Page 106 - AVN November 2017

FEATURE
DIY Porn Star
Perhaps nobody has done a better job of helping
models to expose themselves than the crew at
the DIY porn platform ModelCentro.com. The
company’s entire brand is built around the idea
that models should be in full control over every
aspect of their marketing campaigns and content
creation, with all the back-end complexities like
payment processing and server hosting handled
by an expert support staff.
“I’m very proud of the work we have already
done with many thousands of top models
on ModelCentro, FanCentro, and MCProfits, but
I am always careful to point out that it really is
the models who make the difference in how much
they can earn each month from their careers,” said
CEO Stan D’Aman. “Whether it’s a female porn
star, male cam model, social media influencer or
anyone else … all the best tools and technologies
won’t matter a bit if you aren’t able to also put
your personality into everything you do. We can
help you move forward as we have helped many
others already, and our team of experts can show
you what works, then it’s all up to you to get out
there and make it happen. The advice I give every
model is that the world doesn’t owe you anything
… you’ve gotta show the fans why you are worth
all of their attention and affection every day.”
Many of the insiders responding were quick
to point out the importance of finding and
working with trusted companies that have already
established a reputation for honesty in the
industry. “I cannot stress enough that performers
as well as producers need to work hard to make
a decent living and the goal is to work smart and
be sure to work with companies that have been
around for a while,” said Neil of Clips4Sale. “For
example, Clips4Sale.com has been around since
2003 and its longevity speaks volumes.”
One of the most venerable brands on the
paysite side of the business is Kink.com, a
company that has helped dozens of BDSM
performers to become household names beyond
the walls of any basement dungeon, and their
marketing team is well aware of the DIY trend
toward porn star stardom these days.
“While the jump from cam performer to actual
porn performer has been the most prevalent
source of new talent, I really believe the new
emerging route is through non-adult social
media,” explained Jesse Garza, senior marketing
and business development manager at Kink.
“Girls that find popularity through Instagram,
then move on to private Snapchats, Patreon and
clip stores.”
And there’s the phenomenon of the celebrity
sex tape, Garza noted. “These social media
personalities realize that with enough of an
organic following, the ability to promote adult
content and get premium fees [at least for
their debuts] is another way to supplement
their income or continue their social
growth. Personalities like Amber Rose and the
Kardashians have shown that you can still be
massively successful as a social/mainstream star,
release a sex tape, and not get shunned. This
didn’t used to be the case.”
Garza’s point is interesting, because the
momentum in DIY porn may also be coming
from mainstream sources. If the stigma of porn is
(Continued from page 67) iWantEmpire
(Continued from page 69)
decreasing, and the thirst for fresh new content
used it in her paparazzi music video. So that was an amazing
is insatiable, the ability of performers to blur the
experience. It’s really our goal to keep pushing the envelope
line between the two or to use different content
and keep doing events like that. To us iWantEmpire is the art
markets as traffic sources to fuel their own
of sexy. I personally believe that life is art and art is life—I
personal brand, the way stars like Sasha Grey
feel that our industry isn’t actually the adult industry or the
and Joanna Angel have done, may actually be
porn industry, per se. I view this industry as an art form. I very
accelerating.
much view this industry as the erotic arts industry. That’s why
Even as the climate shifts towards greater
you’ll often hear me using the word “artist” instead of “model”
macro-acceptance of porn in a mainstream sense,
or “performer.” …
it’s still as important as ever to understand the
I also feel that the term “porn” or “adult industry” is
impact that being a performer can have on your
something that’s often been used and given to us by the
personal relationships, according to Garza. “If you
mainstream, and it’s a way for them to categorize the erotic
are not comfortable with everyone you’ve ever
arts industry and to try and diminish its artistic value. I mean,
met or may meet in the future knowing about
what is porn and what is art, truly? If beauty is in the eye of
your porn work, don’t do it. If you ever want a job
the beholder, shouldn’t personal classification be as well? I
with children, don’t do it. If you ever want a job
just recently watched a shot of a femdom clip by The Only
in government, don’t do it. Also, keep in mind
Theodora. It was beautifully shot; it didn’t contain any nudity
your on-camera career won’t last forever, but
or sexual acts. I’ve also seen Michelangelo’s David, which
you can earn other skills that can also make you
shows a fully naked man with full genitalia. Now I ask you,
valuable in the industry later, or another aspect
which is art and which is porn? Which is adult? I’m serious—if
of the industry you can grow into. Things like
I were to sell access to both images via a website, I would only
video editing, sales, analytics, or learning about
legally be required to put an 18-plus warning on the site that
how buying and selling traffic works. It’s very
has the images of Michelangelo’s David. The other wouldn’t
few who make it a long time in this business, but
need it. So which is art and which is porn?
