How To Create An Epic Movie Poster?

“Movie posters are indeed great marketing / promotional tools, but they’re also a great way to help get funding for your film and attract key talent” – Gia Foretia

It’s the end of our google meeting and my script supervisor gives me the task of not only correcting my synopsis but also creating a movie poster to associate with my film. I absolutely had no idea where to start. All I knew was that the look needed to be the exact tone of my script – dark while giving off a sense of mystery.

I immediately googled and studied the top and worst movie posters of all time and documented their similarities and differences. The top movie posters that attracted me were: The Silence Of The Lambs, Us, Scream, Titanic, and Das Irrlict. Then, I observed that most of the best movie posters have minimal color, design/objects, and no more than two actors in the image.

And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that “you should never aim to reinvent the wheel. You can tweak it to give it your own personal touch, but you do not reinvent”.

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What are the purposes of a movie poster? Why are movie posters important?

Marketing, promotion, and PR (public relations) are the main purposes of a movie poster. Or in simpler terms – to get people out of their homes to watch and spread the word about your film. It’s all about the visuals.

A movie poster is your films’ main marketing piece. In my experience, I made Blind Justice’s movie poster while still in the beginning stages of trying to produce the trailer to obtain funding for the actual production. Mind you, I had to film the trailer twice! (More on that later)

This decision shocked most veteran filmmakers and actors. Remember, there’s no such thing as being overprepared. Do everything you can to package your film’s proposal well to increase your chances of getting funding. Movie posters are important because they stimulate the end user’s imagination to get you on their radar.

Will your movie poster end up changing later on? Probably. (Blind Justice has). Just make sure, your initial poster looks enticing and of high quality.

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I wanted to do this right and if I wanted quality work, I knew I was going to have to pay a substantial amount of money. So, I went to Upwork (now there’s Fiverr) and searched for graphic designers who specialized specifically in movie posters.

Once I settled on a candidate it was time to get a quality photo. I needed a “male hand”. Since, the antagonist in my script was “heavy set” like a wrestler or NFL player, I needed the hand to be strong and exude extreme male dominance.  

I wanted a hand that if it were to punch into a wall a hole once, it would go straight through.

But who?

Then, I remembered. I met another production assistant (PA) named Ron Cromartie during pre-production who’s actually a wrestler for the WWE. I’d only met him once, but I figured it was worth a shot to ask. So, I sent him a kind text and he agreed. (Whew!).

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What is the message of a movie poster?

The message of a movie is entirely dependent on the tone and genre of your film. Let’s take for example the two movie posters below.

If you look at the Harry Potter movie poster, you immediately think – mystical, magical, mystery, superhero, pain, death etc. So, if you’re a filmmaker who desires your customer to feel exhilarated, get transported into an alternate reality and feel inspired to conquer any challenge / obstacle they may be facing, then this poster takes the cake.

What if you’ve never heard of Harry Potter before? Honestly, you may not even end up liking the film. But the point is, just seeing this poster will make the average person want to see what the film is all about.

Next, we have the movie poster of One Day. What do you see? Two people sharing an intimate yet public kiss. What emotions does this invoke? Love, romance, maybe a little bit of drama (20 years is a longg time).

Let’s be honest, we all desire be in a relationship with someone we love and trust. I mean, the topic of love and relationships is the core of social media content today especially on YouTube. Think about how many so-called relationship coaches there are.

So, if the goal of the filmmaker to make their end customer wants to feel empowered and regain their confidence that “Love does still exist” or that “It is still possible to find your soulmate and live happily ever after” then the poster of One Day gives is it.

Just think, what emotions do I want my end user to feel when they see my poster? You want your poster to make your end user begin asking questions.

RECOMMENDED READING: A Deep Dive Into Movie Poster Design

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Next, it’s time for wardrobe. I wanted the protagonist in my script to appear dirty and give off the feeling that she’s being heavily mistreated. So, I went to Rainbow and bought a $5.99 dark grey sweatshirt and had another (PA) help me cut holes into it. To make the sweater appear even more worn out, we stepped on it. Jumped on it. And rolled it in the dirt.  

Now, it’s time to figure out how we were going to get the photo and when. It had to be quick, when filming was wrapped for the day and all my duties were complete. Then, the moment came. It’s roughly around 8:30pm and we’ve wrapped after 10 hours of shooting.

I immediately urged Ron and two other PA’s to help me take the picture. I threw on the dirty sweatshirt, took direction from the PA’s who urged me to open my eyes as wide as possible and after a few takes the perfect photo was captured.

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What is the influence of movie posters?

Simple. To get people to watch your film. Spread the word about your film. Bring attention to you as a filmmaker. You getting the chance to sell your film to a film production company. Landing a major multi-movie deal with a production company to extend your film or any other ideas you may have further.

Overall, movie posters are the key to public attention. By getting more attention you end up building an audience. Once you have an audience you can sell more of your services such as apparel, coaching, in-person events etc. Whoever continues to get the most attention – wins!

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What does a movie poster show?

Usually, a movie poster shows:

• The title of the film
• The main actors
• The film’s tagline
• A core image (usually the main actor(s) in the film)
• Color – should match the tone of the film
• Below the line film credits (i.e., director, producer, executive producer etc.) – there’s no limit or minimum regarding who can be included in this section

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What makes a movie poster valuable?

I’m not quite sure about this but I would think residuals. I remember Shannen Doherty making a statement recently (2024) about her residual payments from her time on the TV Show, Charmed. Her time on the show ended in 2001. Just imagine what her residuals have been twenty years later also with her time on 90210. (What????)

There was another instance where I had attended a networking event, and someone claimed they happened to see my movie poster on a streaming channel. My friend that I was there said, “someone owes you some moneyyy”. (LOL! No, I didn’t pursue the woman’s claim further).

But, overall, if your film’s movie poster ends up becoming a big hit you can possibly end up receiving decades worth of consistent income in residual payments.

It’s all based on how you strategically play the game. Think about Bridgerton, Disney, Twilight, The Simpsons, Marvel and Harry Potter and how these enterprises have been able to profit substantially years if not decades later. The success of their films has garnered profits from plays, toys, apparel, theme parks etc.

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What crazy movie poster experiences have you gone through? Let me know in the comments!

Other Posts You May Be Interest In:

• What Happens On Set During Film Production?
• How To Land Your First Film Gig With No Experience?
• How To Find Mentorship In The Film Industry?

Disclaimer: 

The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.