As one of camming’s most vibrant capitals, Romania boasts a bevy of beautiful and talented models, along with an advanced technological infrastructure and professional cam studios that support this fast growing industry — studios such as the popular Studio 20.
XBIZ wanted to explore camming from a professional model’s perspective, and so recently turned to the experts at Studio 20 for help. Here’s what we learned:
Social media is really important, but you have to stay on it. You have to keep posting and letting people know when you’ll be online, and what you’re going to do, etc., I couldn’t do it all by myself, it’s too much work dealing with social media and the website, personal life and camming. -Raquelle Diva
23-year-old model, Casie Smith (@CassieSmith0, www.casiesmith.com), has been camming for a couple of years, and says that the most important thing that she has learned over that time is to “have patience and always be creative” — while 24-year-old Rebecca000 (@Rebecca000LJ, www.rebecca000.org), a cam model for more than five years, specializes “in people who need a shrink,” and characterizes herself as being “really ambitious and fair.”
“I am a good psychologist,” Rebecca reveals. “You find out all the crazy stories when you’re online.”
22-year-old Devious Angel (@DeviousAngell, www.deviousangel.net), a cam model for approximately three years, is a fashion fan with an interest in design — and a specialist in financial domination — while 20-year-old Eva Sin (@EvaSinnOfficial, www.evasin.org) began camming at 18, and is in it for the money.
Money is a consistent factor in the equation that cannot be overlooked, because the bottom line in this business is profits for providers and “relationships” for paying customers.
As for what it takes to prepare for a camming session, many cam girls believe in sticking to the basics.
“I wake up, I look in the mirror, I say to myself ‘Girl, you’re fabulous,’ and that’s it. I’m kidding of course, but you have to be confident in this business,” Angel explains. “If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s going to show on cam.”
“Before I log in, I always get myself ready from all points of view, like I am going on a real date. Because in the end, I would never go out on a date without being on point,” Sin says, adding, “It is a virtual date, a virtual life, we have our own world!”
“I wake up, I take a short, quick shower, and I put on my makeup,” Rebecca reveals. “Then I make my coffee and I go online.”
28-year-old Lynsey Moore (@LynseyMooreLJ, www.lynseymoore.org) is a role play fan who has been camming for a few months now, and says that she places great importance on how she presents herself in front of the people with whom she interacts.
“[A model’s] appearance should be neat, attractive and tasteful,” Moore offers, “and also the ambient music should be pleasant and relaxing with good taste.”
25-year-old Raquelle Diva (@RaquelleDiva, www.raquellediva.org) has been modeling for five years and has a similarly casual prep routine.
“I get to the studio, get something to eat, eat like a pig, I do my makeup, run from my PR that always catches me in the weirdest poses ever, put on some music, dance around,” Diva details. “Then after like two hours, I get online.”
Going online is not all it takes for a model to succeed in such a social endeavor, with social media a vital tool for connecting with customers and maximizing earnings.
Sin says social media is “definitely a great way to keep in touch with members and to find new ones.”
“Social media gave me the freedom to show my members another kind of Eva. Another part of my life. To let me get more into my personal life by posting personal selfies,” Sin explains. “It also always helps me to get new members and to bring traffic to my room.”
“I only use Twitter, but now I have my own personal website that my team from Studio 20 helped me create,” Sin adds. “I might be a narcissist but I just love it!”
Angel and Smith also believe that social media is an important asset for cammers.
“I’m on every platform known to man. It helps my fans and members keep up with me [and] allows me to say whatever I want,” Angel says. “If I were to chose my favorite platform, it would be Twitter.”
“In my opinion social media is useful for work,” Smith reveals. “I can be more popular, and I have the chance to talk more to my members and show them how I am in my daily life.”
Rebecca says that social media helps cam girls promote themselves.
“I have my PR that’s in charge of this. I know it sounds funny that I have a PR, but between filming for LA Girls, making my weekly hours, eating and sleeping, I don’t have so much time left. So Studio 20 gave me someone that is in charge of all the social media for me,” Rebecca reveals, underscoring the value of studio partnerships. “She does my website, www.rebecca000.org, and pesters me to give her content, from videos to photos to blog posts.”
