The role of movies in the consumption of urban landscapes

Besides the impact of the artistic dimension, movies create an important area of interaction on a global dimension because of their ability of reach the masses. This interaction area, which relates to many elements such as social, economic, cultural, ideological and aesthetic aspects, causes various flows about the discipline of landscape architecture. From landscape production to consumption, these flows are effective with regard to many cognitive, physical and social aspects. In terms of all of these effects areas, the aim of this study is to determine the role of movies in the consumption of urban landscapes of audiences in Turkey. In this context, this thesis has four goals. The first goal is to analyze the urban landscape narrative in a sample movie. Understanding the effects of movies on the consumption of urban landscapes, especially in the case of the sample film, is the second goal. In terms of the second goal, pilot interviews and observations are initially undertaken, and then two sample groups with different characteristics are studied. The third goal of the thesis is to define and classify the term "consumption of urban landscapes" from data obtained from a literature search, from sample movie analyses, and from sample group findings. Providing suggestions for urban landscape design, a form of landscape production, is the last goal of the study. In this thesis which is prepared to theorize, a qualitative approach making use of ethnomethodological and semi-structured interview techniques are used in conjunction with ATLAS.ti, a qualitative data analysis program. Using these methods, a mix of qualitative and quantitative findings and qualitative results are obtained. Thus, a safe transition to hermeneutics is achieved. Detailed information about data collection tools, analysis, interpretation and visualization of the data used are provided in Chapter III. For the first goal of the thesis, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (Alonson et al., 2011) is selected as the sample movie. This film is an example of urban marketing movies which were shot to increase tourism income, encouraged by local entrepreneurs and using tax credit. Also, it was one of the most contemporary Paris narratives available when this study started. Midnight in Paris, Allen's most watched movie of all times, won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2012. With the selection of Midnight in Paris as the example movie, it is also means that fieldwork will be carried out in Paris. To analyse the landscape narrative in Midnight in Paris, ATLAS.ti (7) software is used. In this way, the researcher can obtain numerical findings in order to minimize mistakes which may arise due to perception. The analytical method used through the use of this software has been developed by the researcher, and is specific to this thesis. Based on this method, which is described in detail in Chapter 4, the movie is divided into sequences, with six hundreds and six Codes being defined for each sequence. These codes are classified and connected to categorised into eleven Code Families. Seven of these are proposed as basic Code Families for landscape analysis in movies. These Code Families are landscapes, places, time, movie characters, discourses, human behavior, music and sounds. The others are weather forecasts, sequences with cues/no cues, languages, implicit advertising and consumption. The analysis is made involving Networks between Codes, numerical data reports, etc. According to this analysis, there are several visual, temporal, emotional, aural, physical, gustative, tactual, economic, cultural, and identity landscape narratives within the movie. After the analysis of Midnight in Paris, it is moved on to the next goal. This initially involves the making of preliminary preparations. These preparations are realized in two stages. These are pilot interviews and pilot fieldwork. They are done to increase the success and reliability of the Paris fieldwork Pilot interviews are done using a random sampling method involving Midnight in Paris audiences. The pilot fieldwork is done within the scope of a student ethnomethodology workshop in Seoul. These pilot studies have affected the writing of the thesis from five different perspectives: provided a view of theory being applied in a practical situation, developed the researcher's observation and interviewing skills, shaped the semi-structured interview questions, provided the creation of new relationship networks for the purposes of movie analysis, and increased the level of awareness of the researcher. Chapter 5 includes the fieldwork. The purpose of this fieldwork is to identify movies which influence tourists when it comes to connecting with places, especially Paris, determining the effects of these movies on the consumption of urban landscapes, and confirming the position of Woody Allen's films in general, and Midnight in Paris in particular, in this effect. The fieldwork was undertaken between 12th and 15th November 2015 over a total of three nights and four days. Ethnomethodological and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. Based on the findings, it was determined that tourists consume urban landscapes in various ways. These ways are largely visual, physical and temporal, followed by identity, economic, cultural, gustative, aural, and emotional. However, there is no movie effect on such the consumption of urban