Towards a multimethod approach for film geography: a case study of Los Angeles’ Nate Starkman Building

Abstract

This paper introduces a multi-method approach for Film Geography that intertwines spatial analysis, cartography, textual analysis, discourse analysis, field research, and expert interviews. Historically, film studies has focused on textual analysis whereas geography has emphasized the material aspect of space through field research. However, if cinema is a double ontology of image and industry film geographers must engage with both to make a meaningful contribution to the complex interwoven discourses on cinematic space. This case study focuses on the Nate Starkman Building, a frequently filmed warehouse located in the Arts District of Los Angeles, California. This case study acts as an example of how a multi-method approach can be applied to on-location filming. I demonstrate how the methods can be combined to contextualize and pinpoint previously invisible interactions between the on-screen appearance and the cultural politics of film production and placemaking. I argue that film-geographic analysis allows for a more in-depth look into the Hollywood-machinery that has led to these unique socio-economic structures.