Helvetica
A documentary film by Gary Hustwit (Visitar)
London event at the Barbican this Saturday
I’m honored (or should I say honoured) that the film is being shown at London’s historic Barbican Centre this weekend. So I’ve decided to break my self-imposed moratorium on attending screenings of the film, and I’ll be there to present it. This Saturday (+)
I’m like a kid unwrapping x-mas presents
We just got a box of the Blu-ray discs in… cool. Popped one into the Playstation 3 (which I purchased strictly for research purposes, really) and guess what, they work! I like the way the Blu-ray menu system works. While you’re watching a film, you can n (+)
Netflixers, queue it up
The Blu-ray edition of Helvetica is now available on Netflix. Add it to your queue. (+)
Simplify, simplify, simplify
We ended up having some extra tote bags left over from our Blu-ray deluxe edition, so we decided to screen another design. Since we (and probably you) are tired of seeing “A documentary film by…” printed on everything, we decided to take it down to the b (+)
April screenings
The screenings continue… this month there are events in Memphis, Nova Scotia, Waterloo, Auckland, Santa Barbara, Weisbaden, Rochester, London, Christchurch, and Vancouver. Check the screening schedule for details (scroll down). (+)
50 Years of Helvetica, the short
The suave folks at Blanka and Candy organized a 50 Years of Helvetica print show that’s been touring exhibit spaces worldwide. Now they’ve made a short film of the opening at the Design Museum London for your viewing pleasure. (+)
Viva la difference
Sam Mallett, a graphic design student from The University of Wales, has done a series of prints comparing the differences between the original metal type versions of Neue Haas Grotesk and Helvetica. From Sam: “I did a short work placement in Zürich and h (+)
Another anniversary…
Okay, one more “It was a year ago today…” memory, then I’ll spare you my nostalgia. This screening was so packed that we had to let people sit in the projection booth. And the 50 Years of Helvetica exhibit is still up at MoMA until March 31. By the way, (+)
Happy 1st Anniversary, Helvetica
Austin, Texas - March 13, 2007It was one year ago today that Helvetica had its World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Showing the film in public for the first time was surreal, and extremely stressful, but it was a life-changing event fo (+)
Tangled up in Blu
The Blu-ray editions are now available for pre-order. Standard edition here, European orders here, and the awesome Experimental Jetset limited edition that I’m holding, here. And I promise this is the last of my “blu” puns in my post titles… (+)
Welcome to The Deck
The Deck is a network of very cool websites which we are honored to be a part of. Two new sites have just joined our group: FFFFOUND! and Cluster Flock. Explore. (+)
Justin Mitchell on the “New Paradigm”
Filmmaker Justin Mitchell took a break from shooting his new documentary in Brazil to add his comments to the On Google Video and The New Paradigm discussion. So I thought I’d start a new thread with his post:Gary -What is the answer my friend? For those (+)
Blu Wednesday
Okay, I just got photos of the Blu-ray HD special edition package from Experimental Jetset, and I’m about to pee myself. So I had to share a few of the pix:The 12″ gatefold sleeveInside: the Blu-ray disc sleeve and a fold-out posterA new media format mee (+)
PBS: Yes!
Big television news: Helvetica will have its US television debut on PBS, as part of the Independent Lens series. It will premiere early in their 2008-09 season, we’ll have the exact broadcast date in July. I am extremely excited and honored that Helvetic (+)
You’ve got the spirit, don’t lose the feeling
Laura Dunn and her Truer Than Fiction awardWell, I didn’t win the Truer Than Fiction award the Independent Spirit Award last night. Honestly, a few minutes before they were going to give it out, I was praying that I wouldn’t win. I really didn’t want to (+)
Thinking globally
I did a talk at Brown University’s Watson Institute Global Media Lab this week. Myself and professor James Der Derian at center, and a virtual John Santos with chihuahua via projector from San Antonio.Now it’s off to Los Angeles for the Independent Spiri (+)
El Ten Eleven “Hot Cakes” Video
Here’s a new video directed by Adam Hauck for one of the songs from the film (it kicks off Experimental Jetset’s interview) as performed by the always excellent rock duo El Ten Eleven. Check out Kristian rocking that double-neck bass/guitar! El Ten Eleve (+)
A Font We Can Believe In
Barack Obama and his favorite font, GothamUnless you’ve been avoiding television, newspapers, and all other forms of mass media for the past few months, you’ve probably seen Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s “Change We Can Believe In” and (+)
Why don’t book publishers use Helvetica?
