A documentary full of good solutions and knowledge films on graphic design and art, are an important resource for broadening horizons. They are an inspiration for any graphic designer or artist. The films presented cover a wide range of areas and are intended to provide mental stimulation and the desire to create. From graphic design and logos, to the Bauhaus revolution, industrial design and typography.
The Happy Film
Stefan Sagmeister used science to find out whether people can influence their own happiness. In a documentary he called The Happy Film, conducting 3 controlled trials of meditation, psychotherapy and the antidepressant Lexapro under expert supervision, and being evaluated. But real life creeps in and messes up the process: art and design, death, sex, friendship and love are proof that they are impossible to untangle. Very interesting, I recommend watching it.
Source: https://www.thehappyfilm.org/
IMDB: 7.5 / 10
Abstract - The Art of Design
Films about graphic design and art, starting with Abstract - The Art of Design. It provides an insight into the minds of the most innovative designers in different disciplines. It offers insights into how design influences every aspect of life. The full series is available on Netflix and the video introduces Paula Scher: Graphic Design.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/80057883
IMDB: 8.4 / 10
The Creative Brain
Neuroscientist David Eagleman touches on the creative process of different innovators, while exploring mentally challenging and risky ways to stimulate creativity. A fascinating tour.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/81090128
IMDB: 6.3 / 10
Jeremy Scott - The People's Designer
This documentary follows the journey of a fashion designer called Jeremy Scott. From humble roots on a farm in Missouri to creative director of Moschino.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/80064521
IMDB: 6.5 / 10
The 100 Years Show
Carmen Herrera is a Cuban-American abstract, minimalist visual artist and painter who has enjoyed artistic success and fame that has literally taken a lifetime to reach.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/80106609
IMDB: 7.4 / 10
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
Actors, crew members and others who were there discuss the unfortunate production of the last, unfinished film Orson Welles, The Other Side of the Wind. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 30 August 2018. It was released on Netflix on 2 November 2018.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/80124722
IMDB: 7.4 / 10
Print the Legend
This award-winning original documentary describes the race for market leadership in 3D printing, the next wave of technological development.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/80005444
IMDB: 7.0 / 10
Helvetica
Helvetica is an independent feature film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the expansion of one typeface as part of a wider conversation about how type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the typefaces that inhabit them, and an ongoing discussion with renowned designers about their work, their creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. The Helvetica documentary covers the world of design, advertising, psychology and communication, and invites us to take another look at the thousands of words we see every day. I recommend watching it as it is an inspiration for any graphic designer or artist.
Source: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/helvetica3
IMDB: 7.2 / 10
Objectified
Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who make them. It is a look at creativity at work, from toothbrushes to technical gadgets. It is about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and reinvent our built environment on a daily basis. It's about personal expression, identity, consumerism and sustainability.
Source: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/objectified/
IMDB: 7.1 / 10
Urbanised
Urbanised is a documentary on urban design that explores the issues and strategies behind urban design, featuring some of the world's most important architects, planners, policy-makers, builders and thinkers.
Source: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/urbanized2
IMDB: 7.3 / 10
Why Man Creates
Why Man Creates (Why Man Creates) is a 1968 animated short documentary film that discusses the nature of creativity. It was written by Saul Bass and Mayo Simon, directed by Saul Bass. He won Oscar for Best Documentary Short. An abridged version was even published in the first broadcast of CBS's 60 Minutes on 24 September 1968.
Source: https://youtu.be/ONVZ8AH4yKc
IMDB: 7.3 / 10
The Artist Series
Artist Series is a series of videos created by Hillman Curtis, featuring leading designers and design studios. The series takes an in-depth look at the work and processes of the Pentagram design company and names famous designers such as David Carson, Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister and James Victore.
Source: https://vimeo.com/19330103
IMDB: /
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Exit Through the Gift Shop is a 2010 British documentary film directed by street artist Banksy. It tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, and his obsession with street art. The film shows Guetta's constant documentation of his every waking moment on film, from a chance encounter with his cousin, the artist Invader, to his introduction to a number of street artists, focusing on Shepard Fairey and Banksy, whose anonymity is preserved by obscuring their faces and changing their voices, to Guetta's ultimate fame as a street artist himself.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqVXThss1z4
IMDB: 8.0 / 10
Art and Copy
Filmmaker Doug Pray explores the fascinating and sometimes mysterious world of advertising in this compelling documentary.
Source: https://www.netflix.com/title/70112738
IMDB: 6.9 / 10
Logorama
This is a short film directed by the French animation collective H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy + Ludovic Houplain. It was presented at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, it opened the Sundance and in 2010 received the Academy Award in the Animated Short Film category.
Source: https://vimeo.com/10149605
IMDB: 7.5 / 10
Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century
Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century, a 1994 documentary, follows the development of the movement Bauhaus from its founding in Weimar by Walter Gropius, to the Bauhaus school in Dessau, to its last stand in an abandoned factory in Berlin. Like many aspects of life in Germany in the first half of the twentieth century, the Bauhaus was influenced by the political situation in the country - its life cycle mirrors that of the Weimar Republic. The Berlin-born architect Walter Gropius, formulated his ideas on simplified design with an altruistic ideology, after serving in the army during the First World War.
Source: https://youtu.be/yuaGN45mLu0
IMDB: 7.3 / 10
Design & Thinking
Films on graphic design end with a documentary Design & Thinking. Exploring the idea design thinking. It is one of the few documentaries on design and certainly the first on the impact of design thinking on the world.Interviews include names such as Tim Brown, Roger Martin, Bill Moggridge, David Kelley and other leading design thinkers. Forbes selected as one of the “design documentaries you don't want to miss and must see”. Design & Thinking has been screened at over 400 events in 40 countries, including Google, Microsoft, Target, Harvard University, Northwestern University, UC Berkeley and others.
Source: http://designthinkingmovie.com/#watchnow
IMDB: 6.1 / 10
Final word
I hope you enjoy this article Films about graphic design and art help raise the level of creativity or trigger a thought process about the importance of investing in a quality design solution.
