My Journey into Movie Poster Design

It all started in December 2012 when I landed a job at one of the biggest production houses in Jakarta, Indonesia. As a young man who loved movies, the chance to work as a graphic designer in the film industry was beyond exciting. However, joining the marketing team of this production house came with its own challenges. Before this role, I had just one year of experience in the broadcast industry, with no background in film. To top it off, I was the only graphic designer in the company.

Being the sole designer meant I had to handle everything the company needed—movie marketing materials, corporate event designs, and cinema marketing kits. Although I enjoyed my work, I had one dream: designing movie posters. Unfortunately, all movie posters were outsourced to third-party agencies, and I didn’t have the opportunity to work on them.

That is, until one day, when the design from the usual agency fell short of expectations. The company was dissatisfied, and they began exploring other alternatives. That’s when one of the producers approached me and asked if I could help. It was my first shot at working on a movie poster, and to my surprise, he also entrusted me with directing the cast for the photoshoot. It was an incredible opportunity, and the producer provided me with invaluable lessons that I carry with me to this day.

Designing a movie poster was both challenging and fascinating. I quickly learned that it wasn’t just about making something visually appealing. It required a solid concept, effective direction of the cast, meticulous image composition, digital imaging, and, of course, the perfect color grading to bring everything together.

That first movie poster wasn’t my best work, but it marked the beginning of my journey. As the saying goes, "There’s always a first step before a big leap. It takes time and process to get better at something." From that day forward, my eyes were opened to new skills and sources of inspiration on how to craft impactful movie posters. It was the start of a passion that continues to grow, and every design since then has been a testament to that first experience.