Meet the vanguards peppering the urban spaces and grand vistas of America with colorful typography in this atmospheric short film Sign Painters, a special edit of a feature-length documentary shot by Sam Macon and Faythe Levine. The filmmakers journeyed across different states including Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle and Minnesota, zooming in on the lost and found art of hand-lettered sign painting and the enriching impact the artists have on public spaces. Featuring emerging creatives and more experienced artists with over five years crafting experience, Levine and Macon met such characters as the mustachioed Mike Meyer from Minnesota, Seattle’s Sean Barton who is both a sign and fine artist and the next generation of enthusiastic painters, including Marjory Garrison from Echo Park, Los Angeles. “The first move we made was to travel to the Pacific Northwest and meet a couple of painters,” explains Macon of the film’s beginnings in 2010, before the project evolved into a book with a foreword from Ed Ruscha, himself a former sign maker. “Not only were there a lot of working sign painters out there, there’s a tendency towards them being wonderful storytellers.”

What was the catalyst for the documentary?
Sam Macon: Faythe had a group of friends she’d met in Minneapolis who had started an informal apprenticeship with an established sign painter named Phil Vandervaart. The group of guys had all gone on to become working sign painters in various cities across the US with one of them in Stockholm. Being interested in lettering, process and public space, we decided to dive in.

What was the most inspiring element of the filmmaking process?
SM: Initially, I was a bit skeptical that we’d be able to find enough content to carry a feature length film but Faythe knew better. My skepticism was almost immediately blown to pieces as soon as we announced the project.

Did the generational differences between the artists surprise you?
SM: I think the biggest difference between the old and young guard has a lot to do with the market place, then the individuals. The game has changed. There are fewer and fewer venues to really learn the trade, the unions are less prevalent, and the work is often harder to come by thanks to chain sign stores and cheap alternatives. But what surprised us was the amount of admiration and mutual enthusiasm that crossed the generational divide. Much of the younger crowd truly respects the old timers, while a lot of the older painters seem to be really energized by the up-and-comers.