Seeing the city through a new lens: Essay-film as research method in urban studies
In March, the Amsterdam School of Planning hosted its very first methods workshop, marking the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing series of sessions exploring diverse tools for urban planning research. We had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Ersan Ocak, whose work bridges political science, cinema, and urban studies, to lead a workshop titled “Film as a Research Method“. His visit to Amsterdam opened up a rich conversation about how we, as scholars in urban planning and related fields, might engage more seriously with audio-visual media as a method of knowledge production.
Tuna Taşan-Kok
Professor, Research Group Leader, University of Amsterdam
Dr. Ocak offered a series of lectures that, at least for me, helped clarify essay film making as a form of storytelling through a mode of reflective, non-linear, and often fragmented exploration of urban life and experience. In his introduction, Dr. Ocak walked us through what it means to think of essay film as an epistemological tool. This involves learning to see films not merely as visual documentation, but as rich, layered texts composed of visual, formal, contextual, conceptual, and technical elements. We explored how formal qualities like focus, light, tone, and repetition interact with contextual layers such as history, biography, psychology, and theory. Conceptual associations and technical decisions give shape to what we see and how we interpret it.
From a production standpoint, Dr. Ocak also encouraged us to understand how filmmakers construct meaning. He introduced us to the classic three-act structure: beginning with an establishment (or first act) that introduces a situation or conflict; progressing through a second act where tension builds and saturates; and resolving in a third act that brings closure or reflection. Gaining a sense of this structure helps us engage with film not only as viewers, but as potential creators of audio-visual narratives ourselves.
But the central question remains: How can we, as urban researchers, use film? Is it simply a more engaging way to present findings, or could it actually shape our fieldwork and epistemologies?
Dr. Ocak’s lectures invited us to consider film not just as a medium of communication, but as a medium of inquiry. Here are three key takeaways I took from this workshop that continue to resonate with me:
Audio-visual material is not just a new way of presenting research, it can be a new way of practicing fieldwork.
When we turn on the camera, we are not simply recording an objective reality; we are entering into a relationship with our subject, framing our own position, and allowing unexpected textures of urban life to emerge. The lens, the soundscape, the edit, they all become part of our method.
Using film as a research tool can help us see and understand the urban in ways that challenge dominant theoretical constructs.
Traditional academic concepts can sometimes be totalizing or limiting. Visual methods allow us to pay attention to the in-between spaces, the emotional registers, and the embodied experiences that may not fit neatly into our usual analytical categories. This creates space for more inclusive and open-ended forms of knowledge.
Essay films provide a deep way to observe and understand specific dynamics outside of a comprehensive structure or totality.
They embrace disjunction and ambiguity, presenting a mosaic through which we can appreciate the complexity of urban dynamics. Although these fragmented narratives may not offer closure, they provide depth, and depth, in urban research, is essential.
Dr. Ocak’s visit has opened a door for us to experiment and reflect on the creative potentials of film in research. It has challenged us to think beyond the written words and to consider the affective, spatial, and temporal registers that audio-visual methods can offer. As we continue this methods workshop series at the Amsterdam School of Planning, we are excited to further explore how alternative methodologies, like film, can enrich our scholarship.
This is not just a new way of presenting knowledge; it may well be a new way of producing it.
Tuna Taşan-Kok
UP Research Group Leader
Read an overview of Dr. Ersan’s presentation with images and links to relevant films.
