Free Movie Poster Template With Billing Block (PowerPoint, Canva and PDF)
A movie poster has one job: make a stranger stop walking and want to see your film. This free movie poster template gives you a 27 x 40 inch poster layout for PowerPoint, Google Slides and Canva, a print guide with bleed and safe areas, and a billing block template, all filled in for Dead Air, our made-up short film.
TL;DR: Title, Image, Billing Block
A movie poster needs a title you can read from across the room, one strong image, a short tagline and a billing block of credits at the bottom. The US standard size is 27 x 40 inches. Set the billing block in a condensed font, in contract order, with the director’s credit last.
Download the Free Movie Poster Template
A 27 x 40 inch poster template for PowerPoint, Google Slides and Canva, a print guide with bleed and safe areas in three sizes, a billing block template, and the finished Dead Air example poster.
What’s in the Movie Poster Template
- PowerPoint and Google Slides: a 27 x 40 inch poster with boxes for the cast names, key art, tagline, title, release date and billing block. Slide 2 shows the finished Dead Air poster
- Canva: the same layout, ready to edit in your browser
- Print guide (PDF): trim, bleed and safe areas marked at 27 x 40, 24 x 36 and 11 x 17 inches
- Billing block template (Word and Google Docs): the credits in order, with blanks for your names and the Dead Air example
- Example poster (PDF): the finished Dead Air one sheet
The Parts of a Movie Poster
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cast names | Sells the film on its stars. Top billing goes above the title |
| Key art | The one image that tells the reader the genre and the mood |
| Tagline | One short line that adds a question or a promise |
| Title | The biggest type on the poster. Readable from across a lobby |
| Release date | When and where. Festival laurels often go here too |
| Billing block | The small, condensed credits at the bottom |
| Logos and legal | Studio logos, website, social handles and any rating |
What Is a Billing Block?
The billing block is the block of credits at the bottom of a movie poster. It’s also called the movie poster credits. It lists the studio, the stars, the key crew and the filmmakers in an order set by contracts and guild rules.
A typical billing block runs in this order:
- Presentation credit ([Studio] presents)
- Production company (a [Company] production)
- Possessory credit (a [Director] film)
- Cast
- Title
- Casting, music, costume design, editing, production design and cinematography
- Executive producers and producers
- Writers
- Directed by
The director’s credit always comes last. The crew order in step 6 varies from film to film, so check your deal memos before you lock it. A deal memo is where most credit promises get written down.
Ask every department head how they want their credit to read before you print.
A misspelled name on 200 posters is an expensive fix.
Movie Poster Fonts
The traditional billing block font is Univers 39 Thin Ultra Condensed, according to Chargefield’s billing block guide. It isn’t free, so most indie posters use a free condensed font instead.
- Oswald: a free Google Font. The template uses it for the credits, cast names and tagline
- Bebas Neue: a free, tall, all-caps font. The template uses it for the title
- League Gothic: another free condensed option with a classic poster look
Set names in full-height capitals and job titles at about half that height, stacked on two lines. Both are available in Google Slides and Canva. For PowerPoint, install them free from Google Fonts.
How to Make a Movie Poster in 7 Steps
- Start with the size. 27 x 40 inches for a US one sheet. Set a 0.125 inch bleed and keep text 0.5 inches inside the trim.
- Pick one image. A single strong image beats a collage. Shoot it on set if you can, with your DP lighting it like a scene.
- Place the title. Big, simple and readable at a glance.
- Add the tagline. One line, often the question your logline raises.
- Put the stars on top. Actors with top billing usually go above the title.
- Build the billing block. Use the template’s order and a condensed font.
- Export at 300 DPI. That’s 8,100 x 12,000 pixels for a 27 x 40 inch poster before bleed.
Movie Poster Example: Dead Air
Dead Air is a 14-minute thriller about a late-night radio host, from our film pitch deck template. Here’s how the example poster was built.
- The key art is one object. A studio microphone under a red ON AIR light. It says radio and danger without showing the villain.
- The color is one idea. Black and red. The red means “live,” and it also means trouble.
- The tagline adds the threat. “Some songs should stay off the air” hints at the caller without spoiling him.
- The billing block is complete. Presentation credit, possessory credit, both stars, the title, eight crew credits and “Written and Directed by Alex Rivera” last.
Famous Poster Story: Jaws
The Jaws poster wasn’t made for the movie. Roger Kastel painted it as a paperback cover for Bantam Books, and Universal later adopted it for the film’s campaign, according to Wikipedia.
The swimmer was a model named Allison Maher, paid $35 for an hour of work. She posed lying across stools. The shark came from a stuffed mako Kastel photographed at the American Museum of Natural History.
One image, one title and a billing block. It’s still the model for a thriller poster 50 years later. The original painting went missing after 1976 and has never turned up.
Test your poster at thumbnail size.
Most people will first see it as a tiny image on a phone. If the title and image don’t read at that size, simplify.
Movie Poster Sizes at a Glance
| Size | Use |
|---|---|
| 27 x 40 in | US one sheet, the theater standard |
| 24 x 36 in | Common print shop size for screenings and festivals |
| 11 x 17 in | Cheap flyers and bulletin boards |
The template is set up at 27 x 40. The print guide covers all three sizes.
FAQs About Movie Poster Templates
Can I Make a Movie Poster in Google Slides or Canva?
Yes. Copy the Google Slides or Canva version of the template above. Both let you set a custom size and export a print-ready PDF.
Can I Use an Actor’s Photo on My Poster?
Only with permission. Cover it in your [talent release form](/talent-release-form/), and get a separate license for any photo you didn’t shoot yourself.
Should I Put a Rating on My Indie Film Poster?
Only if your film has been rated. The MPA rating box is for rated films, so an unrated short simply leaves it off.
How Much Does It Cost to Print a Movie Poster?
It depends on the size, the paper and how many you order. Get quotes from two or three print shops, and ask for a proof first.
The Final Cut on the Movie Poster Template
A movie poster is a promise in one image and one title.
Download the template, pick your strongest frame, and build the billing block before anyone signs off.
What’s the one image that sells your film?
Jay Neill
Jay Neill is the founder and managing editor of iFILMthings and believes everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their filmmaking project, which is why he’s dedicated iFILMthings to helping all filmmakers.