Jordan Allstar 2012

Jordan Brand x Footaction Timelapse Installation from GAMESEVENmktg on Vimeo.

Museum of Moving Image Re-Opens in Queens

This is really the rekindling of a Romance. In 1995 Tangram was the general contractor who built out the the then new American Museum of the Moving Images Core Exhibition, "Behind The Screen". Designed and built as the vision of Rochelle Slovin the founding director of the museum, "Behind the Screen" immerses visitors in the creative process of making moving images. From nineteenth-century optical toys to video games, it features over 1,400 artifacts, as well as an array of interactive experiences, audio-visual material, and artworks. For the Museum’s grand reopening, Behind the Screen has been dramatically reconceived and upgraded.

Tangram was selected to renew and refresh the presentation of the exhibits, reuniting with the original architect Ali C. Hocek.

Over the past four months we have worked diligently to work in concert with Museum staff to complete the renovation. Along with the new expansion wing, designed by Thomas Leeser, the Museum is a fantastic destination and should not be missed.

Beyond the Beyond for Jordon

Since the release of the AIR JORDAN XX3 in January 2008, the sneaker world debated the greatest question ever asked of a basketball shoe: will there be an AIR JORDAN XX4?

Meanwhile, Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc. and creator of the legendary franchise, fueled the fire by admitting nothing…until now. At a press event in New York City, produced by Tangram, Michael Jordan himself unveiled the AIR JORDAN 2009 shoe. Its sophisticated design carries on the tradition of the world’s most respected basketball shoe while presenting a new naming scheme, retiring the labels “AIR JORDAN I through XX3” to keep Michael Jordan’s legacy special. "Throughout the first 23 years of the AIR JORDAN franchise, we challenged ourselves and the industry by producing athletic footwear beyond the limits of what was possible," said Michael Jordan. "The AIR JORDAN 2009 ushers in a new chapter for the Brand – it is the embodiment of what we can do and sets the course for the next 23 years for the franchise." Michael Jordan collaborated with Jason Mayden, Jordan Brand’s Senior Footwear Designer, to create the AIR JORDAN 2009. The shoe combines new cutting-edge performance technology with innovative style, adhering to the Nike Considered Design ethos of environmentally-preferred shoe development and construction. Providing the most elite experience in basketball performance and style, the AIR JORDAN 2009 stays in line with the franchise’s history, yet the design clearly exhibits a forward-thinking approach. “When designing the AIR JORDAN 2009, I wanted to take the shoe beyond expected limits of what consumers know from the franchise and create something ahead of its time,” said Jason Mayden. "Its futuristic technology and design elements will help propel Jordan Brand towards even greater levels of innovation and style as it delivers the best performance shoe available today." The AIR JORDAN 2009 incorporates a new, innovative technology in basketball footwear called Articulated Propulsion Technology, or APT. The carbon fiber prosthetic running technology used by Paralympians such as April Holmes, a Team Jordan track and field athlete and the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400-meter races, inspired designers to incorporate those elements into the shoe and results in its futuristic look. Following the same basic form as the prosthesis Holmes wore during her gold medal 100-meter race for the 2008 Paralympic Games, the AIR JORDAN 2009’s APT allows the athlete to explosively and quickly propel forward on the court.In addition to its performance technology platform, the AIR JORDAN 2009’s modern design elements offer a bold style statement by incorporating satin pleats and polishable dress-shoe-like panache leather, the first AIR JORDAN to utilize these luxurious design elements. A diamond-shaped hologram references the authenticity of the AIR JORDAN franchise while another distinguishing factor is the midsole’s thermo plastic urethane chassis. Created with a special injection process, the chassis features a blown-glass-inspired pattern that is unique to every shoe, making each pair a unique, one-of-one limited edition collection. “Last year was an important year for Jordan Brand as we celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the AIR JORDAN franchise,” said Keith Houlemard, Jordan Brand President. “The AIR JORDAN 2009 represents the first of the next 23 years, and we are excited about the future of both the franchise and the Brand.” The first AIR JORDAN released in 1985 to great acclaim during Michael Jordan’s rookie basketball season and despite the league initially banning the shoe for violating uniform rules, the shoe immediately became the industry’s best selling basketball sneaker and an instant classic. Over the next 23 years, the AIR JORDAN collection continued to push the envelope in footwear design, solidifying itself as one of the world’s most recognizable franchises. Consumers recognize AIR JORDAN for the signature Jumpman logo, pioneering technology in basketball footwear and forward-thinking fashion—characteristics that the AIR JORDAN 2009 embodies as it moves the franchise into the future. Tangram incorporated product attributes in the overall design of the production elements used in the event such as pleated backdrop reflecting the pleating on the shoe designed by Jason Mayden, Jordon Senior Footwear Designer. Lighting details were reminiscent of the embedded jewel in the show, and the use of Panton Chairs mirrored the essential shape of the performance technology in the new Air Jordon 2009, inspired by athlete April Holmes. Congratulations to Tangram's designer Cuong Nguyen, and the production team led by Project Manager Justin Emerson. for a fine execution. Thanks to Brand Jordan's Jayson Mayden, Sean Butterly, Sam Middal, and Dinusha Gooneratne. Thanks also to BNC (Bragman Nyman Cafarelli) PR. The event was featured on BizBash. To learn more about Brand Jordon and the Air Jordan 2009 visit http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/home/index.html video from Stacker

