09.1 / Approach / Practice & Philosophy
09.1 / Creative Review — ‘Studio visits’
From the archives / 26 November 2010 . . .
Mr Smith’s Letterpress Workshop / Iliffe Yard
“In the second of Creative Reviews studio visit films — made in collaboration with Order — we visited the London workshop of independent letterpress typographer Mr Smith.”
This has been a very helpful short film — it was made along time ago now (it seems), and the young guys that made it at Order had just come out of the Royal College of Art — they really got it spot on. It helped launch Mr Smith’s Letterpress Workshop (as it was then) in Iliffe Yard, in Walworth.
I had been in Academia for ten years and I was aiming to inject the rigour of research and teaching design into my own practice. The attention to detail; the questions asked and the slow long shots helped purvey the craft and philosophy I was exploring.
09.2 / Museums at Night — a cultural event
09.3 / Mr Smith’s Rules
A love letter to letterpress.
A glimpse into craftsman Kelvyn Smith’s well-oiled letterpress workshop in South London.
Passionate about the traditional skill, yet updated with a contemporary consideration —
Kelvyn has devised his own personal philosophy ‘Smith’s Rules’ which he incorporates daily into his life and work.
Director & Editor — Gemma Farshi
Director & Editor — Gemma Farshi
DOP — Tom Isherwood
Sound — Nicky Primetica
Music
Down and Around — Podington Bear
published by Victrola Dog
Sneeuwland — Oskar Schuster
published by Bad Panda Records
Filmed at Mr. Smith’s Letterpress Workshop in Kennington South London.
Big thanks to Kelvyn Smith for being so generous with his time.
9.4 / ‘Make! Craft Britain’ — BBC 4
9.5 / Title sequence for ‘Cheerful weather for the wedding’
Beautifully filmed title sequence for ‘Cheerful Weather for the Wedding’ (2012) by John Lee & Teun Hilte at Yellow Knife.
After a specific brief I was asked to design the wedding invitation for the title sequence. Taking into account the period — a simple but elegant centred solution — with a script or two — was an appropriate solution. The typographic flourish comes with the blind de-bossed ornament. They captures incredible close up detail with cast founders logos & type size on the side of the lead type. I wouldn’t normally use tweezers to place type in a line but it worked for the ‘craft’ of the shot. The Golding jobber is the star of the show.
9.6 / Promos
It seemed to be the fashion at the time but Sky TV were interested in finding different visual metaphors to represent their sporting narratives. This example was typical of the style — the workshop used as as setting to introduce the new Manchester City’s manager philosophical approach. The Directors & DOP’s were fascinating characters — always polite, always professional & always respectful.
9.7 / Upside Down / Left to Right
9.8 / The Typography Workshop — London 1994
A short 8 mm film of Alan Kitching at ‘The Typography Workshop in 1995 working on the ‘Printing in London’ Broadsheet. Directed by Mr Smith and filmed by Mr Houghton & Mr Smith.
Starring Mr Kitching and Ms Cleland with cameos from the Clerkenwell Workshops (that were) and the Three Kings public house. Made for Mr Kitching’s lecture at Icograda in Portugal 1995.
It’s a bit slow — the sound quality is very poor & distorted after being transferred a few time — so turn the sound down a little. It was shot on super 8, projected on a screen and filmed on VHS, transferred & edited on analogue U-Matic & somehow a digital version emerged. This is the best digital copy I have.