A goof is a mistake. The term is also used in a number of specific senses: in cinema, it is an error or oversight during production that is visible in the released version of the film.

Etymology

Several origins have been proposed for the word. According to Merriam-Webster, "goof" is likely a variation of "goff" in an English dialect, meaning simpleton. Some say the word may come from an identically pronounced

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

word meaning "body", some even say it was just a mistake that happened while typing the word "good", hence the word "goof" is also known as another word for mistake See the etymological explanation of Hessu Hopo, 'Goofy' in Finnish language. The Spanish word '' gofio'' refers to the balls of toasted flour and salt eaten by the original inhabitants of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

. In Latin America (esp. Cuba) the word "comegofio" (lit. "gofio-eater") came to refer to anyone from the Canaries, stereotyped as primitive or stupid.

Cinema

filmmaking Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

, a ''goof'' is a mistake made during film production that finds its way into the final released picture. Depending upon the film and the actual scene, the goof may have different effects: a loss in realism, an annoyance, or it could just be funny. It is often a type of continuity error. Goofs are also known as " bloopers"Normally used on th
IMDb site
for bloopers. or "mistakes". There are several types of goofs, for example: * Somebody or something from the film crew is in the picture that wasn't planned (e.g.,

camera A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...

and cameraman is reflected in a mirror, or the

microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and pub ...

is visible, a rope pushing a character over is visible, a hook pulling a character up in the air is visible). * Chronological or continuity errors (e.g. a cigarette getting longer with the next scene, a cup or glass gaining in volume in the next scene, damage to a building that disappears, or moved props) * Historical inaccuracies and anachronisms (e.g., an

HDTV High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the ...

set in a film set in the 1970s, radio tower in cowboy movie). * Geographic: an object or landmark reveals the scene was filmed in a different city than the city it is set. This is very common in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

films that are shot in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. * Problems in audio or soundtrack (e.g. a dog barking before its mouth moves, a person's lips carry on moving after they have finished speaking). *

Intertitles In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...

displaying wrong words (e.g. a character called "John" may have his name misspelled ''Jhon'' in the subtitles by accident). *

Editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, ...

errors, where dialog or events in one scene refer to material that occurred in a prior scene in the

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, ...

, but which was deleted in the final cut of the film. Goofs can be found in a large number of films and episodes, even in very expensive productions. The 1977 film '' Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'', for example, has been counted to have 200 goofs in it, ranging from disappearing props to a storm trooper hitting his head on an opening door.

References

External links

{{Wiktionary, goof
Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics
Film and video terminology Error it:Blooper

Etymology

Cinema

See also

References

External links