helvetica documentary transcript

helvetica documentary transcript

or two, and if possible we will use one size. So, he said, why don't we call it Helve-ti-ca. Directed by Gary Hustvit, the film is the first of a trilogy examining that Helvetica is a sort of global monster. Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS. And they agreed. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. Given the importance of this trend, I would have liked to hear more from the public in Hustwits film. . l'd love to do the uniforms, or you know, seats and the whole thing, the trucks and. We finally arrive at a bank of files containing precise drawings of the letterforms (Helvetica is in binder 24). 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. Hearing about the different views on Helvetica is what makes this film so great. . spent a lot of time trying to organize things, Which l might have done, but it wasn't the, l never saw proofs so a lot of times there, flat-out mistakes, that people would write, why l did this black type on a black boot, or. use Helvetica is typically Dutch, l think, and that's why l'm never really impressed. It was initally dubbed Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier to market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland. lt's. By what name was Helvetica (2007) officially released in Canada in English? . We get some sense that people are conscious users of typography when the camera shows us young urban folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories. The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. ln a way, Helvetica is a club. Hello??? He aptly named the film HELVETICA. So, in other words, this would be "the Swiss typeface". . 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. 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 documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface. My father said, that's impossible, you cannot call a typeface after a name of a country. Helvetica, do you know? 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. The social and psychological ways in which Helvetic informs all our lives are quite fascinating. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. One is a serious airline company and the other an irreverent clothing company. 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. DNA is just a couple of letterforms like that. Helvetica was nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award. 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. lt's a font. 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. 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. 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. 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. Massimo Vignelli designed the American Airlines logo in 1966 with Helvetica. A documentary about a typeface? I have some writing background in the music press. At a time when many European countries were recovering from the ravages of war, Helvetica presented a way to express newness and modernity. Typography is really white. This is an article on the singer Bryan Ferry. A novel idea back then to use two words close together but separated only with color. Going out on the street will never be the same again, you will find Helvetica everywhere. oh, just a landslide waiting to, l imagine there was a time when it just felt, lt just must have felt like you were scraping, and restoring them to shining beauty. The two perspectives come together humorously toward the end of the film, when the Swiss publisher and graphic designer Lars Mller walks through London and points his finger, with deadpan sobriety, at various examples of Helvetica. Its use became a 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. A feature-length film directed by Gary Hustwit was released in 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface's introduction in 1957. https://www.quotes.net/movies/helvetica_125195, https://www.quotes.net/movies/helvetica_quotes_125195. It wasn't just a film about a font. you know, it's just there. Designers and non-designers will learn quite a lot from this film. 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. Being the geek I am, when I first heard the title, I was there! Period. Originally named Neue Haas Grotesk (New Haas Grotesque), it was rapidly licensed by Linotype and renamed Helvetica in 1960, being similar to the Latin adjective for Switzerland, Helvetia. I'm not entirely sure of anyone except maybe the people involved in making this film or in a related field need 80 minutes worth of information on Helvetica. A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. l just more, sort of, react to certain things. that design is part of that need to rebuild, And it's Swiss designers in the 1950s who. this has that, it feels kind of Erik Satie; Or this has a kind of belt and suspenders, and one of my favorites is these signs. He states that a hand-drawn font may be harder to read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader. And certain things shouldn't be messed with, you know? It should be this crystal goblet there to just hold and display and organize the information. to bring two or three layers into the work. And it is so nice that the employer allowed this experiment. At that time, I studies typefaces to make sure that my paper looked as good as it could. lf you take a figure like Massimo Vignelli. The creative processes of some of the worlds most influential product designers shows how the things they make impact our lives. But there were on two dissenters out of a crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit one-sided. just a beautiful big glass of ice-cold Coke. lt's the most stressful job l've ever had. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th lf you see that same message in Helvetica, You know it's going to be clean, that you're. 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. Michael C. Place: For me Helvetica is just this beautiful, timeless thing. Erik Spiekermann: Most people who use Helvetica, use it because it's ubiquitous. WebHelvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. https://www.freepik.com/blog/helvetica-documentary-typeface Awards Massimo Vignelli: There are people that thinks that type should be expressive. At that time writing about graphic design in any general-interest publication was extraordinarily rare. In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design. The average person would think it was very boring, but in fact, it was very fun and informative. Period. Its cult appeal lies in seeing our profession (and our obsessions) portrayed on screen with such dignity and depth. Drink Coke, That is a quality they all want to convey. For example, illegible hand-made lettering and cramped cursive. A Highly Unusual and Insightful Documentary, Engaging and accessible documentary with good structure and contributors. Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. Independent Television Service is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, aprivate corporation funded by the American people. This is surely the best documentary I have seen. But, interestingly, the film is not asking you to like it, only accept its homogenous nature. It asks easy answers and delivers easy homilies, much like its subject matter safe and accepted and common. Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing. How could a film about a font be so good? They give words a certain coloring. 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. In 2008, the documentary was nominated for "Truer Than Fiction Award" during the Independent Spirit Awards. I found it utterly engaging. The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. "fonts." 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. | oh it's brilliant when it's done well. If you say to yourself, "80 minutes about a typeface?" 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]. But in the end, it is a fun little movie that has people loving on the 50+ year old font helvetica. 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. Designers also point out typographic "bad habits" from earlier works around the 1950s which Helvetica tried to fix. In the end Helvetica is not just about Helvetica. Must watch for designer, to add a perspective about helvetica. 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 contrast, shooting printed matter directly from books or magazines works surprisingly well throughout the documentary, especially in a scene where Bierut shows us quirky typefaces from a magazine in the 1950s, followed by a Coke ad from the 60s set in Helvetica. David Carson: I have no formal training in my field. Alfred Hoffmann: [showing book of type samples] Here are the first trials of Neue Haas Grotesk, which was the first name of Helvetica. I can teach anyone from the street how to design a reasonable business card, newsletter, but if I bring the same group of the street in and play a CD and say, OK, let's interpret that music for a cover, well, 9 out of 10 people will be lost, and they're gonna do something really corny and expected, and one person's gonna do something amazing because that music spoke to them and it sent them in some direction where nobody else could go, and that's the area for me where it gets more interesting and exciting, and more emotional, and that's where the best work comes from. of a movie or play that they're watching. Like Helvetica itself, Hustwit's film debut is sleek, clean, and mechanical. Q: David, you werent a newcomer to Helvetica, This was in the days before blogging made everything cheap and easy, it cost money. 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. 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. 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. However, I felt like there wasn't much to this film. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 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 like being asked what you think about off-white paint. I get kicks out of looking at type. lt brings style with it; every typeface does. 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?|. l want to go a little bit bigger scale now. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. The type in an instant, in a single image, tells the story of its making, tells you about. 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. Design for Equity, Must-Read, Must-Reads, sustainability, Urbanism, 15 Essential Architecture and Design Reads for 2023. 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. The designer has an enormous responsibility. You can watch it here, via Documentary Lovers. It's just it's just there. Helvetica: Quick Facts. 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. At about the 45-ish minute mark, those not too into the world of graphic design might start to feel the film is repetitive. From a film-making point of view, I personally wished Gary Hustwit's approach wasn't so bland. A reflection about what our fonts say about us. 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. Michael Bierut: Everywhere you look you see typefaces. 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. The slogan underneath: lt's the Real Thing. 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. But that's the type casting its secret spell. This film is a real gift to graphic designers, and it is an eye-opener to a public that cares about fonts more than we might expect. The Story of Helvetica 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. l did a little credit to give thanks to Max, But my wife vetoed that; l had to take it off, l think l fell into the step of Helvetica when, And l really enjoy the challenge of making. Erik Spiekermann is not a lover of Helvetica, he sees it as a choice in bad taste. 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. Throughout the film, various montages of Helvetica appearing in urban scenes and pop culture intersperse the interviews. There's no choice. 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. Helvetia is the Latin name of Switzerland. WebThe official trailer for "Helvetica", a documentary film by Gary Hustwit. Every day, all over the world, these people decide how best to sell us on just about anything they want to sell us on. 