ITU A|Z • Vol 13 No 3 • November 2016 • 145-154 The use of qualitative data analysis software to read landscapes in movies: The case of Midnight in Paris Başak ÖZER1, Yasin Çağatay SEÇKİN2 1 [email protected] • Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey 2 [email protected] • Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey Received: February 2016 • Final Acceptance: October 2016 Abstract Urban public landscapes include several discourses. Movies strengthen, diver- sify and change these discourses. For this reason, movies are a very important interaction area for the discipline of landscape architecture. With visual, aural and kinesthetic narrative, they have influences on landscapes and landscape percep- tions.These influences are analyzed by reading movies and used as data in research. According to the aim of studies and researchers’ background, various methodolo- gies are used. One of them is qualitative data analysis software. This does not have a common method.The aim of this study reveals a methodology concerning the use of qualitative data analysis software to read landscape narratives in movies. In this context the case study is Midnight in Paris. Paris is consciously used as one of the characters of the movie. Thus, the narrative about Paris urban landscapes through the movie is revealed.Processing data in the proposed methodology con- sisted of designating the 7 basic Code Families (Landscapes, Places, Time, Movie characters, Discourses, Human behaviors, Music and Sounds); defining each se- quence as a Quotation; creating Codes for each Quotation; and classifying Codes according to Code Families. Analyzing the movie was done by reading Networks between Codes and Code Families, and looking at statistical data in reports. Con- nections between Code Families contain important data to analyze visual, au- ral and kinesthetic landscape narratives in movies. Landscapes/Places and Time, Landscape/Places and Discourses, Landscapes/Places and Human behaviors give basic data for reading movies. Keywords doi: 10.5505/itujfa.2016.22448 doi: ATLAS.ti, Landscape analysis, Midnight in Paris, Movies, Qualitative data analysis. 146 1. Introduction Besides these methodologies, quali- While urban public landscapes are tative data analysis software was used shaped interaction with various fac- for reading movies. This does not yet tors, at the same time they include have a common method but gives an several discourses. These landscapes advantage to researchers who aren’t speak with their residents and visitors from the discipline of cinema. This when they live, walk and look around software provides a technique for edit- (Barthes, 2009). Also landscapes are ing various sorts of data, such as text, used in movies which construct their audio, visual and multimedia, which own narratives. Thus movies strength- facilitates interpretation and also assists en, diversify and change the discourses in increasing the credibility of research about urban public landscapes. Be- findings (ATLAS.ti, 2002). There are- cause of these effects, movies are a very some qualitative data analysis software important interaction area for the dis- like MAXQDA, NVivo and ATLAS. cipline of landscape architecture. With ti. The context and services of these visual, aural and kinesthetic narrative, programs are generally the same. They they have influences on landscapes give both qualitative and quantitative and landscape perceptions. This effec- results; give opportunities to make a tiveness, consciously or unconsciously, detailed analysis to read a movie; and determines the landscape appreciation provide various data to interpret with criteria and open space preferences for Networks and reports obtained from people. the analysis. Reading movies is an action that pro- The aim of this study reveals a meth- duces the basic meaning and connota- odology concerning the use of qual- tion by signifiers in the construction of itative data analysis software to read narrative (Jahn, 2015; Monaco, 2002). landscape narratives in movies. In this According to the aim of the study, var- context the methodology was used for ious methodologies were used to read, reading a movie, Woody Allen’s Mid- for example discourse analysis, content night in Paris (Allen, 2011). In this film, analysis, semiological analysis etc. The Paris is used not only as a background most common methodology of these but also as a character of the movie. In methodologies is semiology. Semiol- this way it is aimed at affecting tourist ogy is a science that investigates indi- behavior and increasing Paris’ tourism cators. Indicators are generally defined income (Özer, 2015b). Therefore there as any kind of forms, objects or cases, is a conscious narrative about Paris ur- which represent something other than ban landscapes in Midnight in Paris. itself and replace what they represent. In this regard, words, symbols, and 2. Methodology signs and such are considered as indi- The qualitative data analysis soft- cators (Rıfat, 2009). ware