Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Eddy.
Hi Mike, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got my start in multi-media back when “multi” meant two slide projectors and a tape deck. In the late 1970s and early ’80s, I spent a decade working in Christian missions across the U.S., Scandinavia, and Haiti—performing, teaching, directing youth programs, and creating videos with whatever gear we could haul through airports. It was equal parts creativity, chaos, and community. I scripted, storyboarded, shot, edited, trained volunteers, coordinated travel, and learned that if you can perform pantomime with an outreach in the center of Oslo, you can pretty much handle anything the production world throws at you. My next stop was Allied Processors in Wisconsin, where I dove headfirst into the early days of business technology. This was back when networks required elbow grease, patience, and occasionally a gentle “please work” pep talk. I installed hardware, trained staff, wrote cost-accounting spreadsheets, built safety training modules, and even used HyperCard to developed an early interactive kiosks that felt futuristic at the time. It was the digital Wild West, and I discovered I loved helping people tame their computers just as much as I loved creating media.
By the late ’80s, I launched Action Design Group, which meant I suddenly got to work with clients like Apple, General Mills, Cargill, and Mayo Clinic. One day I’d be teaching Mac OS, the next I’d be troubleshooting a network or building a custom database. I also continued developing kiosks. It was a wonderfully eclectic mix of tech support, teaching, coding, design, photography, troubleshooting, and drinking enough coffee to qualify as a performance-enhancing drug.
That experience led to a key chapter at Andersen Windows in the early ’90s, where, as part of a small team, I designed and programmed the Window of Knowledge retail kiosk—a Mac and LaserDisc-driven marvel that felt like Star Trek technology at the time. The system was featured at MacWorld and won several awards. I worked on computer-based training, user guides, tech investigations, and market-survey kiosks. If it involved multimedia, I was probably somewhere in the project with a camera, a keyboard, or a stack of design specs.
Since 1997, through Bright Idea Productions and several related ventures, I’ve had the chance to work on just about every kind of creative and technical project imaginable—video production, Final Cut Pro training, DVD authoring, website development, brand strategy, virtual tours, photography, and even being a guest on a tech update segment on business radio. I’ve taught hundreds of people in everything from half-day workshops to multi-day intensives, produced media for clients ranging from school districts to Fortune 500 companies and Compassion International, and repaired enough Mac computers to earn an honorary degree in “turning it off and on again.” In many ways, this phase pulled together every skill from my earlier adventures: creativity, storytelling, tech problem-solving, and a passion for helping people understand the tools that help them shine.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely wasn’t always a smooth road—more like a scenic route with the occasional pothole, detour, and “why is my client calling at 11 p.m.?” moment. Running my own creative business meant juggling feast-and-famine cycles, unexpected tech failures, the joys of invoicing, and those heart-stopping moments when a project file mysteriously vanished (before autosave was invented!). I loved the creative freedom, but there were times when I wondered whether I was running the business… or the business was running me. Still, every challenge taught me something—how to adapt, how to problem-solve under pressure, and how to keep learning new tools even when the industry changed faster than my coffee could cool. But all those experiences eventually pointed me toward what became the most rewarding chapter of my career: teaching and mentoring young creators at Century College. Every twist in my journey—every production hiccup, every overnighter spent fixing a problem, every project that tested my patience—became a story I could share and a lesson I could pass on. I discovered that helping students find their voice, navigate creative uncertainty, and gain confidence in their skills brought me as much joy as producing the work itself. Looking back, the road may have been bumpy, but it carried me exactly where I needed to go—and gave me plenty of material for the classroom along the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For the past 17 years, my professional home was Century College, from which I have recently retired. I had the privilege of building and teaching the Filmmaking & Video Production AAS degree within the Visual Communications Technologies program. My role blended teaching, producing, technical development, and academic leadership—but at its core, it was about helping students find their creative voice. I worked closely with each student cohort group, guiding them through courses, internships, industry connections, and the sometimes messy transition from “student” to “working creative.” One thing I’ve become known for is building strong bridges between education and the professional world. I cultivated an active advisory board of industry professionals who regularly met with students, critiqued portfolios, offered mentoring, and helped align our curriculum with real-world expectations. I also loved creating opportunities for students to work with actual clients—everyone from the Minnesota State Patrol and Washington County Sheriff’s Department to the International Paralympics Nordic Skiing World Championships, Clear Channel Outdoors, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Zoo, and various departments on campus. Those hands-on experiences gave students a sense of accomplishment and a resume that actually meant something.
In addition to teaching, I also organized monthly VCT lecture series events, ran a summer filmmaking immersion workshop for high school students (including a special women-in-tech edition), managed the department budget, and helped shape long-term planning for the program. Along the way, I encouraged students to submit their work to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Regional Student Awards, and I take enormous pride in the recognition our students received year after year.
I was honored to be chosen as a National Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year finalists in 2023 by the Association of Career and Technical Educators (ACTE). As well as the 2021 Post-Secondary Educator of the year for all Minnesota and Career and Technical Colleges, awarded by the Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Education Administrators (MACTA). In addition, I received the Minnesota State Board of Trustees Excellence in Teaching award in 2018 and was named one of the Century College Exemplary Educators. But what I’m most proud of, though, isn’t a single project or award—it’s the hundreds of students who discovered their potential in that program. My background spans media production, software training, kiosk development, programming, design, photography, and Final Cut Pro training, and that wide range of experience let me mentor students. What sets me apart is that I never approached teaching from a purely academic standpoint; I taught from the field. I’ve done the work, hit the deadlines, solved the technical puzzles, and lived the creative challenges. Bringing that real-world experience into the classroom—along with a little humor and a lot of encouragement—is what shaped my career and what I hope left a lasting mark on the people I taught.
In retirement I did not sit still. Currently, I am the author of Final Cut Pro Cookbook, published in 2025 and available on Amazon. It is a compilation of fun tips and tricks. I am also keeping busy editing a feature film called The Ballad of Travis Hunter with Cole Meyer and The Cinematics.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I grew up in Hutchinson MN, went go Gustavus Adolphus, in St. Peter, where I met my sweetheart and future wife. We did missionary work together before having children. My wife homeschooled and all of our kids did really well in college and now have successful careers. We have one grand daughter and a grand son due at the end of November. I happen to live in Hudson, WI, but am a life long Vikings fan. We have enjoyed canoeing and camping in the Boundary Waters and regularly take the whole family on vacations along the North Shore.
Pricing:
- $49.99 Final Cut Pro Cookbook on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cinematics2
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeeddyfcp/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Cut-Pro-Cookbook-efficient/dp/1835888461/