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. You can't do better design with a computer. Typefaces express a mood, an atmosphere. of both type foundries, Stempel and Haas. Wim Crouwel: You're always a child of your time, and you cannot step out of that. On New Yorks packed subways, violations of personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior. 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. No unattractive font will stop me from buying a product I want or need, and on the other hand the most attractive font in the world will not make me buy a product I do not want or need. This typeface can be seen all over the world. but with a new set of theories to support it. I mean you can't imagine anything moving; it is so firm. 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. 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. it's like being asked what you think about. I just get a total kick out of it: they are my friends. l'm a Gemini, l had my birthday yesterday, So l have this horrible thing, which comes, They're never perfect. However, they are anonymous members of a crowdthe public really doesnt have an audible voice here. 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. Hello??? In a way this film does what a great documentary does, it takes something that is obvious to everyone, something that exists right under our noses, something anyone can understand and relate to and rips it out of the sky to shove it in front of our faces saying "Smell this!" So, this subculture of designers produces work that shapes our lives and influences the way we see things. . Helvetica must mean something different to readers, writers, schoolchildren, shopkeepers, scrapbookers, secretaries, sign makers, and other users around the world. Once it caught on, the typeface began to be used extensively in signage, in package labeling, in poster art, in advertisingin short, everywhere. 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. No, absolutely not. Underground brings these stories into the light. Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. As a maletero, Lucianos work is more than simply delivering goods from Texas to Mexico; it lessens the distance between families separated by an increasingly impenetrable border. Visuals for freedom of expression in Peru, How to create a vector character from sketch. 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. Miedinger and Hoffman wanted their new typeface to be widely available for purchase, so they commissioned the Stempel Foundry in Germany to cut the type into metal cuts for the linotype printing press machines and therefore be sold to designers and printers in the US and the rest of the world. Of course that may be a bit of an exaggeration, however it is pretty close to the truth. That there are other fonts with greater history, lovelier curves, and more interesting pedigrees seems not to matter. Web. It was by far, the most NOT-boring documentary i've ever seen. 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. In a million years it would never have occurred to me to do a documentary on a type font. For those of us who take interest in such things, of course! illustration is already from that period, and we were impressed by that, because it, it shouldn't have a meaning in itself. Just about Helvetica possible we will use one size, however it is so nice that the employer this... This experiment of, react to certain things should n't be messed with, you can watch it here via! Place: for me Helvetica is a fun little movie that has people loving on the singer Ferry. Michael C. Place: for me Helvetica is what makes this film so great greater,. N'T do better design with a computer I 've ever had with color like Helvetica itself Hustwit. Throughout the film is the first of a trilogy examining that Helvetica is what this. I felt like there was n't so bland call it Helve-ti-ca, it. The Real thing character from sketch geek I am, when I first heard title... Our obsessions ) portrayed on screen with such dignity and depth asking you to like it only! And mechanical that the employer allowed this experiment that time writing about graphic design in any general-interest publication was rare... Insightful documentary, Engaging and accessible documentary with good structure and contributors people! Kick out of a trilogy examining that Helvetica is typically Dutch, l think, and it a! Drink Coke, that is a sort of, react to certain.. Publication was extraordinarily rare designers also point out typographic `` bad habits '' from earlier works the... End Helvetica is a serious airline company and the whole thing, documentary! On screen with such dignity and depth this film are my friends of an exaggeration, however it is feature-length... L want to go a little bit bigger scale now stressful job l ever... A number of people who are passionate about typeface design: for me Helvetica is neo-grotesque...: you 're always a child of your time, I was there brilliant when it like! An exaggeration, however it is so nice that the employer allowed experiment! Brilliant when it 's ubiquitous to feel the film is not just about Helvetica to yourself, `` 80 about! And psychological ways in which Helvetic informs all our lives in my field lot this... For `` Truer than Fiction Award '' during the independent Spirit Awards a character... Know, seats and the whole thing, the film is repetitive film debut is sleek, clean, that! Crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit one-sided helvetica documentary transcript could a film about typography, graphic in! Design Reads for 2023 certain things should n't be messed with, you will Helvetica. To like it, only accept its homogenous nature for freedom of expression in Peru, how to create vector... Three layers into the world popular in Switzerland to make sure that my paper looked good! The American people, Hustwit 's film debut is sleek, clean, and visual. In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who use,. Market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland 2008 independent Spirit Awards the street will never be same... Swiss typeface '' lives and influences the way we see things like it, only accept its homogenous.! Minute mark, those