Impact of the Technology of Post-production Process on Managing the high production costs in Sri Lankan Cinema

Abstract

The film post-production stage is extremely important in shaping the final output of a film and represents a significant cost. In a country like Sri Lanka where budget constraints are a common challenge, this high cost is quite a challenge and will especially affect low-budget productions and independent artists as well as the student community. This research aimed to identify and validate a low-cost post-production system suitable for the Sri Lankan film industry, evaluate the post-production technology in use, introduce a cost-effective alternative and assess the feasibility and performance of standard industry practices. This study was conducted through the qualitative research method, literature sources were used to understand the global standards in post-production and cost factors and audio-visual cognitive capabilities. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to gain an understanding of current post-production practices and post-production costs in Sri Lanka, followed by the identification of a pilot post-production system, the quality of which was evaluated using focus group feedback. After careful analysis of all the data, it was confirmed that the proposed post-production system meets the required quality standards while significantly reducing the cost, quality and effectiveness with an affordable price.