Ethan Coohill
I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember. Some of my first memories include playing with my dad, uncle, and brother. I love all types of video games, but I spend most of my time playing story-driven games. While watching movies is great entertainment, it just does not compare to being able to play the main character in a game – choosing their actions, how the story progresses, etc. To me, video games are a much more interactive form of media.
But I don’t just play video games for fun – I’m also lucky enough to have gaming be part of my career!
I first joined Autodesk in 2018 within the Design & Manufacturing part of the business. It was a great role and I learned so much about that industry, but as soon as an opportunity opened in Media & Entertainment, I jumped for it, because I knew this was where I was meant to be. (That’s one of the great things about working at Autodesk – there are so many different verticals to grow within the company; the possibilities are endless!)
Now, as a Product Specialist for ShotGrid at Autodesk, I help video game and movie studios collaborate more efficiently across teams, so they can see their creative vision come to life on time and on budget. I work closely with our Media & Entertainment territory sales team to make sure we are getting in front of as many customers as we can. My goal is to help studios cross the finish line with their projects in the most efficient way possible. (This way, I get to experience their games sooner! 😉)
When passion and profession collide
Having a passion for video games also really helps me get excited to start my workday, every day. Knowing I can have a small impact on an industry that is so ingrained in my DNA is amazing, and I am forever grateful and lucky to be working for such a fantastic company as Autodesk. I never knew what the phrase “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” felt like until now.
The most exciting part about my job is working with a small video game startup and watching them grow into a world-class studio. The industry veterans who started these studios were behind some of my favorite video game franchises growing up. If I could tell my younger self that one day, I would be working closely with some of the biggest names in gaming, I don’t think I would have believed it!
Playing a winning game
Through my role, I’ve been able to attend the Game Developers Conference twice as a representative of Autodesk. Being able to experience some of the most creative minds in the world gathering and sharing their love for video games makes for such an empowering event. Seeing what our customers are working on in real-time is an incredibly rewarding experience; you can tell they have an extreme passion for what they do.
I feel very lucky to work with a team that has such a diverse background and shares my love for this industry. None of what I do would be possible without the help of my extended team. Some of them have been with Autodesk for more than 15 years – which really shows how truly great this company is — and I aspire to be like them.
There is nothing more fulfilling than watching the credits roll after beating a video game and recognizing multiple names of people I worked with along the way to get their projects done. It is an extremely rewarding experience being able to work with the customers that I have been fans of for a very long time.
If you want to reach out and discuss all things Autodesk, or even just want to chat video games, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!