it’s a great business to be in, on either side of
I really think that 100 years from now society will look
the camera.” And now that porn stars are going
back and give acknowledgments to many of the artists whom
DIY, those off-camera skills carry even more value
the media today calls porn stars and pornographers. When
during the span of an on-camera career.
it comes right down to it, the erotic arts industry is one of
As a final point, it’s important to differentiate
the most powerful segments of the art industry, and it’s not
your own personal brand from concepts that
respected for it. We embody the very definition of what art is,
are more applicable to large corporations. As a
more than so many other forms of what people consider art to
performer, you can’t afford to have fans think of
be. … If you were to Google it, art is defined as “the expression
you as an emotionless corporate product. At the
or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically
heart of the DIY culture is a visceral connection
in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works
between each performer and each audience
to be appreciated primarily for their beauty and emotional
member. Care for that connection deeply and
power.” So art is something that is supposed to strike an
personally.
emotional chord. Well, look at the art from our industry,
“Hiring a company to post to your social media
the erotic arts. When consumed the viewer not only has an
for you is a bad investment and highly overrated
emotional reaction to it—they have a physical reaction to it.
in terms of what it can actually accomplish for
We all know some people love it; some people absolutely
you” explained Lara. “It ends up with fans not
HATE it. Some people champion for us and our rights; some
trusting you, as it gives the impression that you
people march with picket signs against it. But at the end of
can’t be bothered to interact with the people
the day, isn’t that what great art is meant to elicit? If you and
that are responsible for you making a living.
I were to go to an art exhibit and walk out and both of us say,
Sure, if you are a large ‘faceless’ corporation
“That was OK,” that wouldn’t be great art. But if we walked
like McDonald’s or Microsoft, having a social
out and I said, “They need to tear that down—that shouldn’t
media team makes good sense. However, when
be shown, it’s wrong” and you were to say, “It’s the most
the account is supposedly representing you
beautiful and amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” that would be a
personally… nobody will ever be better at being
great art exhibit. …
you than you will yourself if you make a real
I think it’s so ironic that we are often scorned in this
effort.”
industry for being honest. We are truly honest in the erotic
It’s all part of owning your own brand. “If
arts industry, yet you look at the so-called moral high ground
you start out on social, if you build an organic
of Hollywood motion picture industry and most recently it is
following, if you have an income stream before
literally rampant with sex offenders, complicit aides and more
you start performing professionally, then you’ll
unfortunate victims than anything the likes of what Rashida
always have the upper hand,” Jesse of Kink.com
Jones can inaccurately try to portray about our erotic arts
said. “If you have multiple revenue streams from
industry. Where is the justice for those who are assaulted via
camming, paid social accounts, clip stores, and the
elements of the misogynistic Hollywood machine? Where is
like, then there will be no pressure to perform.
the respect and recognition for our true and honest art form,
You can do it all at your pace, you can dictate the
the erotic arts? We don’t hide and try to make it seem we’re a
terms, and if you’re pleasant to work with and
nice PG-13 type of industry that doesn’t have nudity. We are
can provide larger organic reach for your content
very honest about what we are. ...
… studios and directors will be competing to
I see over the coming years iWantEmpire continuing to grow
work with you. It’s easy to get swept up into the
and to demonstrate this industry as a true art form. I want to
glitz and glam of it all, but performers who can
personally build sites that empower artists to make the content
maintain control of their content, their personal
they wish, to grow their brands and to generate massive
brand and their income streams will always go
amounts of both active and passive income. I guess, really,
farther than the rest in this day and age.”
to sum it up, I want to help each and every artist achieve the
success that they deserve.
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