considering becoming content provider

[skullkrusher101]

hello everyone. This isnt my first visit to the board but its been some time so I feel like im starting all over again. Years ago I started a paysite and learned a lot of hard lessons as it went under. Unfortuantly I had just been laid off from my job as the site went live so I never really had a chance.

Anyway I am now working on a mainstream film project (not porn) and am in need of some expensive equipment, so I got this crazy idea in my head to purchase all my equipment up front and then shoot some custom exclusive content for pay sites. I would seek them out and maybe offer some sort of discount to attract them. I live in southern california so access to models is not a problem.

But before I go maxing out my credit cards I wanted to do a little research to see if I might be in over my head. And I know a lot of site owners post on here so I figure this would be a good place to ask.

Im not looking to get rich here, my only interest is making a quick (or relatively quick 1-2 months) 6-7 grand. after that im out. I just want enough cash to pay for the equipment and adobe's CS3 suite. Im planning on purchasing a Panasonic HVX200 which by the look of it is a much nicer camera than what a lot of HD porn is shot on. Also planning on getting redrock micro's m2 adapter for 32mm cinema lenses. This is to achieve film quality depth of field. Dunno if that would be desirable in porn or not but I dont have to use it for this.

So am I out of my mind here or does this sound feasable? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[Ledrak]

Well I like the HVX200 idea. Hands down the best pro-sumer camera out right now IMO.

I always say good content will sell itself, but I think you may have trouble selling 6-7k worth of content in 1-2 months time... especially just starting out with no solid reputation or references.

[skullkrusher101]

Yea the more i've been reading about that camera the more I love it. That P2 interface really seal's the deal. I dont know of any other brand that can compare with that, with the 100 MB/s data rate and all.

I think mini-DV is limited to 25 MB/s.

And thanks for the feedback on my timeframe there, Im really just thinking as I go along here and have no idea what to expect, thats why Im posting here, to try to get a sense of what it will take.

Im also in a unique position in that i'll probably be the only content producer in the world not trying to make a profit. HAh, not that thats something ro be proud of. But that might put me in a unique position to make a different kind of deal with a webmaster, but I dont know how webmasters typicaly buy content like this or what kind of deals they would be receptive to. Also not quite sure how I should approach them.

Ive also been reading some articles on here about producing content and would be interested to hear from people here who already do that. Id love to know what kinds of things to expect, for one thing Im planning on renting a hotel room for this, I dont think its a good idea to have these girls at my own place. Also I didnt realize you had to be careful in what you say. I think I read an article from Titmowse that said you can get in trouble with the law if you flat out offer to pay someone to film them having sex. That was a shock to me, that almost implies that this is illegal.

[Ledrak]

Well, I know that the laws can differ from state to state. Perhaps some of the US producers can offer their expertise. I don't film any content in the US, so I'm no expert on US legalities.

There was a thread about how to go about selling your content... I'll see if I can find it.

[Nikki_Licks]

Let me see if I can help you some.
First and foremost, you need to be familiar with the law in your State, County or town you live in.

Second you “NEED”/ “MUST” retain an Attorney. They will need to draw up your model releases and contracts to protect you and your investments.

You mention you will shoot in hotels or a motel, that’s fine, but it becomes a real pain in the ass and it leaves little to be desired as far as a set goes.
(If you are shooting in California, I am sure you will need permits to shoot. If you get caught shooting without a permit, your equipment can be confiscated and you can be fined)
You can rent a studio and shoot your ass off with a few girls and make it worth the investment.

As far as gear goes, don't just go out and max your credit cards with purchasing equipment you know nothing or little about. I am not trying to be rude, but rather trying to save you some needless investments.

To be truthful, a minimum of 20,000 will get you into good equipment and money for models.

I would start with a good digital camera and camcorder, maybe a 40D canon and canon XH-A1 3CCD HDV camcorder.
I shoot with the following lenses:
Canon EF 24-70mm Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto
Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5
Canon Telephoto EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Then there is lighting. You can shoot with tungsten, fluorescent or strobes.
Along with this you may want a light meter. I recommend the sekonic L-358.

Heck, you may want to even purchase some Collapsible Reflectors.

Now you have an idea of what type of investment you may be looking at. This is just the tip of the ice burg.

