Where do Ideas Come From?

According to Mike Goedecke, Founder and Creative Director of Belief Design in Santa Monica, California, you can find creativity in everything, no matter what your profession. The essence of Belief's "passion to create" is an embodiment of the energy, vision and creative spirit of Mike Goedecke.

Goedecke graduated with honors from USC's Graduate Cinema and Television Program, earning him an MFA. "Rhythm," Mike's master's thesis, was the culmination of his passion for what was then an emerging new medium: motion graphics. "Rhythm" earned him both national awards and festival recognition. Due to his extensive use of digital animation in the project, Mike was awarded a grant from the Annenberg Foundation to pursue digital filmmaking. This grant precipitated the birth of Belief, a company launched by Mike in 1994 to produce his experimental film, "Convergence."

Using low-cost desktop computers as a digital platform, Mike brought his passion to broadcast design, creating dynamic motion graphics for ABC, Activision, Chevron, The Discovery Channel and NBC, to name a few. Never one for complacency, Mike's experience and success in graphic design motivated him to enthusiastically pursue Live Action: a forum that allowed him to express his creativity not only as a designer, but as a director & cinematographer on show opens such as "David Blaine-Street Magic" and "When Cars Attack."

As his reputation for innovation and forward thinking grew, Mike was contracted by NBC 2000 to create graphic promos for the launch of the Jay Leno version of "The Tonight Show." The Network took notice and Mike was asked to spearhead the Special Project Design Division at NBC... an offer he had to refuse.

In 1997, Mike decided to focus his energy and passion on the growth of his design studio, Belief. But even as the studio expanded, Mike's mission remained unchanged: to create an inspirational space in the vein of a traditional artist's studio where creatively gifted and passionate people with different talents, strengths and visions could come together with clients to collaborate on projects. The results have been extraordinary, earning critical praise, an impressive client list and the highest industry awards including: Platinum, Gold, & Silver BDAs, Tellys, AD&D and an Emmy.

Belief continues this passion with each new project it takes on. More importantly, it remains energized by Mike Goedecke's drive to constantly push at the boundaries where technology meets art. Belief Experimental was formed as a digital workshop for the benefit of the studio's clients. Producing short films, like the recently completed award winning high-def "Embryo", Mike infuses the studio with a progressive process that stretches the talents and yields innovative techniques and extraordinary results for all of Belief clients.

Belief under Goedecke's innovative lead, is now focusing on content creation to ride the next wave of residual based entertainment technologies. Some projects in development include 3 feature films, a series of iPhone & iPad apps, a weightless cinema immersive experience, an IMAX gym, and a new type of stock footage company that aims to create a request based marketplace for aspiring director/cinematographers. Mike is also continuing his Live Action Directing career being represented by the company Creative Monster.

Belief's website is currently undergoing a transformation but Goedecke's motion graphic and film design can be seen at www.youtube.com/mikegoedecke

Please join us for this inspirational talk from a true creative in the field of design. For more information contact Cece Wheeler at 757.825.3608.

Mike Goedecke
Founder and Creative Director of Belief Design

Wednesday, May 5th at 6pm
Thomas Nelson Community College
Mary T. Christian Auditorium