PRODUCT CONTEXT

• STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON IS A BIOPIC ABOUT THE RISE AND FALL OF

RAP GROUP NWA

• IT WAS PRODUCED BY LEGENDARY PICTURES AND DISTRIBUTED BY

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• IT WAS DIRECTED BY F. GARY GRAY .
• MEMBERS OF THE BAND –ICE CUBE AND DR DRE- WERE ALSO CO-
PRODUCERS

• THE FILMS WAS A HUGE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS BECOMING THE

HIGHEST GROSSING MUSIC BIOPIC OF ALL TIME

• IT WAS ALSO NOMINATED FOR THE ACADEMY AWARD OF BEST

ORIGINAL SCREEN PLAY SCREENPLAY
 LEGENDARY PICTURES

• LEGENDARY FILMS IS A MEDIA COMPANY MADE IN 2005. IT CO-

FINANCES AND CO-PRODUCES FILMS WITH WARNER BROS AND
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
• ITS FILMS CATALOG INCLUDES GODZILLA :KING IF THE MONSTERS/
BLACKKKLANSMAN/ SKY SCRAPER/ JURASSIC WORLD FALLEN
KINGDOM

• ALTHOUGH ITS FILMS TEND TO BE IN THE ACTION GENRE IT HAS EITHER

CO-FINANCED OR CO-PRODUCED A NUMBER OF BIOPICS OTHER
THAN STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON SUCH AS 'STEVE JOBS' 'UNBROKEN'
'42'
 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

• UNIVERSAL PICTURES IS AN AMERICAN FILM STUDIO OWNED BY

COMCAST THROUGH THE UNIVERSAL FILMED ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
• IT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF MOVIES SUCH AS- '
WELCOME TO MARWEN'/ 'THE VISIT'/ 'MINIONS'/ 'RIDE ALONG'/
'SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTMANS'/ 'THE POST'
 F. GARY GRAY

• F. GARY GRAY IS AN AMERICAN FILM DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER/ MUSIC

VIDEO DIRECTOR AND ACTOR

• GRAY HAS DIRECTED FILMS LIKE -'THE ITALIAN JOB'(2003)/ 'FRIDAY'

WHICH STARS ICE CUBE/' FAST AND FURIOUS 7'/ 'SET IT OFF' AND MANY
OTHERS
 BEST ORIGINAL SCREEN PLAY

IT WENT UP AGAINST THE FOLLOWING FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

2015
• SPOTLIGHT- WINNER
• BRIDGE OF SPIES
• EX MACHINA
• INSIDE OUT
BBFC

Straight outta Compton was rated an 18

by the BBFC (British board of film
classification). This is what the needs a
movie to have to class it an 18. The movie
shows many violent acts and illegal drug
use which may cause harm to the public
health or morals. However, getting an 18
ratings shows that even the biopic about
N.W.A is as dangerous as the group
creating more people who want to go
and see it.
 HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• THE FILM PORTRAYS EVENTS SET PREDOMINANTLY MID-1980'S TO MID-

1990'S
• THE DEPICTION OF THIS PERIOD IN A CONTEMPORARY FILM MAY HAVE
BEEN IMPACTED BY THE SOCIAL UPHEAVAL CAUSED BY THE RACIAL
TENSION AND THE LA RIOTS OF 1992
(THE 1980'S CALIFORNIA, AND THE POSSIBLE
PORTRAYAL OF
GLORIFICATION OF N.W.A AS AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE, MAY HAVE
BEEN REVISED OR INFLUENCED BY SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
 N.W.A

• N.W.A (SHORT FOR "N**** WITH ATTITUDE") IS A RAP GROUP FROM THE MID 1980'S. ITS MEMBERS WERE EASY E, ICE CUBE, DR DRE,
M.C REN, DJ YELLA AND THE D.O.C
• THEY WANTED TO CONVERT THEIR EXPERIENCE ON THE STREETS OF COMPTON AND CALIFORNIA INTO MUSIC.
• THEY WERE PICKED UP BY PRIORITY RECORDS IN 1987 AFTER MANY LABELS REFUSED THEM AND THEIR UNMARKETABLE RAP
• IN 1989 THE GROUP RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE F.B.I TO TELL THEM TO STOP SINGING THEIR SONG 'FUCK THA POLICE' AS IT WAS
INCITING VIOLENCE AND WAS ATTRIBUTING TO POLICE OFFICERS' DEATHS

