ABSTRACT
This article presents New Nordic Noir, a site-specific transmedia television drama production initiated by Filmby Aarhus in collaboration with the rural municipality of Ringkøbing-Skjern (RKS) on the west coast of Denmark. New Nordic Noir collaborates with another project which I am part of, “Rethinking Tourism in a Coastal City” (2016-2019), which is funded by the Danish Innovation Fund and aims to develop tourism on the west coast. I have participated in the initial phase of television drama production, focusing on the way in which locations, screen tourism, and international collaboration were involved in developing the screen idea. My chapter focuses on the role that locations play in this early stage of the production process, on cross-sectoral collaboration within the municipality (tourism and culture), and on the municipality’s strategic partnerships with commercial players (tourism agency, media producers) and public institutions (Aarhus University, Filmby Aarhus). My role as a researcher in this context has not only been to study the processes as they took place but also to contribute to the creative development itself through participatory observations. Moreover, the article introduces Nordic Noir tourism and how the significant use of Nordic locations, climate, and seasons in Nordic Noir crime series in print and on screen fascinates viewers and readers around the world.
