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Beetlejuice is one of my all-time favorite Halloween movies, so I thought I’d try my hand at recreating the “bio-exorcist” flyer prop as seen in the film! This flyer appears when Adam and Barbara are flipping through the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, trying to figure out their next move. Suddenly, this eerie little ad drops out, offering Beetlejuice’s unique ghost-removal services.
If you love the film as much as I do, you might enjoy making your own version of this classic prop. Below, I’ll walk you through my process, from designing the flyer in Photoshop to distressing it for that authentic aged look. Plus, if you want to skip the design work, you can grab my Photoshop file from my store here: Purchase the Photoshop File.
Step 1: Setting Up the Design in Photoshop
The first step is to create an 8.5” x 11” 300 DPI canvas in Photoshop. To ensure accuracy, I took a screenshot of the flyer from the film and imported it into my project as a reference. After cutting out the flyer and placing it on a new layer, I rasterized and distorted it to match the proportions of my canvas.
Next, I started working on the background elements. Using the shape tool, I drew the large box at the bottom and added the top outline. Once that was set, I moved on to the text.
Step 2: Selecting Fonts and Creating Graphics
For the text, I searched for fonts that closely matched the ones used in the flyer. Many of the fonts appear to be hand-drawn, so I checked Font Squirrel, DaFont, and Google Fonts to find similar styles. Permanent Marker was used for the “Betelgeuse” and everything else was a variety of standard system fonts.
To recreate the star shape, I used the pen tool. The small clipart-style graphics were traced and adjusted as needed. I refined everything as I went along, ensuring it matched the look of the original flyer.
Step 3: Printing and Distressing the Flyer
Once the design was complete, I printed it using a color laser printer on standard white paper. However, the flyer in the film appears aged and distressed, so I needed to weather it.
I opted for a simple tea-staining method:
- Steep a couple of tea bags in about 1/4 cup of warm water.
- Squeeze out excess water and gently rub the tea bag over the paper.
- Cover the entire surface, front and back, and repeat for a darker effect.
- Let the paper dry flat.
For an even more authentic look, I recommend printing on pre-stained paper using an inkjet printer. This avoids the glossy finish that a laser printer can create.
Step 4: Folding the Flyer
Looking at the film reference, the flyer is folded lengthwise once and then twice horizontally. To replicate this:
- Fold the paper lengthwise.
- Fold it twice more horizontally, dividing it into thirds.
Step 5: Adding the Final Touch – A Torn Edge
A small but crucial detail is the torn bottom edge of the flyer. To replicate this, I:
- Marked the approximate tear line with a pencil.
- Carefully tore along the line, making sure to remove any visible pencil marks.
- Ensured the tear looked organic and matched the one in the film as closely as possible.
The Finished Beetlejuice Flyer
And there you have it – a screen-accurate Beetlejuice bio-exorcist flyer, perfect for display or as a fun Halloween prop! If you want to make your own, you can follow these steps, or if you’d rather skip the design phase, grab my Photoshop file here.
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