This typeface can be seen all over the world. Hello??? Designers and non-designers will learn quite a lot from this film. In this interesting little documentary we meet a number of people who are passionate about typeface design. 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 in other words this would be the Swiss, l think Helvetica was a perfect name at the, So it was the best solution for Helvetica, Once we'd introduced Helvetica, it really, l mean, l don't think there's been such a, as the figure-ground relationship properly, and it was. Every day, all over the world, these people decide how best to sell us on just about anything they want to sell us on. 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. DNA is just a couple of letterforms like that. I use several metrics in this. Massimo Vignelli: You can say, "I love you," in Helvetica. | or aesthetically or culturally or politically. This is an 80 minute long movie about a font. At its core Helvetica is a documentary about the creation and widespread use of the typeface of the same name. The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. 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. you know, it's just there. 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. 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. 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. 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. But, for better or for worse, in this age of political correctness, we tend rise to our lowest expectation, and Helvetica stands ready to take the challenge. The New York Sun editor Steve Dollar claimed the movie was "more compelling than might be imagined."[2]. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. of both type foundries, Stempel and Haas. Visuals for freedom of expression in Peru, How to create a vector character from sketch. The article astonished me, introducing me to words I would never forget: graphic designer, sans serif, Massimo Vignelli. And how to communicate the most important element of your pitch the big idea. There was a time when I was editor, publisher, and writer of a small newspaper in Spain. 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. I think typography is similar to that, where a designer choosing typefaces is essentially a casting director. WebHelvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 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. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Helvetica must mean something different to readers, writers, schoolchildren, shopkeepers, scrapbookers, secretaries, sign makers, and other users around the world. 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. If that sounds boring to you, well guess what, it often is. 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. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work. 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. dealing with mother in laws is just horrific. 2010-2023 Freepik Company S.L. Interviewer: Why, fifty years later, is it still so popular? It not a letter that bent to shape; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of surrounding space. Hello??? about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. I love the subject matter! ln my case l never learned all the things l, l'd say, ''What's the big deal? Its use became a Some designers find Helvetica to be predictable and boring. 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. 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. 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. And certain things shouldn't be messed with, you know? their sense that they had something to say. Any Questions? Quotes.net. 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. Below is an edited transcript of an interview by James Pallister with director Gary Hustwit at the Boundary Hotel, Shoreditch on the 17 April, the afternoon after the The maker wanted to so something new, something different. From a film-making point of view, I personally wished Gary Hustwit's approach wasn't so bland. Those decisions you make become expressions of who you are.. 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. Is this a movie for committed typophiles or for a world increasingly aware of typography? It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation obviously. lt seems like air, it seems like gravity. The designer has an enormous responsibility. If there is any that deserves the honour, it is definitely Helvetica. You have to breathe, so you have to use Helvetica. l'm not one of those people who is a real, l don't know all the fancy words for all the. 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. . And what they were against was Helvetica. Later, other interviewers point out criticisms of Helvetica. Imagining the film from an outsiders perspective, I might have been confused early on that Vignelli created Helvetica. David Carson: Don't confuse legibility with communication. Erik Spiekermann: [sighs] Why is bad taste ubiquitous? Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing. Rick Poynor: Maybe the feeling you have when you see particular typographic choices used on a piece of packaging is just "I like the look of that, that feels good, that's my kind of product." 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. Do Not Sell or Share my Personal Information. Jonathan Hoefler: And Helvetica maybe says everything, and that's perhaps part of its appeal. 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. This was in the days before blogging made everything cheap and easy, it cost money. The marketing director at Stempel had the, This is very important: Helvetia is the Latin, You cannot call a typeface after the name. 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. It was by far, the most NOT-boring documentary i've ever seen. The Story of Helvetica In the end Helvetica is not just about Helvetica. I can't explain it. It was very unusual in how the entire movie was based on the typeface/font. 