MIAMI — If ever a dynamic duo was destined for a memorable XBIZ Miami cam panel, rife with hilarity, hijinks and high-octane banter, Shawna Lenee and Nikki Night proved most entertaining in “Camming: Chat Room Engagement” on Wednesday, May 31.
Like watching an intense tennis match, the overflowing room flicked their heads back and forth from the casually reclining Lenee and the frenetically up-and-about Night, riding the tension of distinct personalities that nonetheless synergized with yin/yang fluidity.
Night, a CAM4 performer coach who may as well be a life coach, comedian coach and football coach with her staccato let’s-kick-some-ass delivery and kinetic pacing, was electrifying. In fact, Cams.com contract star Lenee soon declared (rightfully so!) that the panel would henceforth be titled, “How to Not Be Boring,” prompting the first of many laugh-out-loud reactions.
“Number one mistake I see, and please learn from my past mistakes,” Night beckoned. “Is the moment someone tips you ... don’t start private messaging them! You’re actually training people not to tip you, because they see you typing away and bringing the show to a halt.”
Keeping viewers locked in is important, Lenee affirmed. “I ask a lot of questions for my guys,” she said. “I love having conversations with them, learning about their day. They have things going on. Sometimes, they’re having a bad day, and I’m here to make it better. I’m here on cam to make everyone smile.” Night interjected, “I’m smiling right now.” She winked suggestively. “That’s right, thank you,” replied Lenee, chuckling good-naturedly and grinning radiantly.
“It doesn’t matter what you look like, honestly, there’s a fan just for you,” Night exclaimed. “Be yourself, because it’s impossible to seduce a robot. Everyone here knows … how long are cam hours? A billion? You live online? Yeah. It honestly doesn’t matter what you’re doing, it matters that you’re having a blast doing it. So get excited!”
As the tango of tactics and titillation got rolling, with Night occasionally walking her microphone down the aisle to allow audience members to ask their questions and Lenee entrancing the multitudes with her graceful exuberance, the panel pivoted to a variety of topics like the sheer physicality of camming, the importance of changing up a room’s aesthetic with light touches, avoiding politics in chat rooms and the pros/cons of using geolocation to permit local viewers vs. excluding them.
And with so many responsibilities in a cam model's life, Night said that saving energy and avoiding sore backs is key. Varying visuals, she emphasized, does not always require constant movement or athletic displays. “Move the camera angle,” she stated. “You don’t move, you don’t do the work, and bam, they feel like it’s something different. They will stay in private longer, when you go and move the camera angle a little bit. Walk around, sure, but overall you’ll work less and make more money.”
Lenee added, “Talking about visual stimulation, I think design is very important. Get a bunch of different colored pillow covers, $5 each on Amazon, lightly fuzzy blankets, $20 LED lights for your wall. I love pink lights, it makes me feel like ya-da-da.” She pirouetted and tossed back her hair. “Or red!” she cooed. “If I’m feeling extra sultry. Or blues at night for a calming influence.”
Crooking her finger with approval, Night remarked, “Make that shit do the work for you. Work smarter, not harder.”
And should a cam model have “mainstream” aspirations, Night and Lenee acknowledged the difficulties in overcoming the stigma of sex work, especially after Vera Sky — standing up from the audience — shared that she was denied nursing jobs numerous times after her hometown got wind of the camming.
Empathizing with several other cam models who shared similar stories, Lenee counseled, “Here’s what you do. Take a hold of your stats. Show how many sales you’ve had. I improved my sales records these past two years. I’ve gotten sales jobs at T-Mobile while being a porn star. They knew what I did. It does matter what area you live in, but go in there and say, ‘I’m a businesswoman,’ because you are.
“Prove yourself,” she continued. “Don’t feel like you’re ‘just a cam model’ and not good enough. You are good enough. In fact, I think cam models are way harder workers than any other girls I know in any other industry. We have this intense work ethic. Use your work ethic to your advantage. Prove yourself in your community and it might take time. It took me years to show everybody I was responsible. If someone tells you ‘no’ don’t be discouraged.” The room burst into applause like it was Sunday mass and the preacher had just nailed a fiery sermon.
As the rollercoaster panel wended its way through contemplative valleys and inspiring peaks, unforgettable anecdotes continually poured forth from a veritable Technicolor camming dreamcoat. There was the tipper who, during a truth or dare gaming session with Night, dared her to fart on a slice of cheese and then eat it — prompting an “I don’t think so, next!” from the CAM4 maven. And during a “how to deal with dick pics” discussion, while Lenee let them down gently or flattered them kindly, Night took a more clinical approach, offering sincere-sounding photography-centric critiques on the lighting, the shadows and whether or not their balls were best captured from that angle.
By the end of the comedy hour/therapy session/camming PhD class, Lenee brought the house down with an exotic dancing demonstration, set to the tune of a helpful cam model’s phone and rewarded by a real-life $20 tipper who stood up proudly, handed the bill over and clapped along with the rest of the roaring crowd. Another successful XBIZ Miami cam panel drew to a close, on yet another high note.
