Hi everyone, I’m an amateur producer and work primarily as an independent clip maker. Typically, I upload my content to Pornhub and Modelhub, and have been given this opportunity to share my tips with you! There are many factors that go into making a video — from camera equipment and lighting, to production and marketing. It’s important to understand all of these so that you can make the biggest bang for your buck.
Get the Right Camera
I use natural lighting for most of my content, which means I have to schedule my work around the weather.
First and foremost, you have to have a way to film yourself. If you’re just starting off, a great tool to use is your phone. Most smartphones released in the last few years film in 1080p HD, some even produce in 4K (like my Samsung Galaxy Note 9). After you’ve gotten the hang of it, consider upgrading to a camcorder or DSLR. There are many options out there and I personally use the Canon XC10. However, the lens is nonexchangeable, so I’ve experienced issues while trying to capture certain angles and fields of view. Do your research before investing in a nicer camera, though.
Experiment With Natural Lighting
The next piece of advice I have to offer has actually had the biggest impact on my success — lights! If you’re filming with your cell phone in a dark room, no one can see what’s going on. However, if you turn on all the lights and open your blinds, your camera will be able to pick up more color and detail, no matter what you’re filming with.
I use natural lighting for most of my content, which means I have to schedule my work around the weather. This isn’t always ideal, but I’ve found that videos with natural lighting tend to perform better than those filmed with a studio or artificial home lighting. Walk through your home during different times of the day and find the sunniest rooms you have, then try to film there next time. You’ll be amazed at how much the quality improves.
Plan Ahead, Do What You Love
Now that we’ve gotten cameras and lights out of the way, it’s time for the action. Before you hit “start” on your camera, get an idea of what you want to film. It can be as simple as “POV,” or it can be an entire script that you’ve written up. What’s important is that you (and your scene partner(s)) have a basic understanding of what you’re filming.
If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, look at what’s happening around you. Holiday-themed videos are very popular, along with internet culture (Bowsette, Overwatch, Fortnite, etc.) — but most importantly, film what’s unique to you. If you love cosplay, getting into costume and roleplaying can be extremely profitable and fun. If you’re a size queen, own that shit. If you’re simply passionate about eating ass, eat all the ass you can find. I find this to be extremely rewarding since I actually get to do what I enjoy.
Know Your Best Angles
Next up is camera angles. These can make or break your video. I’ve done hardcore anal scenes that took hours to prep, film and edit, just to have them flop because of a bad camera angle. I’ve also struck gold with POV cell phone videos that took less than 10 minutes to film and upload. All of that success comes down to how you frame your video.
Try to find something that shows off the action while providing rich colors and an interesting perspective. Before I film, I do practice runs: I set up my camera, run over and put myself where I plan on filming, do a 20-second mock-up, and then run back over to check the camera. If you love what you see, your customers will too. If you don’t think it’s the best, move your camera and try again! Sometimes, this takes longer than the actual filming of the video, but I promise it’s worth it. It can be the difference between making $100 on a video or thousands.
Marketing Tips For Tags, Titles and Stills
Finally, you need to learn how to market your videos. The most important aspect to this is the thumbnail. What are customers looking at when they open a clip site? They scan through hundreds of photos until something catches their eye, then they read the title and click from there. I recommend sitting down and going through your videos frame by frame until you find the one that stands out the best. I usually go for something that shows off my butt, penetration or my face. Still shots taken from a distance don’t always catch the eye, so crop and zoom in if you have to.
For titling and tagging, use the most popular words that describe what’s happening in your video. I always do a quick search on Pornhub and select “Most Viewed of All Time,” then type in each word I want to use. If the most-viewed video you’re looking at only has a couple million views or less, don’t use it. I always aim for 20 million+ because that means it’s a popular word and people are seeking it out.
If my search returns are consistently low, I see that as an indicator that the video is more niche/fetish and should be sold instead. An example I ran into was “Fixation.” I tried to use this in the sense of an anal fixation, but the most viewed video had only 2 million views. I should’ve used “Addiction” or sold the clip.
Finally, if you’ve decided to put your video up for sale, you should write a good description for it and price it in a range that will make you a profit. The more niche/fetish the video is, the higher you can price it. If you’re the only person in the world supplying that high-quality demand, you’re going to make a lot of money.
Additionally, I suggest raising prices as your quality goes up. I like to sell my videos in the $15 - $25 range, but it varies per model and their fan base, so experiment with your fans and see how you profit!
