How To Create An Epic Movie Poster?

“The poster is the soul of a movie made visual” – Akiko Stehrenberger

It’s the end of our google meeting when my script supervisor gives me the task of not only correcting my synopsis for Blind Justice, but also creating a movie poster for it.

A movie poster?

All I knew was that the look needed to be dark while giving off a sense of mystery.

I immediately googled the best and worst movie posters of all time and noted 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.

“You never want to reinvent the wheel. You can tweak it to give it your own personal touch, but you shouldn’t aim to reinvent”.

So, I went to Upwork and searched for graphic designers who specialized in movie posters. Once I settled on a candidate, it was time to get a quality photo.

The vision I had for the poster required a “male hand”. Since the antagonist in Blind Justice was a bit heavy set like a wrestler or NFL player, I needed the hand to be strong and exude extreme male dominance.  

But who?

Then, I remembered I met Ron Cromartie during pre-production of Shrink Wrapped 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! Thank you.)

Next, it’s time to think about wardrobe. I wanted the protagonist in my script to appear that she’s being heavily abused. So, I went to Rainbow and bought a $5.99 dark grey sweatshirt. On set that weekend, I asked if another (PA) could help me cut holes into it. We stepped and even jumped on it. As a final touch, we rolled it in the dirt.  

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Quick Author’s Note: As I look back on this post five years later, I wish I didn’t go about this on another Director’s set.

As you (the reader) continue to read this post, know that it’s being written from a beginner’s mind. A mind that’s excited to enter into the world of film. A mind that refuses to let anything or anyone stand in its way.

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Now, it’s time to figure out how to get the perfect photo. When filming for the day had officially wrapped and all my duties were complete, the perfect moment came. It was 8:30pm and I politely asked 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.

After a few takes the perfect photo was captured.

And here it is!

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Check out the 2026 version below!

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Watch my YouTube video below!

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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.