The Sporting Life in Monte Carlo at Sportel

Tangram executed two jobs at Sportel in Monte Carlo this past October. Based on the heels of MIPCOM, Tangram's presentations for NBA International and HBO Sports were clean and mean. Despite the impression of glamour, a show in Monte Carlo is not withjout its grueling moments - particularly on the roulette wheel!

Tangram Cannes Do! French Team Rocks MIPCOM 08

The Tangram Cannes Team Rocked MIPCOM, the international television program market, in October delivering fifteen trade exhibits for industry leaders at the Palais des Fesdtivals.

Led by sarl Tangram's GM, Peter Ritchie, and veteran Project Manager Glenville Williams, and augmented by Justin Emerson, Kim Hobby and Caroline Morton from the New York office, Tangram's delivery results were the best ever. Clients included AETN, Fox, HBO, MGM, Seasame Workshop and Televisa Estudios.

Tangram Booth Best in Show

Tangram exhibited at the TS2 Show in Philly this summer. Here's a picture of our little jewel. One cool thing - the video presentation was run entirely off of an ipod!

212: A Lifestyle, A Destination, A Scene - Nike Mercer Street Block Party Launches Sportswear Line

Nike threw a party on Mercer Street to celebrate the launch of their new Sportswear Store in Soho. Tangram produced the event which was designed by Hunter Tura and his team at 2x4. A hair raising installation on a perfect day in Manhattan caught the attention of seemingly everyone in New York City.



VIDEO: http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&safe=off&q=Nike%20212%20Mercer%20street%20block%20party&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#


We built up a stadium-like feel to the blocks between Grand and Canal Street to help capture the essence, the kernal, of sports - the heart of the Nike Sportswear line. The buildup was intense, and the entire Tangram team was on hand to help.

Tangram's Aidan Corish and Steel Swift on the streets

Ernesto Llano and Teddy Astahova Lay in the Wild Postings with Soo-in Yang from The Living New York

It was a star studded opening with lots celebrities crowding the central "playing field". The Gig was kicked off by The Soul Tigers marching band!

Plenty of Crazy Mascots too, like the Mighty Fordham Ram

Roger Federer opened up the store with Spike Lee

Tennis Greats Maria Sharipova and Serena Williams were on hand

Mark Ronson was working the platters!

Content was King with two 90 foot video screens

A Mad Crazy Scene

Tangram's Gina Cooney, Anna Antonucci, Cuong Nguyen

Steel Swift, Gina, Anna, Teddy, Aidan in the back

Take Me to Your Leader: Tangram at Comic Con for Sci-Fi Channel and Sony Pictures

Once again Tangram was at ComicCon in San Diego, the annual Geek & Freak Fest celebrating all things Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Imagination. The Con has become a huge branding exercise for the Hollywood Bigs, and this year we had a new build for Sony Pictures. Like a diamond, it was multi-facetted, and shone brightly! Thanks to Mike Freeman for reigning it all in.

