CONTENT TRENDS
This year, Cybernet Expo had one full day of seminars focused on the amateur market, including a very informative presentation on content production given by VirtuMike of VirtuContent, Dugmor of WeFuckInPublic.com and Billy Hoe of Wild Rose Productions.CONTENT TRENDS
This year, Cybernet Expo had one full day of seminars focused on the amateur market, including a very informative presentation on content production given by VirtuMike of VirtuContent, Dugmor of WeFuckInPublic.com and Billy Hoe of Wild Rose Productions. I found this seminar to be well run and useful for anyone interested in shooting their own amateur content.
ID’s and Model Release Forms
VirtuMike started off by saying that no one on the panel was a lawyer and it is very important for anyone in the industry to consult one for their own protection. This is very sound advice. It is imperative that you consult a lawyer who knows both the Internet and the industry before getting started. A lot of amateurs neglect to do so, perhaps because their business began as a hobby. But amateurs are just as accountable as the large paysite operators when it comes to the law.
The most important step in shooting your own content is obtaining both model release forms and a copy of each model’s ID. VirtuContent stores a copy of the ID with the images on their server so there’s never any doubt. VirtuMike suggested that everyone who shoots content to become a member of the Free Speech Coalition, as they provide extensive model release forms for their members. So, before you even snap the first picture, make sure you are operating legally.
Getting The Girls
How do you find the models you want to shoot? Dugmor said when he first started out he found most of his girls at rock festivals in Europe. He explained how important it is to treat and pay your models well, because they will in turn, bring you their friends and other models they know. Also, pay a referral to people who bring you models. This will keep you with a steady stream of models.
Lighting
VirtuMike explained that for many amateur photographers, lighting can be a problem. There are three solutions: strobe lights, quartz lighting and florescent lights. Strobe lights are the hardest to work with and can only be used with stills. Quartz lights or halogen lights are inexpensive and can be purchased at Home Depot or any other hardware store. VirtuMike wanted everyone to be sure if they walked away with only one piece of information on shooting that you must “keep the flash above the plane of the lens,” or the flash will distort the image.
Sets and Themes
Billy Hoe talked about the importance of sets and themes for your pictures. He urges everyone to be creative. At Wild Rose Productions they use all kinds of different scenes to make things interesting. Every time you go to CarolCox.com you find something different. This sets their site apart from many other sites out there.
Composition
Dugmor expressed the importance of pre-thinking your shoots. You may be paying a model by the hour or only have her for a certain amount of time and you will want to keep things moving. Think about the shots you want to get beforehand, and be prepared to give her gentle direction. Composition is important when framing your photographs. Photographers break the frame up into thirds, and the rule of thumb is never place your subject directly in the middle.
Equipment
VirtuMike talked about the right tools for the job. Smaller equipment is easier to smuggle into public places you may want to shoot and can help your model feel more comfortable. The cameras they use are a Nikon D1X, a couple of Canon GL-1’s, a Sony DCR-PC100, and a Nikon 990 (which he says is “excessive, yet effective”). For many photographers, the question is digital or print. VirtuMike suggests digital will be fine for most and this saves you the cost of film and processing. If you are going to shoot film, he suggests Hyperscan in NY for processing and scanning. Another great tip from VirtuMike was the software CompuPicPro. This relatively inexpensive program will save you time by fixing a batch of pictures all at once. This comes in handy when you shoot an entire series under difficult lighting, and each image needs the same adjustment.
What To Do With Your Content Once You Have It
The answer to this question was different from each panelist. Billy Hoe and Wild Rose Productions choose to keep their content exclusive to their sites. It is their belief that keeping their content exclusive gives them the edge over competitors. Dugmor, on the other hand, sells his content. VirtuMike does both.
Buying or Leasing Content
VirtuMike suggested that if you have a new site, leasing content might be your best bet. You will get a ton of content right away and at a good price. If you buy content, you will get to keep it but it will cost you a lot more. The only problem is, once you stop paying the leasing fees, the images will be removed from your site.
Overall the discussion was successful because each panelist had extensive experience in the field and their different viewpoints added to a well-rounded survey of the subject. VirtuMike led a well-organized panel that left both newbies and adult industry veterans with new insight on content production.
Nina Marachino is an amateur web cam girl for NinaKnowsBest.com as well as a hostess for TrueCash sites and regular staff writer for TheAdultWebmaster.com. She can be reached at nina@truecash.com.
