Language: English

Thinkwell was approached by the leadership of the U.S. Marshals Museum to create an engaging and unique experience that would bring the storied history of the U.S. Marshals to life. The goal was to provide visitors with a firsthand understanding of what it means to be a Marshal by creating a space in which guests could engage with challenging and serious moments in the nation’s history, while also balancing the experience with the fun and larger-than-life stories of the Marshals. 

Thinkwell has been involved in the project since 2017 and was responsible for the design, production, and delivery of the entire guest experience throughout the museum, including all media production, interactives, and technology integration.

Formed in 1789, The United States Marshals are the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency in the US, and with that comes a rich and complex history. Thinkwell’s teams set out to tell their story by showcasing both the historic and modern worlds of the US Marshals with authentic placemaking, personalized and participatory visitor interactives, and dynamic media and exhibits throughout the museum. Separated into six distinctive zones, the museum provides a comprehensive understanding of the Marshals’ role in law enforcement for visitors of all ages and abilities. 

Thinkwell Media led the development and production for all custom media throughout the museum, bringing authentic storytelling to core museum experiences like ‘The Campfire – Stories Under the Stars.’ 

Thinkwell’s Montreal studio designed, developed, and programmed the technical and interactive elements across the exhibits, all working to showcase the history of the Marshals and bring to life the skills it takes to do the job. 

For Expo 2020 Dubai, Thinkwell was honored to be selected by the U.S. Department of State to turnkey design and produce the U.S.A. pavilion. The 43,000 square feet (4,000 square meters) pavilion takes visitors on a 20-minute journey through seven exhibits showcasing the past, present and future of American innovation.

The exhibits include a massive seamless projected cyclorama with a half-scale recreation of the Statue of Liberty’s hand and torch “painted” in projected media, illuminating the idea that freedom has formed the basis for opportunity and innovation in the United States. Authentic artifacts on display include Thomas Jefferson’s personal copy of the Qu’ran, an early telephone made by Alexander Graham Bell, and footage of Steve Jobs revealing the first iPhone—from the actual screen on that first iPhone.

The culmination of the exhibit is an eight-minute show that quite literally compels audiences to look to the sky with a proscenium suspended 39 feet (12 meters) overhead. The production is the first of its kind to use Black 3.0, forming an intensely dark contrast to giant LED screens and projectors that “paint” several large dimensional objects that silently glide into the room, including astronauts, spacecraft, and a 16-foot (5 meters) sphere that becomes the moon, Mars, and more. Stepping outside, visitors find a full-scale replica of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which at 137 feet (42 meters) stands as the second-largest object on the Expo site. Each night, the rocket dramatically “blasts off” as part of its own mapped projection spectacular.

Even the journey itself is quite literally part of that story of innovation—the first four exhibits are experienced via a newly designed moving walkway system that weaves through the pavilion exhibits, providing a transformative experience that is inclusive for all ages and abilities, while delivering the high capacity required for an Expo expected to attract some 25 million visitors over its six-month run.

Thinkwell was responsible for the turnkey delivery of the pavilion, including Concept Design, Interior Design, the pavilion’s Website Design, Office and Public Diplomacy Spaces, Creative Direction & Programming, Media Production, Technical Supervision, Art Direction, Project Management, and In-Field Production, and served as producers of all Pavilion media, including custom music and media.