Today’s shooting tips…

Here are 6 things about porn that are kind of gay when you think about it. As Seinfeld would say “(gay)…not that there’s anything wrong with it…”. Of course there’s nothing wrong with being gay. But if you shoot porn for straight consumers you should watch out for some stuff – like the following six ‘gay’ things. If you don’t think of them as gay, you’ll probably agree that they could be considered ‘gross’ or at least ‘not visually appealing to most male consumers’. Just because your competitors can’t be bothered to watch out for this doesn’t mean you should be like that too. Personally I’m always amazed how this doesn’t seem to bother a lot of shooters/editors. They figure, ‘well, it sells anyways’ so that’s good enough then apparently. No, it’s not. Not anymore. Oh you’re just doing your job? Your boss didn’t tell you specifically about this and you just want this to be done with? Well, that’s a valid excuse then. For those who wish to grow, and strive in this market, let’s ponder some things:

Six gay/gross/unappealing things:

1) More naked guys than girls. Gangbangs are the worst. One tiny porn girl and five huge sweaty fat guys covering her up for the entire scene. Yuck!

2) Guy jerking off for an hour standing over/next to the female talent before he can jizz over her face. Editors, please start noticing this stuff. Consumers do not like it.

3) POV-guy behind the camera somehow manages to include the phrase “my COCK!” every ten seconds.

4) Double Penetration scenes (DP) with one dick constantly brushing up on the other guy. Ewwww! I know, hard to avoid but please fucking TRY.

5) Cutting away from the girl and doing a closeup of guy’s face when he “orgams” (usually a pick-up shot). Instant boner loss.

6) Not really gay, but excessively long “man blanket” shots. (Man blanket = male talent covering up girl with his body)

Am I being petty? I don’t think so. My most successful content is that where I (or my content producing client) is careful about not having ‘too much man’ in the picture. Some of the best selling content doesn’t even show the male talent’s face or most of his body much at all. Might not always work for you depending on your style but try it.

Quick side note, I’m certainly aware that there are  shooters who incorporate this type of stuff on purpose to appeal to the hidden homo-erotic fantasies of  straight consumers.But if you aren’t doing this on purpose, and you are supposed to be shooting/editing with as little “dude stuff” in front of the lens as possible, then take those points above to heart and try some different angles and approaches. Yes, it might mean you’ll actually have to start thinking about shit on set again but hey, wouldn’t making more appealing content be worth it?

And yes, I’m writing this somewhat tongue in cheek. Having been a shooter and editor myself I understand that sometimes you just don’t have the time or attention to notice  these things. Or you get just a little too comfortable, especially if you’ve been shooting/editing for a while. After all, the “other guys” are doing it that way too, right? Or maybe you want your male talent to be as comfortable as possible so you let them run the show. And who knows, maybe there’s actually a big percentage of straight consumers who like watching that type of stuff, right? Well, don’t bank on it. Consumers have become more vocal over the past few years. Read their comments on review sites, or (gasp!!) tube sites and you’ll notice trends. More and more of your potential customers are basically telling you what they don’t like. This type of  insight into consumer preferences is unprecedented and something we couldn’t have dreamed of just a few years ago. You just have to pay attention now. If you want every edge possible then start seeing those trends and do your research – or be left behind.