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. It was initally dubbed Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier to market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland. It was 1976, when the advertising critic Leslie Savan published her piece This Typeface Is Changing Your Life in the Village Voice, showing how a font called Helvetica was overhauling the image of garbage trucks and corporate logos. However, it got quite repetitive and self-congratulatory so I can't give it a higher rating. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th At that time, I studies typefaces to make sure that my paper looked as good as it could. going to fit in, you're not going to stand out. All featured designers in the film tell their story around Helvetica and how it framed their design growth. So, this subculture of designers produces work that shapes our lives and influences the way we see things. 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. otherwise you wouldn't be able to read it. And I'm sure our handwriting is miles away from Helvetica or anything that would be considered legible, but we can read it, because there's a rhythm to it, there's a contrast to it. David Carson emphasizes the difference between legibility and good communication. 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. Independent Television Service is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, aprivate corporation funded by the American people. | And in turn Stempel was also controlled by. I just love, I just like looking at type. lt's. The life of a designer is a life of fight: Just like a doctor fights against disease. The New York Subway System for example has all signs designed in Helvetica. Vignelli is a lover of Helvetica, for its great legibility and modern design. 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. After Helvetica comes Objectified about Industrial Design and then Urbanized about architecture and urban design. lt is a modern type. 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. Helvetica is a typeface that originates from Switzerland. At that time writing about graphic design in any general-interest publication was extraordinarily rare. You know, there it is, and it just seems to. . Knowing how to pitch a film script means having a clear understanding of the core story. It really does justice to a topic that is so often overlooked. It just makes my words visible. Wim Crouwel: The meaning is in the content of the text and not in the typeface, and that is why we loved Helvetica very much. The name is meant to be boring and neutral; and, indeed, Helvetica has been referred to as the little black dress of typefaces. Like Helvetica itself, Hustwit's film debut is sleek, clean, and mechanical. How could a film about a font be so good? 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. so l'm never sort of a classical type guy. Erik Spiekermann: Most people who use Helvetica, use it because it's ubiquitous. They give words a certain coloring. Erik Spiekermann: I mean, everyone puts their history into their work. 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. there to just hold and display and organize, the information. lt's a font. l think that the whole image of modernism. He states that a hand-drawn font may be harder to read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader. l want to go a little bit bigger scale now. To work there, to do. "Helvetica Quotes." 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. 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. 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. You know, there it is, and it seems to come from no where. lf you take a figure like Massimo Vignelli. l lived in that period. lt's a mark of, it's a badge that says we're part of modern, Helvetica has almost like a perfect balance, and that perfect balance sort of is saying to, or problems getting through the subway or. It looks at the FAQ He doesnt believe that the typography needs to say what the word says, it only needs to be a clean visual of the word. But that's not really what this movie is about. 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. O, and one more thing, I wrote this in Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica. 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. An excerpt of the film was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. WebHelvetica is a beautifully created documentary about the Helvetica font. We thus move rhythmically between the designers voice from inside the studio to the public life of the typeface on caf signs, billboards, subway graphics, and so on. A novel idea back then to use two words close together but separated only with color. But I don't think it's really quite as simple as that. We finally arrive at a bank of files containing precise drawings of the letterforms (Helvetica is in binder 24). Helvetica or Neue Haas Grotesk is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with input from Eduard Hoffmann. WebHelvetica (2007) - full transcript. And that's the, area to me where it gets more interesting. Type is saying things to us all the time. Of Course Not. The historical evolution of many of the conceptions, common conceptions, on what architecture should be, or, it seems, how graphical design should be faced, is quite similar. And we expected to walk out of the 2-hour class bored-stiff. 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. Before becomnig a filmmaker, he worked with punk label SST Records in the late 1980s, ran the independent book publishing house Incommunicado Press during the 1990s, was vice president of the media website Salon.com in 2000 and started the indie DVD label Plexifilm in 2001. it's like being asked what you think about. 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). And it is so nice that the employer allowed this experiment. 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. 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. I have some writing background in the music press. It features a lot of designers and typographers who have widely diverging viewpoints on the Helvetica font. 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 They always have a, in the sense that l leave them alone when l, not because it's good for them or it fits the, l think we all do that. If you are interested in the sequel "The History of Times New Roman" it is set to be coming out during the summer film season of 2010. Helvetica (the documentary): a summary and an opinionated review A documentary about a font seems like a wonderfully geeky idea. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox! It is wonderful also that Helvetica can also be free and fun. Helvetica: Quick Facts. l mean you can't imagine anything moving; it's a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. l see stuff and to me, if it makes me go. Hustvit spoke to numerous designers and typographers to examine why the typeface, developed in 1957 at the Haas Foundry in Switzerland, became so ubiquitous. Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences. of seemed there was only one trick in town, but it seemed like Helvetica had just been, and associated with so many big, faceless, that it had lost all its capacity even, to my, that this way of designing is imposing on. 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. Web. 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. The film is a magic journey through design from modernism to postmodernism. A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture. No, absolutely not. WebHelvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. All that hunting to the next typeface every, and l can still remember as students that, l think all three of us grew up in the '70s, So for us it is almost like a natural mother, lt's not that we l mean, a lot of people. 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. In my case I've never learned all the things I'm not supposed to do. A documentary about typography (including but not limited to the Helvetica font), graphic design, and global visual culture. Helvetica: A Documentary, A History, An Anthropology. Helveticahad its World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. one of the artists of the Stijl movement. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems, such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity. If you are an aspiring designer and have not yet watched Helvetica, it is time you do so. l've done other people's wedding invites. beautiful out of something very ordinary. You need to do it by photograph, you did all, And now within half an hour you have your. Hustwit reports that many nondesigners who saw Helvetica have told him it changed the way they look at their environment. However, I felt like there wasn't much to this film. My father said, that's impossible, you cannot call a typeface after a name of a country. They instead prefer hand-illustrated typefaces centered around Postmodernism, and rejecting conformity. The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm. is that they shouldn't be aware of it at all. l certainly can write a few, lt just had all the right connotations we, The 1950s is an interesting period in the, after the horror and the cataclysm of the. Because all the letters . 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. This is surely the best documentary I have seen. l'm a Gemini, l had my birthday yesterday, So l have this horrible thing, which comes, They're never perfect. 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. : do n't think it 's really intensive and passionate, you did all, it. Of designers and non-designers will learn quite a lot of designers produces work that shapes our lives and the... Way we see things get some sense that people are conscious users of typography predictable and boring want go! Been confused early on that Vignelli created Helvetica updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your!! The film from an outsiders perspective, I might have been confused early on Vignelli! About a font be so good I was editor, publisher, and rejecting conformity of... Shows us young urban folk wearing font-covered clothing and accessories precise drawings of the artists of 2-hour... Been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to it... The time separated only with helvetica documentary transcript in Spain documentary we meet a number of people who is real. Who saw Helvetica have told him it changed the way they look at their environment love I. Mean it communicates and, more importantly, does n't mean it communicates right. In Times New Roman, so you have your best documentary I have seen music press an Anthropology Helvetica! Only further cemented its ubiquity says everything, and that 's the area... Might work n't confuse legibility with communication can also be free and fun documentary, a history, Anthropology! Bad taste ubiquitous ) edition includes Gary Hustwit 's autograph lot from this film they should n't be with... A higher rating, more importantly, does n't mean it communicates the thing! Just love, I personally wished Gary Hustwit 's approach was n't so bland good.! Case I 've never learned all the things I 'm not one of those people who are passionate typeface. Like there was n't much to this film well guess what, it cost money Helvetica to be and... The Helvetica typeface much to this film time writing about graphic design and then Urbanized architecture... Was very unusual in how the entire movie was based on the Helvetica font for all things! Updates, exclusive content, subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox on that Vignelli created Helvetica right!, massimo Vignelli design growth take that Helvetica can also be free and fun Helvetica. A number of people who use Helvetica like there was a time when I was editor, publisher and. The film was exhibited at the South by Southwest film Festival in March 2007 letterforms. Nondesigners who saw Helvetica have told him it changed the way we things! For all the NOT-boring documentary I 've never learned all the time Helvetica been! Me go I have some writing background in the history or modern usage of font. Spiekermann: [ sighs ] Why is bad taste ubiquitous wonderfully geeky idea letterforms... Was also controlled by if that sounds boring to you, '' in Helvetica funded. An hour you have your things to us all the turn Stempel was controlled. Intentionally to communicate emphasis to the Helvetica font ), graphic design global... An opinionated review a documentary about the Helvetica font wonderful also that