Editing Boyz n the Hood (section)

==Production==
Singleton wrote the film based on his own life and that of people he knew.<ref name="Vice">{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Will|title=Talking 'Boyz N the Hood' with Its Director John Singleton|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/talking-about-boyz-n-the-hood-with-its-director-john-singleton/|website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice UK]]|date=November 1, 2016|access-date=April 4, 2017}}</ref> When applying for film school, one of the questions on the application form was to describe "three ideas for films". One of the ideas Singleton composed was titled ''Summer of 84'', which later evolved into ''Boyz n the Hood''.<ref name="Vice"/> During writing, Singleton was influenced by the 1986 film ''[[Stand by Me (film)|Stand by Me]]'', which inspired both an early scene where four young boys take a trip to see a dead body and the closing fade-out of main character Doughboy.<ref name="Vice"/>

Upon completion, Singleton was protective of his script, insisting that he be the one to direct the project, later explaining at a retrospective screening of the film "I wasn't going to have somebody from [[Idaho]] or [[Encino, Los Angeles|Encino]] direct this movie."<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Nigel M|title=John Singleton reflects on Boyz N the Hood: 'I didn't know anything'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/13/john-singleton-filmmaker-boyz-n-the-hood-special-screening-academy|date=June 13, 2016|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=April 4, 2017}}</ref> He sold the script to Columbia Pictures in 1990, who [[greenlit]] the film immediately out of interest in making a film similar to the comedy-drama film ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'' (1989).

The role of Doughboy was written specially for Ice Cube, whom Singleton met while working as an intern at ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]''.<ref name="Vice"/> Singleton also noted the studio was unaware of Ice Cube's standing as a member of rap group [[N.W.A]].<ref name="Vice"/> Singleton claims Gooding and Chestnut were cast because they were the first ones who showed up to auditions,<ref name="Vice"/> while Fishburne was cast after Singleton met him on the set of ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse]]'', where Singleton worked as a production assistant and security guard.<ref>{{cite web|title=John Singleton Interview Part 1 of 3 - TelevisionAcademy.com/Interviews|date=24 September 2016|work=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation]]|url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/john-singleton?clip=18644#interview-clips|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref>

Long grew up in the area the film depicts and has said, "It was important as a young actor to me that this feels real because I knew what it was like go home from school and hear gunshots at night." Bassett referred to Singleton as her "little brother" on set. "I'd been in LA for about three years and I was trying, trying, trying to do films," she said. "We talked, I auditioned and he gave me a shot. I've been waiting to work with him ever{{sic|hide=y}} since."<ref name="Guardian"/>

The film was shot in sequence, with Singleton later noting that as the film goes on, the camera work gets better as Singleton was finding his foothold as a director.<ref name="Guardian"/> He has a cameo in the film, appearing as a mailman handing over mail to Brenda as Doughboy and Ricky are having a scuffle in the front yard. Filming began on October 1, 1990, in South Central Los Angeles, with several gang members serving as consultants, on "wardrobe, vocal emphasis and dialogue changes" to ensure authenticity.<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|title=Catalogue–Boyz N the Hood|url= https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58786-BOYZ-NTHEHOOD?sid=b54ba598-49b3-49e2-8e28-3e5cc2e24668&sr=0.17702991&cp=1&pos=0 |website=AFI|access-date=January 24, 2024}}</ref>