By following her passion, Michelle Crees (Engineering 2020) has found herself making costumes and props for the next Star Wars movie.

“Everybody thinks of film and think you either act or you’re behind the camera doing something creative, but there is probably every single industry in microcosm in film,” Michelle says.

“It’s its own self-sustaining world, with lawyers and accountants, carpenters and electricians – and engineers.”

After spotting a recruitment advert on the Film London website, Michelle secured a three-week placement with the Disney Crew Academy at Pinewood Studios in west London. She received hands-on experience with every part of filmmaking – lighting, stunts, camera, design, finance – in what was “essentially a three-week interview,” Michelle says.

She impressed, and was able to make use of skills learned from the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET) she completed in 2024. Her skill was recognised when she next worked for Lucasfilm – Star Wars director George Lucas’ eponymous company – and was directed towards the art department.

“I was in the team for about two weeks before they said ‘you studied engineering’ and they moved me to the workshop,” Michelle says. “It’s also called ‘costume props’, which is basically everything which isn’t fabric – armour, helmets, boots, gadgets. I was trained up and immediately put in charge of all the resin 3D printers. I did 3D printing, painting, spraying, construction, even helped with jewellery… it was incredible.”

Now Michelle’s work will be seen on the big screen in Star Wars: Starfighter when it is released in 2027.

Michelle is thrilled to combine her creative passion with her academic interest in her career.

“Meeting a vision and a purpose for an experience, rather than perfecting a process, in a world I’ve always wanted to work in, which is film, was pretty perfect,” she adds.

Michelle, centre in the striped top, with the Disney Crew Academy

Sustaining a career in film is challenging, with project-to-project work, often on a contract basis, instead of permanent employment. But it does not phase Michelle, who advises anyone who wishes to follow her path to expand their networks and keep utilising them. What at first appears to be a closed world is actually quite open, Michelle says.

She says: “The thing that surprised me the most was how open and helpful that everyone I met was and who and how everyone in it wants to help people, which I think is very much opposite to the stereotype.

“If you keep working on what you're passionate about that passion is going to come across. People do spot that because that's why they're in the industry and that's who they want to work with. If you're open to everyone and just speak about what you love, you will connect with those people around you.”

Main photo: Michelle, right, outside Pinewood Studios with a friend