Perennially the Sci Fi Channel is the show stopper having won myriad design awards for designer collaborator Graft and stud man Stefan Beese. No shortage of brand hungry crowds, we have been able for the past three years to become the sign post at the show, the veritable marker by which all things are measured. The Con is a force. people save up their whole year to dress like Wonder Woman and party down in the Gas Light District of San Diego. Cudos to the Scifi Team: Blake Callaway, Dana Ortiz, Mo Setoodah, and RJ Cupelli.

VIDEO: Crazy C0micon: http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-40,GGLG:en&q=scifi%20booth%20at%20comicon&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#

ComiCon 2008 - Half Trade Show/Half Halloween

attendees line up for admission

May the Farce be with you!

Laura Vandervoort at SciFi's annual party!

Tangram Makes "The Commitment" for Nike

"The Commitment" is the story of the dedication of incredible athletes to their team and the game. It examines the heart and soul of a basketball legacy by showcasing the brilliance of the past and the dominance that will define the future.

In honor of that commitment, Nike created a gallery dedicated to Team USA, chronicling their journey from the Dream Team of 1992 to the present-day squad. The exhibit, entitled "The Commitment", opened in New York City on July 10, giving the public a look at the history and future of USA Basketball.

Located in a refurbished branch of Harlem’s famous Training Camp sneaker boutique, the gallery space houses the legendary artifacts and apparel behind each Olympic team. On one wall, photos of the 1986 players. On another, the initial letter sent by Coach K to each member of the current team. And in the center, the kicks worn by Jordan and Barkley on the court in ’92. Artists’ tributes can be found throughout, paying homage to the greatest teams and players in Team USA history.


The gallery also chronicles today’s U.S. Olympic basketball movement, documenting past hardships and detailing the challenges ahead. Watching over the exhibit are two larger-than-life portraits, one of Kobe, the other of LeBron; a symbol of the two greatest players of a generation, overlooking the legacy they stand to inherit. This summer, as Team USA takes the international stage, they’ll be joining the ranks of the most elite players the game has ever seen. They have the skills, the strength, and the dedication to win. But it’s only with true commitment to the game that they’ll bring home the gold."

Tangram created the Commitment for Nike Basketball in sixteen days from concept to completion on the opening night gala attended by the "Redeem Team" on their tour of New York City. Sometimes a plan completely comes together. In order to execute on such a tight timeframe, everything needed to go just right - and it was a commentary on the dedication and "Commitment" of the Tangram Team - that the project went off with such success.

Check out the Video at: http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikebasketball/2008/07/28/the-commitment-exhibition-tour

Hyper Dunk Flag Wall

Showcases of Orginal Jordan worn kicks

The Jersey Case

Entrance

Space Overview

The Crowd Awaits the Players!

Coach K Checks it Out

LeBron Checks In!

Kobe Checks Out Flywire Technology of Hyperdunks

LeBron in Front of The Hyperdunk Flag

More Video

BIG & EASY - Tangram and NBC Universal Cable at NCTA - New Orleans

In May, Tangram was back in the Big Easy to help out our friends at NBC Universal Cable Networks put on their big show! We had a gasser in Nawlin's putting up the booth - BUT had a better time rediscovering one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

First night we had dinner at Stella! Chef Scott Boswell creates exciting New American Cuisine influenced jointly by world flavors and his Louisiana Roots. The food was delicious but rich, and the wine list did not disappoint. the decor was cool too could have been like an old bordello at one time.check out http://www.stellarestaurant.com/.

After a long day in the "Booth Buildin' Bidness", the whole crew went to Cochon for Dinner! Cochon is everything porky, and the menu was insane. We started with fried oysters as an appetiser, they were so hauntingly delicious, we ordered more during dinner! The food at Cochon was insanely good. It has big bawdy open room which was fairly boisterous on a Saturday night.

Pork!

