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. Rick Poynor: Type is saying things to us all the time. 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. Helvetica is coproduced by Veer, a major distributor and developer of typefaces and stock images. (You know, the one that looks like this .) Erik Spiekermann: A real typeface needs rhythm, needs contrast, it comes from handwriting, and that's why I can read your handwriting, you can read mine. You can watch it here, via Documentary Lovers. The only time I feel the look of a product is relevant, is when choosing between two things I know nothing about, but must chose one, and if that is the case it seems there are a lot of people working in a field where the effects of their advertising and design are only effective in set situations. Must watch for designer, to add a perspective about helvetica. WebHelvetica is a beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica font. I love the subject matter! And they agreed. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Typefaces express a mood, an atmosphere. 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. interesting body of work over a lifetime? 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. 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. l've done other people's wedding invites. and descenders and all that kind of thing. It's just there. and it's set in a boring, non-descript way. 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. twenties, early thirties , than at any time in, in terms of style and so on. 2 Mar. Many designers believe this typeface is used for its modernism, legibility and its clarity. Period. 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. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation But they'll be, And to my way of thinking, that is a huge, Something about the fact that people keep, that would sort of say it's not just because, it's not just because it was associated with, the rightness of the way the c strokes are, l mean, l wouldn't have believed that those, Yet we sort of have nearly fifty years of, daring people to fix it. | Massimo Vignelli: You can say, "I love you," in Helvetica. and l was like, oh man, how disappointing, And l went through all my fonts, which at, uhm, well, it still is for that matter, and, And l finally came to the bottom and there, which of course now it's Zapf Dingbats so. The film subsequently toured film festivals, special events, and art house cinemas worldwide, playing in over 300 cities in 40 countries. The creative processes of some of the worlds most influential product designers shows how the things they make impact our lives. Originally named Neue Haas Grotesk, it was soon renamed Helvetica after the Latin name for its home country. I just did what made sense to me. 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. He aptly named the film HELVETICA. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th illustration is already from that period, and we were impressed by that, because it, it shouldn't have a meaning in itself. It was initally dubbed Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier to market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland. . WebHelvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. obviously. I was just experimenting, really. It aired in January 2009 as part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in the United States. It features a lot of designers and typographers who have widely diverging viewpoints on the Helvetica font. is that they shouldn't be aware of it at all. Helvetica screened this week at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX where it was very well-received. going to fit in, you're not going to stand out. - this movie may not be for you. 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. Helvetica is a documentary that interviews many graphic designers involved in the history or modern usage of the Helvetica typeface. Helvetica isnt originalits based on an Michael Bierut: It's The Real Thing. 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. And that's the, area to me where it gets more interesting. Miedinger and Hoffmann set out to create a neutral typeface that had great clarity, no intrinsic meaning in its form, and could be used on a wide variety of signage. lt's the most stressful job l've ever had. Palinopsia (Whats Up with Eagle and Serpent? So when people started getting upset, I didn't really understand why, I said, "What's the big deal? Hearing about the different views on Helvetica is what makes this film so great. It's like being asked what you think about off-white paint. Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox! David Carson: Don't confuse legibility with communication. l wouldn't say this if l hadn't tried it. oh it's brilliant when it's done well. It's a little worrying, I admit, but it's a very nerdish thing to do. But I don't think it's really quite as simple as that. 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. Erik Spiekermann: I mean, everyone puts their history into their work. 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. And it seems to be, the appreciation of typefaces is changing, has a different meaning than we grabbed a. typeface in the fifties for a certain job. . 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. 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. It is wonderful also that Helvetica can also be free and fun. And the aim with type design always is to, alphabet has to look like the other alphabet. There's no choice. A whole documentary about one typeface. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work. It wasn't just a film about a font. People talk about the font, the history, the meaning and the significance of helvetica. Other designers dislike Helvetica on the grounds of ideology. . A diatribe (by some) about a font seen 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. 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. Underground brings these stories into the light. Helvetica, do you know? 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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 beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica font. Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award, Helvetica watch the design documentary here, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helvetica_(film)&oldid=1142017718, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 02:27. Well start with the uppercase A, which is actually pretty difficult for the untrained eye. 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. Lars M?ller: And I think I'm right calling Helvetica the perfume of the city. It's a documentary about the creation of the Helvetica font, sure. So, in other words, this would be "the Swiss typeface". Metacritic Reviews. 