Helvetica
by Gary Hustwit
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: David Carson, Erik Spiekermann, Massimo Vignelli, Matthew Carter, Wim CrouwelDirector: Gary Hustwit
Brand: WEA-DES MOINES VIDEO
Cinematographer: Luke Geissbuhler
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); German (Subtitled); English (Subtitled)
Format: Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 80 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Plexifilm
Movie Reviews of Helvetica
Movie Review: A novel documentary that just might be your type (ah, sorry about that)
Summary: 4 Stars
The other day I went up to one of the people at the information desk at the Sears -- oops! make that the Willis -- Tower in Chicago very close to where I work and asked them if they knew the name of the font that was used in displaying the building name. I was reasonably confident that it was Albertus (a very distinctive font that most people will known from a slightly modified version used in the classic TV series THE PRISONER). They didn't know, but my point is that today even someone completely unschooled in design like myself can somewhat conversant on the subject. It is all due to computers. One of the results of the personal computer revolution is that it has made people conscious of fonts in a way that people never were before. Oh, people worried about whether they could get alternatives to courier on their old electric typewriters. But for the most part people did not think much about it in their own lives. For the most part font design has been dominated by serif fonts. A 'serif' is the little design at the end of a stroke on a character. Sans-serif is any typeface that does not contain the serif on the character. An easy way to tell which a font is (though it will by no means hold up in all cases), is to look at a capital 'I' and lowercase 'L'. If you have Word 2007 it is exceptionally easy to compare the various fonts by highlighting both characters and scrolling through your options. If you look up Helvetica in Office, you won't find it. Microsoft opted for a cheap version of Helvetica that we all know as Arial. It is the primary Windows sans-serif font, just as Times New Roman is the primary serif font.
I have some problems with the documentary because it leaves so much out. For instance, for all its importance in advertising and in public design, Helvetica and other sans-serif fonts play little role elsewhere. I did a test sampling of ten different books off my bookshelf. All ten were printed in serif fonts. The entire issue of font for reading is almost completely unaddressed.
Despite the lapses, this is a very interesting film, which addresses both the reasons for the success of Helvetica and similar sans-serif fonts (btw, they constantly show public signs with the assumption that they are Helvetica, when in fact many of them are derivative fonts -- the film actually is about the Helvetica family rather than Helvetica narrowly conceived) and the reasons for many rejecting it. For instance, one woman not completely tongue-in-cheek associates Helvetica with the wagers of the Vietnamese War and the invasion of Iraq.
I love documentaries like this, that focus narrowly on a subject that you might otherwise not give a great deal of thought about. You will definitely not take for granted the public signs and advertisements that you see around you.
Summary of Helvetica
Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. 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. 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.Art House & International DVD Video
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