Antithesis – A 3D Dance Film And Typeface By Yanone

On December 3rd 2012, a crowd funding campaign started for an unusual film project. The young Germany type designer and multimedia artist Yanone is making a dance music film, whose concept is borrowed from his typeface Antithesis. As Yanone is a good friend of the FontFeed and we are a fan of his work, we wholeheartedly support this great project and encourage you to do so too.

Antithesis – Trailer from Yanone on Vimeo.

The Antithesis typeface is Yanone's master project from the type design post-graduate master course Type & Media at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, Netherlands. The type family itself follows an unusual concept – it examines the relation between three unequal poles. Unlike many typefaces released today it does not consist of a plethora of weights following the same construction principle. Antithesis is a family of merely three weights, whose construction differs significantly while adhering to a common form language. The Upright is a sharply cut Slab Serif, the Italic a connected Script, and the Bold a fat Sans Serif – three design principles in an unusual combination.

Yanone, the film maker. Photo by Daniel Scholz

Already during his type design studies in The Hague Yanone had the idea to translate this concept of tension into an art film. In summer 2011 he had an epiphany after talking to friend and Dresden-based dancer and choreographer Johanna Roggan, and several visits to European Psytrance festivals. Yanone set out to produce a dance music film of up to ten minutes in length, putting Johanna into the limelight. Her choreography expresses the plot based on the concept of tension between three poles, the three phases of philosophical dialectic (Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis) and the three phases of the Synthesis of the universe (creation, duration and dissolution) according to Hindu belief.

The film shall also enjoy an extensive 3D production. "I'm most excited about the medium of the 3D film", says the type artist and aspiring film maker, "but disappointed by the major productions' lack of willingness to explore the medium beyond the mere spatiality. Swords and balls flying into the face of the audience can't be it." The idea to then also introduce spatiality into the film music seemed self-evident. The Berlin-based composer and music producer Georg Bauer was excited by the concept and quickly agreed to take on the composition of the music in spatial sound.

Yanone is well aware that the technical aspects will make faithful representation of the movie difficult — 3D-capable playback equipment is far from ubiquitous in average households. "But we'll manage", he comments enthusiastically, "and if needed we'll organize world wide screening in film theatres with suitable equipment to present the film adequately." Weimar-based 3D expert Alexander Stephan will provide assistance in the 3D production. Stephan recently concluded his studies with an impressive 3D music video for the singing duo Sunfish.

The film will be funded through the increasingly successful method of crowdfunding, mass donations by contributors from around the world via platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. "I'm aware", says Yanone, "that especially with art films crowdfunding can't be taken for granted." So he decided to tip the scales to his advantage a little. On top of the printed film posters he wants to give away the digital Antithesis typeface as a perk for the contributions. A great opportunity for designers and Typophiles to snatch the typeface for a fraction of its future value. "By giving away the typeface I'll lose many future buyers of the typeface, but at least I can carry the production costs of the film", hopes Yanone.

On December 3rd 2012, the crowd funding phase started on the international platform Indiegogo. More information about the typeface and film project will be presented regularly on the project's web site Antithesis.de.

This winter Yanone will put the finishing touches to the typeface, so he can send it to the contributors soon. In summer 2013 he will produce the film with his team and post-produce it in fall. Towards the end of 2013, a good year after the crowd funding ends, the film will be released via the internet and presented on organized screenings. At the same time the Antithesis typeface will be put on the market exclusively via the FontShop network.