Thumbnail Templates

Create standardized thumbnail graphics using approved layouts, dimensions, and templates.

Overview

Thumbnail images are often the first point of contact audiences have with a film online, making them an important part of a project’s overall presentation and discoverability. This post provides standardized thumbnail templates to help maintain visual consistency across school-related promotional materials and online showcases.

The use of templates ensures that projects meet technical specifications while encouraging students to think strategically about visual communication and audience engagement. Effective thumbnails should clearly represent the tone and identity of the project while remaining legible and visually compelling across a range of screen sizes and platforms. Developing an understanding of these presentation standards is increasingly important in contemporary distribution environments.

Production Paperwork

Horizontal thumbnail template:

Horizontal thumbnail specs
Horizontal-Thumbnail-templateDownload (PSD)

Vertical thumbnail template:

Vertical thumbnail specs
Vertical-Thumbnail-templateDownload (PSD)

Instructions

Thumbnail images will be used in displays online (Vimeo, YouTube, etc). Since some websites use horizontal thumbnails (1920×1080) and some use vertical thumbnails (1200×1600), you will deliver one of each.

Each thumbnail should contain two elements:

  1. A carefully selected image that fills the entire frame (i.e., no letterboxing or black bars). This image is typically derived from either the poster or one of the production stills.
  2. The title of the film. Ideally, for consistency of branding, this should match the font design of the title on the poster. No other text should appear in the thumbnail.

Examples:

Example of a horizontal thumbnail
Horizontal (1920x1080px)
Example of a vertical thumbnail
Vertical (1200x1600px)

Do:

  • Save a flattened JPG file (maximum file size 2MB) and a layered PSD file (also deliver any custom fonts used).
  • Keep all of your layers inside the appropriate folders, so that everything remains well-organized when you deliver the final Photoshop file. Make sure all of your layers have appropriate names, so that someone else could make sense of what each layer is.

Do Not:

  • Do not adjust the dimensions or resolution of the file. It’s set up to meet the specs needed for online viewing.
  • Note these online content restrictions for the thumbnails:
    • No nudity or sexually provocative content
    • No hate speech
    • No violence
    • No harmful or dangerous content