Page 67 - AVN November 2017

I
IN THE FILM, VHS AND DVD DAYS OF PORN, studios held
immense power over the way fans found their favorite porn.
Porn stars were often manufactured by savvy marketers.
Many did a great job helping to build their own personal
brands, but at one point or another it seemed that many
performers in adult films were becoming interchangeable.
Some even suggested there would never be a porn star again
who held the same sort of name cachet as Nina Hartley,
Jenna Jameson, Tera Patrick and Sasha Grey did during their
eras. Now there is a DIY movement in XXX that may be
changing the paradigm once again.
“First be sure this is the path you want to take,” said
Neil of ClipsForSale.com. “Then set yourself up with a
corporation to protect your assets. You should always be in
full control over your content, and if you’re working with
producers you should request a good hourly pay rate for
your work. Avoid shady people who might promise you the
world. Have a plan for your future ... save money and invest!
Choose a stage name that you’re happy with and that people
will remember. Maybe even find an agency if you want to
have someone manage your shoots.”
FIRST BE SURE THIS IS THE
PATH YOU WANT TO TAKE.
THEN, SET YOURSELF UP
WITH A CORPORATION TO
PROTECT YOUR ASSETS.
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE
IN FULL CONTROL OVER
YOUR CONTENT.
—NEIL, CLIPS4SALE.COM
That’s a lot of information for someone new to the
industry to digest. Which is part of the real takeaway from
this important topic. It’s no longer enough to have a pretty
face, busty figure and an award-winning smile. If you really
want to become a top-revenue porn star, you’ll have to learn
what it takes to build your brand in front of the camera and
behind it.
Staying ahead of the curve with new technologies is
also an important part of earning your success in the
modern porn marketplace. Especially if you are new to
the industry and are playing “catch up” with thousands
of models that have already built memorable brands
for themselves. “New technologies always offer new
opportunities,” explained Jean-Claude Artonne, CEO of
Terpon. “Performers anticipating trends and learning to
work on the cutting edge of technology will benefit the
most because DIY possibilities always create more and
more competition between performers. Being the first one
to establish a name as a top VR cam girl would be a lot
easier than building yourself a time machine and trying to
go back to the 1990s to compete to become the top DVD
cover girl. At some point, the cycle reaches its end and we
see professionals and companies who did not find a way to
reinvent themselves starting to collapse as the movers and
shakers adapt to gain greater market share. New revenue
streams from VR, AI, haptics and other technological
breakthroughs present us all with transition points … and
smart DIY performers are using these key moments to their
competitive advantage right now.”
FEATURE
A SELF-MADE SUCCESS
EXPERT ADVICE ON BEING
Developing expertise in those other areas is no different than refining your craft in front of
the camera. It comes down to doing your own research and making your own effort. “Getting
to the top requires research. Performers should make the time to view top cam rooms,” said
Shirley Lara of Chaturbate. “It also helps to network on the many cam performer forums and
within their chosen cam site platform, so they can learn what equipment everyone is using
and tips for proper lighting, sound and video equipment. It’s also crucial to capitalize on
social media traffic, so finding the most time-efficient and practical way to keep those
accounts updated is worth the time spent in research. Specifically for cammers, staying
updated on profit-generating sex toy trends is also extremely important. The introduction of
interactive sex toys from brands like Kiroo, Lovense and OhMiBod often has a direct impact
on the money a cammer can make during their shows.”
The open lines of direct communication between performers and their fans are also
contributing to the DIY movement. “In the last five years social media and networking
platforms have exploded,” recalled Jay Phillips, vice president of iWantEmpire. “Giving
performers the opportunity to reach a greater amount of people in less time. With the vast
number of options available, it is faster and easier to connect than ever before. Because these
channels are wide open for everyone to use, the competition is more intense so performers
must be creative, engaging and responsive. In previous years performer popularity was reliant
on web traffic, PR, magazine features and production companies with advertising dollars,
and as such, performers were less likely to play a huge role in their own popularity. Today
performers have more control over their success.”
The deeply personal nature of those direct connections has also changed the relationship
between fans and their muses forever. “Performers are now expected to share their personal
life and provide interaction with the fans, thanks to social media,” explained Shirley Lara,
COO of Chaturbate.com. “All platforms providing immediate interaction are now expanding
to include video, from the introduction of Facebook Live and Google Hangouts to Snapchat
Stories and the new Instagram Stories option, causing a shift in how much the audience
expects from all celebrities. What used to be a one-way communication stream has now
created a need for two-way, personal interaction. If a performer can’t create that personal
dynamic, they will find far less people willing to invest in supporting their career.”
When asked what advice he would give a new DIY porn star, Jay continued, “Consult
with APAC or a reputable talent agent and talk to established models for their experiences
and feedback,” which makes sense because you can save so much time by learning from all
the people who have already traveled down the path you are heading down. However, Phillips
also offered a bit of caution about trying to emulate anyone else too closely: “Find something
about yourself that is unique and exploit that trait in your marketing efforts.” After all, in
porn it’s your unique appeal that really is the core of your personal brand and exposing it is
crucial to your success.
(Continued on page 106)
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