• HOWEVER THE BAND HELD THIS AS A BADGE OF HONOR, AND IT GAVE THEM ENOUGH EXPOSURE TO BREAK INTO THE MAINSTREAM
• ONE OF THEIR MOST POPULAR ALBUMS CAME OUT IN 1988- STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON- IT HAD SOLD ONE MILLION COMPANIES IN A
YEAR- TO CALL THE MOVIE THIS CREATES AN ASSOCIATION TO THE POPULAR ALBUM MAKING PEOPLE MORE WILLING TO SEE IT

• THE GROUP SLOWLY FELL APART WHEN IN 1990 ICE CUBE, AFTER ARGUMENTS AND DISAGREEMENTS OVER CONTACTS AND PAY, WENT
TO NY RECORDS TO PRODUCE HIS FIRST ALBUM- AMERIKKAS MOST WANTED

• AFTER A DISPUTE DR DRE ALSO LEFT THE GROUP IN 1991 AT THEIR PEAK IN POPULARITY
• IN 1995 EASY E DIED OF AIDS
The opening scene set the scene
perfectly as it shows the dangerous OPENING SCENE
circumstances of LA in 1980's/90's. It
starts with Easy E at a drug dealers
house, things get tense and a gun is
pointed at him. But before any of
this conflict can erupt the police
arrive with a tank which destroys
the front of the house, injuring a
women inside. Police rush in with
dogs and the members inside
panic to find a place to put their
stash. Easy E escapes out the back-
window whist being chased by a
dog. He eventually escapes by
running on top of houses. This links
to the historical context of the war
on drugs that took place in the
1980's.
 DETROIT SCENE FROM THE
This is a scene from the movie
depicting a concert in Detroit that MOVIE
the group performed at. They had
been told from the FBI that they were
not allowed to perform the song 'F***
tha police'. The group goes to sings
the song instantly, and are chased by
the police in the crowds. They are
handcuffed and taken into the
police van but as they're they see the
people protesting this saying their
iconic line ''F*** tha police''.
 BOYZ IN DA HOOD MOVIE
IN 1991 ICE CUBE STARRED IN THE MOVIE 'BOYZ IN DA HOOD' DIRECTED BY
JOHN SINGLETOON. THIS WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO HAVE NWA STAR IN
IT BUT ICE CUBE WEAS THE ONLY ONE WHO AGREED THE ACT IN IT. IT TOO
SHEDS LIGHT ON THE HARSH GANG AND STREET LIFE IN AMERICA

THE FILM IS ABOUT:

• "TRE (CUBA GOODING JR.) IS SENT TO LIVE WITH HIS FATHER, FURIOUS
STYLES (LARRY FISHBURNE), IN TOUGH SOUTH-CENTRAL LOS ANGELES.
ALTHOUGH HIS HARD-NOSED FATHER INSTILLS PROPER VALUES AND
RESPECT IN HIM, AND HIS DEVOUT GIRLFRIEND BRANDI (NIA LONG)
TEACHES HIM ABOUT FAITH, TRE'S FRIENDS DOUGHBOY (ICE CUBE) AND
RICKY (MORRIS CHESTNUT) DON'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF SUPPORT AND
ARE DRAWN INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S BOOMING DRUG AND GANG
CULTURE, WITH INCREASINGLY TRAGIC RESULTS."
 LA RIOTS

On the 3rd of March 1991, Rodney king was brutally

beaten by a group of officers on the side of the road. This
was caught by a video which then was boadcast on TV.
In 1992 after clear evidence and a long court case all 4
officers evaded punishment. This catalyzed what was to
become the LA riots of 1992. The riot lasted 5 days and
left 50 people dead. Many of N.W.A's music lyrics,
especially the lyric 'f*** tha police' was graffitied during
the riots. The film also addresses this in a scene showing
the group driving through LA during the riots.
 CULTURAL CONTEXT

• N.W.A WERE SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF SOCIAL CHANGE-

IT ADVOCATES FOR FREE SPEECH/ PRODUCERS OF
PROTEST SONGS/ HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BLACK MEN FROM
DISENFRANCHISED AMERICAN URBAN COMMUNITIES.
• -N.W.A WERE ALSO HEAVILY CRITISIED FOR THEIR
MISOGYNISTIC LYRICS AND THEIR PROMOTION OF A
LIFESTYLE THAT OBJECTIFIED AND MARGINALIZED WOMEN
 SOME LYRICS

