Expressive Typography

Last week in class, as an introduction to our project, we began looking at expressive typography.
While we see expressive typography all the time these days in commercials and advertisements, I was impressed by the simple and intelligent way Chermayeff and Geismar were able to manipulate words to show their meaning more clearly in their book, Watching Words Move. 

I went in search of more examples on-line and came across these that I particularly liked:

http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/meaningful-typography-logos

I think this is a good example of a simple but effective was to visually portray a word. Just by altering the letter 'A' slightly, the designer was able to add an additional layer to the viewer's understanding of the word. I am drawn to the simplicity and how changing one small element can make such an impact. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dornickdesigns/6644761385/

The introduction to Watching Words Move mentioned a few early examples of expressive typography, among which was A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. While I was unable to find many good images of his original 1926 book, this particular page I think shows some expressive type in the simple way that the elongation of the text highlights the height of the tree. 

http://www.tdc.org/archives/2174/

I also came across Saul Steinberg, whose work I had never seen before. I thought this image showed type with a lot of expression. The artist is able to send his message so clearly, that behind all the man's fancy talk, the real underlying subliminal message he is sending is no. 

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Guimares-JAZZ-2009/327267

I particularly like the way this set of posters uses movement of type to express the flow of the jazz music it advertises. I think it makes the text connect better on an additional level to the meaning of the posters. 

The Great Dictator's closing speech:

For our newest project, we were to choose a powerful speech in order to learn about and work with kinetic and expressive typography. 
I chose the famous speech from Charlie Chaplin's film "The Great Dictator":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX25PDBb708

After choosing our speeches, we did some research in order to better understand their meaning:

_ Who is speaking?

Charlie Chaplin is speaking as the character Omler, the protagonist, in the movie The Great Dictator.


_ Why was/is the speech important to society?


The speech makes the point that the human spirit and what makes us human is of upmost importance. Chaplin chose to conclude his film with this speech, looking straight into the camera and professing his personal beliefs and political views. The speech condemns fascism and the Nazis and those who take power away from the people.

_ Why do you feel it is important or interesting?


I think it is a reminder of the importance of humanity, what it means to be human, and how important it is to hold on to our humanity in spite of everything. But ultimately it makes the point that we are innately good and have the potential for freedom and beauty and happiness.

_ What is the emotion, mood, tone, personality, feeling of the speech?

I think it has a tone of optimism, that despite our struggles, we the people will ultimately prevail against all odds. It feels hopeful, offering encouragement.


_ What is intonation, emphasis, what is loud, stressed, or soft. Where are there pauses?

The speech has quite a build-up, beginning in a softer tone and becoming very impassioned. In terms of pauses, they are frequent but very short, with only a couple long ones.


_ What do you FEEL should be loud or soft, long pause or rushed?

It is overall an urgent speech and therefore it makes sense for the oration to be loud and fast-paced. It carries a powerful message, so the delivery should be equally as powerful. 


_ Is there a call to action? When listening to it what are key/emphasized words?


I think there is a call to action, because the speech is ultimately a plea for democracy, rousing the people against tyranny. Some of the most heavily emphasized words are men, liberty, you, and people.

_ How does it make you feel?


It makes me feel proud of the fact that we have defeated those dictators and gives me a feeling of gratitude that I have freedom and liberty. It also gives me a feeling of great hope when he says that each and every person has the power to make life beautiful.

_ How do imagine that the audience felt?


This film was met with some controversy when it came out in 1940, and was even banned in many parts of Europe. The United States was still formally at peace with Germany at the time of the film's first release. I think people listening to this speech at that time would have had a very different reaction to it than we do today. They were still in the midst of war and had not yet become fully aware of the atrocities committed by Hitler, so Chaplin made a bold move with his strong statement against dictatorial regimes. 

_ Could there be another interpretation of the speech?


The film is described as 'a satirical attack on fascism'. I think the message is fairly clear, though some might take the message and put it on a new level by applying it to our modern times, which would not have been Chaplin’s intention. Near the end of the speech Chaplin criticizes those who have risen to power who lie and don’t fulfill their promises. He was referring to the rulers of his time, but some might find this applicable to modern politicians. The speech drew significant debate at that time for its overt preaching, and continues to attract attention today. 

_ Write/find a short bio of the person giving the speech

Charles Chaplin was born in 1889 in England and died 1977 in Switzerland. His working life in entertainment spanned over 75 years. Chaplin became a global icon and was one of the first international film stars. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era and is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema.