He doesnt believe that the typography needs to say what the word says, it only needs to be a clean visual of the word. is that they shouldn't be aware of it at all. 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. 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. . 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. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. between characters just hold the letters. Rick Poynor: Graphic Design is the communication framework through which these messages about what the world is now, and what we should aspire to. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 2 Mar. We finally arrive at a bank of files containing precise drawings of the letterforms (Helvetica is in binder 24). And how to communicate the most important element of your pitch the big idea. 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. Because all the letters . . l've never sort of woken up with a typeface, you know, like some people . The documentary kept my attention to the endperhaps partly because I know so many of the players personally and have my own lifelong bond with the typeface. They instead prefer hand-illustrated typefaces centered around Postmodernism, and rejecting conformity. 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. By what name was Helvetica (2007) officially released in Canada in English? But if l see today designers, they use all, So l started using, gradually, grids for my, l think it was in 1993 that l bought my first, l would have liked to have in the sixties the, and especially all the layers you can bring, We had the greatest problem in the sixties. A documentary about a typeface? that is a sort of a late-modernist thing. I can't explain it. Massimo Vignelli: You can say, "I love you," in Helvetica. 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. It seems like gravity? 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. While the idea of this as a documentary is very good and the film has as much energy as it can about a font, it is a long 80 minutes. 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. It not a letter that bent to shape; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of surrounding space. and it's set in a boring, non-descript way. Massimo Vignelli designed the American Airlines logo in 1966 with Helvetica. Helvetica was nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. 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. It looks at the 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. You've got zany hand lettering everywhere, ''Almost everyone appreciates the best. Directed by Gary Hustvit, the film is the first of a trilogy examining elements of contemporary design. . Erik Spiekermann: I mean, everyone puts their history into their work. If you have a keen sense of proportion though, you should be able to see the difference. It was by far, the most NOT-boring documentary i've ever seen. 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. The film is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism. that design is part of that need to rebuild, And it's Swiss designers in the 1950s who. 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. . Fans of Helvetica tout its legibility and its versatility, but not everyone is a fan. 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. But it turned out the thing was so fraught with legalities that I called it quits after a year and joined another venture as a staff writer. 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. It just makes my words visible. The film subsequently toured film festivals, special events, and art house cinemas worldwide, playing in over 300 cities in 40 countries. lt is a modern type. 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. And we expected to walk out of the 2-hour class bored-stiff. 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. A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. Interviewer: Why, fifty years later, is it still so popular? David Carson emphasizes the difference between legibility and good communication. (We think typography is black and white, he says. Leslie Savan: Helvetica has almost like a perfect balance of push and pull in its letters. Knowing how to pitch a film script means having a clear understanding of the core story. Savan makes several appearances in Gary Hustwits new film Helvetica, a feature-length documentary that uses the legendary typeface to weave a broader story about typography, graphic design, and visual culture in the last half-century. Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. . Imagining the film from an outsiders perspective, I might have been confused early on that Vignelli created Helvetica. Another set of interviews including Michael Place reveal a third stance on Helvetica. 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. 2023. That there are other fonts with greater history, lovelier curves, and more interesting pedigrees seems not to matter. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work. l love Modernism. WebHelvetica documentary feature - 2007 - 80 minutes Helvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 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. 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. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. I just get a total kick out of it: they are my friends. 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. The slogan underneath: lt's the Real Thing. A mainstream documentary on the worlds most popular font attests to the ubiquity of graphic design. 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. Hello??? . WebHelvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. lt's a font. 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. Wim Crouwel: You're always a child of your time, and you cannot step out of that. . Architects and designers from top firms along with influencers and experts will examine strengths and weaknesses of current design thinking and practices, exploring issues like research, technology, and wellness. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. Designers and non-designers will learn quite a lot from this film. 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, The way something is presented will define, define our reaction to that message in the, So if it says, buy these jeans, and it's a, or to be sold in some kind of underground. otherwise you wouldn't be able to read it. At a time when many European countries were recovering from the ravages of war, Helvetica presented a way to express newness and modernity. At its core Helvetica is a documentary about the creation and widespread use of the typeface of the same name. Actually, you do: Helvetica is a font, and this font is present anywhere and everywhere! 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. So, he said, why don't we call it Helve-ti-ca. 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]. 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. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work. to clear away all this horrible, kind of like, lt must have been just fantastic. 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 this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design. 2010-2023 Freepik Company S.L. This effort at motion graphics rings false against the confident camera work and relaxed editing (by Shelby Siegel). It's just there. than any other one, and that's Helvetica. illustration is already from that period, and we were impressed by that, because it, it shouldn't have a meaning in itself. But it almost seems strongerthe other way. 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. their sense that they had something to say. of both type foundries, Stempel and Haas. | 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. Jonathan Hoefler: And it's hard to evaluate it. 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. 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. A documentary about typography (including but not limited to the Helvetica font), graphic design, and global visual culture. 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 In light of that I was interested in this documentary about the most popular typeface designed. You know, that's called an army. Vignelli is a lover of Helvetica, for its great legibility and modern design. Bands and musicians that contributed to the documentary's soundtrack include Four Tet, The Album Leaf, Kim Hiorthy, Caribou, Battles, Sam Prekop of The Sea and Cake, and El Ten Eleven. My family and I saw this movie at the Gene Siskel Theatre in downtown Chicago yesterday evening. Nonetheless he is a lover of typography itself and thinks that Helvetica has no personality. lt brings style with it; every typeface does. Jonathan Hoefler: And Helvetica maybe says everything, and that's perhaps part of its appeal. The creative processes of some of the worlds most influential product designers shows how the things they make impact our lives. Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing. Period. Both logos work and both logos are timeless. There was a time when I was editor, publisher, and writer of a small newspaper in Spain. And the aim with type design always is to, alphabet has to look like the other alphabet. The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. ln the beginning, if you see the sketches. And it is so nice that the employer allowed this experiment. "Helvetica Quotes." 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. l mean you can't imagine anything moving; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of. I use several metrics in this. Erik Spiekermann is not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste. it wasn't intended to be this cool thing, Well, we are less obsessed with Helvetica. The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. it's like being asked what you think about. 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. | An edited version of the film was broadcast in the UK on BBC One in November 2007, as part of Alan Yentob's Imagine series. 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 need to do it by photograph, you did all, And now within half an hour you have your. 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. 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. Is it the one of the most influential? Other designers dislike Helvetica on the grounds of ideology. But that's the type casting its secret spell. 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. Copyright 2023 Independent Television Service, Inc. Well send you funding deadlines, events, and film news. all those problems aren't going to spill over, What l like is if this very serious typeface. 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Playing in over 300 cities in 40 countries, Helvetica is a magic journey through from!, non-descript way around Postmodernism, and art house cinemas worldwide, playing in over 300 in..., is it still so popular 've never sort of woken up with a typeface you... Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste been touring around the globe, often to audiences... Boring, non-descript way, lovelier curves, and that 's perhaps part of appeal...