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Over 30,000 Ideas in the Public Domain to Inspire Your Next Screenplay

With some imaginative reworking, an existing Intellectual Property (IP) available in the public domain can be spun into material that’s fresh and new.
by Andrew Schwartz - updated on November 7, 2022

Generating screenplay ideas off of an existing IP offers writers the chance to showcase their ability to inject their own unique take on known (or unknown) works. What’s more, adapting works in the public domain costs nothing, and it mitigates the potential risks studios, producers and financiers have to take when investing in a script — regardless if it’s written by an upcoming writer or a Hollywood veteran.

When a work enters the public domain via programs such as the Open Access initiative taken by The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), it means anyone can copy, build upon, or reuse the material for commercial purposes without permission. Through the Open Access institution, over 34,000 works of art were released into the public domain. Additionally, the supplemental information (metadata, collection, artist and background information, etc.) of over 61,000 works were also released. This means these works and their accompanying backstories are now free to be reworked, reimagined, and rewritten into the next great screenplay. 

Looking at some of the highlights from the CMA’s release, a new well of inspiration is right at our fingertips: Templates for screenplay ideas, especially when it comes to setting and tone, can be based on a landscape painting done by Courbet; the inspiration for a new story can be spun from the characters depicted in a mid-19th century urban portrait of life in the antebellum north – the possibilities are endless. 

Just to get you started, here are 8 highlights from The Cleveland Museum of Art's massive release, as well as ways to develop them into new screenplay ideas from the public domain:

The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse) by Albert Pinkham Ryder 

The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse)

The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse), c. 1896-1908. Albert Pinkham Ryder (American, 1847-1917). Oil on canvas; framed: 84.5 x 102 x 6.5 cm (33 1/4 x 40 3/16 x 2 9/16 in.); unframed: 70.5 x 90 cm (27 3/4 x 35 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1928.8

An image in motion – Ryder’s painting uses a very muted, earth-tone-oriented palette paired with dark, medieval imagery to convey a sense of dread, and rightly so. Taken from the CMA’s website, “Ryder’s subject was inspired by a horse race… in 1888. One of the artist’s friends wagered $500 on the race and then committed suicide after the horse lost.” Whether it manifests as a period piece or a modern retelling, a story inspired by this painting can be one that examines the pitfalls of gambling. Incorporate the dark undertones alive in the painting and it can be reminiscent of films like Casino or even The Black Swan.

Hunting near Hartenfels Castle by Lucas Cranach

Hunting near Hartenfels Castle

Hunting near Hartenfels Castle, 1540. Lucas Cranach (German, 1472-1553). Oil, originally on wood, transferred to masonite; framed: 133 x 185.5 x 7.3 cm (52 3/8 x 73 1/16 x 2 7/8 in.); unframed: 116.8 x 170.2 cm (46 x 67 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1958.425

World-building: It’s essential to the writer’s process. It draws the reader in by making the setting and characters come alive. There are many famous examples of writers telling elaborate stories based on the world’s characters inhabit in paintings – even Freddy Mercury and John Lennon dabbled in such adaptations. Cranach’s painting depicting a Protestant community in Saxony almost does the work for us. The castle in the distance, the Princes and their squires in the left frame, the braggadocios suitor in the bottom right; these are characters ripe for screenplay ideas. In the wake of successful, expansive stories such as Game of Thrones, The Crown, or The Favourite, period pieces featuring rich, complex characters have cemented their place among audiences.  

Hand and Wheel by Alfred Stieglitz

Hand and Wheel

Georgia O'Keeffe- Hand and Wheel, 1933. Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864-1946). Gelatin silver print; image: 24.2 x 19.2 cm (9 1/2 x 7 9/16 in.); matted: 55.9 x 45.7 cm (22 x 18 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Cary Ross, Knoxville, Tennessee 1935.99

The Georgia O’Keeffe biopic – but perhaps seen through the eyes of her husband whose only true way of connecting with her is through his photography. As the CMA website states, “The image was made during her reunion with her husband – and much-beloved car – after an extended convalescence following a nervous breakdown. O’Keeffe had paid for the car herself; for her, it was not just a glossy object of consumer desire but symbolized independence and freedom.” In today’s climate, a Georgia O’Keeffe story is both timely and relevant. 

