The foundation of the poster is an image that illustrates the central theme of the movie. The image should be memorable and its meaning easy to grasp.
The film title must appear, unless the movie is so well known that an image can replace it, as in the 2009 "Star Trek" posters. If famous actors are part of the cast, their names should be highlighted.
A poster will generally have a teaser to draw people in and show what sort of film it is. A memorable tagline like "Love means never having to say you're sorry" can even find its way into popular culture.
Many posters also include people essential to making the film, like the director, producer and composer, as well as the film company and movie studio.
Most posters include the movie rating. Some include the start date, type of film and sound system used, additional cast and crew, the URL for the movie's website, a copyright notice and award information.