• ''DUMB HOE SAYS SOMETHING STUPID THAT MADE ME MAD

SHE SAID SOMETHIN THAT I COULDN'T BELIEVE
SO I GRABBED THE STUPID BITCH BY HER NAPPY ASS WEAVE
SHE STARTED TALKIN SHIT, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW?
REACHED BACK LIKE A PIMP AND SLAPPED THE HOE''- BOYZ IN DA HOOD
• ''DUMB HOE SAYS SOMETHING STUPID THAT MADE ME MAD
SHE SAID SOMETHIN THAT I COULDN'T BELIEVE
SO I GRABBED THE STUPID BITCH BY HER NAPPY ASS WEAVE
SHE STARTED TALKIN SHIT, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW?
REACHED BACK LIKE A PIMP AND SLAPPED THE HOE''- GANGSTA GANGSTA
 ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
CONTEXTS

• TWO MEMBERS OF N.W.A PRODUCED THE FILM-THIS

COULD SUGGEST A MORE EITHER WATERED DOWN
VERSION OF EVENTS TO MAKE THE MEMBERS SEEM LIKE
BETTER PEOPLE OR A MORE DRAMATIC TELLING OF
EVENTS TO MAKE THE MEMBERS SEEM MORE
CONTROVERSIAL AND ICONIC THEN THEY WERE.
 BOX OFFICE

• STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON MADE $201.6 MILLION

WORLD -WIDE AT THE BOX OFFICE IN 2015

• THEY MADE $60,200,180 ON THEIR OPENING WEEKEND.

• THIS IS A MAJOR PROFIT AS THEIR PRODUCTION BUDGET
WAS $28 MILLION
 VERTICAL INTEGRATION

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON WAS PRODUCED BY THE COMPANIES

• LEGENDARY PICTURES
• NEW LINE CINEMA- FILM STUDIO- PRODUCTION
• CUBE VISION-ICE CUBES PRODUCTION COMPANY
• CRUCIAL FILMS -
• BROKEN CHAIR FLICKS
UNIVERSAL, WHICH HAD A BIG PART IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE MOVIE, IS OWNED BY COMCAST. THIS
MEANS THAT COM CAST DIDN’T HAVE TO OUTSOURCE ANY OTHER COMPANIES AS UNIVERSAL OWNED A
RECORD LABEL AND MANY OTHER COMPANIES IN SIDE OF IT THAT COULD BE USED.
 COMCAST

• COMCAST IS A MEDIA CONGLOMERATE

• THEY OWN MANY COMPANIES SUCH AS XFINITY MOBILE/
ALL OF SKY/ NBC UNIVERSAL/ PHILIDELPHIA FLYERS/
NOW TV/SKY CINEMA AND MORE
• WITH ALL THESE COMPANIES THE MOVIE COULD BE EASILY
DISTRIBUTED TO A WIDE RANGE OF AUDIENCES AND
PLACES
 SOUND TRACK AND
ALBUM SALES

• WHILE THE MOVIE WAS RELEASED IN CINEMAS ON 28 AUGUST 2015 AND RELEASED
ON DVD ON 19TH JANUARY 2016.THE SOUNDTRACK FOR THE MOVIE WAS
RELEASED ON 8TH JANUARY 2016.

• THIS IS SMART ON UNIVERSAL MUSIC'S BEHALF AS IF THEY HAD RELEASED THE

SOUNDTRACK WHEN THE MOVIE WAS OUT IN CINEMA PEOPLE WOULD BUY IT THEN
AND IT WOULD BE HARDER TO GENERATE HYPE FOR WHEN THE MOVIE COMES OUT.
INSTEAD THEY HAVE DONE IT DO WHEN PEOPLE COME OUT OF THE CINEMA AND
HAVE THE SONGS IN THEIR HEAD AND WANT TO BUY A CD THEY CA BY THE
ORIGINAL STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, AND DAYS BEFORE THE MOVIE COMES OUT
ON DVD THEY CAN SEE IT AND BUY THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK READY FOR THE
MOVIE. THIS RISES SALES FOR BOTH ALBUMS AND IN NWAS MUSIC IN GENERAL

• THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM REACHED 39 IN THE TOP BILLBOARD 100 IN AMERICA

 MARKETING (360)

• -> MARKETING WHICH OPERATES ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CULTURAL INDUSTRIES AND MEDIA PLATFORMS
• SPONSORSHIP- THE MOVIE WAS CO-PRODUCED BY ICE CUBE AND DR DRE/ THE INTERNET CAMPAIGN WAS ALSO SPONSORED
BY BEATS WHICH IS DRE'S COMPANY

