Boyz 'N The Hood H/W

Semiotics have been used in the opening scene. The scene opens with facts about the black males killing each other amongst a black screen, Then shows a stop sign. Of course this a road sign however the connations of this may be that the director/producers are telling African American men to stop fighting and fight the bigger issue at hand.
Before the scene starts we hear a conversation between two men about to shoot someone else followed by gun shots and a child crying that their brother has been shot. We only see darkness whilst this plays, it could be to show the audience the point of view of the children who we learn heard a shooting the night before. The lack of lighting creates a tense atmosphere, we are just as 'in the dark' as the children.
Race plays a big role in this movie. The contrast between the teacher and mother during a phone call clearly demonstrates the divide between the two races. Although the mother is well educated and is studying for her masters degree, the school teacher who is less educated speaks down to her and assumes she isn't employed. We can see Tre's mother is not what the teacher expects from her costume, she is dressed as a middle class woman.  The teacher also assumes Tre is short tempered because of problems at home. Whilst this conversation is taking place we see Tre walking past a group of men fighting over a game. It is clear that in this community it is normal for men and boys to fight regularly, however the teacher is so far removed from them she can not grasp that it is a quality constructed by their current way of life.
The children come across a crime scene where a man or multiple have been shot. To them this a normal occurrence in their neighbourhood, however young children typically are not exposed to such violence. We are empathetic towards the children for having to live in such conditions.
The blood on the street fades out into the red crayon in a drawing of a man in a coffin along with other dark images drawn by the kids. This transition shows that what these kids see affects them subconsciously as the children draw blood and death instead of sunny skies and happy families. It also shows again that this is a regular occurrence for them as they carry on their day as per usual despite what they have seen.
As previously mentioned drawings of a man in a coffin, an African american man surrendering to the police and a police helicopter are displayed on the walls of the classroom. These images show that the children do not have a  regular childhood. They are constantly surrounded by death, violence and crime, therefore the perception of the world is solely based on that, hence the drawings.