ayodyamga2024mi4017

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Final Video Presentation

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Video editing process

It is the day before submissions and I started editing the video. I couldn't start it sooner because I had work to do in three other modules too. I am also not doing well and I have an injury in my right shoulder. I can't really work continuously because of it. No one in the group asked to offer help or do the editing. So. I will have to do it since no one else is even bothered to ask how the group submission is going.

Work process -

I used both Cap Cut and Premiere Pro to edit the video. Although I am not the best at editing, I think the whole video overall is good. If I had more time and the backgrounds and characters were exported properly, I would have done a better job. I added captions because I wanted to make what we are talking about, clear. After finalizing the audio and the video on Premiere Pro, I used Cap Cut to overlay movie stills. Idusara helped me with finding some movie clips. I wanted to scale the video clips and the movie stills to the tv screen behind the characters, but it was unsuccessful because I lacked skill and I was running out of time to learn it. But however, I included all the movie stills and clips I initially wanted to add.

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Final drawings for the video

As I mentioned earlier, Nihindu is the one who drew all the things needed for the video. For the background and characters' mouth shapes, I sent him reference images, so it is easier for him t draw.

Reference images -

Since he was still having a hard time understanding how the background has to look, I drew a sketch to sho =w him how it has to be.

The final Backgrounds -

So after completing the backgrounds, he sent the characters with different mouth shapes. But he misunderstood the whole thing and drew every character's mouth in the same way. So it looks like everyone is talking at the same time.

Example -

I asked Nihindu to send the Krita file he worked on and redrew the mouth shapes because there's no point of explaining what to do to him since anyways he doesn't understand plus we didn't have time for that.

After changing the details, this is how it looks like,

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Final Script

I typed out the script with finalized research.

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Video planning

So for the video, I had the idea to present it as a news report. I discussed it with my group, and they agreed to it. I got Nihindu to draw the characters, background, and mouth shapes of the characters' lip-syncing. We wanted to have our voices sounding more like a scripted and professional. We recorded our voiceovers separately because we were running out of time. We tried recording it all together and realized it was a waste of time because one of our group members has a language issue and is having a hard time reading English.

Idusara and Minuthi sent me their voice clips and I sent mine too.

Minuthi recorded Nihindu's part because I couldn't go to uni because I wasn't well.

As for Nihindu's voice recordings, he hasn't properly completed what was in the script. Since it was hard for him to read everything in one go, Minuthi has recorded it in different parts. But still, he hasn't completed what was in the script and instead, he was blabbering some random things. There was just one sentence in which he actually read what was in the script. Others, it doesn't make sense at all. Even in that sentence, some words are not really clear. But I guess it's okay because anyways I am planning to add subtitles.

Re edited interview of Ashan -

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Changes made after Stage II

After stage II, we changed the cinematography research. Idusara sent a few points in the groups, which should be covered, and I elaborated on those points and made version 3 with it.

I also made a few changes to the script. As for the video, we didn't change the idea of presenting our comparative analysis in a form of news report.

Feedback from Irushi for the video plan -

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Feedback from Stage II presentation

Our overall feedback was positive. We have to make a proper video and edit Mr. Ashan's video a little more to a professional way.

As for the video context, we have to change the research of cinematography and avoid talking about "natural" and "artificial" lighting.

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Stage II presentation

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Script

I typed the script just as a guide to tomorrow's stage II presentation. We have a team member who is having trouble with English, so I hope the script will be helpful, especially for him. Even for the rest of us, since everything is included in the script, I hope we won't miss things out.

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Final and summarized research we are going to present during the 15-minute presentation.

So since we divided the research, Idusara researched worldbuilding, Minuthi researched cinematography, and I researched Sound design. Nihindu was supposed to research about Lack of conflict in Sarigama but unfortunately, we couldn't contact him. So Idusara did research on that too. We already had the research. We did this to finalize the stuff we are going to present. Everyone sent what they are going to present based on the topics they were assigned. I went through their work and summarized them a little because we have a limited time to present. I also made them sound a little formal.

So each document attached below is research done by Idusara, Minuthi, and I. Version 1 was initially typed by them a Version 2 was like an updated and formal version of the same thing done by me.

Idusara's research - World Building

My research - Sound Design

Minuthi's research - Cinematography

Nihindu's research (done by Idusara) - Conflict

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Final agenda for the video

After talking with my teammates, finally, I was able to finalize the agenda for the video. So, our video will last for around 5-6 minutes including the interview of Ashan. Since the interview is about 3 minutes, we have 3 minutes to introduce ourselves and to present our thesis statement. After that Idusara will give an introduction to the book, Minuthi will provide an introduction to the Sound of Music, and I will cover Sarigama. In contrast, Nihindu will give a short conclusion as to how these three are different.

Idusara will write his introduction. I am going to write Minuthi's and Nihindu's parts. I will add all to this post.

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Edited Interview

I used Premiere Pro to edit the video.

The size of the video was too big to add to this post. So, I added the google drive link to the edited interview.

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Editing the interview

Minuthi was tasked to edit the interview. I watched the interview a few times and wrote down the time stamps of the important parts. The whole interview was about 15 minutes but because of the time duration of the presentation, we will have to edit it to 2-3 minutes. I noticed the most important parts, for example, where Ashan is basically talking about the difference between the two movies along with some other really important facts and wrote the time durations, so it is easier for Minuthi to edit it out. And, as for the things Ashan mentioned in the rest of the interview, we are planning to add them to what we are explaining during the presentation.