What ever money you have left you can invest in models. This is going to be a rough road as models flake out all the time.
I have found paying for pros is a better option than advertising for amateur models....because amateur is just what you get. They don't take into account the investment or time you have laid out for the shoot and they may show up.
One thing I have learned is, don't count on your model showing and if you have a girl ready to shoot, drop everything and get her shoot done before she is gone tomorrow.
You can figure 700 + a day for a pro model + studio/room + help + lunch….etc, etc. When shooting I always have another person present…preferably a woman. I also allow the model to bring a girlfriend along…..but no boyfriend or guys allowed on set.

I will be honest, shooting content is not a get rich quick scheme either, it is just like any other business....it takes hard work, money and more money. I really would not advise you to jump into this to just earn 6 or 7 thousand dollars in the time span you are looking at. It will come, but it will come the hard way and probably cost you more in the end.

You can go with some cheaper equipment to get started. I just listed what I shoot with and I did not buy this stuff over night. Maybe you might be better off going to a camera store near you and rent the equipment you need to be sure you want to do this.

I hope this helps you out some. Good luck with your venture

Nikki

[Nikki_Licks]

Oh, one more thing! No Matter what, DO NOT EVER SHOOT OUT OF YOUR HOME!

This could and eventually will bring you unwanted trouble

[skullkrusher101]

Yea I was definitely not planning on shooting from my home.

Regarding the camera Ive actualy been studying them for some time now and am pretty certain that is what I need. Obviously for adult content I wouldnt require anything that fancy but the camera choice is more for my other project which I need to look as close to film as possible.

However based on what you've said here im strongly re-considering doing this all together. I can afford to pay for this equipment myself and considering the hassle and risk's id be taking it might just be a good idea to focus on the project at hand.

[Nikki_Licks]

Originally posted by skullkrusher101
Yea I was definitely not planning on shooting from my home.

Regarding the camera Ive actualy been studying them for some time now and am pretty certain that is what I need. Obviously for adult content I wouldnt require anything that fancy but the camera choice is more for my other project which I need to look as close to film as possible.

However based on what you've said here im strongly re-considering doing this all together. I can afford to pay for this equipment myself and considering the hassle and risk's id be taking it might just be a good idea to focus on the project at hand.

Actually a 40D is not that fancy of a camera and shooters use this camera and even better when producing porn. If anything, as I mentioned before, you could rent some equipment, but I don't see you getting a god ROI with renting or buying outright in short amount of time you gave yourself to earn the money you mentioned.

Nikki

[Ledrak]

Originally posted by Nikki_Licks
Actually a 40D is not that fancy of a camera and shooters use this camera and even better when producing porn.

I think he was referring to the video camera... not the dslr.

[skullkrusher101]

Yea the camera I was talking about was teh Panasonic HVX200. Its an HD video camera. 1080i/720p. It has a lot of different frame rates which is nice for producing slo mo shots and manual everything, which is a must for professional shooting. I plan to do color correcting in post.

Ive decided that my hair brained scheme to pay for the camera setup is too risky when coupled with all of the other investments involved in getting started in teh adult biz. Plus that tkaes me too far in the wrong direction.

Instead I am going to buy the DVX100 which is a similar camera only SD. It still has a great look to it and all the features I could want. My initial concern with going with that over HD was I thought I would be shooting myself in the foot in the event a distributor wanted to pick up my film and do a 35mm blow up. Which with SD video you just cant do. However there is a upresing process you can go thru to accomplish the 35mm blow up successfuly and if I make something good enough that a distrbutor would actualy want im sure they'd pay for that.

Anyway my main purpose here is to make an action film, not an adult film. I was just toying with the idea of doing some adult stuff first to pay for more expensive gear. I appreciate the feedback, I found it most helpful. In fact it was due to that feedback that I decided to search into a way to accomplish the 35mm blow-up with SD film in the first place. And I found just that.

[Nikki_Licks]

Originally posted by Ledrak
I think he was referring to the video camera... not the dslr.

Point taken

[Nikki_Licks]

Originally posted by skullkrusher101
Yea the camera I was talking about was teh Panasonic HVX200. Its an HD video camera. 1080i/720p. It has a lot of different frame rates which is nice for producing slo mo shots and manual everything, which is a must for professional shooting. I plan to do color correcting in post.

