When you watch news/reality/doco and they disguise a car's license plate, which do you prefer?
- Simple blur (distracting?)
- Realistically remove it (weird?)
- Realistically replace it with a fictitious plate (would that distract in the sense that you worry they didn't hide it?)
- Simple blur (distracting?)
- Realistically remove it (weird?)
- Realistically replace it with a fictitious plate (would that distract in the sense that you worry they didn't hide it?)
Comments
It's only distracting when the selection is too large & doesn't move with the vehicle. If the editors manage to keep it locked on the entirety of the exposed plate (such that the plate cover is left untouched) then it's barely noticeable.
I personally don't find it distracting.
It helps people's safety and privacy, after all.
You taught us that we all have in our collective unconsciousness (if there is such a thing) a shorthand for what artifacts mean what, and they aren't promoted to conscious attention anymore. A blur means there's something behind that's redacted but unimportant to the point.
Removing it just sounds weird though.
Fake plates for me give that “555” area-code vibe that tv shows used to use when phones were involved haha.
Simple, easy, unrecoverable, obviously censored.
A big, obnoxious, imprecise blur that also takes half the car with it as a civilian casualty is a problem though. It should just mask the shape of the plate
- news/reality/documentary: simple blur or mosaic
- youtube/short film: realistically remove it
- high budget movie or series: realistically replace it with a fictitous plate
If you're asking for *your* show, blur is completely unacceptable. It's beneath you to not do something ridiculous and excessive for a half second of screen time.