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AlanGilbertson
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 18, 2026
StickyQuestion

Cross-Product Creative Challenge #12: Action Movie Poster

  • March 18, 2026
  • 30 replies
  • 983 views

Welcome to a new Cross-Product Creative Challenge! Thanks to everyone who participated in the alternate timeline challenge. Even if your answers aren’t visible now, we’re told they will be soon!

This time, we’re going to the movies.

The Challenge [Read all of it!]:

Design a movie poster for an action adventure movie. The standard movie poster size here in the US is 27x40, so that is your aspect ratio. Start in Firefly or Boards or Express or Photoshop, but DO NOT stop at a prompt. None of the models use that ratio, for one thing, but there are quality details (lighting, contrast, composition) and content details (titles, credits, franchise logo) you will have to get right.

Guidelines:

  • A prompt is not enough. Layer your assets and refine your composition. Treat Firefly as a collaborator, not a shortcut. Use prompts to generate characters. Try out partner models.
  • Think like a director. What’s the story here? Who are the characters? What's happening in the scene?
  • It’s a Cross-Product Challenge! Don't do it all in Firefly. Use Photoshop, Illustrator, Substance, Adobe Express, Fresco—whatever tools will help you build the scene.
  • Share your process. Tell us how you created it. What tools did you use? How did you refine your idea? What choices did you make?

This poster starts with the main image, “split” in Photoshop so that the Indira hero is on a separate layer from the background. Generative Expand in Photoshop extended the image to the correct 27x40 aspect ratio and I used the Camera Raw filter to adjust the lighting, contrast, color, and sharpness of the Indira character. The Indira character is a little too small in the AI-generated original, so I also enlarged her. The Indira “franchise” logo is from Nano Banana.

I made the main title in Illustrator using 3D and Substance material for the gold foil, and put everything together in InDesign, including all of the typography. The credits are set in Univers 39 Ultra Compressed, but any skinny font will do the job. (Hint: The Easter eggs are mostly in the credits.)

    30 replies

    Turtle.PSD
    Participating Frequently
    April 19, 2026

    = D

     

     

    I used boards for planning and generation/Adobe stock searching. I opened everything in PS from there and clipped them to the generated image of me on a separate mask, used a low opacity gradient map to make the noisemakers blend in together more. Added a soundwave texture to the background as well as some noise (thought it was appropriate).  Noise and gaussian blur to the main text. Color lookup (Bleach Bypass was fitting) at the end to make it come together more. Finished with Camera Raw.

    Greatest hits from the prompt “using [insert noisy tool] while furiously smiling maniacally.” (I just want to clarify I had nothing to do with the shirtlessness haha.)
     

     

    Turtle.PSD
    Participating Frequently
    April 19, 2026

    I had to change the megaphone guy but for some reason the edit button isn’t showing on my reply.

     

     

    Community Expert
    April 18, 2026

    Hi there, 
    Here is mine: 

    The Dragon’s Secret 

    I had loads of fun doing this challenge! Thank you very much. 

    I used Firefly Boards (and Nano Banana 2) to generate the characters and the side kicks. I used some stock images for the elements (the castle and the background). I had the opportunity to use the new rotate tool in the PS Beta (which is incredible btw). I used the harmonize tool to give a sense of coherence to the composition. This is the main fun part of the challenge; making different elements with various lights and shadows, blending in together. 
    I have to admit I was lazy on typography. I used what was available in Photoshop. And I was extra lazy with the “credtis” as I generated them with Firefly (as you can see). 
    FInally I added a paper texture to give it a little something more vintage. 

     

    I share you my firefly board for the fun: 

    Thanks again! :-) 

    bebarth
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 9, 2026

    Firefly, Photoshop and Illustrator used.

     

     

    In a world where ancient secrets refuse to stay buried…


    Here is the official poster for the third and final chapter of the epic “Temple of Shadows” trilogy, based on the bestselling novel by Claire Morgan Hale.
    Elena Soria and Jonas Vale—brought to life by Maya Varen and Noah Calder—return for one last adventure, under the direction of acclaimed French filmmaker Julien Bertrand.
    The saga unfolds across three explosive chapters:
    • Temple of Shadows: The Hidden Gate
    • Temple of Shadows: War of the Ancients
    • Temple of Shadows: Final Eclipse


    Trilogy overview
    It all began with a discovery… When a fearless archaeologist uncovers a long-lost manuscript, she stumbles upon the legend of a hidden temple—one that holds the key to an ancient and unimaginable power.
    But she’s not the only one searching.
    Teaming up with a former pilot turned adventurer, she races against a shadowy organization determined to claim the power for themselves. From dense jungles to buried cities and secret installations, every step brings them closer to a truth that could change the world forever.
    With each chapter, the stakes rise… leading to a global threat rooted in an ancient cult—where every chase, every revelation, and every battle pushes them to the edge.


    Final chapter
    Now… it all ends.
    In Final Eclipse, a rare cosmic alignment awakens the temple, unleashing a surge of energy powerful enough to consume the region.
    Time is running out.
    Elena and Jonas must reach the heart of the sanctuary before their enemies turn the artifact into a weapon capable of reshaping the balance of the world.
    But this time… victory comes at a price.
    Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide: save lives in the moment… or stop a catastrophe that could destroy everything.