Ive decided that my hair brained scheme to pay for the camera setup is too risky when coupled with all of the other investments involved in getting started in teh adult biz. Plus that tkaes me too far in the wrong direction.

Instead I am going to buy the DVX100 which is a similar camera only SD. It still has a great look to it and all the features I could want. My initial concern with going with that over HD was I thought I would be shooting myself in the foot in the event a distributor wanted to pick up my film and do a 35mm blow up. Which with SD video you just cant do. However there is a upresing process you can go thru to accomplish the 35mm blow up successfuly and if I make something good enough that a distrbutor would actualy want im sure they'd pay for that.

Anyway my main purpose here is to make an action film, not an adult film. I was just toying with the idea of doing some adult stuff first to pay for more expensive gear. I appreciate the feedback, I found it most helpful. In fact it was due to that feedback that I decided to search into a way to accomplish the 35mm blow-up with SD film in the first place. And I found just that.

I think you may have made a good decision. I am not sure about your terminology as to "slow mo stills". Do you mean, screen shots that are captured during editing?
And , on another note, it does not really matter what your equipment looks like, it's the final product in the end.

One thing about shooting in HD, it can always be edited to SD and then later converted to HD, where as if you shoot in SD you are stuck with SD....

I wish you the best of luck. I hope I helped you ot some what.....so to speak..
All Tha best
Nikki

[Ledrak]

Originally posted by Nikki_Licks

And , on another note, it does not really matter what your equipment looks like, it's the final product in the end.

You can say that again! However... if you can find a way to swing the HVX200, I highly recommend that you make that investment. The DVX100 is definitely a great camera, but if you have the money I'd go for the HVX200.

[skullkrusher101]

regarding slo mos I was referring to overcranking a shot, meaning filming it in a higher FPS than its intended display, then reducing it down to 24p in post. The more diferent FPS's you camera has the more options you have there, And the HVX is nice for that.

I would still love to own an HVX some day. If I can get distribution on the film im making on the DVX that will more than pay for it. In the meantime the DVX is more than capable of producing high quality images. Its just a matter of me getting them.

[pyratas]

Oh, one more thing! No Matter what, DO NOT EVER SHOOT OUT OF YOUR HOME!

Nikki, can I bother you to go in more specifics for us lurkers of this particular (and GREAT) thread?

I'm guessing workers comp/insurance, and permits........but never really gave it thought until you mentioned it............

[Ledrak]

Originally posted by pyratas
Nikki, can I bother you to go in more specifics for us lurkers of this particular (and GREAT) thread?

I'm guessing workers comp/insurance, and permits........but never really gave it thought until you mentioned it............

Well that stuff would stay the same whether you shoot in your house, or in someone else's house. The prime reason I would never want to shoot in my house is because I wouldn't want everyone knowing where I live, for one (but that's just me). But if your in a place where producing porn is on the borderline between legal and illegal (or flat out illegal), you definitely wouldn't want to be treading the line of the law in your own house. That's just stupid.

[skullkrusher101]

Yea i'd be worried about someones boyfriend showing up not quite liking the footage I just shot of their girlfriend.

[Paul Markham]

Just a note of caution.

Custom shooters are finding it tough today. Some have got out of the business and many are sitting around waiting for work. Not just guys who started up when it was easy, guys who have been shooting for years. Times are tough and many sponsors are cutting back on buying content.

Your photography skills seem high, you definitely know your equipment. What pornography skills and experience do you have?

Just being my normal cautious self.

[Ledrak]

Originally posted by Paul Markham
Just a note of caution.

Custom shooters are finding it tough today. Some have got out of the business and many are sitting around waiting for work. Not just guys who started up when it was easy, guys who have been shooting for years. Times are tough and many sponsors are cutting back on buying content.

Is this because of sponsors having a tough time making sales to the consumers due to a changing market? Or is something else at play?

[Paul Markham]

Originally posted by Ledrak
Is this because of sponsors having a tough time making sales to the consumers due to a changing market? Or is something else at play?

It always comes down to the number of sales at the sharp end.

Here the strength of the Czech Krown and weak dollar have not helped either. But even in the US content shooters are finding it tough.

Also the emergance of the DVD content providers has had an effect.