Year 8 - Movie Posters Creation 1 - 2026 (SCITT)

• Computing
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Year 8 - Movie Posters Creation

Think (1 min),

Pair (1 min) and Share

What are the differences?

What is similar?

Who do they target?

Share

Key Objectives

ALL

Investigate movie posters and identify their purpose and target audience

MOST

Analyse design choices and explain how they attract a specific audience

SOME

Evaluate the reasoning behind targeted graphic design for promotion

Anatomy of a poster

1. Main Image / Hero Shot - Establishes character and tone. Often the lead actor or key visual symbol.
2. Title / Typography - Font style signals genre — scratchy for horror, bold for action, elegant for drama.
3. Tagline - A short, memorable phrase that hooks the audience. Creates mystery or excitement.
4. Colour Palette  - Dark blues/greens = thriller. Bright/warm = comedy. Washed out = dystopia.
5. Billing Block - Small text at the bottom — actors, director, production company, rating.
6. Studio Logos - Warner Bros, Universal, A24 etc. — signals production quality and budget.

Your Mission

Create a movie poster with one of the following scenarios without AI and only with Creative commons images

 

Scenario 1: Sci-Fi Thriller – Galactic Rift - use this workbook to help guide you

Tagline: "A portal has opened. Not everyone will survive."

Plot: In the year 3025, Earth’s greatest minds face a catastrophe when a mysterious rift appears in space, unleashing an unstoppable alien force. With time running out, a lone pilot and a brilliant scientist must journey beyond the stars to close the rift and save humanity.

Key Elements for Poster:

• Dark cosmic backgrounds with swirling galaxies
  
• Futuristic spaceships, glowing blue or green energy
  
• Main characters in futuristic suits silhouetted against the rift
  
• Dramatic title font with metallic textures

Your Mission

Create a movie poster with one of the following scenarios without AI and only with Creative commons images

Scenario 2: Comedy Family Adventure – The Great Pet Escape - use this workbook to help guide you

Tagline: "Sometimes the smallest heroes have the biggest adventures."

Plot: When the pets of a sleepy little town get accidentally loaded onto a delivery truck bound for a distant city, a brave pug named Biscuit, a mischievous parrot, and a clever hamster must band together to find their way home. Chaos and laughter ensue as they encounter city life and new friends.

Key Elements for Poster:

• Bright, vibrant colours
• Cartoon-style or realistic animals in comical poses
• City landmarks and humorous visual gags (like a hamster on a skateboard)
• Fun, bold title font

Checkpoint 1

Finish your design plan

Why is it important to have
a design plan and share an example?

Checkpoint 2

Find your assets - the images you will need for your poster.

Use the checklist! 

here

Why is important to
get (creative common) assets before creating your poster?

Checkpoint 3

You have started to create your poster

1. Add text / Edit text
2. Add effects / filters
3. Use the layer blend modes
4. How to remove backgrounds in Photopea
5. How to save / Export our work

If you are unsure, check the workbook:

What does the magic wand do in Photopea?

1. Selects similar shapes
2. Selects similar sizes
3. Select similar characters
4. Selects similar colours

What part was the most
difficult for you in Photopea
today?