need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
so.
got an email from an acquaintance of mine. basically she was letting me know that this online erotica group is going to be putting together a porn film, and that they would like to have me involved. apparently i was recommended to the would-be director because of my film experience. which is really hilarious because, aside from this one hardcore photo/film shoot that later wound up appearing in short form at several small european adult film festivals, i am pretty much nobody. that one film thing was the -only- time i have done porn work and that was six years ago. but i guess in the world of young hipster queers and porno-academics (and eastern european homogroupies???) some random people with good memories know who i am or something. this female-to-male porn actor recognized me at a camping event anyhow. he was all excited. we made out. it was great. and now i am going on about nothing.
THE FILM PROPOSAL
so yeah. the project itself sounds really great and everything, but it looks like it will probably be getting the same distribution as full load through fatale media which means it is going to be around for awhile and will occasionally show up in the random DVD players of people who i probably know through someone who met someone who shared a tent with me once or something like that.
humor aside.
since it will be sticking around and since they approached me directly what should i ask for as far as money goes? never having done video work aside from that one time i do not know what is acceptable, especially for an itty bitty group like handbasket. i like the idea behind the project for the most part even if i do think it is slightly naive, but i also need to be professional about this and make sure it is worth it and equitable for me. right now from what i understand the pay is $75 per scene and i think each model is only in one scene. i want to support their film or whatever but that seems a littel ... uh ... low ... especially for something that will be seeing some distribution or at least hanging around on the internets for purchase for who knows how long. though it does balance it out with the fact that i would get to pick my own partner and all of that. which would be nice. though i am really not sure that i know anyone who i could approach about that sort of thing. hard to just call someone up and ask them out on a porn-makin date. well, not that hard. heh... hard...
i mean. um.
if you are able to parse my concerns/questions out of this post, i laud you! suggestions? advice? recommendations?
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
$75 a scene? I'm not in the porn world but that seems ridiculous!! I could make that in one great afternoon doing phone sex. Is it like as co-op or something and you will get a cut of royalties?? I guess you are not thinking of doing it for the money, but a porno that is going to be widely distributed etc etc you would want it to be worth your while surely?
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
Agreed. I was offered a shoot once. It was more in the neighborhood of $300 a scene, and that was about 8 years ago. I think it's low.
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
I think they need to break out with somemore cash. $75 is just way too cheap.
As for whether to do it or not, it sounds like your biggest concern is the money, so, only do it if they pay you a lot more!
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
i agree, that is TOO low.
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
Wait, is it actual hardcore porn? Like, ya know, full sex scenes and such? If it is, $75 is beyond too low. I don't get out of bed for that amount of money, I get at *least* $500 for solo work and as soon as other people are involved it goes up a lot. Doesn't matter if the company is small or whatever, that's way too low.
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
Since this sounds like a totally discretionary thing for you, if it doesn't feel COMPLETELY right for you, don't do it. If you are having doubts inside, that's kind of a dead giveaway.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gingerlee
Wait, is it actual hardcore porn? Like, ya know, full sex scenes and such? If it is, $75 is beyond too low. I don't get out of bed for that amount of money, I get at *least* $500 for solo work and as soon as other people are involved it goes up a lot. Doesn't matter if the company is small or whatever, that's way too low.
Yep,what she said
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
I am pretty sure that the hardcore nature of the scenes is probably going to end up being left up to the people in the scene, since I think that this particular film is intended as a political action more than an actual pornographic film. My other guess is that most of the people involved will only be doing it for the kick of being in such a film, or because they think it is an important project that needs to happen. There are so many hip queers in their twenties who view sexwork as this hip and radical thing, that I imagine there are more than plenty willing to work for that kind of cash.
It is definitely not enough money for something that will see any kind of distribution, though, and thank you all for confirming what I was thinking. I am going to email her (the director) and find out exactly how the money is working, if she would continue to make money from the film after distribution, what the contract will be, and all of that. I figure I can take it from there and try to negotiate something better, and since she and I know each other from activist circles I hope that she will be ammenable to understanding why that is. If not, then oh well for her!
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
$75 is too low for any recorded penetration. imo.
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
I would say $75 is too low. I would agree with you that most of the people participating are doing it more for the political aspects and the urge to make a unique and progressive porno than for the money. I would love to see more porn with positive trans representation, but only you can decide whether or not it is worth it to you. Good luck!
Edited to add: I just read the proposal and think it sounds great! An exciting project to be involved with for sure. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that the number of hip queers willing to make porn for little or no financial compensation probably contributes to the low pay. I feel like if you can only pay $75 per scene, why not recruit people who will do it for free because they just think it is a great project?
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
word.
after talking with her it sounds like there is potential for pay to be higher though not by very much, and she is trying to figure out how to make profit sharing possible and equitable after production while still being able to increase funds for similar future projects. so i guess the money issue is up in the air right now. it sounds like she is trying to start a production company beyond this one film, and she is aware that the pay is obnoxiously low and all that. so we are talking and it sounds like the business end of the project has the potential to improve. at this point she is hoping for something like $125 which is still way low but if other stuff were possible - like profit sharing, if the split was high enough - then it could be okay.
which would be great because, yeah, the project sounds pretty cool and it would sounds like something i would enjoy being involved with. i just dont want to end up at some swank san francisco queermo party only to randomly see the film on the television in the background (happens to some of my FTM friends all the time) and be reminded that i barely got paid enough money to cover the gas cost of driving to the party itself.
heh.
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
hhhmmm well if it's an experiemnt in cultural anthropology then it could be worth it. Can she form an LLC and make you members receiving shares of company dividends as long as you aren't a controlling member? Or a private corporation where you all own stock?
Re: need to make a decision concerning a pornie shoot...
Ahh, when you said the pay was so low, I wondered if it was activism. :-)
As a political action -- I'd say do it if you can own it. If you can purge all doubt from your mind and go forth into the world knowing that you have made this thing and that you have made it recognizably yours. If you can make it yours in your mind before you even walk through that door or take that check.
I've gotten naked for nothing as a statement, more than once, and I'm not ashamed of it.
I've also gotten naked for not much, as part of an artistic solo shoot, and I'm *really* proud of that one. It came off being as much my art as the photographer's -- you know? -- and I do all kinds of art expecting a lot less money will come of it.
Conversely, I've gotten naked for too little pay when there were no statements in the offing and I'm not too proud of that. Made sure no one saw my face that time.