Filter to disguise NFL broadcast? at DVinfo.net

Marco Leavitt · October 21st, 2009, 02:27 PM

Does anyone have any tips on how take an audio recording made of an NFL broadcast and render it unrecognizable, but still sound like a sporting event of some kind? I'm finishing post on a scene where two characters are talking in a bar while a television plays in the background and I don't want to draw the ire of the NFL. I want it to have sort of the sound of a game or something in the background but without individual voices being recognizable. I've already compressed it to within an inch of its life and lowered the volume way down, but you can still make out the voices.

Paul Cascio · October 21st, 2009, 03:19 PM

I would just do a voiceover and make up team names. Then, blur the image.

Marco Leavitt · October 21st, 2009, 05:53 PM

Yeah, we considered that, but to pull it off convincingly would be almost impossible. Also, phony team names would be so cheesy. Things like that really destroy the illusion. Ideally the audio file would be distorted in such a way that you can just make out the peculiar cadence that NFL announcers have and crowd noise. You don't really see the television screen at all.

Sacha Rosen · October 21st, 2009, 06:07 PM

maybe you could use another sport, something less recognizable like a CFL game! (Canadian football league)

Chris Hurd · October 21st, 2009, 06:39 PM

Isn't there stock audio you can buy for this sort of thing? Rather than asking how to infringe on NFL's copyright?

Ken Hull · October 21st, 2009, 11:45 PM

I know I've seen crowd noise SFX recordings somewhere. How about searching for crowd noise SFX, then mix it with someone announcing "generic" football action without mentioning team names?

Battle Vaughan · October 22nd, 2009, 02:20 PM

This is off the top of my head, probably nuts. What would happen if you played the audio track backwards? Crowd noises are pretty much the same, I think; the voices would be disguised for sure, and if low enough, might pass. This is not the same as playing country music backwards, where the singer's wife comes home, the dog gets well and his truck gets fixed...:) /Battle Vaughan

James Workman · October 22nd, 2009, 03:08 PM

Or, to refine Battle Vaughn's suggestion a little:
What if you duplicated the track, only reversed the sections that you didn't want to be distinct, and then layered them over the main track at a lower volume to muddle the speech, but not lose the "cadence" or feel of the original track?

And I heard that crack about "country music"....hahaha

David W. Jones · October 22nd, 2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Isn't there stock audio you can buy for this sort of thing? Rather than asking how to infringe on NFL's copyright?

As Chris points out, there are SFX libraries that have this type stuff.
A simple google search should help keep you from loosing your shirt to the NFL.

Andy Balla · October 22nd, 2009, 07:18 PM

Try getting permission to record and use a local high school football broadcast. If you want to go all out, go to a game and record crowd noise, then get a copy of the announcer from the local radio station. I would think they'd be happy to help out. Just give them credit.

Adam Gold · October 22nd, 2009, 11:23 PM

This is probably useless trivia, but I remember doing a project like this, must be 30 years ago when I was in college. I wanted some background vocals that were all fuzzed out but still a constant rhythmic presence, sort of like the constant fuzzy murmuring of the PA system in THX (the movie, not the sound effects company) 1138.

Anyway, I had this old analog FM radio tuner/receiver, and if you moved the tuning dial to just this much off of where it should have been, the sound fuzzed out completely. The cadence, rhythms and pitch were unmistakable as human commentary, but the words were totally indistinguishable, not much more than vff vff thf vff the hhff ...

There must be some sort of filter these days that does that. Ah, for the days before digital precision.

This isn't it, but I'm wondering what a google search for "vocorder" would turn up.

James Workman · October 23rd, 2009, 04:30 PM

Adobe Soundbooth CS3 has a number of effects that would allow you to make the speech unintelligible, but still keep the cadence and "feel". Premiere also has several effects to do this.

Dan Brockett · October 26th, 2009, 08:59 AM

You are gutsy and are skirting an issue that could have the NFL's lawyers all over you. I strongly would suggest you use some stock samples of what you need. Two sporting entities that you never would want to tangle with legally would be NASCAR and the NFL, they both defend their copyrights very vigorously and have endless resources to prosecute you and to locate your modified material if it is every broadcast or even on the web.

If you are modifying it to the point of non-recognition, what is the point of using their copyrighted material?