allows working on many docu- Figure 1. The interface of ATLAS.ti. ITU A|Z • Vol 13 No 3 • November 2016 • B. Özer, Y. Ç. Seçkin 147 Figure 2. Some codes of landscapes. ments in different formats. It enables of layer, considering movie elements. the processing of data by Quotations, The process of designating Codes Fam- Code Families, and Codes etc. in these ilies is also a crosscheck of creating documents. Quotations, Code Families, the Code. It can discover some Codes and Codes were chosen according to which are missing. At the end of the the aim of study. As a result of process- second process, creating Codes and ing the data, various Networks, digital designating Code Families, 566 Codes data, and reports etc. were obtained. and 7 basic Code Families were deter- Relations between Codes constitute mined. networks which are necessary for the Within the scope of this study, Codes reading, analysis and interpretation of were created specifically according to movies. Midnight in Paris but 7 basic Code Fam- The analysis of Midnight in Paris ilies were determined for all landscape was conducted by ATLAS.ti 7 (Figure analyzing in all movies. These Code 1). Two documents were used: the vid- Families are Landscapes, Places, Time, eo in .avi format (Allen, 2011), and the Movie characters, Discourses, Human scenario in .pdf format (Allen). The behaviors, and Music and Sounds. The video format of Midnight in Paris was determining and the crosscheck pro- the primary document. cesses are supported by the literature. The first process was defining Quo- Landscapes: Landscapes in movies tations in the video. This defining was are selected depending on narratives, made according to sequences, not movie characters, discourses, time plans. Sequences are parts composed etc. They are sometimes only a back- by plans as they gather in a systemat- ground, sometimes one of a character ically successive way and have seman- of movies. In this way, meanings can tic integrity (Köprü, 2009). Therefore be attributed to landscapes. For this sequences are determined considering reason, landscapes should be analyzed plans which are consecutively in the in detail according to their typologies, same place. Each Quotation at the same classes, and elements. Landscapes in time formed movie sequences. At the the each sequence of Midnight in Par- end of the sequence defining process, is are encoded like Parks, Boulevards, 125 Quotations were obtained, created Squares, River (side), Historical land- by 423 plans. 96 of them were outdoors scapes, Cultural landscapes etc. (Figure while the others were indoors. 2). The second process was creating Places: Movies have effects on cre- Codes, and appointing these Codes to ating, strengthening and effacing im- the Quotations. Codes are created con- ages. These images are decisive in sidering the aim of study. Code Fam- person-place relations. Landscapes in ilies were synchronously designated movies are imagined by images, dis- because of the excess of Codes. Thus courses, actions etc. Thus, some land- Codes were classified. scapes are specifically identified as The Code Families are used as a kind Places so that Places are encoded un- The use of qualitative data analysis software to read landscapes in movies: The case of Midnight in Paris 148 Figure 3. Some codes of places. der the Places Family. The Eiffel Tower, iors of Movie Characters are described River Seine, Alexandre III Bridge etc. in the sequences linking with movie are some of the Codes under this family characters. (Figure 3). Discourses: Discourse is one of the Time: Although space and time are tools of narrative construction. They explained as different terms, they are represents words, idea and conscious- considered by a person as an integral ness (Jahn, 2015). Places are charac- part of the whole (Kahvecioğlu, 2008). terized and attributed meanings with In view of this approach, outdoor is de- movie characters’ discourses. Within fined in terms of space and time. This this scope, the scenario of Midnight is an individual process because it is re- in Paris was used as the second doc- lated with a person’s perception of the ument. Discourses in this document outside world, structuring and keeping were described in the previously de- in the mind (Kahvecioğlu, 2008). For termined sequences. If there were any this reason, Time Family is created to differences in discourses between the determine time like periods, years, sea- scenario and the video, discourses in sons, daily times (morning, night etc.). the video were used as data. In particu- There are three different periods in lar, Places and descriptions about these Midnight in Paris: 2010s, 1920s and Places were encoded. 1890s. Night, in the name of movie, is Music and Sounds: Music and as important a time of day as daytime. sounds are other narrative tools which Movie characters: The source of psy- help support the Places (Uzunali, chological interaction through movies 2015). Music is an irreplaceable tool is identification (Aka, 2015).