When networking, a business card is a headshot and a resume. When used correctly, while remembering to be a being a good person, it can be the difference between a collaboration or being forgotten. Fortune favors the bold and prepared.
Sincerely,
The other side.
Success, relationships and collaborations go hand in hand in life in all fields. A business card is just a card. It's the person or company behind the card that matters. How someone treats someone else, their work ethic, trustworthiness and commitment to excellence and professionalism is the thing that really matters for good relationships and great results.
That being said, I have a few tips on business cards from a producer/director point of view... especially when it comes to networking with actors.
I've gotten hundreds of business cards thrown at me in the course of a networking event from many actors, hopeful that I may remember them from their card. Honestly, I've seen good cards design and not so good card designs and sometimes their cards are... woefully insufficient for me to remember unless I make a note with a pen.
First and foremost, if someone doesn't seem very appealing or unkind as a human being, I may not file the card in my outlook express or database at all. I might toss the card into a large plastic bag I have that houses all the business cards I've collected over the years. How someone interacts with me and others; and how they talk about themselves, their companies, services, skills and others may lead me to make notes on the cards for following up with them or not.
Honestly as a casting director, I may not be looking for your type at the moment, but I will keep you in mind as a human being and as an actor, especially if I have a face to go with content.
Just like your resume and your reel.... GET TO THE POINT!!!
Vague/strange descriptions of who you are and what your company does serves no one, especially not you. "Audiovisual multimedia hive" or "initial intermediary", mean nothing if I can't put a face to the description and remember how I met you and our conversation and interaction.
Ideally, you should be able to look at a card and figure out INSTANTLY who and what company you are dealing with
I am currently redesigning my card with new headshots, but this is something along the lines of right to the point cards that I have seen, filling in the blanks with my own info for an example
(I've omitted my email and phone number for this example and used an old candid headshot)
FRONT OF THE CARD
Headshot or Headshots:
Name:
title:
Professional affiliations
brief description of skills/services
website
phone number a
email address would also be a good thing to have on it,
BACK OF THE CARD
blank or any other info or headshot you deem essential
My recommendation is to have your headshot on your card, but not your entire front of your card. Make room on the front of the card for a description of who you are and interesting skills.
You can create inexpensive business cards at sites like vistaprint and others.
Sometimes, you may randomly meet a new contact and having a card can make all the difference in a future collaboration or a lost opportunity. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon...." Classic film buffs, you know the rest of the quote.
Be well,
Vincent
My name is Vincent Veloso. I am a writer, producer, director, actor and musician and martial artist. I have worn many hats in my career, learned some things, still learning, but in this blog, I will be addressing my experience and insights making films and music... stories from casting to wrap party... the good, the bad, the really bad and the ugly.... and the really ungood.
I never use real names, and many times I address my concerns on the day directly to people in real time. I point out my own missteps just as much if not more because I have been that actor/writer/producer/director who has made the same gaffes just as much if not more. Hopefully as I address the circumstances, others can gain valuable insight, through story and my experiences, it will give people help. It is not meant to be mean spirited, but like all subjective commentary and blogs, and many other existing advice and commentary articles, I understand that audience perception is subjective and do hope you know that I hope to help others.
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dearactorfromtheotherside.blogspot.com/
© 2015 Vincent Veloso, Xavmax Multimedia Productions L.L.C. All rights reserved
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