Goof

A goof in film making is an error made during film production which 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" or "mistake".

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 and cameraman is reflected in a mirror, or the microphone is visible).
* Chronological or conditional errors (e.g. a cigarette getting longer with the next scene, a bruise wandering from the left to right leg, damage to a building that disappears, or moved props).
* Historical inaccuracies and anachronisms (e.g., an HDTV 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 films that are shot in Canada.

Goofs can be found in a large number of films, even in very expensive productions. 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.

In broader usage, a goof is a mistake, or a foolish person. In the context of foolishness, the word was a favorite of Dennis Farina on the TV series "Crime Story".

"Goof" has also come to be a slang name for a child molester, especially in prisons. This usage likely stems from the previous usage, i.e., the offender was foolish for making such a mistake.Fact|date=October 2007

Origin

The actual origin of the word is unknown, but several origins have been conjectured.According to Merriam-Webster, "goof" is likely a variation of "goff" in an English dialect, meaning simpleton [ [http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goof Definition Merriam Webster] ] . Some say the word may come from an identically-pronounced Hebrew word meaning "body". Others believe that it was inspired by the Disney character, Goofy (though it is more likely that the character got his name from the word, not the word from the character).

There is a Spanish word, "gofio," which refers to the balls of toasted flour and salt eaten by the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands. In Latin America (esp. Cuba) the word "comegofio" (lit. "gofio-eater") came to refer to anyone from the Canaries, stereotyped as primitive or stupid.

Note

Goof is the usual word on the [http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Goofs/ IMDb site] for blooper.

References

External links

* [http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/ Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics]
* [http://www.bloopers.it Bloopers.it] (in Italian)