Autodesk Insider
by: David Mills
13 Questions with Jamie Gwilliam, Application Specialist, Media & Entertainment
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hat’s your role at Autodesk, Jamie?
I am a 3ds Max Application Specialist, based at Autodesk London. The territory I look after is a varied one, classed as EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The job involves looking after a number of Media & Entertainment Division products that fall into the Entertainment Creation Suites. My core focus is around 3ds Max, and this is certainly my favourite product. I shouldn’t really have a favourite program, but it’s difficult to not warm to it, considering I have spent a third of my life working with this creative tool. My role requires me to liaise directly with customers, and also helps our channel partners with their sales activities. How long have you been with Autodesk and doing this? I joined Autodesk in 2005. Throughout my time here, my role has evolved and the territories changed; however, the focus continues to be our customers and sharing the knowledge I pick up whilst working closely with my talented colleagues. The UK M&E office is based in central London, and is a small close-knit group. Before joining Autodesk, I had a number of roles, but all relied on 3ds Max.
September 2011
Tell us a little about your background and how you came to be doing what you do now. I’ve always been interested in design, whether it’s architecture, products, or street art. At school, math and science were not my strong points, but I always found art and design to be relaxing and enjoyable. This naturally led to me wanting to study design at University. The course which stood out was Industrial Design & Technology at Loughborough University. This UK university was where I first got into CAD, with the use of Mechanical Desktop and 3ds Max (or 3d Studio as it was called then.) This was an excellent University, and one that I have fond memories of. This steered me towards positions as a product designer, a graphic designer, followed by various roles in the architectural world. In one way or another, 3ds Max has been a part of every professional job I’ve had. It’s crazy to think how much I’ve relied on this product over the years. (Apart from when I worked in a shoe shop, but that’s a story for another day.) What does a typical day look like at your desk? My days are certainly varied. My time can be generally categorized as client facing or working with our Channel. Channel partners are the people you normally purchase your Autodesk products from, and who you rely on for direct support when you require help. The most
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