“Social media is really important, but you have to stay on it. You have to keep posting and letting people know when you’ll be online, and what you’re going to do, etc.,” says Diva. “I couldn’t do it all by myself, it’s too much work dealing with social media and the website, personal life and camming.”
“I’m lucky I have my PR from Studio 20 that posts for me, asks me for pics and videos, makes me look good outside the cam,” Diva confides. “I won ‘Social Media Star’ at LaLExpo this year without knowing what my Facebook page even looks like...”
“Of all the platforms you’ll find me on, I consider Twitter to be most useful,” Diva reveals. “It’s easier, it sends your message instantly, it concentrates on the exact group of people that you want to target and also it’s more permissive than other social media platforms.”
One key skill that cam models need to develop is the ability to deal with trolls in open chat.
“Just ignore them,” Angel advises. “They are people that get their kicks from making you feel bad, so just ignore them.”
“Try to be funny — you will be amazed how many trolls will react positively and change their attitude. Or just ignore them. It kills them as well,” Sin says. “Get in his mind. Find what turns them on or what they like and the obnoxious man will become the most friendly one.”
“[I hate] dealing with rude people who judge me for what I chose to do or who think I am there to do charity and don’t understand that I work as we all do,” Sin adds. “This is my job and I love it.”
“Ignore them. There will always be haters there to ruin your day,” Rebecca says. “Just ignore them, don’t let them affect you.”
“Smile and make fun of them. You can turn any troll into a fan if you’re smart enough,” Diva says. “Sure, if you’re just beginning in camming, trolls can ruin your whole day, but you have to stay positive.”
For professional performers, this “job” aspect plays a big role in their decision to enter the cam business.
Sin says that like many models, she got into camming for the money — but finds other rewards as well.
“Right now, it is part of my life. I like to be there. I have friends there — way more than in real life,” Sin explains. “I let myself free there. I have fantasies and I can share them. In real life I would be afraid to.”
“I am feeling loved and appreciated,” Sin adds, “and you have no idea what an amazing feeling I have when I make people smile and I change their lives, even if we live miles apart.”
Smith says she loves her job because it gives her the opportunity to fulfill her dreams and needs.
“I get to meet people from all around the world and it makes me feel more confident about myself,” Smith says. “Besides, Studio 20 has a great work environment and staff.”
Moore says that financial needs led her to choose this job, but there are other benefits as well.
“I am still a beginner in the field and would like to continue because I like to interact with people all around the world, to exchange opinions and have fun at the same time,” Moore notes, and reveals she has been able to overcome her own misconceptions about this job and the notion of popularity.
As with many other models, Rebecca enjoys connecting with people and the newness it brings.
“Every day I talk with new people, I find out new stories,” Rebecca says. “It keeps me alive. I never get bored of it.”
One issue facing models is dealing with the reactions of family and friends when they inevitably find out.
“My family is OK with it. They only cared that it is legal,” Rebecca says. “My friends find it interesting and they try to find out more details about it all the time.”
And having friends are what camming is all about. Although performing is most often a solo-sport, many models, especially those working in a studio, find new friends in the industry, and then also meet them in real life at fan and trade events around the world.
“We talk, we laugh, we share stories. I get along very good with many models,” Rebecca says. “They are really nice and fun girls.”
Sometimes these “really nice and fun girls” graduate to doing porn, but those numbers seem lower than the cast of porn performers that have taken up camming — with cam models often drawing a distinction between the two endeavors.
“I never considered that for myself,” Rebecca concludes. “I wouldn’t be able to do that. I am not into hardcore. I am on the glam and classy side. I prefer other things, so no, I don’t plan to ever do that. I am OK with camming only.”
Angel found out about doing live chat from a roommate, and thought “Why not?”
“I like to be independent so I think this job is perfect for me,” Angel says. “And actually, for any model, money is the first reason, but after a few months I saw that it’s more about connecting with new people, learning new languages and traditions — and lots of them.”
“What people don’t get is that video chat is not about porn. It’s about what you want. You’ll create a personality different for each member. It’s about what you desire, what you want from the members,” Angel adds. “Of course, that’s my point of view. For me, this job means more about talking, listening, learning, advising. You can call it a sort of therapy.”
As for how she find out about opportunities in live chat, Diva says she was called in for an interview and from that moment on, everything changed.
