profile spotlight (5)

One Day in Detroit

Profile Spotlight: Philip Lauri/Detroit Lives

After the Factory Film Trailer from DETROIT LIVES! on Vimeo.

Who are you and what is your profession?
I am Philip Lauri, Creative Director at Detroit Lives!, a creative studio and social brand specializing in film production.
 
Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
I was born in the suburb of Rochester, but grew up mostly in a small town in mid-Michigan called Owosso.  I moved back to Metro-Detroit when I was 13 and went to middle school and high school here.  I went to college at Michigan State graduating with a degree in business and worked in Chicago and Portland for two different jobs before getting laid off and moving to Detroit in 2008.  After a few months here and being generally sick of a lot of the self-loathing in the city, I started my company.  We started with a clothing line, street art and documentary films and really picked up steam in 2012 with our documentary "After the Factory."  It's been a fun ride, and I feel lucky to do something that I love.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I've always been really curious about the world around me after my parents shipped me off to Japan as an exchange student when I was 15.  It really did a number on my global perspective-- not just understanding the world around me, but really getting a sense of what was important to me on a human level.  Priorities and stuff.  I saw a completely different way of life out there in Japan, and it made me think about what I really wanted for myself.  Five years later I went to Sydney for a semester to study.  And in a completely different way I got to dive deeply in to another way of life out there.  I returned home from Australia and decided I wanted to do a loop around the world when I graduated from Michigan State and started saving money to do it.  That plan came to fruition in 2005 when I put my life in a backpack and returned to Australia in December to start the long road home.   That June I ended in Africa.  It was an intense 7 months, eye opening in every imaginable way.  My love for storytelling was born out of those moments on the road where I realized there's a lot more to life and how to live it than what is established via cultural norms in my own country.  It seemed like there was so much more to explore, and filmmaking became a great way to do it.  
 
Who or what do you most admire?
I admire craft, vision and steadfast commitment.  There's a lot of people that I look up to that embody that in a multitude of ways: Corey Booker, Chuck Klosterman, Candy Chang, Aaron Draplin, Wolfgang Egger, Wes Anderson, Stephen Powers.  Ha.  I could definitely keep going.
 
What do you love about Detroit?
Detroit is weird and different in so many ways.  I love that.  It's a place that breeds an interesting form of critical thinking given the landscape and history.  And naturally, it being just very different than most cities I have encountered, it's a wonderful place to explore yourself and what's around you.
 
What do you fear most for Detroit?
I fear at times that we have an uncoordinated vision for what we want this city to be.  And that sends us down all kinds of wrong paths.  We're the biggest rally city in America though; give us a goal and we'll get there.
 

What do you hope for Detroit in the next 20 years?
Solid, consistent leadership.  A good leader listens to the people, synthesizes solutions based on those needs, and then convinces both sides that it's the right path given their expressed needs.  I hope we have that kind of leader every year from now until 2034.

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One Day in Detroit

Profile Spotlight: Orlando Ford

Who are you and what is your profession?

I'm Willie Orlando Ford, a cameraman based in Detroit, Michigan.

Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
Being born and raised in Detroit was a wonderful experience!
My parents both came here from the south in the 50's looking for that American dream. And found it too!
I grew up in a average neighborhood surrounded with really good hard working people.
My sisters and I have great childhood memories of our town. We made the most of what we had.
And we laughed a lot!

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
After working in photography a while, I was able to make a career change and went into video production. And I haven't looked back since.
Over time, I was drawn to doing documentaries. It gives you time to really dive into a subject and look at all the possible angles to find out which would be the best way to tell the story. It's a slower process, but it's great watching a good story come together.
I'm inspired by all the great work being done by all the filmmakers all over the planet. I can see work from all over the world. And thanks to technology, I can see a great movie, chat with the filmmaker, and even find people to collaborate on projects with. It's a wonderful time to work in production!

Who or what do you most admire?
I admire that filmmaker who takes you on a journey. Whose style and narrative really keeps you engaged, whether it's a 20-minute short or a full length feature. And afterwards you feel as though you've learned something or been somewhere. With so many things to watch now, it's nice to see people really putting their passions out there.

What do you love about Detroit?
Detroit is a city that never surrenders (as if we had a choice).

No matter what obstacles get thrown at us we always find a way to either go over or around it.
I remember all the jokes, bad press, and horrible national and international things said about us over the years. And now to see that people are saying not good, but great things about the work we're doing here, in turning our city around. It makes me feel proud.

What do you fear most for Detroit?
Sometimes I fear that we will slide backwards, and all the progress and changes that have been done will just fade away. But I know it won't.
Fear is just a feeling, often not based in fact. That's how you overcome it.

What do you hope for Detroit in the next 20 years?
My hope in the next 20 years is that the Detroit I know of will be a thing of the past. The kind of past people talk about, like "Wow, the city was really like that back then, huh?"

I'm a realist. I know it will take a lot longer than that to totally transform the city into something great again.

But it's a dream we are all working toward here. That's what keeps us going. And I sincerely hope that never changes.

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One Day in Detroit

Profile Spotlight: Walter V. Marshall

Who are you and what is your profession?
My name is Walter V. Marshall and I am a filmmaker and videographer.

Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
I was born and raised in Detroit. My childhood education was shaped in Detroit Public Schools. Unfortunately, all of my schools are now either closed or renamed. My high school, Crockett, was known for its career training in medicine, arts, and cosmetology. I chose the arts path, which led to my study of photography. After a few semesters, my instructors noticed potential and suggested my name for a workshop with Gordon Parks.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
The meeting of Gordon Parks was my first moment of inspiration, but I would have to say there have been many special moments along the way.

Who or what do you most admire?
Alex, I will go with Jesus for $800 and the daily double for Grandfather and Gordon Parks.

What do you love about Detroit?
I love Detroit's work ethic. While working on a farm in Medon, Tennessee, my grandfather got word of a better life in Detroit, Michigan. He didn't allow his middle school education to get in the way, or even that his wife was pregnant with my father at the time. He knew what he wanted. He courageously took the exodus on faith, the same northern journey many Detroiters traveled in search of a better life.

What do you fear most for Detroit?
My fear for Detroit is the current process of gentrification. Everyone does not need a four-year degree for employment. My grandfather provided for a wife and six children on a middle school education. Times have changed, but the passion of Detroiters perseveres. As new jobs are brought to Detroit, I pray that able, willing Detroiters are not overlooked.

What do you hope for Detroit in the next 20 years?
In the next 20 years, I hope for new industries to emerge. We have been known for automotive, healthcare, and manufacturing, but in the next 20 years I hope for an explosion in the arts, transportation and tourism areas of Detroit. I believe growth in these areas will afford anyone an opportunity for employment.

In addition to the growth in the workforce, I hope for racial reconciliation to take place in Detroit. I long to see diversity throughout Detroit and not just downtown. 

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One Day in Detroit

Profile Spotlight: Brian Kaufman

Who are you and what is your profession?
My name is Brian Kaufman and I'm a videojournalist with the Detroit Free Press.

Who or what do you most admire?
I was born and raised in the small mountain town of Idyllwild in Southern California and through my proximity to nature fell in love with the outdoors. I took up photography and filmmaking as a means to pursue a fulfilling career. I am interested in non-fiction storytelling exclusively and aim to shed light on social/historical/environmental issues. No one person or event inspired me to become a filmmaker. I was drawn to storytelling from a young age and video production seemed like the most logical path to reach a broad audience. I admire most those people who pursue life honestly and humbly, using their abilities to improve themselves and the world around them. As it turns out, people of such character often make good subjects, and I've been honored to meet so many through filmmaking and give voice to their stories. 

What do you hope for Detroit in the next 20 years?
Much of Detroit now sits empty. The emptiness creates a host of problems, but it may also provide solutions for Detroit's ultimate revival. My hope for Detroit is that it can become a model of sustainability for industrial-legacy cities, integrating neighborhoods, local food production, clean industry and a web of public green space that would encourage the return of wildlife within the city and promote bicycle transportation.

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One Day in Detroit

Profile Spotlight: Geoff George

New Michigan Media - A Fresh Voice from One of Us Films on Vimeo.

1. Who are you and what is your profession?
My name is Geoff George and I am a cinematographer and filmmaker based in Detroit, Michigan.

2. Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
I was born in Detroit and raised in the metro area.  My family owned a small dairy in Eastern Market and I was always fascinated by Detroit.  Throughout high school I made an effort to explore and discover the city and became completely absorbed by the environment and people here.  After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in film, I saw great opportunities here and made the move to the city.

3. What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Two things inspired me to be a filmmaker -- my father, who taught me photography at a very early age -- and the many films I watched as a kid.  When I saw The Shining as a teenager, I knew that filmmaking was the only thing I wanted to do.

4. Who or what do you most admire?
I admire the many great artists and people who have made a mark here in the city of Detroit over the years.  They provide the inspiration for me to continue a great tradition of visual artists from Detroit.

5. What do you love about Detroit?
Absolutely, the people of Detroit are what I love most about this city.  The soul of the city is in its people, young and old.  I never visit a city where people are as engaging and genuine as they are in Detroit.  It is what keeps me here despite the all the frustrations and problems this city seems to experience.  Our people remain strong through all the hardships, and it inspires me to do the same in my work.

6. What do you fear most for Detroit?
I truly fear that our revitalization will happen at the expense of those who have been here for the many years and decades before big businesses and "urban pioneers" ever took an interest in this city.  I look at examples of removing senior citizens from Capitol Park and Cass Park in favor of high rents and stadiums as a sign that our city is not immune from the issues surrounding gentrification.  It is really too bad, because Detroit has room for everyone, and we do not have to displace people to remake this city -- there are thousands of vacant lots and empty buildings here that are being ignored.  What kind of example will we set if we brazenly remove and marginalize lower-income peoples for the sake of a false renaissance?  Detroit's authenticity lies in the fact that we are not a town of overpriced lofts and bland skyscrapers.  Again, the people here are our greatest asset, and we should not be removing or displacing them after so many decades of doing exactly that for freeways and housing projects.

7. What do you hope for Detroit in the next 20 years?
Detroit is already a great city, but I hope that over the next 20 years, we are able to mend our broken education system and improve our safety.  These are two basic things that must be improved upon before our city is able to fully remake itself.  I also hope that we are wise about how we redevelop Detroit.  Our remaining architecture is world-class, and we should continue that tradition and not replace magnificent buildings with suburban-style cookie-cutter developments.  We should mend the planning mistakes of our past by implementing proper public transportation and moving away from an auto-centric culture.

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