How to Create a Beautiful Screening Environment

A polished screening environment helps Reviewers understand what they are viewing and gives your Project a more professional presentation.

In ScreenKey, you can customize the way your Project appears to Reviewers by adding a poster image, banner image, and Project description. Enterprise clients may also have access to additional organization-level branding options.

These settings are especially useful for Theater Mode Projects, where the goal is often to create a clean, branded, streaming-style viewing experience.

What Reviewers may see

Depending on how the Project is shared and how your Organization is configured, Reviewers may see:

  • The Project poster image
  • The Project banner image
  • The Project name
  • The Project description
  • Your Organization branding
  • A simplified screening environment for direct invitation links

Adding strong visuals and a useful description can make the Project feel more complete and easier to navigate.

Add or update the Project poster image

The poster image is the main thumbnail image for your Project.

It may appear on Project cards, Project details, and Reviewer-facing pages. Choose an image that clearly represents the film, episode, title, campaign, or screening package.

You can add or update the poster image in either of these ways:

  • Click the thumbnail image in the Project details area
  • Open the Edit Project menu and select Edit Poster Image

Either option opens the Upload Poster Image modal.

Upload a poster image

In the Upload Poster Image modal, you can add an image from your device.

To upload a poster image:

  1. Open the Project.
  2. Click the Project thumbnail image, or select Edit Poster Image from the Edit Project menu.
  3. In the Upload Poster Image modal, select Click Here to choose an image from your device.
  4. You can also drag and drop an image into the upload area.
  5. Adjust the image as needed.
  6. Save your changes.

Adjust the poster image

After adding an image, you can adjust how it appears in the poster area.

Depending on the image size and dimensions, you can:

  • Use your mouse scroll wheel to zoom in or out
  • Left-click and drag to reposition the image
  • Choose which part of the image should appear as the poster

This is helpful when the image is larger than the display area or when you want to focus on a specific part of the artwork.

Add or update the banner image

The banner image appears as the large background or header-style image for the Project.

A strong banner image can make the Reviewer experience feel more cinematic and polished. It is especially useful when you want the Project to feel like a screening page rather than a standard file workspace.

To add or update the banner image:

  1. Open the Project.
  2. Open the Edit Project menu.
  3. Select Edit Banner Image.
  4. The Upload Banner Image modal will open.
  5. Select Click Here to choose an image from your device, or drag and drop an image into the upload area.
  6. Adjust the image as needed.
  7. Save your changes.

The Upload Banner Image modal works the same way as the Upload Poster Image modal. You can zoom and reposition the image to control how it appears.

Supported image file types

The poster image and banner image uploaders support the following file types:

  • .jpg
  • .jpeg
  • .png
  • .gif
  • .webp

For the best presentation, use high-quality images that are large enough to display clearly without appearing blurry or overly compressed.

Add a Project description

You can also add a description to your Project.

The Project description can be used for a film synopsis, episode summary, screening notes, review instructions, or any other information you want Reviewers to see.

For example, you might include:

  • A film synopsis
  • Series details
  • Review instructions
  • Campaign notes
  • Version information
  • Context for the Reviewer

To add or edit the Project description:

  1. Open the Project.
  2. Open the Edit Project menu.
  3. Select Edit Project Details.
  4. Add or update the Project description.
  5. Save your changes.

The description will display to Reviewers like a film synopsis or Project summary.

Enterprise branding

Enterprise clients may have access to custom branding options for their Organization.

Organization branding can appear at the top-right of Reviewer pages, helping create a more branded viewing experience for external audiences.

This is useful when you want Reviewers to associate the screening experience with your Organization, studio, distributor, agency, or campaign rather than with the ScreenKey interface.

Enable Exclusive Screening Rooms

Enterprise Organizations may also have the option to enable Exclusive Screening Rooms.

This setting affects all Projects within the Organization.

When Exclusive Screening Rooms are enabled, Reviewers who access a Project through a direct invitation link will see a cleaner screening environment without ScreenKey navigation or branding. This creates a simpler, more focused presentation experience for Reviewers.

This can be useful for:

  • Sales screenings
  • Awards campaigns
  • Executive review
  • Buyer screenings
  • Festival or market screenings
  • Branded external presentations

How Exclusive Screening Rooms affect Reviewer navigation

Exclusive Screening Rooms are designed to create a clean direct-link viewing experience.

When a Reviewer opens a Project from a direct invitation link, the Project can appear without ScreenKey navigation or branding, creating a more streamlined presentation.

However, Reviewers who access Projects from their For Review page will still see ScreenKey navigation. This is intentional, so Reviewers are not trapped inside a single screening room and can still move between the Projects and Screening Rooms available to them.

Best practices

To create a polished screening environment:

  • Add a clear poster image
  • Add a strong banner image
  • Use artwork that matches the Project or title
  • Add a helpful Project description
  • Keep Reviewer-facing text clear and concise
  • Use enterprise branding if it is available for your Organization
  • Enable Exclusive Screening Rooms when you want a cleaner direct-link experience

Before sharing the Project, open it as a Reviewer or use your available preview tools to confirm that the poster, banner, description, and branding look correct.

Summary

ScreenKey lets you customize the Reviewer experience by adding a poster image, banner image, and Project description.

Poster and banner images help create a polished visual presentation, while the Project description can provide a synopsis, notes, or instructions for Reviewers.

Enterprise clients can also use organization branding and Exclusive Screening Rooms to create a cleaner, more branded screening experience for Reviewers using direct invitation links.

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