Dan

October 21st, 2009, 02:27 PM	#1
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Filter to disguise NFL broadcast? Does anyone have any tips on how take an audio recording made of an NFL broadcast and render it unrecognizable, but still sound like a sporting event of some kind? I'm finishing post on a scene where two characters are talking in a bar while a television plays in the background and I don't want to draw the ire of the NFL. I want it to have sort of the sound of a game or something in the background but without individual voices being recognizable. I've already compressed it to within an inch of its life and lowered the volume way down, but you can still make out the voices.

October 21st, 2009, 03:19 PM	#2
Paul Cascio Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bristol, CT (Home of EPSN) Posts: 1,192	I would just do a voiceover and make up team names. Then, blur the image. __________________ Paul Cascio www.pictureframingschool.com

October 21st, 2009, 06:07 PM	#4
Sacha Rosen Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Posts: 86	up north trip maybe you could use another sport, something less recognizable like a CFL game! (Canadian football league)

October 21st, 2009, 06:39 PM	#5
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,379 Images: 513	Isn't there stock audio you can buy for this sort of thing? Rather than asking how to infringe on NFL's copyright? __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 21st, 2009, 11:45 PM	#6
Ken Hull Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 240	Crowd noise I know I've seen crowd noise SFX recordings somewhere. How about searching for crowd noise SFX, then mix it with someone announcing "generic" football action without mentioning team names?

October 21st, 2009, 05:53 PM	#3
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Yeah, we considered that, but to pull it off convincingly would be almost impossible. Also, phony team names would be so cheesy. Things like that really destroy the illusion. Ideally the audio file would be distorted in such a way that you can just make out the peculiar cadence that NFL announcers have and crowd noise. You don't really see the television screen at all.

October 22nd, 2009, 02:20 PM	#7
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	This is off the top of my head, probably nuts. What would happen if you played the audio track backwards? Crowd noises are pretty much the same, I think; the voices would be disguised for sure, and if low enough, might pass. This is not the same as playing country music backwards, where the singer's wife comes home, the dog gets well and his truck gets fixed...:) /Battle Vaughan

October 22nd, 2009, 03:08 PM	#8
James Workman Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 43	Or, to refine Battle Vaughn's suggestion a little: What if you duplicated the track, only reversed the sections that you didn't want to be distinct, and then layered them over the main track at a lower volume to muddle the speech, but not lose the "cadence" or feel of the original track? And I heard that crack about "country music"....hahaha Last edited by James Workman; October 22nd, 2009 at 03:12 PM. Reason: spelling

October 22nd, 2009, 07:18 PM	#10
Andy Balla Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Asheville NC Posts: 182	Try getting permission to record and use a local high school football broadcast. If you want to go all out, go to a game and record crowd noise, then get a copy of the announcer from the local radio station. I would think they'd be happy to help out. Just give them credit.

October 22nd, 2009, 11:23 PM	#11
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	This is probably useless trivia, but I remember doing a project like this, must be 30 years ago when I was in college. I wanted some background vocals that were all fuzzed out but still a constant rhythmic presence, sort of like the constant fuzzy murmuring of the PA system in THX (the movie, not the sound effects company) 1138. Anyway, I had this old analog FM radio tuner/receiver, and if you moved the tuning dial to just this much off of where it should have been, the sound fuzzed out completely. The cadence, rhythms and pitch were unmistakable as human commentary, but the words were totally indistinguishable, not much more than vff vff thf vff the hhff ... There must be some sort of filter these days that does that. Ah, for the days before digital precision. This isn't it, but I'm wondering what a google search for "vocorder" would turn up.

October 23rd, 2009, 04:30 PM	#12
James Workman Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 43	Adobe Soundbooth CS3 has a number of effects that would allow you to make the speech unintelligible, but still keep the cadence and "feel". Premiere also has several effects to do this.

October 26th, 2009, 08:59 AM	#13
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	You are gutsy and are skirting an issue that could have the NFL's lawyers all over you. I strongly would suggest you use some stock samples of what you need. Two sporting entities that you never would want to tangle with legally would be NASCAR and the NFL, they both defend their copyrights very vigorously and have endless resources to prosecute you and to locate your modified material if it is every broadcast or even on the web. If you are modifying it to the point of non-recognition, what is the point of using their copyrighted material? Dan