Making Faces – Metal Type in the 21st century
Als ich Richard Kegler, Gründer von P22, auf der TYPO Berlin dieses Jahr getroffen habe, erzählte er mir von seinen Projekten. Er meinte, die Digitalisierung von Schrift mache ihm Spaß, aber er sehe sich selbst mittlerweile mehr an der Druckmaschine stehen und wieder in guter alter Manier Bücher per Hand drucken ... und dabei bekam er leuchtende Augen.
Er erzählte mir von Jim Rimmer, der ihm ein guter Freund gewesen war und Anfang des Jahres verstarb. Jim war möglicherweise die einzige Person, die eine Schrift sowohl digital als auch als Bleisatz veröffentlichte. Richard war total begeistert davon und begann vor ca. 2 Jahren eine Dokumentation über Jims Arbeit zu drehen. Der Film ist allerdings noch nicht beendet und die Finanzierung ist/war schwierig.
Aus diesem Grund hat Richard das Kickstarter-Projekt in die Welt gerufen. Hier kann man die DVD vorbestellen und je nach Budget das Projekt unterstützen. In ein paar Stunden läuft offiziell die Zeit ab, die sich Richard Kegler zum Erreichen des finanziellen Polsters gesteckt hat – und es sieht so aus, als würde die DVD nun wirklich produziert :) Als Vorgeschmack gibt es einen Trailer (auf YouTube Deutschland wurde er leider entfernt wegen verschiedener Nutzungsrechte).
Herzlichen Glückwunsch und ich freue mich auf den Film!
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Two years ago i shot footage (in HD video) for a documentary on possibly the only person who designed and fabricated fonts in both digital and metal formats. This person, Jim Rimmer, has died this year and this delayed project is in need of finishing. My commitments to starting a book arts center and making it work in one of the poorest cities in America has taken more of my time and resources than ever imagined.
With additional funds I can secure finishing assistance and be able to produce the film and schedule screenings as well as produce a DVD that will be made available via documentary and educational channels.
The trailer for the film was made with an optimistic target release of Spring 2009. The trailer can be seen on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
This project has a dual goal of documenting the almost-lost skill of creating metal fonts and of capturing the personality and work process specifically of practitioner the late Canadian graphic artist Jim Rimmer (1931-2010). P22 type foundry commissioned Mr. Rimmer to create a new type design (Stern) that became the first-ever simultaneous release of a digital font and, hand-set metal font in 2008. The skills needed to create a metal font are known by very few people and Mr. Rimmer was generous to a fault when it came to sharing his knowledge. Considering that Jim Rimmer was possibly the only individual who designed and cast typefaces in metal as well as in digital format, this opportunity to document the processes of the historic with the contemporary would not present itself again.
This documentary was begun with a minimal budget but with expectations of a final edited film in Hi-Def digital video that would be accessible and useful for typography professionals and graphic arts schools and to a more general audience interested in motivation and obsession of a fascinating, esoteric and culturally omnipresent field of work. The final film on DVD is planned to be screened at festivals, graphic arts conferences and made available to schools, other interested organizations, individuals and broadcast outlets.
The home stretch in finishing this film is primarily making the time and securing additional assistance in tightening up some detail. Then it will be ready for the world. The lack of firm obligations to backers or release dates made this a hazy obligation. Every kickstarter backer for this project will now be my motivation to have the obligation to get this project finished. Many levels of pledge rewards will provide a pre order opportunity
Thank you
Richard Kegler
Project location: Buffalo, NY
