Typefaces, Cinema, and the Depiction of the Future Matthew Standley GRPH 223 Spring 2015
Cinema has identifiable typographic trends when portraying the future and high technology. It also identifiably escapes those trends for artistic purposes.
In representing the future, most often geometric sans serif typefaces are used.
One of the most frequently used typefaces is the geometric sans serif Eurostile. This typeface, or variant fonts, can often be seen in title cards, posters, computer displays, signage, and credits.
The first stage of Eurostile’s production was in 1952, when the geometric sans serif Microgramma was developed. Microgramma was an uppercase only display font developed for the Italian type foundry Nebiolo by Alessandro Butti and Aldo Novarese
Microgramma itself has frequently been used in cinema. It is almost identical to Eurostile and difficult to differentiate at a casual glance. The most salient difference is flattened cruxes underneath the shoulders in letters like “M” and “N”.
Eurostile was created in 1962 byAldo Novarese for Nebiolo. Eurostile was developed with the intention of being a symbol for modern times. The shapes were inspired by the lines of modern architecture and the outline of contemporary windows and television screens.
The typeface quickly became associated with the space program and high technology through its use in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey� (1968) and the mission patches used on some of the Apollo space flights.
The typeface has been used extensively in cinema ever since. Some modern uses in cinema include signage in “Wall-E” (2008) and the “Star Trek” films (1979-2013).
Eurostile was very nearly the only typeface used in “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014) and “Moon” (2009).
An ancestor of Eurostile was the geometric sans serif typeface Bank Gothic developed by Morris Fuller Benton in 1930 for American Type Founders. Another uppercase only design, small caps were added during digitization in the 1980s.
The boxy, precise shape of Bank Gothic lends itself to fictional computer displays.
Typically, less stylized geometric sans serif typefaces are used for posters and title cards. Futura is seen in the posters for “Gravity” (2013), “Solaris” (2002) and “Alien” (1979). This early geometric sans serif was developed in 1927 and its long and even strokes suggest mechanical precision.
Futura (Heavy) is used for the notable gradual fade-in title card of “Alien�.
Gill Sans, developed by Eric Gill for Monotype in 1927, can be seen in the title cards for “Prometheus” (2012) and “Gattaca” (1997) and the poster for “Moon”
Gill Sans provides almost all the narrative text in “2001:A Space Odyssey�. The thoroughly British Gill Sans compliments the production, filmed in England with a British author, Arthur C. Clarke, and a noted anglophile American director, Stanley Kubrick.
“Alien� departed from genre conventions. Instead of a clean, idealized future setting,the spaceship used as the primary setting seems dirty and lived-in. The intention was to portray everyman working Joes in space. The typeface used for signage is dependable, everyday Helvetica.
Helvetica also appears for a closing title card and credits in “Robocop” (1987). This contrasts the opening title which features a stylized, metallic version of the typeface Orbitron.
The story of “Robocop” is a loyal civil servant exerting his humanity despite the dehumanizing strictures placed upon him. After he achieves this in the film, the final title card is Helvetica, a sans serif, civil service font with notable organic curves powering through a staid shape.
When used in futuristic science fiction serif typefaces are often hallmarks of basic humanity and identity overcoming the threat of technology. “Gattaca” uses Baskerville, a Transitional typeface dating to 1757, for its poster. The theme of “Gattaca” is that the human spirit is indomitable and can overcome the technological conflict of the film, a dystopic-caste system based around genetic engineering.
Didot is used as the title typeface for “Interstellar� (2014). Didot is a striking and dazzling modern serif typeface dating back to the 18th century. Though the film is a hightech adventure through space to save humanity, the main character only succeeds because of his devotion to his family.
In contrast to the stylized typeface used for the title on the poster for “Blade Runner� 1982, a serif font is used in the film itself.
Goudy Old Style, developed by Frederic Goudy in 1915, is used for the title card, credits, establishing text, and opening crawl. The story of Blade Runner involved replicants, artificial people, being hunted down and destroyed. Replicants not only pass for humans, but truly have human desires, emotions, and fears.
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