Paramount Pictures’ Archive Team Andrea Kalas & Randall Thropp on a Few of Their Favorite Things
There is an argument to be made that there could be an investigative series starring Paramount’s senior vice president of archives Andrea Kalas and costume and prop archivist Randall Thropp. Among their myriad of responsibilities for the vast archives of one of Hollywood’s most legendary studios, Kalas and Thropp are often called upon to act as asset sleuths, uncovering iconic (and lesser known) props, costumes, and more from Paramount’s 111 history that were scattered across the globe before the archives department was created.
NBCUniversal Archivist Natalie Auxier Takes Us From “Jurassic Park” to “Fast X”
Natalie Auxier, the Manager of Collection & Outreach at NBCUniversal Archives & Collections, has something of a photographic memory. Given the rigors of her job, this ability makes sense, as does her passion for the collection she oversees.
“I think all of us archivists have a passion for this field. We love knowledge, and we go into this for the information,” Auxier says. “I would say this is across the board with all archivists—we love to do a deep dive into the collection.
Taking a Magical Tour With Becky Cline, Director of The Walt Disney Archives
Becky Cline knows a thing or two about wearing multiple hats in her long, successful career at Disney. In fact, as the Director of the Walt Disney Archives, Cline is responsible for one of the most iconic hats of all time (belonging to a certain magical British nanny—more on her later), and a treasure trove of other iconic props, costumes, and more. Cline’s remit is sweeping, as she’s charged with collecting and preserving the entire breadth of Disney history and making sure this treasure trove is available to documentarians and other filmmakers,
Silent Sunday Nights Host Jacqueline Stewart’s Easy Going Film Expertise
Jacqueline Stewart is a film scholar, researcher, author and archivist. But when she gets before the cameras as the host of Silent Sunday Nights on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), she’s once again a kid watching movies late into the night with her aunt Constance.
“I was obsessed with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies as a kid. They always seemed to be on TV the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve,
Universal Archivist Jeff Pirtle on the Legacy of Noble Johnson, Harriet & More
When we interviewed Jeff Pirtle, Director, Archives & Collections at NBCUniversal last October, we learned, among other things, about Universal’s gleefully ghoulish collection of assets that touch upon the studio’s rich history of monsters. From the original set design from Jaws to gorgeous black-and-white photos of Bela Lugosi from 1931’s Dracula, Pirtle helps maintain some of the most coveted assets in the film world, as well as keep his eye on upcoming productions and fresh opportunities to extend the collection.
From Sunset Boulevard to Gemini Man With Paramount Archivist Andrea Kalas
Say you’re in charge of Paramount Pictures archives, and someone on your team unearths some unsigned sheet music from the era of silent films (yes, silent films included sheet music, more on that in a minute), what would you do? If you’re Andrea Kalas, Senior Vice President of Paramount’s Archives, you simply hand it over to your music archivist and ask her to play it.
“My music archivist has a piano in her office because she sometimes has to pick up a piece of sheet music to identify something,”
Universal Archivist Jeff Pirtle Knows his Monsters
The world of the Hollywood studio archivist is one in which you must keep one eye towards the future and one eye back to the past. You’re responsible for some of the most coveted assets in the film world, but you are always looking ahead—to upcoming productions and fresh opportunities—for those assets to once again become the stuff of movie magic. Jeff Pirtle, Director, Archives & Collections at NBCUniversal, in both temperament and training, is uniquely suited for this role.
