I had the pleasure of seeing a film by Eric Bricker last year at the Tivoli Center in Denver. The film was about the life and work of national treasure Julius Schulman, who’s photographs have educated us on the beauty of Mid-century architecture. Recently I was reminded of the film when it popped up on my Netflix suggestions. I’ve watched it several times since then.
Not only was the subject matter of the film beautiful and informative, but the graphics and typography employed in telling the story were also a joy. Trollbaeck and Company did a fantastic job with the animation and design. I love the simplicity of the first animation sequence (right after the opening titles), the way the photos open up to one another. It’s such a simple idea, but such a fantastic effect, and it features Schulman’s photos with a wonderful dynamism.The film is narrated by Dustin Hoffman. Bricker told some great stories about Schulman and the film during the Q&A at the Tivoli, and it was fun to hear how they got Hoffman to agree to the project.
If you have the chance to see Visual Acoustics on a large screen, I would highly advise you to do so. Schulman’s photographs at such a grand size are a wonderful thing to behold. If you can’t make it to an actual screening (and even if you do), buy the DVD. It’s worth having in your permanent collection.
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