Helvetica (film)

Helvetica
Helvetica
Directed by	Gary Hustwit
Produced by	Gary Hustwit
Cinematography	Luke Geissbühler
Edited by	Shelby Siegel; Laura Weinberg
Music by	Kristian Dunn
Production; companies	Swiss Dots; Veer
Release date	12 September 2007;
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Helvetica is a 2007 American independent feature-length documentary film about typography and graphic design, centered on the eponymous 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.

Synopsis[]

Interviewees[]

Manfred Schulz
Massimo Vignelli
Rick Poynor
Wim Crouwel
Matthew Carter
Alfred Hoffmann, Eduard Hoffmann's son
Mike Parker Linotype's typographic development director.
Otmar Hoefer
Bruno Steinert
Hermann Zapf
Michael Bierut
Leslie Savan
Tobias Frere-Jones
Jonathan Hoefler
Erik Spiekermann
Neville Brody
Lars Müller
Paula Scher
Stefan Sagmeister
David Carson
Michael C. Place
Norm

Production[]

Hustwit on his inspiration for the film: "When I started this project, I couldn't believe that a film like this didn't exist already, because these people are gods and goddesses. 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. Fonts don't just appear out of Microsoft Word: there are human beings and huge stories behind them."^[1]

Release[]

Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. 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. Helvetica was nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award.

Bands and musicians that contributed to the documentary's soundtrack include Four Tet, The Album Leaf, Kim Hiorthøy, Caribou, Battles, Sam Prekop of The Sea and Cake, and El Ten Eleven.

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. It aired in January 2009 as part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in the United States.

Critical reception[]

The New York Sun editor Steve Dollar claimed the odd details and vocals aside made the movie more compelling than might otherwise be imagined.^[2]

Awards and nominations[]

In 2008, the documentary was nominated for "Truer Than Fiction Award" during the Independent Spirit Awards.

Home media[]

The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm.

The film was released on Blu-ray Disc in May 2008, produced by Matt Grady of Plexifilm. The limited (1,500 copies) edition includes Gary Hustwit's autograph. The packaging of the Blu-ray version was designed by , who also appeared in the film, and printed by A to Z Media.^[3]

References[]

^ Helvetica – watch the design documentary here 16 April 2013
^ Dollar, Steve (12 September 2007). "The Typeface To End All Typefaces". The New York Sun. TWO SL LLC. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
^ "Helvetica / Blu-ray". Experimental Jetset. April 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2009.

External links[]

[1] Helvetica – watch the design documentary here 16 April 2013

[nysun-2] Dollar, Steve (12 September 2007). "The Typeface To End All Typefaces". The New York Sun. TWO SL LLC. Retrieved 19 May 2009.

[3] "Helvetica / Blu-ray". Experimental Jetset. April 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2009.

[1]

[2]

[3]