Straight Outta Compton Flashcards
What type of film is SOC?
A biopic.
Who produced SOC?
Legendary pictures.
Who distributed SOC?
universal pictures.
Who directed SOC?
F. Gary Gray
Which hip hop band does the film follow?
N.W.A
Which members of the band were co-producers?
Ice Cube and Dr. Dre
Being a huge commercial & critical success, what did the film become?
Highest grossing music biopic of all time.
What award was it nominated for?
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
What events are predominantly portrayed in the film?
mid-1980s California, USA.
What impacted the depiction of the period to be in a contemporary film?
Social upheaval caused by radical tension in LA Riots 1992.
How is the portrayal of places and people influenced by subsequent events?
1980s California, glorification of N.W.A as agents of social change, revise/influenced by subsequent events.
How we’re N.W.A significant in terms of social change?
Advocates for free speech, produced protest songs, highly successful black men from disenfranchised American urban communities.
What were N.W.A heavily criticised for?
Misogynisitc lyrics, promoted lifestyle objectifying and marginalise women.
Arguably what could it imply if 2 of the band members co-produced the film?
Sanitised attempt to “cash in” by band members.
When did Legendary Pictures enter partnership with Universal pictures (the film’s distributer)?
2014
Who owns Universal?
NBC Universal, a Comcast company.
What is significant about the distribution of the film?
produced & distributed by major, vertically integrated film studio, part of media conglomerate?
What is significant about the vertical integration of the distribution of the film?
Sig in terms of funding, possibilities for cross-promotion and reaching a global audience.
What might audiences of Universal/Legendary expect?
Sense of quality from previous releases.
What might having 2 band members co-producing the film get them accused of?
Downplaying or sanitising the problematic aspects of their work- (“N” in band name, F*** tha Police” not referenced in the global film trailer).
List the 4 potential audiences the film is attempting to target?
Fans of N.W.A, Fans of rap/gangster rap, fans of biopic films, fans of the film studios/ producers.
Which genres have specific and well identified fan bases?
Rap and the sub-genre of gangster rap.
What does the marketing have to do in terms of music?
Appeal to Rap & sub-genre of gangster rap, Plus get the music to appeal to wider audience.
What might fans of N.W.A or that genre be attracted to?
Trailer scene of band being formed or music being discussed/ recorded.
