DEATH OF A SALESMAN ADAPTATION PITCH JADE, ELLY, JAYDEN AND MEERAB THE CONCEPT Thriller comedy in the 2040's (futuristic) Style: Slightly darker colour grading Suspenseful music Exaggerated sound effects Quick cuts & close-ups Fly-on-the-wall wall camera angles Humour through clever dialogue & satirical tone THE CONCEPT 01 2040'S PERIOD Futuristic technology can showcase the evolving nature of work & success Introduction of newer economic challenges of 2040: AI replacing jobs & digitized economies, increasing the difficulty of keeping up with the American Dream 02 LOCATION: BROOKLYN Keeping the location the same will preserve the urban setting and the symbolism of Willy being trapped in the house (like his mind) and feeling behind as it will remain surrounded by apartment buildings OUR DIRECTOR Identity and perception are repeating themes in his films. He explains how our perception of reality shapes our identity and choices. He also specializes in the genre of thriller with a taste of comedy in the making of his movies at times. CAST Director: Christopher Nolan Willy: Woody Harrelson Linda: Julia Roberts Happie (Happy): Izabela Vidovic CAST Director: Christopher Nolan Biff: Tom Blyth Woman: Monica Barbaro Ben: Eric Roberts CAST Director: Christopher Nolan 01 Charley: Steve Carell Howard: Paul Rudd (Ant-man) SETTING/SET DESIGN Around the house, it is situated between tall apartment houses, making it look smaller than the rest despite it being an averagesized house A cloudy sky with only a sliver of sunlight peeking through the thick clouds SETTING/SET DESIGN First floor: parent’s bedroom, kitchen, and living room Kitchen: In the center of the house, with a small kitchen table, [four] chairs and a refrigerator The back of the kitchen leads to the living room with futuristic furniture (unique lamp shape, curved technological table, and futuristic television) The parents’ bedroom is to the right of the kitchen, on a level raised two feet, furnished with a soft bedstead, a few plants, a rug, a regular lamp, and a chair. A painting rests over the bed and there’s a window which opens onto the apartment house at the side SETTING/SET DESIGN Second floor: the children’s bedroom Behind the kitchen, the bedroom is barely visible Two beds are dimly seen, and the back of the room has a dormer window, which is above the living room At the left, the stairway curves up to it from the kitchen COSTUME DESIGN (MASCULINE) Major details: Sharp angles Less bright colours, leaning more on the monochromatic dark shades Emphasis on blocky shapes/silhouette of the body (no patterns to focus soley on shape of clothes) Heavy layering Clean, uniform look Minor details: Strong structured shoulders Mostly wide leg COSTUME DESIGN (FEMININE) Major details: Focus on linear shape Less bright colours, leaning more on the monochromatic dark shades Emphasis on shoulder pads & layering of materials High end yet tedious Clean, classy look Minor details: Use of a cinched waist & strong structured shoulders Nice material (as it will be sourced easily) This is business attire, casual would keep same details yet around 50% toned down SOUNDTRACK #1: Peripatetic Peregrination- Willy’s theme #2: Cakes and Ale for the Exiled- snippets of this soundtrack will be played when Willy is having illusions #3: Les voici! Voici le duo!- Ben’s theme. Plays briefly when he “arrives” and plays again when he leaves. (Also plays in Howard’s office) #4: Snuggy Breeze- another soundtrack for Willy’s illusions. #5: La nuit silencieuse et paisible: (starting at 0:18)- soundtrack for the restaurant scene, before Willy joins Happie and Biff SOUNDTRACK #6 Dies Irae, OR Lacrimosa- It will play during Willy’s last moments: Linda waiting for Willy on the stairs/upper stair landing, calling him to go to bed, and Willy was muttering to himself (“Shh shhh”). This soundtrack will be edited to a slower version #7: Floating Lullaby- Starts playing right after #6, when Willy said his last “shhh, shh” at Linda and he walked out of the house. The soundtrack continues for almost the entire funeral. It will slowly fade out and #1, which is Willy’s theme, will fade in. #8 Expectation for Exploration Willy’s theme will only play for briefly and it will fade out like #7 too. Then, it’s the end of the movie. This is the end theme. Starts playing when Linda finishes saying her last sentence and the screen darkens and it will keep playing as the cast list, and other credits appear on the screen. KEY SCENE Act II, Willy & Howard Main point: To show Willy’s desperation and increased hopelessness as he watches others around him succeed in achieving the American Dream. Setting: Contemporary office environment with lots of modern technology. Willy’s home is technologically advanced but has somewhat outdated or less sophisticated models than Howard’s office. This contrast between the two locations will emphasize their financial and social differences. KEY SCENE Act II, Willy & Howard Main point: To show Willy’s desperation and increased hopelessness as he watches others around him succeed in achieving the American Dream. Setting: Contemporary office environment with lots of modern technology. Willy’s home is technologically advanced but with somewhat outdated or less sophisticated models than Howard’s office. This contrast between the two locations will emphasize the financial and social differences between them. Dialogue: Spotlight effect to slowly isolate Willy, highlighting his vulnerability and desperation Willy’s tone - confident, then descend into increasing anger and desperation Howard’s tone - disinterested, calm, and often breaking off from the conversation to interact with his gadgets or his children KEY SCENE Act II, Willy & Howard Visuals & Sound: Set design - a sleek, high-tech environment using materials like glass and metal AI-powered virtual assistants and AR devices in the office Cool, bright lighting emphasizes Howard’s wealth and the neutral nature of the space. Camera angles can include wide shots to show how Willy may feel small and out of place in Howard’s office and close-ups as Willy begins to show more desperation and capture the emotional differences Subtle tech noises (tapping of keyboards, robotic voices, computers gently humming) fill the noise. Automated notifications or messages can be used as sound effects to interrupt the conversation, showcasing Howard’s divided attention MOVIE POSTER Glitch Effect Includes Adapted Characters MODERN TAKE ON WILLY’S PERCEPTION OF PSYCHOTIC EPISODES Dark Colour Theme (dark and eerie) Individual images make up & contribute to original plot line, yet have been modernized ADAPTATION THEME (THRILLER) Made to seem chaotic to symbolize Willy’s losing sense of reality THE ORIGINAL VS. OUR ADAPTATION Reality vs. illusion will be kept as a central theme and also emphasized through comedy to show his internal conflict with his dreams and emotions American Dream will also remain as a central theme, with the help of comedy to critique it and highlight its unattainable aspects and societal pressures The personalities of the main characters will be preserved, such as Willy’s determination and idealism, Linda’s patience, Biff’s struggle with identity, etc. to remain consistent with Miller’s vision Along with the humour and suspense, there will still be moments of emotional depth and reflection, like Willy’s death and his longing for the past THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
