Vance Julian Barber is an actor in New York City and a long time friend of mine. Since High School he has been bringing laughs and entertainment to every social occasion that brought us together. From hilariously inappropriate creations in the “graphics” class he had with my husband to the filming of the Jackass knockoff Random Acts of Stupidity, Vance has always been an entertainer. In addition to his great sense of humor, Vance is an all around good guy and valued friend of ours. He is currently working and auditioning in New York in hopes of making it big in the acting industry. So, when Vance came to me for a website I was thrilled to be able to help him out.
Background
Vance has years and years of acting experience, going as far back as high school and through his undergrad at West Virginia University. His BFA in Acting separates him from a lot of up and coming acting hopefuls in the industry, and his hard work ethic is admirable. He has a varied and distinct resume, with experience ranging from stage and commercial acting to hosting a podcast and playing the saxophone. In terms of website, Vance was looking for something clean and modern that would really put the focus on his work. The site has undergone a few changes since it’s first launch, but the message has stayed the same. One of the major goals of the website is to be a complete resource of Vance’s resume, current projects, head shots, contact information and more. Essentially, a stocked briefcase of personal and professional information that any potential employer can quickly and easily access at any time.
The Site
Vance knew from the start that he wanted a clean, dark website with splashes of color. A black-to-gray gradient makes up the simple background and gives the site a little dimension. We added red as an accent color to break up the various sections of the website, and it is also a color that plays well into the images on the site. The home page began as an introduction from Vance and four of his head shots, but after a few months we made the switch to one large head shot to fill the top of the page. I like the strong statement that this image makes…it is a powerful first impression of the website. The home page image is followed by news updates outlining Vance’s current projects. The site also contains a resume and contact information, as well as a multimedia page with a photo gallery, video clips and publications featuring Vance’s work. Visit the website to learn more about Vance and check out the design in detail.