“I wanted to meet new people, change my life, see another part of life. At first it was just a job where I made my money, but after a while I started to love what I do, and now I wouldn’t change a thing,” Diva says. “I have lots of fun. I’m childish like that. I love to dance around, tell jokes and basically have a good time, but if you don’t like what you’re doing, it shows.”
As for how much fun she has while online, Angel says although it’s fun overall, it’s easy to go through a wide range of emotions.
“I have fun. I’m also getting bored from time to time. I get nervous. I get frustrated. I really go through all kinds of moods, emotions, and feelings. You go from laughing to being serious,” Angel says. “The best part for me is when I learn things in private [shows], when I get to improve my history, geography, religion, and tradition knowledge. You can say that I have a knowledge orgasm.”
Angel says she likes to discuss real life experiences with visitors, because it’s her style of doing things, but is happy to delve into the realm of fantasy as well.
“I like to talk about sexual experiences good or bad, sexual fantasies, hell, I like to talk about anything,” Angel says. “I am more dominant and rule in role play. I will never be a slave. I just don’t like the idea. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do something you ask, but only if I want to do it.”
As for the best part about her job, Angel makes it simple: “Experience, language skills, more money, more self-confidence, and meeting new people.”
Diva says that she is really open when it comes to the people that visit her room.
“If they tell me all about themselves I do the same. It’s about respecting the person in front of you,” Diva explains. “I talk about almost everything, about sexual things and experiences that I had, that they had. Sometimes I am in control, other times, I like to give them control.”
“It’s my job [and] I’ve been doing it for a long time,” Diva concludes. “At the end of the day you are a friend, a psychologist, the woman that understands.”
One thing that separates models of different income levels is experience, so it’s important to continue learning over time, investing in education, networking and more.
For their part, both Angel and Sin learned that having a good team behind you is important.
“You have to have people around you that help you, [such as] my Studio 20 team,” Angel says. “They take care of everything for me — from how I look on cam to what I eat, to what I post on social media, and all that.”
“Work hard, stay real, never give up no matter how hard it is. Also, if you’re new at this, try to find someone that can help you — such as a cam studio that already knows how to make you look good,” says Sin. “I couldn’t do all the things that I do without help. It’s really important to have a good team behind you.”
As for lessons learned, Moore says that having a nice body and a pretty face are really not essential for becoming a successful cam model.
“It takes a lot more than that,” Moore says. “I believe patience, naturalness and spontaneity are indeed undeniable qualities for such a job, and of course, a very rich imagination adapted to each member.”
Rebecca says the most important lesson she’s learned is not to do things on cam that she doesn’t like simply for some extra money, and that it’s important for models to make their shows unique.
“Hold your ground. Be proud. That’s the difference between prostitution and camming,” Rebecca says. “You have to have respect for yourself, so don’t do something you don’t feel comfortable with.”
“I am different because I don’t act or fake. I choose to be real on cam,” Rebecca adds. “So if someone asks me to do something that I don’t like to do, I just refuse it. I prefer do to only things that I enjoy and that makes me comfortable.”
Asked what piece of advice they would offer to new cammers, the pros offered some valuable insights.
“Just treat everyone the way they deserve,” Angel concludes. “Don’t waste your time with people that want to upset you. Be yourself.”
Sometimes, it’s easy to get upset even when someone is not trying to do it on purpose, so it’s important to keep an open mind about some of the unique things you might encounter during a day on the job.
“Oh, I still remember that strange face, covered by a mask, with a man all naked and ready to pour hot wax all over his body,” Sin says. “The decor was weird as well. It is not something you usually will see.”
Diva says many customers see camming as a type of dating, and a chance for developing a relationship — a relationship that is almost invariably one-sided, and something to be aware of.
“I’ve had lots of members that developed crushes on me or believed we were together,” Diva laments. “You can’t help that. But I wouldn’t call it dating.”
For her part, Rebecca’s advice is practical and simple: Don’t trust anyone.
“I know it might sound a little hard, but that’s the reality of the industry,” Rebecca says. “It’s not all money and big mansions, expensive cars and trips around the world. Some people will tell you that it is, but you have to hold your own, you have to trust nobody, and be yourself.”
“I’ve been really naïve in the past,” Diva declared. “So if I were to go back and give myself a piece of advice, it would be to have more patience with myself, trust fewer people, be more confident and don’t do anything in ‘free!’”
