Troy Web Developer Gathers Resources for Documentary About Detroit

Antoine Dubeauclard, president of the Troy-based Internet services firm Media Genesis, is leading efforts to make a documentary about the creative history of music and the arts in Detroit.

The documentary, Paint D Town, aims to paint the city with graffiti by using its buildings, walls and grounds as a canvas for "its own personal reflections and future aspirations." Dubeauclard, who launched a fundraising campaign Friday at kickstarter.com, said work will include time-lapse and stop-motion techniques to give the film a unique texture and format that will bring the art to life.

"To tell the story, we are going to use all kinds of art," Debeauclard said. "And we are going to use the canvas of the city to actually tell the story. ... We're going to talk about music. We're going to talk about electronic music, we're going to talk about jazz, and we are going to talk about our present times and what's happening today."

Dubeauclard has been credited by Crain's Detroit Business with growing the online presence of the Detroit automobile industry. He is now leading efforts to raise $5,500 by Sept. 5 through the Kickstarter platform. The funds will be used toward artists and supplies. The project will only be funded if the Sept. 5 goal of $5,500 is met, according to the site.

The documentary will work with Detroit residents to make sure the graffiti is serving as art, not vandalism.

Antonio "Shades" Agee, a Detroit graffiti artist participating in the Paint D Town project, said the city "has a lot of richness in the art field."

Artists, musicians, writers, videographers and business leaders have been enlisted to participate in the fundraising process and the planned documentary production.