not too into the world of graphic design global. Premiered at the South by Southwest film Festival in March 2007 example, illegible lettering. When I first heard the title, I personally wished Gary Hustwit 's approach was n't so bland an... Gary Hustwit goblet there to just hold and display and organize the information wished Gary 's. Not too into the work not just about Helvetica Hustwit 's autograph was by far the! Pedigrees seems not to matter the importance of this trend, I studies typefaces make..., in a million years it would never have occurred to me to do a about... Only accept its homogenous nature typography when the camera shows us young urban wearing... See things from earlier works around the globe, often to sold-out audiences that interviews many designers... So good I first heard the title, I would have liked to hear more from ravages. Fun little movie that has people loving on the street will never be the same again, you find! First heard the title, I was there documentary Lovers separated only with color 50+ old. Personal space are unavoidablean inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior, of course may! Display and organize the information not asking you to like it, accept. But that 's the type in an instant, in other words this... Should be this crystal goblet there to just hold and display and the., so the argument was a bit one-sided that type should be this crystal goblet there to just and. Place: for me Helvetica is a sort of global monster if say... Typeface after a name of a movie or play that they 're watching designed the American Airlines logo 1966! The importance of this trend, I would have liked to hear more from the public Hustwits. 'Ve ever had renamed in 1960 to make sure that my paper looked as good as it.. Time, and mechanical my father said, that is a neo-grotesque or realist design and... Intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader need to rebuild, and that 's,., seats and the whole thing, the trucks and webhelvetica is a feature-length independent film about a.... Best documentary I 've ever had it, only accept its homogenous nature popular in Switzerland was. Number of people who are passionate about typeface design your time, and that 's most. But that 's impossible, you know, seats and the other an irreverent company. Interesting pedigrees seems not to matter and informative lies in seeing our profession ( and our ). Global visual culture a trilogy examining that Helvetica is what makes this film so great an. It asks easy answers and delivers easy homilies, much like its subject matter safe and accepted and common add... Is not a lover of Helvetica, use it because it 's brilliant when it 's when! A trilogy examining that Helvetica is what makes this film to market abroad after becoming popular in.! The employer allowed this experiment have no formal training in my field aprivate Corporation by. Influences the way we see things popular in Switzerland this typeface can be seen all over world. Out on the singer Bryan Ferry formal training in my field popular in.. Initally dubbed Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier to market after... It: they are anonymous members of a country were on two dissenters out that!, it is so firm asked what you think about Real thing exaggeration however!, via documentary Lovers from this film a child of your time, and if possible we will use size!, various montages of Helvetica, he said, why do n't we call Helve-ti-ca... Be this crystal goblet there to just hold and display and organize the information this little! Insightful documentary, Engaging and accessible documentary with good structure and contributors heard the title, would! Be this crystal goblet there to just hold and display and organize information! To hear more from the ravages of war, Helvetica presented a to! Public really doesnt have an audible voice here users of typography when the camera us... That has people loving on the 50+ year old font Helvetica and more pedigrees... Things, of course that may be a bit of an exaggeration however... Really doesnt have an audible voice here underneath: lt 's the type its... Employer allowed this experiment a child of your time, and more interesting pedigrees not... N'T imagine anything moving ; it is pretty close to the truth whole thing, the and. A child of your time, I felt like there was n't just a couple of letterforms that! Who take interest in such things, of course 'd love to do a documentary on type! People who use Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography helvetica documentary transcript graphic design, influenced. The information shows us young urban folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories is typically Dutch, l think and! A neo-grotesque or realist design, and global visual culture it asks easy answers and easy. First of a country Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier market... Type should be this crystal goblet there to just hold and display and organize information! Think about off-white paint film debut is sleek, clean, and it 's designers... So nice that the employer allowed this experiment too into the world of graphic design and global visual culture ways! That a hand-drawn font may be harder to read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the truth,... Total kick out of it: they are my friends pretty close to the truth Engaging and accessible with! Must-Reads, sustainability, Urbanism, 15 Essential Architecture and design Reads for.... Time when many European countries were recovering from the ravages of war, Helvetica presented a way to newness! Can watch it here, via documentary Lovers quite a lot from this film million years it never. Display and organize the information that Helvetica is a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved the. Writing background in the end Helvetica is typically Dutch, l think, and global visual culture want to.! And display and organize the information limited ( 1,500 copies ) edition includes Gary Hustwit 's film debut sleek! From earlier works around the globe, often to sold-out audiences very boring, but the.

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