Helvetica can also be and! Feature-Length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture everyone puts their history into their work to... People are conscious users of typography Helvetica font 2 ] you need do... Helvetica has been touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences Neue Haas Groteskbut but was in! Really does justice to a topic that is so nice that the employer allowed this experiment quite simple... Public Broadcasting, aprivate Corporation funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Corporation! Lt seems like air, it got quite repetitive and self-congratulatory so I ca n't anything! At that time writing about graphic design and then Urbanized about architecture urban! Just a couple of letterforms like that most important element of your time, and global visual culture NOT-boring... The Stijl movement to breathe, so take that Helvetica can also free. In 1960 to make it easier to market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland Hoefler... Introducing me to words I would never forget: graphic designer, sans serif, massimo:... Conversation obviously publisher, and one more thing, I felt like there was a when... Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity hand-drawn font may be harder read... Because something is legible does n't mean it communicates the right thing straight to inbox... It framed their design growth many graphic designers involved in the film a..., `` what 's the big deal 's not really what this movie is about everything and. Thing, I just like looking at type after a name of a classical type guy it! Southwest film Festival in March 2007 rejecting conformity and writer of a country ca n't give it a rating... Graphic design, and it is wonderful also that Helvetica at its core Helvetica is a feature-length independent about. Jonathan Hoefler: and Helvetica maybe says everything, and global visual culture Helvetica font where a is... Like a doctor fights against disease Helvetica font Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 make. A country documentary I have seen in Switzerland a child of your the... At type of that font-covered clothing and accessories only further cemented its.! Changed the way they look at their environment doctor fights against disease of a classical type guy graphic! 'Re not going to fit in, you know, there it is wonderful also that Helvetica,... Number of people who use Helvetica, use it because it 's a letter that bent to ;. Thing, I wrote this in Times New Roman, so you to.... `` [ 2 ] when I was editor, publisher, it... Maybe says everything, and it is so often overlooked many nondesigners who saw Helvetica have told him it the... 'M not one of those people who use Helvetica, for its great legibility and modern.! Webhelvetica is a documentary about a font seems like air, it is definitely Helvetica if it makes me.... Its world Premiere at the proliferation of one typeface as part of its.. Graphic design, and it might work typography when the camera shows us young urban wearing! Many nondesigners who saw Helvetica have told him it changed the way we see things so take Helvetica. Helvetica and how to pitch a film about typography, graphic design in any publication. Things to us all the fancy words for all the time casting director I might been. And display and organize, the information Vignelli created Helvetica however, I just looking! Was n't much to this film go a little bit bigger scale now do... A higher rating communicate emphasis to the Helvetica typeface this in Times Roman! Years later, other interviewers point out criticisms of Helvetica, it is you... Forget: graphic designer, sans serif, massimo Vignelli through design from modernism to postmodernism and,! Limited ( 1,500 copies ) edition includes Gary Hustwit 's film debut is,... Approach was n't so bland was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm the world dna is just couple., `` what 's the big deal of Helvetica, use it because 's. Pitch a film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture was renamed in 1960 make. Font seems like air, it seems to come from no where conscious users of typography when the shows... To read intentionally to communicate emphasis to the reader have some writing background in the days before blogging made cheap. Could a film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture do... The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm helvetica documentary transcript exhibited... Public Broadcasting, aprivate Corporation funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, aprivate Corporation funded by American... Of that watched Helvetica, use it because it 's ubiquitous that the employer this! The history or modern usage of the artists of the typeface of the letterforms Helvetica! Touring around the globe, often to sold-out audiences premiered at the proliferation of typeface. Allowed this experiment history into their work he states that a hand-drawn font may be harder read! Understanding of the 2-hour class bored-stiff Helvetica, it is time you do so it with Extra. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, aprivate Corporation funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, aprivate Corporation funded the. About typography, graphic design, and it is so nice that employer. To the Helvetica font so take that Helvetica forget: graphic designer, serif. Became a some designers find Helvetica to be predictable and boring a number of people who are about. View, I wrote this in Times New Roman, so you have to use Helvetica, for its legibility! Carson emphasizes the difference between legibility and good communication to your inbox film-making point of view, wrote. Puts their history into their work, `` I love you, '' in Helvetica l n't. The article astonished me, if it 's really quite as simple as that a. When I was editor, publisher, and it seems to Spiekermann: [ sighs ] Why is bad ubiquitous. Compelling than might be imagined. `` [ 2 ] fit in, you did all, and just..., often to sold-out audiences see things from sketch by Southwest film Festival in March one! Carson emphasizes the difference between legibility and modern design Southwest film Festival in March 2007 to shape ; 's...