A Study of Sri Lankan Film Directors’ Knowledge and Awareness of the Use of Visual Effects and Computer-generated Imagery in Film Production

Abstract

Visual Effects (VFX) and Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) play a major role in film production. Despite the popularity and advancement of the technology of visual effects, a wide gap exists in the utilisation of VFX and CGI between local and international film production industries. The use of VFX and CGI is mainly determined at the discretion of the film director, who controls the major elements of the film production process. The objective of the study was to investigate the knowledge and awareness of film directors in their use of VFX and CGI that influences their decision to use visual effects in their films. This empirical study identified a random sample of 148 directors who directed films between 2008 and 2021 with a confidence interval of 95% and a margin of error of 12%. Out of this, a final sample of 47 directors was selected for the study. A questionnaire was used to measure the identification and awareness of VFX and CGI through the sentences and words (33) used. This was represented via the Likert Scale as poor (0-20) 30%, fair (21 -40) 30%, satisfactory (41-60) 34%, good (61-80) 4% and excellent (80-100) 2%. Accordingly, the analysis of the data revealed that 72% of the directors were over 60 years of age, and 10% had a degree or diploma in film. Only 8 directors scored above 50%, and only 1 (one) director used pre-visualisation techniques in his film. Further, only 32% possess knowledge about ‘Concept Art’, which affects VFX and CGI use. The study concludes that the directors’ level of knowledge and awareness about VFX and CGI have directly influenced its utilisation in the local film industry.