The Mechanisms of Human Facial Expression (Figure 45) by Guillaume Benjamin Armand Duchenne de Boulogne 

Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine

Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine: Figure 45: Contraction électrique forte des triangulaires des lèvres et des sourciliers: douleur et déspoir, c. 1856. Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne (de Boulogne) (French, 1806-1875), Adrien Tournachon (French, 1825-1903). Albumen print from glass plate negative (printed 1862); image: 23.5 x 17.9 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/16 in.); oval opening: 16.2 x 11.9 cm (6 3/8 x 4 11/16 in.); mounted: 41.2 x 27.4 cm (16 1/4 x 10 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 2018.7

In pursuit of the exploration of the intersection between human physiology and emotion, Duchenne de Boulogne photographed those who he had triggered with electric shocks to observe their facial expressions. Duchenne’s experiments can serve as the basis for a dark, institutionalized horror/thriller film done in the vein of Shutter Island, Gothika, or even One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

The Power of Music by William Sidney Mount

The Power of Music

The Power of Music, 1847
William Sidney Mount (American, 1807-1868)
1991.110

In the mid-nineteenth century, William Sydney Mount became known for his genre paintings depicting American life. The Power of Music depicts a scene taking place in antebellum Long Island City. Using subtle nuances in spatial relations, Mount approaches the racial divide in the northern community in a telling way. This subversion of setting -- taking place in New York instead of the south -- can be an interesting take on race given today's climate. Much like Mount's dignified and graceful portraits of African Americans throughout all of his work, the character featured in the forefront of this painting can be a starting point for a strong protagonist done in the vein of Django Unchained, 12 Years a Slave, or Green Book.

In the Omnibus by Mary Cassatt

In the Omnibus

In the Omnibus, 1890-1891. Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926). Color drypoint and aquatint; platemark: 36.6 x 26.8 cm (14 7/16 x 10 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Charles T. Brooks 1941.71

As stated on the CMA's website, "the theme of travel was appealing to artists in 19th-century Paris -- it represented a public space where people of different classes and genders were juxtaposed in close proximity... a quintessential modern life subject, Cassatt depicts a bourgeois lady accompanied by her baby and a nursemaid doing errands in the city. If you're looking for a slightly twee screenplay idea, Cassatt's series on travel can be a template for a road-trip movie with a very specific tone not unlike Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited.

Stag at Sharkey’s by George Bellows

Stag at Sharkey's, 1909. George Bellows (American, 1882-1925). Oil on canvas; framed: 110 x 140.5 x 8.5 cm (43 5/16 x 55 5/16 x 3 3/8 in.); unframed: 92 x 122.6 cm (36 1/4 x 48 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Hinman B. Hurlbut Collection 1133.1922

Another moving image – Bellows’ Stag at Sharkey’s depicts a scene taking place at a “raucous salon” where a private (and illegal) boxing event is being held. Following in the footsteps of films like The Fighter, Raging Bull, Rocky, and Creed, a film based on the origins of illegal boxing in New York could be one direction, while a modern retelling of a backroom boxing ring is also viable. After all, “for some contemporaries, boxing was a powerful analogy for the notion that only the strongest and fittest would flourish in modern society.” This image packs quite a punch if you're looking for boxing-related screenplay ideas.

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons by Joseph Mallord William Turner

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834, 1835. Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, 1775-1851). Oil on canvas; framed: 123.5 x 153.5 x 12 cm (48 5/8 x 60 7/16 x 4 3/4 in.); unframed: 92 x 123.2 cm (36 1/4 x 48 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of John L. Severance 1942.647

Based on actual events, Turner’s Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons depicts the fire at the Houses of Parliament in London during October of 1834. “[Turner] used the disaster as the starting point to express man’s helplessness when confronted with the destructive powers of nature.” Man vs. nature is an ever-apparent theme throughout film, and the tone of this painting feels reminiscent of stories such as The Revenant, The Tree of Life, and There Will Be Blood.

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The above are just a few examples of ways these works can be adapted into great screenplay ideas. The Cleveland Museum of Art is just one reputable institution that has participated in this initiative. The New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum have also released thousands of works into the public domain.

Read More: 101 Public Domain Story Prompts!


Andrew Schwartz is a marketing professional and script reader working in the entertainment industry. He has written and read for outlets such as The Blcklst, BlueCat Screenplay, Final Draft and more. Find him on Twitter at @writingshorts or his Instagram page dedicated to The Sopranos, @sopranosgram.

 

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