30.04.08
Jack
Helvetica on film
Gary Hustwit has announced the DVD release of his documentary Helvetica. This is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the rapid increase of one typeface which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007.
The typeface was created in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas type foundry in Switzerland, It was christened Neue Haas Grotesk but changed its name to Helvetica in 1960 which was an attempt to make it globally accepted. Well one can say that it has truly worked and this film explores the use of the typeface in the urban landscape as well as discussion with industry heavy weights about their work, inspiration, aesthetics and reasons why they used the typeface in their work. Sadly it was screened at the Barbican on 26th April 08 but you can either buy it or maybe you want to know where it will be screened next, just simply click on this link.
The film promises an intriguing interview which includes the likes of Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Hoefler, Hermann Zapf, Bruno Steinert, Otmar Hoefer, Leslie Savan, Rick Poynor, Tobias Frere-Jones, Experimental Jetset, Michael C. Place, Norm, Alfred Hoffmann, Mike Parker, Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel, Lars Müller, and many more.
