Camera
In this opening scene from Goal, there is a lot of effective camera shots used throughout to create an effect on the audience and reinforce the true meaning of the film. The key camera shots will be identified and evaluated as to what impact they have on the audience and what they try to suggest or what message they try to create
The opening scene begins with close up of a football being kicked up by a young boy instantly suggesting that the main narrative of the film is going to be about football. The first effective shot is a mid shot of the boy doing keep-ups with a football. This shot is effective because it shows a young boy dressed in casual clothing with broad smile on his face while playing football. It suggests that the boy is happy to be playing football because it is his passion and he enjoys doing it. Furthermore, this confirms our assumptions that the film is about football.
The second effective camera shot is a mid-shot of Santiago's dad opening the door and telling his son that they have to go. In this part of the scene his dad doesn't mention where the family is going but he does tell Santiago to pack his things and hurry up. This shot is quite significant because it shows a turning point in the film as the family are desperate to leave their homes and later on we find out where the family are going. A further reason for the significance of this shot is that the lighting is darker and more moody and pale blue in comparison to the previous shots which were colorful and vibrant signifying a happier mood at the time than the one in this particular shot. The fact that they have to leave suggests that there will be a change of scenery in the movie.
The third and final effective camera shot in this opening scene is a wide shot of Santiago dropping his football while he and his family are trying to get across the US-Mexico border. This is significant because once he drops his football he instantly wants to go back and pick it up. However, his dad says they have to keep on going and that he will have to leave his football. This creates meaning because it shows that Santiago has to leave the happy memories he had in his home country Mexico and start a new life in the USA. Furthermore, the football was what brought him a lot of happy memories and the emotional attachment he had to that football had to be broken due to the important matter of crossing a border while trying to not get caught by US Border Patrol.
Editing
In this opening scene from Goal! The Dream Begins, a lot of editing techniques are used effectively to create an effect on the audience and create meaning. Some of these are quite simple but they convey the true meaning of the film right at the start in the opening scene.
The first effective editing technique used in this opening scene is the use of slow motion when Santiago is playing football as a young child. This is effective because it highlights an important memory and moment in Santiago's life. The use of slow motion attracts the focus on this key event for the audience and helps them understand the importance of the main character's background. It also helps the audience understand his upbringing so they can understand the hard work that he had to do to become a professional footballer.
The next effective use of editing in this scene is when a shot-reverse-shot is used to show Santiago's dad looking at his son while he packs his possessions into a bag. This is significant because it shows his dad telling him to hurry up suggesting that they have to be where ever they are going really quickly. It also suggests that Santiago and his dad have quite a strong relationship despite his dad having to force him to leave the house.
The final effective use of editing in this scene is when a shot of Santiago running after he drops his football fades to black. This is significant because it signals an end to his old life in Mexico and also shows that he has to leave his childhood behind, even if it means that he has to leave his football behind. It also shows that Santiago had to make a big decision to leave behind what was his prize possession. Furthermore, the fade to black also indicates that the scene has ended and that a transition to a new scene will occur.
Sound
In this opening scene from the film Goal! The Dream Begins, sound is used effectively and in a number of different ways. In this part of the essay, a few of the best uses of sound in this scene will be analysed. Both non-diegetic and diegetic sound is effectively used throughout the opening scene of the film.
The first effective use of sound in this opening scene is at the beginning of it when Mexican folk guitar music is playing while Santiago is playing football as a young child. This is significant because it suggests that the first part of the scene is set in a Latin American country due to the style of music being played as non-diegetic sound. It also suggests that Santiago's childhood was quite a happy period as the music that is playing sounds cheerful and while this is playing Santiago is playing football with his friends suggesting that it makes him happy and cheerful reflected through the upbeat Mexican string music.
The second effective use of sound in this opening scene is when diegetic sound of Santiago's dad telling his son that they have to leave immediately. This is significant because it tells us that the family are desperate to leave wherever they were previously living. It could also suggest that wherever they have to get to they have to get there quickly otherwise they wouldn't be able to make it in time. Overall, this one of the most effective uses of sound in this opening scene because it moves the location of the story to the USA where most of the beginning of the film is set.
The third effective use of sound in this opening scene is the diegetic sound of the border patrol saying: "Stop right there, this is the US Border Patrol". This is significant because it shows that what Santiago's family is doing is illegal but it also shows the courage of his father to risk getting arrested in order to provide a better life for his son and the rest of his family. This part is also significant for a different reason because it happens right before the camera transitions to a different scene in the films. The sound of the siren is also effective because it carries on after the scene transitions to the next scene of an overhead shot of Los Angeles and then cuts abruptly as non-diegetic sound. Furthermore, this is effective because it shows that the memory of crossing the border was still prevalent in the minds of Santiago and the rest of his family.
Mise-en-scene
In this opening scene from the film 'Goal! The Dream Begins', mise-en-scene is used effectively throughout this scene and in many different ways. In this part of the essay, a few of the best examples of mise-en-scene used within this scene will be analysed and their meaning or reason for being in the scene.
The first effective use of mise-en-scene in the opening scene is when different types of settings and colours are used to contrast two different parts of the scene. For example, when Santiago is playing football as a young child, the mise-en-scene consists of colours and scenery with a bright orange tint suggesting that this part of the scene is taking place in a hot country which is in fact Mexico; that is the birth place of the main character Santiago Munez and where he lived in his early childhood. The color scheme is quite bright suggesting that it was a happy period in Santiago's life as he was enjoying himself through playing his favourite sport, football. On the other hand, when Santiago's dad wakes him up and tells him that they have to leave, the color scheme has a dark blue theme reflecting the mood of the situation, which would be quite negative and possibly saddening from Santiago's perspective, as he is leaving behind his early childhood and memories of playing football and having fun with friends in the place that he was born in.
The second effective use of mise-en-scene in this opening scene is when the
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