More iTunes blow-by-blow: first Helvetica had to kick 27 Dresses to the curb last week en route to our peak at #10 on the overall iTunes movie sales chart. But no other film has even dared challenge our #1 documentary position, until now: Martin Scorcese’s Rolling Stones concert film Shine a Light has rocketed up to the #2 documentary spot, and I can smell Keith Richard’s breath from here…

Bring it on, old timers. Bring it on.

First off, I want to thank all of you for your support during the making and release of Helvetica. The last two years have been quite an adventure, and it was my privilege to have you along with me. So I’m hoping you’re up for joining me on another adventure: Objectified, my forthcoming documentary feature about industrial design. It’s about the manufactured objects we surround ourselves with, and the people who make them. It’s about the world of creativity behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets, featuring some of the world’s most influential industrial designers. It’s also about consumerism, sustainability, and identity.

I’ve launched a new website and blog for the film here:

http://www.objectifiedfilm.com

I’ve been lucky enough to find a fantastic group of designers and design experts for the film so far:

Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art, New York)
Chris Bangle (BMW Group, Munich)
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Paris)
Andrew Blauvelt (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis)
Anthony Dunne (London)
Naoto Fukasawa (Tokyo)
IDEO (Palo Alto)
Jonathan Ive (Apple, California)
Hella Jongerius (Rotterdam)
Marc Newson (London/Paris)
Fiona Raby (London)
Dieter Rams (Kronberg, Germany)
Karim Rashid (New York)
Alice Rawsthorn (International Herald Tribune)
Rob Walker (New York Times Magazine)
and more participants TBA

The film will premiere in early 2009; in the meantime on the 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.

Thanks again for your support, and I hope you’ll enjoy the new film!

Cheers,

-Gary

Okay, I’m starting to obsess over this. Helvetica is already the #1 documentary on iTunes, but it’s now reached #19 on the total movie sales chart. That’s for all 2,500+ movies on there, not just documentaries. We just passed 10,000 B.C. and In Bruges. Next up, 27 Dresses. You’re going down, Katherine Heigl!

Download Helvetica from iTunes and help prove that an indie font documentary can trounce the Hollywood megapix!

Update 7/18, 9:15pm EST: We moved up to #17 and bumped Heigl down. But then she came back, and we dropped to #21. And now it looks like Juno is makin’ a move on us!

Update 7/19, 11:00am EST: We’ve moved back up to #19 and vanquished Heigl to #25. Must. Stop. Looking. At. These. Charts…

Guess which font film is available as a digital download from iTunes, as of yesterday? You guessed it. And guess which font film is already the the #1 documentary on iTunes? Right again. Eminem, Shmeminem. iTunes users, download Helvetica to your computer or your tiny mobile device. Or watch the trailer on iTunes (which looks surprisingly good) and get more info.

Apparently Mr. Moore has selected Helvetica to screen at his Traverse City Film Festival in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, later this month! The film will be shown there Wednesday, July 30, at the Milliken Auditorium. Get more info.