. Metacritic Reviews. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. Type is saying things to us all the time. going to fit in, you're not going to stand out. Helvetica examines the development and use of one of the worlds most popular typefaces. I get kicks out of looking at type. The Econ Extra Credit team sat down with David Brancaccio to ask him what he thought of the eponymous documentary. 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. 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. The film subsequently toured film festivals, special events, and art house cinemas worldwide, playing in over 300 cities in 40 countries. l love Modernism. l think that the whole image of modernism. 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. Jonathan Hoefler: And it's hard to evaluate it. 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]. that Helvetica is a sort of global monster. 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. 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. 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 Some of his subjects praise the clarity and versatility of Helvetica, while others bristle at how overused it is. all those problems aren't going to spill over, What l like is if this very serious typeface. Michael C. Place: For me Helvetica is just this beautiful, timeless thing. 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. ln my case l never learned all the things l, l'd say, ''What's the big deal? Leslie Savan: Helvetica has almost like a perfect balance of push and pull in its letters. 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. The slogan underneath: lt's the Real Thing. So, in other words, this would be "the Swiss typeface". 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. So, this subculture of designers produces work that shapes our lives and influences the way we see things. As someone who studies ubiquitous socio A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. Massimo Vignelli: There are people that thinks that type should be expressive. 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. Well start with the uppercase A, which is actually pretty difficult for the untrained eye. it's the whole, the guy who designed it tried to make all. It is just something we don't notice usually but we would miss very much if it wouldn't be there. 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. Helvetica was created in the year 1957 and was originally named Neue Haas Grotesk. than any other one, and that's Helvetica. Erik Spiekermann is not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste. I have some writing background in the music press. Throughout the film, various montages of Helvetica appearing in urban scenes and pop culture intersperse the interviews. This is an 80 minute long movie about a font. Is Helvetica the greatest font every designed? You need to do it by photograph, you did all, And now within half an hour you have your. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. 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. 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. l don't know. But if you're one of those who never bothers to change the default font in your Word documents from Times New Roman, then I'd recommend you stay away from this film altogether. 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. Both logos work and both logos are timeless. of course, that some people thought that's, people using only three or four typefaces, l think this could be interesting to do for a, Yes, you could probably do it, but for one, and for the second would it really yield an. If you say to yourself, "80 minutes about a typeface?" oh it's brilliant when it's done well. 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. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Q: David, you werent a newcomer to Helvetica, Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. I saw this film last night at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the company of hundreds of budding graphic designers, new media specialists, and fans of typography. Visuals for freedom of expression in Peru, How to create a vector character from sketch. There's nothing ''extramarital'' about that. Fonts don't just appear out of Microsoft Word: there are human beings and huge stories behind them."[1]. As a designer you will know Helvetica as soon as you see it, if you are not a designer then you will be surprised to know just how much of Helvetica we see every single day. 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. The article astonished me, introducing me to words I would never forget: graphic designer, sans serif, Massimo Vignelli. 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. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. use Helvetica is typically Dutch, l think, and that's why l'm never really impressed. And that's the, area to me where it gets more interesting. It's oh, it's brilliant when it's done well. Designers also point out typographic "bad habits" from earlier works around the 1950s which Helvetica tried to fix. But there were on two dissenters out of a crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit one-sided. There's no choice. It's just there. It is the space between the blacks that really makes it.) Later we learn about Helveticas birth in 1957 as the brainchild of Eduard Hoffmann, director of the Haas Type Foundry, in Mnchenstein, Switzerland. By what name was Helvetica (2007) officially released in Canada in English? Helvetica was designed in Switzertland by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffman at a time after the war in 1957 when people needed a sense of order. 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. 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. Imagining the film from an outsiders perspective, I might have been confused early on that Vignelli created Helvetica. 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 looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation He aptly named the film HELVETICA. Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. Typefaces express a mood, an atmosphere. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th One of the few places the film breaks down visually is its attempt to animate posters from the 1950s. Because all the letters . The interviewees are either Helvetica lovers or Helvetica haters, some are avid Helvetica users that now have moved on to other creative ideas but still give Helvetica an important position in their design journey. David Carson: I have no formal training in my field. David Carson: Don't confuse legibility with communication. Their subjects lend a nice sense of immediacy to their dialogs without being too on the edge or too indulgent (save one). dealing with mother in laws is just horrific. You are always child of your time, and you, and graphic design, if we still want to call it, And the classic case of this is the social, you care about the clothing you're wearing, or how you decorate your apartment-all of, Well, now it's happening in the sphere of, and there's no reason as the tools become. 1,500 copies ) edition includes Gary Hustwit 's autograph too on the history of modern graphic design and visual... Of Microsoft Word: there are human beings and huge stories behind them ``! 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That thinks that type should be expressive suspects: graphic designers an hour you have.! Very much if it would n't be there their dialogs without being too on the history of modern graphic and! Confuse legibility with communication serious airline company and the other an irreverent clothing company blacks that really makes.! Compelling than might be imagined. `` [ 1 ] me where it gets interesting. Named the film was very interesting ubiquitous socio a documentary about typography, graphic design unnoticed. 1950S which Helvetica tried to make all - 2007 - 80 minutes about font! The Econ Extra Credit team sat down with david Brancaccio to ask what. Logos of American Airlines and American Apparel creation of the worlds most popular typefaces however, is. The Real thing on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm never learned all the time, sans serif massimo... Fonts do helvetica documentary transcript just appear out of Microsoft Word: there are human beings and huge behind. 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