Here is a link from the website:

"....Chef Link and co-owner Chef Stephen Stryjewski, embracing the old style traditions receive whole pigs and oversee an in-house Boucherie, creating boudin, andouille, smoked bacon, and head cheese. The menu also features handmade crawfish pies, rabbit & dumplings, and spoon bread with okra & tomatoes. Cochon offers specialties from the wood-burning oven such as roasted oysters, suckling pig, and beef brisket. Seafood from local waters round out the offerings with Chef Link’s signature roasted gulf fish “fishermen” style.

The bar at Cochon boasts an interesting variety of bourbons and local beers. Traditional southern cocktails like the Mint Julep are available as well as updated versions of classics like Cochon’s Lemonade. Several brands of moonshine are available for guests desiring a true "Southern experience". ...."

Moonshine! It was crazy nutmeg moonshine! After several shots of "interesting bourbon" and rye sazeracs, nothing finishes a meal of pig fat better than moonshine! It was no wonder we went to the French Quarter to stroll off our fantastic meal!

Don't miss this great restaurant check it at http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/

The French Quarter has revived since Katrina, but there was a lot of changes. Thank God Some Things Do Not Change:

My favorite is Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Bar (on Bourbon street but waaaay down on the residential side, just keep walking and its on the left). Lafitte's is said to be the hangout of the Pirates Jean and Pierre Lafitte (and others say its haunted) Andrew "Stonewall" Jackson liked to hang here too. One of the oldest continuously operating bars in America, the bar itself is very small and dark (the only lights are above the cash register at the bar and again at the piano, everything else is candles). The piano section of the bar is always fun - go there and hang out and make requests while singing along with the featured player - Johnny Gordon. Check Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-nUz-YnPIk&feature=related.

Also Check Fritzel's German Jazz Bar and Pub on Bourbon Street at Orleans. Fritzels has seriously tasty Jazz, I once saw an ensemble of 18 clarinet players layin' it down. They also have friendly folks, and Jaggermeister on tap!

Do a Jagger till you Stagger!

Aside from all the freak shows up and down the street, no trip to the Quarter is complete with out a trip to:

In 1808, Prince Suleyman of the Turkish Royal family arrived in New Orleans with his retinue of eunuchs and servants. Six months later, all were brutally murdered in their living quarters. Officially, it is recorded as a robbery. The truth is far more sinister and interesting…

Retribution!!!

Yes, retribution for the young women of New Orleans who were lured into the prince’s nearby Dungeon and prepared for the harems of Istanbul by psychological indoctrination, opium-induced submission and torture.

Can I have a Bud, Please?

The Dungeon seems an innocuous little place. You squirrel down a very thin alley entrance into a courtyard, and very regular looking bar. Push open the faux bookshelfs, and up you go to a small tight intense mirrored dance floor with cages, the ultimate skull bar (pictured above), and a head banging cacophony of heavy metal. The crowd is an, ahhhhh, interesting mix of goth posers and preppy tourists. Don't go before midnight - it ain't open.

Always obey Steel's credo - never stay in any one place for more than 20 minutes in the French Quarter. It is a tried and true survival tactic.

End the night at an OLDE FAVORITE from back in the NATPE days when tradeshows were tradeshows, and men were men:

At the corner of Bourbon Street and Bienville, sits the stuff that legends are made of -- The Old Absinthe House. Many celebrities have been welcomed through our doors in the nearly two centuries since its opening -- including Oscar Wilde, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Jenny Lind, Enrico Caruso, General Robert E Lee, Franklin Roosevelt, Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra. Indeed, the walls throughout this incredible building are covered in the framed photographs of several of our famous patrons. The building endures the name of Jean Lafitte's because of the rumored meeting of the Pirate Jean Lafitte and Andrew Jackson as they planned the victory of the battle of New Orleans on the second floor (now the newly-renovated Jean Lafitte's Bistro). In fact, many of those who work here will be happy to share their Jean Lafitte Ghost Stories with you!

All of this and we did some work too! NBC Had a great show - broadcasting CNBC's"The Squawk" live from the Morial Convention Center and the NBC booth below!

Rushing around like a blue arse fly, I had to go up Magazine Street to get some supplies for the exhibit. It was a beautiful May day in New Orleans, and all the cafes were in full bustle, and the Magnolias were in bloom. There is no place like New Orleans!