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I need a business card but I don't have a business

fluidedge

fluidedge

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 1, 2007
1,365
16
Hi

The "Your business card is crap" thread got me thinking that I need to get some cards made up. I'm a Visual Effects/Animation student and want to include a business card in the sleeve of my DVD show reel box i'll be sending out in a couple of months time.

Now being a student I don't have a business or company logo to put on the card, and i think having a logo designed is a bit pretentious for a 23 year old grad starting at the bottom of the ladder in this industry.

So i was looking around and remembered Moo Cards. I was thinking their slim MiniCards would be nice. They're about half the height of a standard business card and about as wide (thus half a cheap to have made up ;) ) but they're printed on nice card and laminated with an eggshell type finish. I was thinking something like this would be nice:

http://uk.moo.com/en/readymade/pack/8

They're clean, yet interesting, vibrant and memorable.

They've got room for 6 lines of text on the reverse so a simple:

Name
Digital Visual Effects Artist

Phone
Email
Website

would be all i'd need to include.

Do you think this is appropriate to get made?

I was thinking of an alternative design to go on the back of the card as other people might have the same thing made up. I've got a "colour script" storyboard in the Lou Romano Pixar style that we've made for our final graduation animation film project (similar to this i just quickly found on google):

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qkBN7bBq3.../Rs232wcKlPE/s1600-h/Colorscript-Assembly.png

Which i think would add a really nice individual touch to the business cards but they're a bit abstract and slightly out of context if you haven't seen our animation film. However they'd fit on the wide cards perfectly.

What do you guys think?

- Standard size card or narrow 'minicard'
- Template design (safer but not unique) or individual designs (more abstract but unique)
- or perhaps why bother, a CV will do?

Advice appreciated.
 
Having a business card with important details isn't a bad thing especially if you're starting out. Something that you can keep in your wallet and hand out is very handy, my advice would be keep it simple and not too fancy.

Nothing says professional like a nicely printed business card in a crisp readable font.

IMHO keep it to:
Name
Position/Expertise

Phone
Email

Linkedin
Web Site URL

And on the other side:
Maybe a nice image/pattern with a tagline?
 
A "calling card" need only include pertinent contact information. For some, that's as little as a phone number. But nowadays an email address is expected. And for visual artists, a website (even if it's iWeb), showing your work is beneficial to jog one's memory when they wonder who this card is from.

My preference is for the standard size card. Those half-size cards look like something that might get chewed.
 
after sleeping on it overnight, i think that the full size card would be a better option. Anything smaller than standard could get lost and in the job application process that could be fatal of course.

I still like the idea of putting a different story board panel on each card.It certainly provides a conversation starter and if i always carry round the complete set, say 10 or so, then i could lay them out talk about the short film we did.
 
I'm more for the full size cards, double sided in my case with one side being examples of my work (same as on website) and the other side being my contact details etc.

But I do have some moo mini cards as they're a different product and in the right circumstances can be useful to have. I've treated them a little differently in terms of how I've designed them but they still have the same written information on both.
 
fluidedge said:
after sleeping on it overnight, i think that the full size card would be a better option. Anything smaller than standard could get lost and in the job application process that could be fatal of course.

I still like the idea of putting a different story board panel on each card.It certainly provides a conversation starter and if i always carry round the complete set, say 10 or so, then i could lay them out talk about the short film we did.
Click to expand...

I like the storyboard idea, very creative!
 
I think moo cards are just different enough to stand out...and still sized to fit in a standard card holder or wallet.
 
question fear said:
I like the storyboard idea, very creative!
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I think it's what I'm going to go for. The only problem now is aspect ratio. The cards are a 1.53:1 ratio but the storyboard panels are something like 2:1. I don't think a letterboxing will look very good so I'll have to do some redesigning I think

I could add a kind of film perforation hole (not real holes of course) to reiterate the filmic look but it's just another form of letterboxing really. I'd like to fill the card enven if it means doing a bit of zooming and redesign

What do you think? Two black bars accross the top and bottom of the card or fill the space. When I get a spare hour or two I'll do some mock ups and post them here so you can get a better idea what I mean
 
I honestly haven't had much time to work on these yet.

I will hopefully get something together this week or next!

I'm also working on a website and would like the two to match up with same colour schemes, fonts etc so will be busy with that too!
 
Well the link to that story board looked very cool.
I didn't really know what to put on the back of my contact cards, I just started making today.
 

Attachments

  • Bussiness Card - Print.pdf
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  • Bussiness Card - Proof.pdf
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2 things...

1. Business cards are a must. I believe is ideotic to believe you need a businesss to have a car... duh! create a personal card.

2. If you are working in "speciall effects" as you say and can not even consieve a business card desing you just wasted your money in tutition, go to clean the streets instead.
 
the vj said:
1. Business cards are a must. I believe is ideotic to believe you need a businesss to have a car... duh! create a personal card.

2. If you are working in "speciall effects" as you say and can not even consieve a business card desing you just wasted your money in tutition, go to clean the streets instead.
Click to expand...

are you trying to be obnoxious?
 
fluidedge said:
are you trying to be obnoxious?
Click to expand...
good question, I'll let you know once I've understood what he's actually written. :rolleyes:

If it's what I think it is then my answer is this - making a business card is one of the most personal things a designer can do and as such it's also the most difficult because as the saying goes, where our own worst client :cool:
 
My sister is a professional photographer that doesn't officially have a business, so she is doing the exact same thing you are. Your storyboard idea is incredibly cute; she has sample photography on the back of hers. Though, I agree that the full-sized cards are way better than half-sized. Her business card always falls out of my wallet!
 
I like the first card you showed us :) but I wouldn't put FUTURE Designer/Architect , kinda sounds like whoever you give the card to will not take you seriously.maybe just leave that out and put your name and info as is just as a personal card.
 
TRoman said:
My sister is a professional photographer that doesn't officially have a business...
Click to expand...

What does that mean? I thought the very definition of being a professional is that you charge for your services - hence, it's a business. How can you be "professional" and not have a business? The only thing I can think of is that she shoots for cash under the table on the weekends then goes to her day job Monday - Friday. Just wondering... ;)
 
:D

I think the poor guy is getting a little tired now after a year or so of exercising. Time for a new avatar i think.
 
I don't think it's odd to have a business card at all. One of my projects at my graphic design school was to design a business card for ourselves to hand out to potential employers at graduation night.
 
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