Time stamps -

So, Minuthi edited the interview, but I feel like the transitions are too edgy and it is really uncomfortable to watch because of the sudden change of angles. The reason we had two different camera angles is because to mix the angles in between while editing. But of course, the mixing is not smooth and Minuthi said she doesn't have time to re-edit it because of the workload of other modules. I mean I understand the work is overwhelming but she was tasked with it, so I don't really know. Since it takes too long to edit and mix two different angles and we lack the skills to edit it smoothly and in fact, we are also running out of time, I thought to edit out the interview using just one angle.

The video Minuthi edited -

I will add the interview I edited in the next post because Tumblr won't let to upload multiple videos in the same post

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Character Design

Since we plan to have four avatars, representing four of us, we gave the drawing part to Nihindu. A few days ago, I spoke with Idusara about the avatar designs, and we thought it would be a nice idea to have the avatar costumes similar to the costumes of The Sound of Music and Sarigama. We found some reference images for the costumes.

Also, I wanted the avatar designs to be really simple because then it would be easier to explain it to Nihindu. We are having a hard time communicating things with him, so I don't want to explain anything complicated to him. I found these really simple character designs on Pinterest and I asked him to refer to them while designing the characters. I also asked him to have 2 male avatars representing him and Idusara and 2 female avatars representing me and Minuthi. I asked him to make the avatars different from each other with including a special component of each of us.

Character references -

I think he did a pretty good job while designing the characters and they look really good.

The character sketches he did before designing them digitally -

The final characters -

I will add his blog post for more information about the process

There are some changed to do but for the stage II, we are going to keep it as it is because there is no time to make changes.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

The analysis of the von Trapp family's story across different media has opened up a wealth of insights into how films are made and how cultural differences shape their interpretations. By looking at the same story from various angles, we can spot recurring themes, differences in how the story is told, and how cultural backgrounds influence the film's meaning.

Key Aspects of Film Creation

Cinematography: By comparing camera angles, lighting, and color choices in different adaptations, we can see how these factors set the mood and style of the film.

Editing: Looking at the pacing and transitions in editing helps us understand the director's storytelling style and how it affects the audience's experience.

Sound Design: Analyzing music, sound effects, and dialogue shows how sound enhances the film's atmosphere and emotional depth.

Mise-en-Scène: Examining the settings, props, costumes, and acting styles reveals how these elements reflect cultural backgrounds and character growth.

Skills and Cultural Understanding

Critical Thinking: This comparative study has improved our ability to evaluate films critically, pinpoint important elements, and assess their effectiveness.

Cultural Sensitivity: Exploring the von Trapp family's story through various cultural lenses has deepened our appreciation for diversity and how storytelling can be tailored to connect with different audiences.

Interdisciplinary Approach: The project has prompted us to view the film from various perspectives, blending insights from history, music, and social sciences.

Adapting Stories to Fit Cultural Contexts Theme Consistency: Even with different storytelling styles, the main themes of love, family, and resilience in the von Trapp family story stay strong across all versions.

Cultural Details: The adaptations show how the same narrative can be tailored to fit different cultural contexts.

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Interview - Ashan Dias (male lead of Sarigama)

I presented my idea of interviewing Mr. Ashan to Irushi and for our luck, Mr. Ashan was a friend of Irushi. Irushi gave me the number of Mr.Ashan and I contacted him. He wasn't well and was pretty busy during the time I called him. We kept communicating and finally were able to decide a time and a date for the interview. Mr. Ashan was nice enough to come all the way to AOD to do the interview.

I discussed with my group and we came up with a few questions for the interview. we showed them to Irushi and got her feedback too.

We scheduled the interview on 11th September 2024 at 10.30am. We filmed it in our library. Nishitha helped us with setting up the lights. I also made a consent form to be more professional and ethical.

We also got a little gift as a token of appreciation for Mr.Ashan

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10/09/2024

Sound analysis in Sarigama and Sound of Music

Music

Sarigama, a Sri Lankan adaptation of The Sound of Music, offers a unique blend of Western and Eastern musical influences. While both films share a similar narrative, the music serves as a distinct cultural lens.

Key Differences in Musical Style:

Cultural Influences:

The Sound of Music: Primarily features Western classical music, with a focus on European folk songs and harmonies. The score is composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein, renowned for their Broadway musicals.

Sarigama: Incorporates a variety of Sri Lankan musical genres, including Sinhala folk songs, classical ragas, and modern pop elements. The music is specifically composed to reflect the Sri Lankan context and cultural heritage.

Language and Lyrics:

The Sound of Music: The songs are sung in English, reflecting the Austrian setting.

Sarigama: The songs are sung in Sinhala, the primary language of Sri Lanka. The lyrics are adapted to fit the local culture and context, while maintaining the essence of the original songs.

Instrumentation:

The Sound of Music: The score is primarily orchestrated for a traditional Western symphony orchestra, featuring instruments like violins, flutes, and brass.

Sarigama: The music incorporates a blend of Western and Eastern instruments, such as the violin, flute, tabla, and sitar. This fusion creates a unique and distinctive sound.

Musical Themes:

The Sound of Music: The music often emphasizes themes of joy, love, and family. The songs are uplifting and memorable.

Sarigama: While maintaining the core themes of the original, the music also reflects the specific challenges and joys of Sri Lankan life. It incorporates elements of traditional Sinhala music that convey emotions like sorrow, longing, and resilience.

Overall, while both films share a similar story, the music serves as a powerful tool for expressing cultural identity and connecting with the audience. Sarigama offers a unique musical experience by blending Western and Eastern elements, creating a truly Sri Lankan adaptation of a beloved classic.