• PRINT- THERE ARE MANY CLEAR AND ICONIC POSTERS (LIKE THE BACKGROUND)
• AUDIO- THERE IS A SOUNDTRACK FOR THE MOVIE CALLED STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK- THE MOVIE
NAME ALSO CREATES AN ASSOCIATION OF THE GROUPS MOST ICONIC ALBUM STRAIGHT OUTTA COPMPTON(1988)

• T.V- THERE WAS MANY TV SHORT ADVERTS OF THE MOVIE- HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/L-EL-RXCX3Y

• SOCIAL MEDIA- AN INTENSE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN WAS CARRIED OUT CALLED STRAIGHT OUTTA SOMEWHERE, I'LL COVER
THIS LATER

• ONLINE- THE MOVIES HAS AN OFFICIAL WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.STRAIGHTOUTTACOMPTONTHEMOVIE.CO.UK/

• MERCH- THERE IS MANY TOPS AND MERCH COMBINING WITH THE COMPANY'S SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNING- ALSO MANY OF
THE MEMBERS IN THE GROUP ARE KNOW FOR BASEBALL RAIDERS UNIFORM
 POTENTIAL AUDIENCES

THERE ARE MANY POTENTIAL AUDIENCES FOR THE MOVIES THAT THE
DIRECTORS MAY HAVE LABELED THE DEMOGRAPHIC.

• N.W.A FANS

• HIP-HOP FANS
• PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER N.W.A
• BIOPIC FANS
• PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO WATCH MOVIES NOMINATED FOR AWARDS

• PEOPLE FROM COMPTON

This trailer is the global trailer for the
movie that was distributed everywhere.
It lets the audience know what type of
THE TRAILER
movie to expect as it shows many of the
main theme of the movie- racism/
violence/ police/ Tours/ party lifestyle/
making the music. The trailer also
features music from N.W.A which
creates an association and nostalgia
with the audience. At the end of the
trailer instead of naming the actors the
trailer takes the same route as the
poster by naming the members of the
group, once again creating an
association with the audience
 FILM LOGO

• THE FILM LOGO FOR STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON IS SIMILAR

TO THE PARENTAL ADVISORY WARNING STICKER

• THIS CREATES AN ASSOCIATION WITH THE 'DANGEROUS'

GROUP AND THE WARNING STICKER.
 POSTER

• THE POSTER FOR THIS MOVIE WAS VERY STRIKING, BEING ONLY IN
BLACK AND WHITE. THE IMAGE OF THE FIVE MEMBERS WALKING
ALONE, ALL WEARING BLACK AND WHITE, SUGGEST HOW CLOSE
THEY WERE AS A GROUP AND IT CREATES THIS ASSOCIATION THAT
THEY WERE TAKING THIS NEW PATH THAT HAD NEVER BEEN TAKEN BY
MUSICIANS BEFORE.
• IT ALSO HAS THE ICONIC FILM LOGO ON THE POSTER.
• ABOVE ALSO ONLY MENTIONS THE NAMES OF THE MUSICIANS
THEMSELVES AND NOT THE ACTORS WHO PLAY THEM. THIS ONCE
AGAIN CREATES AN ASSOCIATION AND COULD POSSIBLY BRING
IN MORE AUDIENCE MEMBERS AS SOMEONE WHO LIKES ONE OF THE
MEMBERS SOLO WORK MIGHT BE DRAWN TO IT ASWELL.
This is part of Straight outta Comptons
360 marketing in which they launched INTERNET SENSATION
an online campaign interacting with
many of the public. The campaign is
called straight outta Somewhere and
encourages the public to post a
picture with the sticker straight outta
somewhere but instead of Compton
appearing on the bottom line its
whatever they choose, for example,
there home town ,their school, a sports
team and so on.
This campaign was taking more into
the light by many celebrities taking
part in it.
 DAVID HESMONDHALGH

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON USES THE STAR SYSTEM BY ASSOCIATING THE MOVIE WITH:
1. THE STARS (MEMBERS OF N.W.A)
2. THE SONG +ALBUM ''STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON''
3. THE CO- PRODUCERS ICE CUBE AND DR DRE
THE MOVIE ALSO USES 360 MARKETING FOR A LOT OF ITS CAMPAIGN.