Analogue Basketball Archive
A 360° Creative Direction World by Khitam Jabr
Preserving the soul of basketball by archiving, restoring, and reimagining the art of film photography from the sport’s most iconic eras.
The Analogue Basketball Archive bridges past and present — honoring the legends captured on film while documenting today’s game with the same authenticity and grit.
BRAND PILLARS
Preservation - Protecting the legacy of film-era basketball.
Storytelling - Elevating the narratives behind the frames.
Craft - Celebrating analog process, technique, and mastery.
Community - Uniting hoop culture, film nerds, photographers, and basketball purists.
Experience - Creating immersive environments that bring the archive to life.
Visual Feel
Grainy 35mm + 120mm texture
High-contrast locker room candids
Dimly lit arenas
Vintage scoreboards + wood floors
Iconic MJ-era sideline photos
The vibe: ESPN Classic meets MoMA Archive.
Color Palette
Mahogany brown (heritage, nostalgia)
Deep charcoal (arenas, shadow)
Cream / warm whites (film nostalgia)
Muted red + royal blue (basketball Americana)
Metallic silver (camera hardware)
CONTENT (FILM + DIGITAL)
Long-Form Documentary Series featuring legendary NBA photographers, their gear, process, darkroom stories, iconic shots and untold moments
Short-Form Social Series — 30/60 sec TikToks/Reels, a single iconic film shot, photographer commentary, slow pan across film print with grain
Ongoing Film Documentation Today - Shooting WNBA + NBA games on 35mm/120mm. A modern analogue record for future generations.
PHYSICAL EXPERIENCES
Pop-Up Gallery Installations - At NBA and WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Traveling Museum Exhibit - Partner with NBA, basketball museums, or brands like Jordan, Mitchell & Ness, SLAM.
Permanent Venue Concept - A refined dive bar meets film archive. By Day:
Coffee shop + photobook library. By Night: Bar, live commentary, retro game screenings on vintage TVs.
Design: mahogany, antique cameras, vintage leather seating, wall-to-wall framed prints
COMMUNITY & CULTURAL IMPACT
Workshops - Film photography classes for young hoopers and creatives.
Preservation Grants - Funding to restore old negatives from independent photographers.
Film Labs + Partnerships - Partner with NYC labs, Kodak, or Ilford.
Texture Story
Film grain
Aged leather
Mahogany furniture
Denim + heavy cotton
Glossy prints & matte darkroom paper
Scuffed hardwood floors
Stylistic Influences
80s–90s NBA photography
Neil Leifer, Walter Iooss, and early SI style
Classic film lab contact sheets
Zine culture meets gallery polish
DIGITAL ARCHIVE PLATFORM
A website + Instagram hub functioning as a searchable archive, stories behind each shot, photographer profiles, curated “collections” (Dunking in the 90s, Rivalries, All-Star Legends, etc.)
Tone:
Clean, editorial, museum-coded.
MERCHANDISE & BRAND COLLABS
Retro Throwback Collection - heavyweight tees, washed hoodies, embroidered caps, darkroom-inspired graphics
Photobooks & Zines - curated compilations of archive prints, seasonal drops
Premium Prints - Limited edition giclée prints signed by photographers.
Brand Collabs - Jordan Brand retro collab, Leica “Film in Motion” camera collab, SLAM x Analogue Archive editorial issue
TONE + VOICE
Editorial, reverent, analog.
A mix of archival sports reporting, streetwear minimalism, museum wall text, poetic, nostalgic storytelling.