Stefan Sagmeister is making a movie, and he needs your help.

The prolific New York designer has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund “The Happy Film,” which follows Sagmeister’s quest to become happier over a period of nine months, as judged by a team of scientists and health professionals. Sagmeister seems to take the act of self-reflection as a necessary part of the creative process, given his predilection to it, but “The Happy Film” will be the first time the Austrian-born designer has applied empirical analysis to the process.

Details on the campaign, below.

There’s only about eight days left to donate to the movie, which takes Sagmeister as its test subject, leading him through a series of treatments and tests meant to make him happier. It’s a subject most people can relate to, since most of our adult lives (and incomes) are spent pursuing objects and experiences meant to make us “happier” (usually with little to no success). According to Kickstarter:

“The Happy Film” centers around our main subject, Stefan Sagmeister, a New York-based graphic designer known for his rock n roll collaborations and typography. In the course of a year, Sagmeister will experiment with various practices that are widely touted as increasing one’s happiness: meditation, cognitive therapy, and pharmaceuticals.

The documentary will test these various methods during 3 x 3-month experiment periods.  The production team will work closely with a group of health professionals to properly assess Sagmeister’s well-being. Our health partners will monitor Stefan prior to the experiments, as well as participate in occasional check-ups during the course of our 9-month study.

Head over to Kickstarter to donate. Among the donation prizes are $50 a random phone call to cheer you up, $500 an Austrian beer and sausage tasting party, a $5,000 branding workshop, and a $7,500 flight and lecture from Stefan, anywhere within the US.

by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan

posted in Archifilms

tagged film, kickstarter, stegan sagmeister, things we actually like

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