New typography movie

Lovers of the Helvetica film will be excited about another typography movie now in production, entitled simply Typeface.

Produced by the same team who brought us Hoop Dreams, Typeface explores the past and present of Wisconsin’s Hamilton Type Foundry, which in its 1900s heyday was one of the largest manufacturers of wood type. Now it’s a museum — but a living one, where design enthusiasts can actually use their more than 1.5 million pieces of wood type to set and print with.

Aside from its font freak appeal, Typeface will be an interesting case study about disappearing trades and technologies, and their place in the digital era.

While eagerly awaiting the trailer, check out the gallery, and help support the film’s completion with a donation.

Typeface, a film by Justine Nagan

Further linkage: see type designer Mark Simonson’s annotated museum slideshow, visit the official Hamilton Museum site, browse Veer’s digital versions (and descendants) of wood type.