My thoughts on the film
After watching the movie Helvetica, I realized how we take typefaces for granted. I was awed to see the passion of designers regarding typefaces and the process that goes behind making any designs. The movie started with designers praising the font “Helvetica”, however, towards the end, we also saw some criticisms about it. I was shocked when Graphic Designer Paula Scher said she is morally opposed to Helvetica due its use during the Vietnam war. It was shocking to me to get close to the world of typefaces and designers, through the film and to realize how serious they are about it. Another part of the movie that is stuck in my head is the derivation of the word “Helvetica”. This movie definitely widened my perspective towards the designing world and different typefaces. I feel a little more educated and interested after watching this indie documentary.
Some of the speakers whose words stood out to me in the entire film are:
Massimo Vignelli
“We think typography is black on white; typography is really white you know, it’s not even black. It is the space between the blacks that really makes it, in a sense it’s like a music, it’s not the notes, it’s the space you put between the notes that makes the music.”
I thought this was a very interesting perspective. It is something that I had never thought of to be honest. Vignelli challenged the normal thinking by saying this. It reminded me of my drawing class where I was shocked to learn about the importance of negative space in a drawing.
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Paula Scher
“If you used Helvetica, that means you were in favor of the Vietnam War”
I thought this quote was quite intense. For a person so new to the world of typefaces, I was shocked by this statement where Scher has such strong feelings for a typeface. For me, Helvetica is just another typeface, but for Scher it is a sensitive topic.
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Erik Spikerman
“It’s air, you know. It’s just there. There’s no choice. You have to breathe, so you have to use Helvetica.”
This quote tells that Helvetica is a default for many designers. Spikerma’s quotes made me realize how Helvetica is used everywhere. Every Fashion brands, grocery store, small stores, big stores; Helvetica can be found anywhere.
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