Southfield (CW50) – Stephen McGee may not originally be from Detroit, but when he arrived in the city, he immediately saw the possibilities for stories to tell across the city. McGee is a two-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who works with commercial clients, nonprofit groups, journalism outlets, and foundations. He has travelled to over 30 countries to shoot those films but has found a home in the city of Detroit.
Over the last several years, McGee has produced, shot, directed, edited over 115 short films for The Kresge Foundation in Detroit. In 2014, he produced One Day in Detroit, which was the largest documentation of Detroit in a single day. Over 350 people participated and 103 organizations partnered to contribute footage.
McGee has spent over a decade in Detroit telling the stories of its locals through the lens of his camera. He has stated that its important to tell the stories of not only what’s going on now, but also what has happened in Detroit’s history and its impact on the city today. He believes that we should not be afraid to examine the city’s past in order to push triumphantly into the future.
In 2015, McGee hosted a TEDxTalk about drones and imagination. In his talk, he explained his thoughts on storytelling using a camera and how newer technology has elevated how stories can be told.
“With a camera you can tell any story, you just have to have drive, vision and imagination.”
Even though he if from California, McGee expressed in the TEDxTalk why he has called Detroit home since the day he stepped foot into the city saying, “Not only did I feel like I adopted Detroit, but that Detroit was adopting me.”