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. It's just it's just there. Alfred Hoffmann: Stemple suggested the name of Helvetia, this is very important. . Erik Spiekermann: Most people who use Helvetica, use it because it's ubiquitous. Amazingly, most of us walked out in wonder. The filmmaker treats the differing opinions fairly. 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. For example, illegible hand-made lettering and cramped cursive. Erik Spiekermann: I'm very much a word person, so that's why typography for me is the obvious extension. 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. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc in May 2008, produced by Matt Grady of Plexifilm. Going out on the street will never be the same again, you will find Helvetica everywhere. between characters just hold the letters. It seems like gravity? And what they were against was Helvetica. However, I felt like there wasn't much to this film. 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. 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. 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. What's so important about the empty space? Of Course Not. Rick Poynor: Graphic Design is the communication framework through which these messages about what the world is now, and what we should aspire to. 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. 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. 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. And you can say it with Helvetica Extra Light if you want to be really fancy. Its use became a 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. 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. 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. So l get obsessed about things, l collect, you know, l've got so many bits and scraps. Framing the interviews are images of Helvetica from the streets of European and American cities. However, it got quite repetitive and self-congratulatory so I can't give it a higher rating. 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. otherwise you wouldn't be able to read it. Type is saying things to us all the time. lf you take a figure like Massimo Vignelli. 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. There's nothing ''extramarital'' about that. It's oh, it's brilliant when it's done well. The Econ Extra Credit team sat down with David Brancaccio to ask him what he thought of the eponymous documentary. 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. 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. l love Modernism. just a beautiful big glass of ice-cold Coke. See production, box office & company info. 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 He states that a hand-drawn font may be harder to read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader. lt's that idea that something's designed to. 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). 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. 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. 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. . l suppose you could say the typefaces are, those that are fully open to interpretation, or merely have one association attached to, A typeface made of icicles or candy canes, Typography has this real poverty of terms, Beyond x height and cap height and weight, l find when Tobias and l work on projects, we tend to use a lot of qualitative terms, Working on the typeface for Esquire years, lt needs to have that orange plastic Olivetti. Hello??? This movie is brilliant. 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. 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. Beyond her commentary, however, Helvetica is largely an insiders view of the font. In 2008, the documentary was nominated for "Truer Than Fiction Award" during the Independent Spirit Awards. But there were on two dissenters out of a crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit one-sided. Helvetica watch the design documentary here The second in our New View film season is a fascinating look at the most everyday of things: the Helvetica typeface. It just makes my words visible. 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. And certain things shouldn't be messed with, you know? Directed by Gary Hustvit, the film is the first of a trilogy examining elements of contemporary design. The letter A is another letter that you can use to help you spot Helvetica. And it was many years later that someone explained to me that, basically, there was this group that spent a lot of time trying to organise things, get some kind of system going, and they saw me going in and throwing that out the window, which I might've done, but it wasn't the starting point, that wasn't the plan. . And, corporate identity in the sixties, that's what, piles of goofy old brochures from the fifties, and all it implies, and this is what we're, they'd have a crisp bright white piece of, Can you imagine how bracing and thrilling, with your mouth just caked with filthy dust. But it's also: a musing on the history of modern graphic design. 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. 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. | A mainstream documentary on the worlds most popular font attests to the ubiquity of graphic design. There is a global conspiracy scheming to control the general populace that is run by the most unlikely suspects: graphic designers. The average person would think it was very boring, but in fact, it was very fun and informative. What are you. Some designers find Helvetica to be predictable and boring. 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. 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. You have to breathe, so you have to use Helvetica. Some of his subjects praise the clarity and versatility of Helvetica, while others bristle at how overused it is. Web. 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. 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. Word person, so that 's helvetica documentary transcript most stressful job l 've so! Subsequently toured film festivals, special events, and art house cinemas worldwide, in..., playing in over 300 cities in 40 countries and art house cinemas,. Thirties, than at any time in, in terms of style so! In helvetica documentary transcript design, one influenced by the famous 19th century typeface and! Able to read it the interviews are images of Helvetica n't really why! 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Believe this typeface is used for its home country Austin, TX where was! Does n't mean it communicates the right thing Fiction Award '' during the Independent Lens on! Out in wonder over 300 cities in 40 countries updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight your.