Screenings and More Screenings!
April 6th, 2012
More Screenings Around the World
After our initial round of about a dozen screenings around the United States, we are very excited to announce 11 new screening dates including our first international screening in London, England on April 26th.
If you live in or near Detroit, Champaign, IL, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York City, Springfield, MO, Portland, ME, Lancaster, PA, London, England, Baltimore, MD, San Francisco or Brighton, England - get more info and your tickets on our screenings page.
Update from the Screening Tour
February 25th, 2012
It has been a busy few weeks since the world premiere of the film in New York City! The film has screened in six different cities to sold out crowds and an enthusiastic response.
NYC World Premiere
The world premiere at the SVA Theatre went fantastically well. There were 400 people in attendance and the Q&A moderated by Steven Heller was great. We had people travel from as far away as Ohio, Florida, and Missouri to see the film.
People Like the Film!
The response to the film has been overwhelmingly positive and we are so excited that people are loving the film as much as we love it. Many people have been surprised at the funny and charming characters that make up our film and we couldn't be more proud.
Screenings and DVD Release
In the coming months, the film will be screened all over the world. Hopefully, it will come to a city near you. For those who live where the film will not screen, DVDs will be released in the early summer.
Major Film Update
January 16th, 2012
Final Edit Complete
After months of countless hours of editing, the final edit of the film is complete! We have sent the edit to be color corrected and the audio to be mastered. This final process will ensure that the film looks consistent and polished throughout.
World Premiere & Screenings
Our world premiere of the film is February 3rd at the SVA Theatre in New York City. A few days later, the film will screen in Boston and other east coast cities. Tickets are on sale now on our screenings page and more will be added very soon.
Official Trailer
We have released our official trailer for the film! Visit our clips page to see it.
Website Revisions
We have added a resources page that will become a hub for Linotype information in the future. We also launched a new shop and to celebrate, you can use discount code "Mergenthaler" for 30% everything in the shop this week only.
All News is Good News
December 4th, 2011
We apologize for the long delay between updates, but this can mean only one thing – we are busy editing the film! Slowly but surely we are bringing footage, music and graphics together to make the film. Editing is a long and difficult process similar to putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle without knowing what the final picture looks like.
We are very excited to announce that the world premiere of the film will be February 3, 2012 in New York City. This will start a screening tour that will span across the United States and into other parts of the world. Additional screening dates and locations and will be announced soon.
The photo above is a shot of what the film looks like in Final Cut Pro. It's is pretty boring looking at the moment, but we promise it will look great once we are finished!
16mm Films Digitized
Oct 10th, 2011
About a month ago, we were entrusted with a stack of original 16mm films from the Mergenthaler Linotype Company.
These films were educational and sales films for the Linotype company and were given to us by someone we interviewed for the film. He had received the films from the person that had purchased all of the assets of the Linotype hot metal company when it went out of business.
Through your generous help, we have successfully digitized all of the films to save for future generations. Above are a few screen shots of the films. We will be releasing more information about the films in the future.
A Special Offer
September 7th, 2011
We have been given seven 16mm educational films from the Mergenthaler Linotype Company from the 1950s and '60s. They are the original films that were sent out to educate people on how different aspects of the Linotype work. Our director has created a short video here.
As far as we know, these are the only remaining films in the world and we want to help preserve them for the next generation. Any money received over our goal will help fund sending these to a telecine where they will be digitized.
Please support our Kickstarter Project which has about 48 hours left.
The Final Push Kickstarter Project
August 10th, 2011
We are excited to announce a second Kickstarter project to help us cover post-production expenses. We need your help with the expenses of editing, color-correction, sound mixing, motion graphics, music acquisition and archival footage.
With your help, we can deliver the highest quality production possible. Please click here to learn more about becoming involved with our project.
125th Anniversary of the Linotype
July 3rd, 2011
Today is a very special day – not only in the history of the Linotype, but also in the history of communication and technology.
On this date in 1886, the German clockmaker, Ottmar Mergenthaler demonstrated the first Linotype Type Casting Machine at the New York Tribune in New York City, USA. In front of a gathering of printers, newspaper men and reporters, the machine was first put in to production, casting lines of printable type for the Tribune.