Nigel Beale wonders this on The Guardian’s book blog:“All are agreed on one thing, however: Helvetica’s dominating presence. This makes its absence in the world of books all the more intriguing. Of the 50-odd I checked on my shelves, only two were printe (+)
Jet Blu
Hi-def heads get ready: Plexifilm is currently working on a Blu-ray high definition DVD of Helvetica, which will be available in April. This announcement will surely push the HD debate in favor of the Blu-ray format once and for all. Dutch design team Ex (+)
On Google Video and the New Paradigm
Some of you may have caught the 48-hour free view of Helvetica on Google Video… uhm, that wasn’t legit. In our efforts to have Google take the video down, I got a few emails that went something like this comment, from a chap named Raymond:I learned about (+)
Helvetica nominated for Cinema Eye Honors
The organizers of a new documentary award, The Cinema Eye Honors, announced their nominations list this week at Sundance Film Festival. We’re honored that the work of Trollbäck & Co in Helvetica was nominated in the Motion Graphics category. The awards w (+)
Design Museum shortlist revealed
The Design Museum London has announced the shortlist for their Designs of the Year Awards, and Helvetica was included. The folks over at Creative Review give a rundown of the nominees. They’ve also anointed us the frontrunner:“It’s a strong shortlist and (+)
Carson prints now sold out
Merch update: we are officially sold out of the limited-edition prints from David Carson… and there are less than 10 copies left of the Norm and Build prints. (+)
It just won’t die…
More new screenings have been scheduled for: Pittsburgh, Pleasantville (with guest star Michael Bierut), Tulsa, Tallahassee, Mesa, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Edmonton, Ithaca, Rochester, and Wales. See the screening schedule. Also the San Francisco cinema r (+)
I love David Lynch
But apparently he doesn’t like it when people watch his films on cell phones. I agree. And that tinkly iPhone music kills me. (+)
Roxie run extended
The San Francisco cinema run at the Roxie has been extended until January 10th. Sure, you can watch the film on DVD now, but it doesn’t come close to seeing it on the big screen with a bunch of other font junkies! (+)
Benefit auction ends in an hour
The benefit auction for my Freitag bag (stuffed with added goodies from the film) and the last few special-edition box sets is almost over! (+)
Last 50 deluxe boxes are gone…
They sold out in two minutes… this is crazy…The only ones left are the ones we’re auctioning off as a benefit for A Public Space. (+)
Buy my bag!