    Loved Lara Croft and Indiana Jones? You’ll adore Elena Soria and Jonas Vale

    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 10, 2026

    That’s superb story crafting, right there. Thanks for all the great details. Now get busy and write those books! 😁

    bebarth
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 10, 2026

                                               Temple of Shadows: The Hidden Gate
    Chapter One — The Map Beneath the Dust

    The desert wind swept through the ruins, carrying with it a fine veil of sand that whispered across the stones. Dr. Elena Soria knelt beside a fractured column, her gloved hands tracing the fading carvings as sunlight burned gold through the late afternoon haze. The site had been silent for centuries. Until today.

    Her graduate assistant, Malik, called out from the far edge of the excavation. “Dr. Soria! You need to see this—now!”

    Elena straightened, dusting her hands as she made her way over uneven terrain littered with pottery shards and broken reliefs. Malik stood beside a collapsed wall, his flashlight cutting through the gloom of a freshly uncovered chamber. A faint draft brushed against them—cool, ancient, and oddly rhythmic, like the slow breath of something sleeping underground.

    “What did you find?” she asked.

     

    I only still have 1200 pages to write... for this first episode of the trilogy! 😂

     

    Thanks to Google Translate, which helped me get this American version (I forgot to tell you Claire Morgan Hale is also French). 

    Henrik Heigl
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 8, 2026

    Firefly and Express. They say you can be anything. Why not the Hero in your own movie...

    regards,Henrik
    EuanWilliamson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 7, 2026

    Photoshop, firefly, gen fill, font fiddling, harmonisation

    The Sequel

     

    Best regards, Euan.
    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 7, 2026

    Aye, laddie, and that’s a great take on the theme! Someone really needs to make that movie. Shame that Mel Brooks is no longer with us.

    EuanWilliamson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 8, 2026

    Hmm, I think he’s 100 this June.

    Best regards, Euan.
    April 6, 2026

    Stingwater
    Used Firefly to generate the image: Jango and Indiana Jones vibe
    Took it into PS 
    Clean up the image: removed bits and added bits
    Made a few Adjustments to the colours
    Put in the text
    Added a texture to Stingwater and made a few adjustments 
    Then added a gradient box for the box text

     

    fbeaume
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 6, 2026

    A Renegade Jelly Fish in the middle of the far-west desert?
    It's definitely a sci-fi Western...
    I hope he didn't forget his water bottle…

    April 6, 2026

    hahaha… the radioactive content is keeping his spirit alive.

    OussK
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 6, 2026

    I begin by generating the Juice image on Firefly, and then I proceed to complete the rest of the work on Photoshop and Illustrator.

     

    fbeaume
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 6, 2026

    ?
    That's well done, but I think you're off topic… (Design a movie poster)
    Unless it’s the poster for a dramatic film about the life of a free orange that gets squeezed and ends up trapped in a glass bottle, waiting for its savior to come and set it free… ;)
    Still, neat work!
     

    Community Expert
    April 5, 2026

    Not layered as others but hope you like it.

    Movie Poster

     

    fbeaume
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 5, 2026

    Great! However, it would have been interesting to learn a little more about your workflow.
    That’s the main point of this challenge: to share the creative process with everyone and explain which tools or applications you used at each key stage of your work…
     

    April 6, 2026

    Very Cool. 

    fbeaume
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 3, 2026

    So happy Cross-Product challenges are back!
    ​​​​​​​I went with a Western theme and wanted to create a double-exposure effect, which is very common in movie posters.
    Final Poster

    Process

    • I used Firefly Boards to generate photorealistic character sheets from Adobe Stock images and edited them to create poses suitable for use in a double-exposure design.

       

    • I used Firefly to generate a Western-style landscape and imported it into Photoshop to enlarge and clean it up.
    • I browsed through Adobe Fonts to find the right fonts for my poster.I wanted an extra-condensed sans-serif font for the credits and a slab serif font to fit the Western theme while still looking modern. I chose the Acumin Extra Condensed family for the credits and Nexta Rust Slab for the title.
    • Finally, I imported everything into a 27x40 Photoshop file to create the double exposure effect, style the title, add the fictional credits, and include a few elements and textures from AdobeStock.

    That’s it!

    fbeaume
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 3, 2026

    Thanks ​@AlanGilbertson for this great challenge!
    Thanks for your comments! I really appreciate! but Sorry I trashed your comment by mistake... 
    I tried to describe the process without getting too bogged down in the details, otherwise my article would be too long and boring ;)

    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 3, 2026

    I have the same consideration when I post the challenge. How much explanation is too much? I’m seriously considering making videos of the process, if I can free up the time, and put them up on YouTube or somewhere.

    Community Expert
    April 1, 2026

    Literally a morning brain prompt challenge

    So I woke up to this challenge and I really justw anted to give it a try even if my brain is somehow fried with only 3 hours of sleep.

     

    It’s super hot here in the Philippines so I needed an Ice, Flower, Super Hero and firefly just kept this style of people coming up hahahah

     

    So I just generated the characters from firefly and polished in photoshop.

    Text Effect from Express

    Random Lyrics and Band name from a somehow famouse korean girl group ;) (totally random guys BTW I just wanted a non english character there)

     

    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 1, 2026

    I love it, Jemmarie! Icy and spicy and all around cold...