- Jul 28
18
Let’s get Objectified
Greetings, and welcome to the site. Objectified is a documentary about industrial design; it’s about the manufactured objects we surround ourselves with, and the people who make them. On an average day, each of us uses hundreds of objects. (Don’t believe it? Start counting: alarm clock, light switch, faucet, shampoo bottle, toothbrush, razor…) Who makes all these things, and why do they look and feel the way they do? All of these objects are “designed,” but how can good design make them, and our lives, better?
One reason that I’m delving into the world of objects in this film is that I, admittedly, am obsessed by them. Why do I salivate over a shiny new piece of technology, or obsess over a 50-year-old plywood chair? What does all the stuff I accumulate say about me, and do I really need any of it in the first place?
Those of you who followed the making of my first film, Helvetica, know that the reason I make these films is not that I have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter. I wasn’t an expert on graphic design, and I’m certainly not an expert on industrial design. But they’re both fields that fascinate me, and that I want to learn more about. I’m interested in industrial designers because their work influences so many aspects of our world yet most of the time it’s taken for granted. And I think that, especially today, it’s crucial for us to re-examine how we make and use consumer products at every level.
And if you could get all of these designers and design experts together at a dinner party, what would they talk about? This film will hopefully represent that conversation. I’ve been lucky to be able to include an amazing group of participants in the film so far, and I sincerely thank them all for their time and knowledge.
The term objectified has two meanings. One is ‘to be treated with the status of a mere object.’ But the other is ‘something abstract expressed in a concrete form,’ as in the way a sculpture objectifies an artist’s thoughts. It’s the act of transforming creative thought into a tangible object, which is what designers in this film do every day. But maybe there’s a third meaning to this title, regarding the ways these objects are affecting us and our environment. Have we all become objectified?
The film will premiere in early 2009; in the meantime on this blog we’ll be discussing the issues covered in the film, posting still photos from the shoots, and video excerpts as we finish the movie. I hope it’ll be something you’ll enjoy watching.
Cheers!
Gary
July 28th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Michael C. Place says:
Looking forward to seeing the finished film.
Good luck Gary.
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Michael
July 28th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Angela Cluer says:
If it’s anything like Helvetica, can’t wait!
Just curious about how you determined which industrial designers to showcase in your film.
Angela
July 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Rick Umali says:
Glad to hear about this new project, and I look forward to it. I am also glad to see IDEO on the list of designers. I had the chance to hear Tom Kelley, a manager and author from IDEO, speak at a recent conference. He gave us ideas for how IDEO continues to be innovative.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
nita orozco says:
love it love it love it….
July 28th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Michael Geary says:
Consider this a pre-order!!!
July 28th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Patrice says:
Great site Gary. I really enjoyed Helvetica when I first saw the screening in San Francisco. Very much looking forward to this one.
July 28th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
mattyohe says:
Sounds like a great project. Only wish Don Norman was on board.
July 28th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
DT says:
Great to see this and am excited on its release. However I did noticed a serious lack of viewpoints from Asian designers. As it is now, I think this would biased the film towards the usual designer suspects from the west, the majority of which the world already know a lot about. They are the so called “design superstars”.
Asian design will be a strong player in the next 5-10 years or less, and I would have liked to see a revolutionary film such as this, cover a truly global view of design.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would be interested in some recommendations or viewpoints of designers trying to make a difference in the East.
Regards
dt
July 29th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Fei says:
Brilliant!!! Great projects, so will the next film talk about Architecture or…? no worries, I’m just kidding :) I’ve already satisfied with these two subjects. I’m a graphic designer by the way…
July 29th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Benjamin A. Wendelboe says:
I - as everyone else, it seems - loved Helvetica, and it’ll be tough to follow, but the synopsis for this one seems great.. Sooo hoping for another special edition DVD..
July 29th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Matt Marrocco says:
Finally.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:40 am
rouss says:
Sounds great! Being a fan of your previous work, can’t wait for this one.
You certainly should ask Mr. Rams about his thoughst on Apple industrial design and how had he influenced on Jonathan Ive’s masterpieces.
Cheers
July 29th, 2008 at 6:55 am
gary says:
Thanks everyone!
The quick answers:
Mattyohe - Don Norman is awesome. I sort of have the same problem as I did in Helvetica though… way too many amazing people out there in ID to possibly fit into one film. We’ll see…
DT - Ditto. Asian design and designers definitely factor into our discussion in the film. I think Naoto Fukasawa is doing some amazing work. And if we felt we had to showcase a designer from each country in the world with an active design scene/history, we’d only be able to spend a minute with each person. This isn’t that kind of film.
rouss - I did. And he responded. And you’re going to have to wait for the film to come out to hear it!
Cheers,
-Gary
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:51 am
Mike Rohde says:
Gary, I loved Helvetica and am looking forward to Objectified as well. Keep up the great work!
August 4th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
df says:
Gary,
I sincerely hope Richard Sapper makes an appearance in the film. He’s an ID legend.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_03/b4067038197222.htm
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/10/richard_sapper/index_01.htm
http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A5162&page_number=1&template_id=6&sort_order=1
August 8th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
JDM says:
Hi Gary, congratulations on a wonderful idea for a film.
I hope you are talking to ‘Robert Brunner’ former Director of Industrial Design at Apple and Partner at Pentagram.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Brunner
http://ammunitiongroup.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Do-You-Matter-Design-Company/dp/0137142447/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218261590&sr=8-1
November 10th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Walter says:
i have seen helvetica so many times. great work! will this new film include swedish industrial design. they are well - known for it. Volvo, SAAB, Electrolux, ABB, Sony Ericsson….. TETRAPAK,,,,, so many.
Best Regards,
W
November 11th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Walter says:
i forgot to mention IKEA.
Regards,
W