Camera
The film starts off with a moving aerial shot of Los Angeles at night time as if it's a police helicopter searching for criminals in the city. This sets the scene for the film very well because from the first camera shot we know that the plot is going to take place in the city of LA. It also tells us that the main characters are probably from Los Angeles and live there as well.
The next shot in the film is an establishing shot of a house in a ghetto neighborhood and a grey lowrider car parked at the side of the curb of the road. This is inferring that one of the main characters live in this rough neighborhood of Los Angeles This is sort of confirmed later on in the scene when one of the main characters pulls up to house in another car. and walks It also suggests that the characters that live there are probably part of a street gang, which is also true as once the character opens up his trunk, he pulls a pistol out of a speaker.
The next significant shot in this opening scene is this mid-shot of Eazy-E. This shot is significant because it introduces us to one of the main characters in the film. In addition to that, it also shows what he looks like as we weren't able to tell this from previous shots in the scene. The shots also shows us what he dresses like and this could suggest that the rest of the main characters dress in the same or similar clothing to Eazy-E.
The most significant shot after that is a mid shot of Eazy-E and a two guys getting up. This shot is important because it happens right after Eazy-E disrespects the two guys living in the house. The fact that they are getting up so quickly suggests that they are angry at Eazy-E for disrespecting their house. It also suggests that fight is about to happen but at the same time Eric Wright is trying to calm the situation by saying he is confused as to what he is disrespecting. This only makes it worse because one of the other guys locks the door and stands up right next to Eazy.
The last significant shot in the scene is this long shot of an armed police truck driving through the ghetto neighborhood. This camera shot is significant because it shows that the police are searching for drug traffickers in the area and it also alerts one of the henchmen to tell his bosses that the cop are coming. Another reason why this shot is significant is that it allows Eazy-E to escape and probably get the people he was talking to arrested because they are in possession of the cocaine that Eazy gave to them.
Editing
In this opening scene of Straight Outta Compton, quite a few editing techniques are used to created different effects. However, most of the editing techniques are simple but at the same time are very effective in introducing the story of the film and the opening scene in great fashion.
The first effective piece of editing is a simple cut between the aerial tracking shot of LA at night from the perspective of a police helicopter and a wide shot of a house in a ghetto neighborhood. This editing technique is significant because it suggests that the police helicopter is searching the neighborhood for the house in the next shot. Therefore, this also suggests that the people living in the house are criminals, otherwise, the police wouldn't be searching the area for them.
The second piece of effective editing is the use of titles, especially at 0:59 and 2:10. The first use of titles is the text 'Compton, CA 1986' when Eazy steps out of the car. This not only tells us the setting of the film, it also tells us what year the film is set in. In addition, it gives the film context straight from the start of the opening scene. The second use of titles is the text 'Eric Wright a.k.a. Eazy-E' when he enters the house of the people who is making a drug deal with. It introduces to one of the main characters in the movie and we also learn his name.
The third and final significant piece of editing is a fade to black with titles transition from when Eazy-E escapes the dope house and from their guard dog. The reason why this transition is so significant is because it transitions to the title of the film after the opening scene. The opening scene allows us to understand what the rest of the film will be about and the ending of the opening is signified by the titles of the film. Also, the dramatic music change at the end helps make this transition more seamless.
Sound
The use of sound, both diegetic and non-diegetic, is effective at making an impact on the audience throughout the opening scene of Straight Outta Compton. For example, the non-diegetic sound at the start gives us some background information on the context on the film whereas the diegetic sound of dialogue and other sounds makes the audience more involved in the beginning of the film and obviously throughout the entire movie.
The first effective use of sound in the film opening is the non-diegetic sound of news reports during the production titles before the opening scene has even started. This is really effective because the snippets of information playing at the same time gives us more background information about drug trafficking and street violence in Los Angeles, California. This helps us as an audience to understand the context of the movie and also helps us to better understand the representations portrayed throughout the film.
The second effective use of sound in the film opening is the non-diegetic sound of Eazy-E saying 'You're about to witness the strength of street knowledge' just before the film cuts to the opening scene. This helps us to understand that one of the key themes in the film throughout the film is street culture in the U.S. and it also serves as a memory of Eazy-E, who passed away due to AIDs in 1995.
Non-diegetic sound is also effectively used when the house in the ghetto neighborhood is introduced to us at the start of the opening scene. It changes back to a rap beat once the camera shows the dope house in a ghetto neighborhood to signify that some rappers in the late 80's were involved in drug trafficking. More importantly, it suggests that gangster rap originated from rough neighborhoods in suburban parts of American cities.
The most effective use of diegetic sound is when the siren of an armed police truck is playing near the end of the film opener. This probably the most effective piece of diegetic sound because it alerts the people in the dope house that a police raid is going to happen and on top of that, it allows Eazy-E to escape because the police act as a distraction to the drug dealers. Furthermore, it sets off a quick chain of events that tie up a great opening to a film and also leads to the title of the film.
Mise-en-scene
The first effective use of mise-en-scene in this film opener is when we first see a wide shot of a house in Compton, CA. Due to the low level lighting and the low riders parked in the street, it allows us to assume that the house is in a ghetto neighborhood because society tends to generalize that people that have low-riders are usually gang or street criminals. The fact that the house looks a bit run-down suggests that this scene is in a poor part of a large city.
The second use of mise-en-scene is the MLB (Major League Baseball) cap that Eazy-E is wearing. This helps us understand that street rappers tend to wear sports clothing along with trendy casual clothes. Additionally, the fact that he is wearing a MLB cap tells us that this film is set in the USA because baseball is one of the biggest sports in that country.
The third effective use of mise-en-scene is the inside of the dope house. It looks quite suspect and also pretty run down, much like the exterior of the house. The living room has a lot of drug paraphernalia and the furniture looks quite over-used and old. This suggests that some of the stuff maybe stolen and could suggest that the people living there are criminals and are definitely involved in crime relating to drugs.
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