landscapes and on perceptions of Paris. There appears to be a seven percent effect of all movies on the consumption of urban landscapes. In this effect, urban landscapes have no role to play. Neither Midnight in Paris nor any Woody Allen movie was mentioned in the interviews. Because of the findings from the fieldwork, a comparative study was created. The comparative study involved a comparison group made up of people who had watched Midnight in Paris, who had lived in Paris for a while, and who exhibited no language barrier. The same semi-structured interviews were carried out with these individuals. Based on the findings of this comparative study, as detailed in Chapter VI, it can be seen that movies, including Midnight in Paris, have a nineteen percent effect on the consumption of urban landscapes. Seventy percent of this effect is due to landscapes. Woody Allen's movies have an eight percent effect in general; Midnight in Paris by itself has a nine percent effect in terms of the consumption of urban landscapes. Urban landscapes in movies have some similarities and differences in terms of the effects on sample groups which belong to different classes and have different cultural capital. The most important similarity is that the movies mostly cause the consumption of landscape. In such construction, visual elements have an important part to play in both groups. In addition, the movies support emotional processes such as pleasure, familiarity etc. in the case of the comparison group. Important difference between the tourists and the comparison group is seen with regard to the consumption of urban landscapes. The landscapes in the movies has no effect whatsoever on the tourists' consumption of urban landscapes. However, this rate is about sixteen percent in the case of the comparison group. After the studies involving the example groups, it was determined that urban landscape narratives in movies have three effects on the audiences. These are "landscape construction", "demand for consumption of urban landscapes", and "consumption of urban landscapes". At the same time, these terms appear in the literature. "Landscape construction" consists of the individual's cognitive processes such as perception, memory etc. related to landscapes in movies. "Demand for the consumption of urban landscapes" refers to the consumption wishes that go far beyond the construction, because of the loyalty of individuals with landscapes in movies. "Consumption of urban landscapes" is behavior involving constant and/or temporary users of a landscape as a part of everyday life, and/or in order to move away from everyday life, and include physical, identity, cultural, temporal, economic, emotional and sensorial (visual, aural, olfactory, gustative, and tactual) elements and processes. As is understood from the description, "types of consumption of urban landscapes" occur in eleven ways. Because results from the analysis of Midnight in Paris and from the sample groups are done according to these types, the information about the classification is given in Chapter II of the thesis. The last goal of the thesis is to make proposals to provide input into urban landscape design, one of the landscape production types. These proposals are given in Chapter VII and are developed on terms such as contrast, difference, identity, image, and feelings of freedom. The four proposals are as follows: (I) in landscape design, the term 'contrast' should be considered not only in terms of color, texture and form, but also in terms of the physical size, and the emotional and sensorial elements that users are familiar with in everyday life. (II) When people's visual saturation, cultural capital, and middle-class consumption behavior increases, their attention and need of place move from familiar to different. This discrepancy also includes feelings of originality, discovery, unexpected, courage, ineffectuality, and loyalty. Therefore discrepancy in urban landscape design should be taken into consideration in terms of these emotional processes. (III) It is confirmed that place identity constitutes not only physical design and design program but also the behavior allows being free is effective. For this reason, the feeling of freedom should be considered as one of the feelings that should be considered when urban landscapes are being designed. (IV) Images which are designed mostly for visuality and identity also affect the emotional processes such as a sense of belonging when connected with places. It should be noted that the sense of belonging created by images diversifies the type of consumption of urban landscapes. This thesis offers various original values that add to the studies which exist in the field of landscape architecture in Turkey. These original values relate to the subject, the scope, and the methodologies used, the methodology developed, and the terms and classification added to the literature relating to this research field. In other words, this is the first thesis in the field of landscape architecture in Turkey which is based on movies, that is consumption oriented, is ethnomethodological in nature, and which makes use of qualitative data analysis software. In this context, avoiding the repetition found in the existing literature, the terms "landscape construction", "demand for consumption of urban landscapes", "consumption of urban landscapes", and the classification of the consumption of urban landscapes are a valuable addition to the literature.