Ipek A. Celik Rappas, a scholar in film and media studies, discusses the intricate labor behind location scouting in European cities. She reveals how streaming platforms fuel the demand for unique filming sites, pushing filmmakers to creatively transform urban spaces while navigating complex cultural dynamics. The conversation highlights the often-overlooked efforts of crew members and raises ethical questions about storytelling in marginalized neighborhoods. Celik Rappas advocates for more mindful media practices that respect local communities and their narratives.
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insights INSIGHT
Location Labor is Invisible Craft
Location is not just background but highly crafted and negotiated urban space.
Transforming places involves creative, physical, and logistical labor by many crew roles.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Hard Realities of Location Scouts
Location scouts often manage everything from finding spots to getting permits and handling equipment.
In Istanbul, much scouting work might be unpaid, adding hardship to an already complex role.
insights INSIGHT
Scouts Shape Film Reality
Location scouts influence final film looks by negotiating director visions with reality.
They translate vague script lines into vivid, concrete filming worlds through ongoing collaboration.
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Ipek A. Celik Rappas's "Filming in European Cities: The Labor of Location" offers a behind-the-scenes look at the labor involved in creating film and television locations. The book explores the various roles and efforts required to transform urban spaces into functional screen settings, highlighting the often-invisible work of location scouts, art directors, and other crew members. It examines the economic and social impacts of screen production on cities and communities, including both the potential benefits and the potential for exploitation. The author uses case studies from five European cities to illustrate the complexities of location-based filmmaking, challenging viewers to consider the labor and impact behind the scenes. The book concludes with a call for a more sustainable and ethical screen industry.
Filming in European Cities: The Labor of Location (Cornell University Press, 2025) explores the effort behind creating screen production locations. Dr. Ipek A. Celik Rappas accounts the rising demand for original and affordable locations for screen projects due to the growth of streaming platforms. As a result, screen professionals are repeatedly tasked with chores such as transforming a former factory in Istanbul to resemble a war zone in Aleppo, or finding a London street that evokes Barcelona.
Dr. Celik Rappas highlights the pivotal role crew members play in transforming cities and locations into functional screen settings. Examining five European media capitals—Athens, Belfast, Berlin, Istanbul, and Paris—the book delves into the overlooked aspects of location-related screen labor and its ability to generate production value. Filming in European Cities demonstrates that in its perpetual quest for authentic filming locations, the screen industry extracts value from cities and neighborhoods, their marginalized residents, and screen labor, enriching itself through this triple exploitation.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.
New Books in Anthropology