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Helvetica

by A Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit

Summary 

Helvetica is a documentary film about a simple typeface and its remarkable impact on the profession of graphic design, and on our visual culture as a whole. Released in time for the Helvetica’s 50th birthday, the film takes a look at the past 50 years and how this ubiquitous typeface has impacted our everyday culture – from its creation by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann in 1957, its international marketing through the 60s from Lino type, its use as a corporate staple in the 70s and 80s, the grunge trend of the 90s, to its reemergence in the new millennia.

The film interviews a variety of designers—legendary to emerging—and allows them to discuss their own professional experiences with Helvetica. Sprinkled with urban montages from New York to Belguim and back, this film gives you a new-found respect for Helvetica, its perfect balance, and its powerful presence on our global community.

Recommended Readers

Anyone who is fascinated by visual culture or who touches the design world. Helvetica will have you seeing bold and black, condensed and light wherever you go. Designers will gain a better appreciation of this typeface and how it has impacted our industry.

Top Takeaways

  • Gain a historical perspective of graphic design from 1957 to the present.
  • A typeface designed by an unknown became the most popular font in the world and has had a dramatic influence on our visual culture.
  • Originally named Neue Haas Grotesk, the typeface’s name later changed to Helvetica, derived from Helvetia, the Latin name for Switzerland.
  • The inclusion of the font in the Personal Computer further launched Helvetica’s omnipresence.

About the Authors

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. Helvetica is Hustwit's directorial debut. Hustwit 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.

Films website:
http://www.helveticafilm.com/

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