Pinewood Group

Second Year Undergraduate,BA Classics and English,In-person Working

Work Projects

I organised, classified and catalogued the extensive artistic reference material that forms the Pinewood Research Library. At the end of my four weeks, we had shelved and catalogued almost all of the bound books and the box-files in the library (in 16 shelving-units) ordered according to the subject. We had the guidance of a member of the British Film Designers Guild as well as the Brand and Marketing Manager and continual support from the other members of staff in the Studios.

Daily Life

We worked in a large room at Shepperton Studios in which our first task was to open and empty all the boxes of books and files that covered its floor! That's always the hardest task, knowing where to start, especially in a project of this size, but once you do it's nowhere near as daunting. Every day was different since we liked to vary our tasks, and indeed our breaks as well. There is quite a bit to see in the site itself, but we also enjoyed walking along the River Ash nearby, eating our lunch by a brook and exploring the village. What made the work itself so interesting was the sheer variety of material in the collection, some of which dated back to the 18th Century. We could be viewing vintage architectural drawings one day, and modern topographical photography in another.

Lasting Impressions

I had an extremely enjoyable few weeks with Pinewood and learned a lot about what it takes to be a librarian and archivist: there is not one system that fits all, you have to use your own judgement and initiative, thinking about how a visitor would want to use the material you are preparing. The job has confirmed my interests in librarianship, archiving and curation, but also suggested to me the possibility of working as a researcher within the entertainment industry, for productions or perhaps for Pinewood itself.