At this demonstration, Mergenthaler sat at the machine and cast the first line of type. It is alleged that Whitelaw Reid, the owner of the Tribune, exclaimed "Ottmar! You've done it! A line of type!" A reporter asked what the new machine was called and Reid replied, "Why yes, we do have a name. We are going to call it the Linotype."
This simple demonstration was the culmination of 10 years of extremely hard work by Mergenthaler. His genius and skills were put to the task of inventing a machine that would revolutionize the world. His Linotype sped up the production of printable type and singlehandedly caused the biggest revolution in printing and communication since Gutenberg.
It can be said that the Linotype was the "Twitter of 1886″ for it sped up the spread of information at a dramatic rate. Without the Linotype, news and information moved slowly, but now, people could read the news within hours of the event. Due to the speed and low cost of printing, literacy dramatically increased as more and more books and newspapers were published.
So let us always remember July 3rd, the genius inventor, Ottmar Mergenthaler and his fascinating machine that revolutionized the world.
Wrapping up Principal Photography
June 1st, 2011
This has been an amazing six months of travel and extremely hard work to locate and film all of the different angles and stories for the film. Our excitement for the film has been matched by the people we have interviewed and we couldn't think of a better way to have it.
Many have been asking about the timing of the film, so here is what we know: after we finish our filming today in Washington D.C., we have only one small shoot left and then we will wrap official production. We will spend the next four or five months editing the film before we release it in late 2011 – just in time to honor the 125th anniversary of the Linotype.
As we wrap up principal photography, we start the next great and difficult part of this journey: post-production. This is where we will edit the hundreds of hours of footage into a coherent story and portrait of the Linotype and the people that love the machine. This will take many months and much time sitting in a dark room with a computer – not as glamourous as it sounds, trust us.
Although we could probably continue filming indefinitely, we feel extremely confident that we have been thorough in the locations and people that we have filmed. From barns in Iowa to foreign countries, we have met amazing people and they have shared with us intimate stories of this crazy machine.
Thanks so much for your interest in the film, it still excites us.
Footage Preview Events
May 6th, 2011
Although we are still in production and filming, we are excited to announce the first public sneak peeks of the film. These events are the first opportunities for the public to see our new footage.
Our director, Doug will be speaking at the Brand Perfect Tour in London, Hamburg and New York City in May and June. In addition to talking about technology's impact on typography, he will be showing an extended trailer with exclusive new footage and interviews.
Doug will also be giving a presentation entitled "The Linotype and the Second Revolution in Printing" at TYPO Berlin in May. During the presentation, he will talk about the history and impact of the Linotype and show new footage.
If you can make it out to any of these events, please make sure to say "hello" to Doug and give him a high-five to show your support.
Spring Update
April 8th, 2011
We've a busy next few months as we wrap up filming with trips to the midwest, Boston, Washington D.C. and Germany on the calendar. We are also starting rough editing of our footage next week. It is exciting to see everything coming together piece by piece.
Although we will never be able to tell every single story related to the Linotype, we have collected some amazing footage that we can't wait to show you. People have come out of the woodwork to share about their lives with the Linotype. We are constantly encouraged by the support that we receive and we thank you for your interest in our little film.
This week, we shot at Tim Trower's shop in Springfield, Missouri for some planned motion graphics sequences that will help explain how the machine works. We had to use a giant yellow backdrop (see above image) and move hundreds of pounds of lead to get just the right shot. Although the shoot was planned for five hours, it ended up taking closer to 11 – but we think it will be worth the extra effort.
We are often asked when the final film will be finished, and although nothing is official, we are still planning for a late-fall release. As these dates get closer, we will start announcing the first screenings of the film. If you are interested in hosting a screening of the film, please visit the Screenings page for more information.
As always, for the most up-to-date film news, follow us on Twitter.
Production & Filming Update
February 22nd, 2011
During the last few months, we have been traveling across the United States filming interviews and getting stories for the film. We have been getting great footage and we can't wait to share it with you.
We will soon be filming in the Boston area and in April, we will be traveling again, so if you don't hear much from us it is because we are busy making the film.
Please note that we have launched our Web Shop. If you have ever wondered what a line-o-type felt like or you have a bare wall that needs covering, please check out the shop. All proceeds go directly to fund the film, so this is a great way to support the film and get something fun in return.