The excellent Brooklyn non-profit arts magazine A Public Space sponsored our New York cinema run at IFC, and now we’re returning the favor by auctioning off 10 of the sold-out limited-edition box sets as a benefit for them. Plus, I’ve donated my personal (+)
The last 50 limited-edition boxes on sale today
You probably know that the 1,000 copies of the limited-edition DVD box set sold out the week we started taking pre-orders back in August. After the dust had settled from the shipping date a few weeks back, we discovered we still had 50 copies left in the (+)
Helvetica on Studio 360
Public Radio International’s Studio 360, the excellent show hosted by Kurt Anderson, just broadcast a story that featured Kurt and I walking around New York City, pointing out (guess what) all the Helvetica.It opens with an audio clip from “Wheel of Fort (+)
We’ve got Spiritualized
Apologies for the lack of posts recently… I’ve been trying to get back to normal (whatever that is) following the screening tour, and the DVD release week was nuts. I’m in London at the moment, pretending I’m a cinematographer and helping my friends at P (+)
We’ve got Spirit
Helvetica was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award this morning, in the Truer Than Fiction category. Lisa Kudrow actually pronounced my name correctly during the announcements. The award “is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features (+)
Then we came to the end
So I hosted my final public screening with the film last Thursday in Atlanta. Thanks to AIGA Atlanta and the Art Institute for hosting a perfect ending to the tour, a sold-out screening at the Woodruff Arts Center with a post-screening Q&A with me and Ma (+)
Helvetica (sort of) on BBC1 tonight
A shortened version of Helvetica will be broadcast as part of BBC1’s “Imagine” strand tonight at 10:35pm London time. In order to fit it into Imagine’s time slot, the BBC took out about 35 minutes… so there’s no Hermann Zapf, no Linotype guys, no Michael (+)
I’m getting cramps
So I got back to New York, and the folks at Plexifilm chained me to a desk, put a pile of film stills in front of me, and stuck a sharpie in my hand. It’s pretty bizarre (and suprisingly time consuming) signing your name 1,000 times. Your signature starts (+)
Imagine that
I spent an interesting day on the streets of London last week, watching a crew from the BBC film a one-minute introduction to Helvetica, which will be broadcast (in a shortened 48-minute version) on BBC1 in November as part of their Imagine strand. Series (+)
DVD release date changed to 11/20
Due to some unavoidable manufacturing delays, the release date of the retail DVD of Helvetica has been pushed back two weeks to November 20th. The DVD will not be available in stores worldwide until that date. If you’ve pre-ordered the DVD from our site ( (+)
Down in the Lab
I also got a chance last week to visit the MIT Media Lab and participate in their “Mapping the (big idea)” Conference. A snapshot of “the Cube”, their busy lab space, during the conference. Thanks to John Maeda for the invite. (+)
Show me the money
Went to two good design conferences last week: the AIGA Conference in Denver, and Design Thinkers in Toronto. Denver was a homecoming of sorts, all the people I’ve met at all the AIGA screenings we’ve done across the country were there. The screening (+)
Sneak Peek of DVD Extras in SF
Attention Bay-area dwellers: there will be an exclusive advance showing of several of the bonus interview clips from the forthcoming DVD, at the 4th Annual Typophile Film Festival in San Francisco, Thursday October 25th. This “three-hour party centered (+)
NYC IFC run extended, again…
It’s like deja vu all over again. Due to continued strong turnout, our cinema run at the IFC Center has been extended an additional week. New Yorkers, this really may be your last week to see it on the big screen, in all it’s high-definition glory. Ge (+)
Denver tickets on sale now
Tickets are now on sale for two screenings on October 15th at the Mayan Theatre in Denver, Colorado. 7pm & 9pm, I’ll be there to host both shows. Sponsored by AIGA Colorado and Veer. Get your tickets now! (+)
Helvetica in Toronto October 16th
Torontonians (is that what you’re called?) get ready for another dose of Helvetica… 7pm, October 16th at the Regent Theatre, as part of the DesignThinkers conference. I’ll be there to host the event and do a Q&A afterwards. $15 general public, $10 f (+)
The skinny on Savan
Many filmgoers have remarked on media writer Leslie Savan’s appearance in the film, saying they liked the way she explained the subconsious messages of graphic design in terms that non-designers could understand. Others who haven’t read her work befor (+)
Entertainment Weekly on Helvetica
Granted, it’s a little heavy on the font puns towards the end. But since an A- is a better grade than I ever got in college (except for my A in Windsurfing 101… really), I’ll take it! (+)
New York IFC Center run extended!
Due to continued strong turnout, our cinema run at the IFC Center has been extended an additional week. Thanks to everyone who’s attended so far! New Yorkers, get your tickets here. (+)
- contacto