How do I become a porn star?
January 21, 2008
I am a bi-male who is going back to college after a few years off. I would like to make some money to put me through. I would like to be in movies, but need some advice on how to get started. Who do I contact?
I hate to burst your bubble but porn doesn't pay all that well. The superstars of the world (who make five figures per film) are exceedingly rare. Most beginning actors make $600-$1000/scene for a high-budget project, a third to half that for low-budget work, and $150-$250 for amateur videos.
Nevertheless, porn can be fun to do. So to answer your questions, allow me to refer to the People Magazine of porn, Unzipped. In their March 30, 1999 issue they listed ten steps to success in porn. They are:
Being good looking
Working out
Being experienced at gay sex
Willingness to have sex with guys who are not your type,
Flooding porno companies/magazines with nude pictures of yourself
Moving to California
Not having an attitude problem
Learning how the business works from those who have worked it.
Limiting your video appearances
Remembering it's the support of the fans that make you a star
Their list isn't gospel by any means, but it will maximize your chances. If you live in South Bend, Indiana (or any other non-porn producing city), you're not going to find much in the way of local work. You're going to have to go to the bigger cities, and in porn circles that means California.
Assuming you're not already there (and if you are, just pick up Frontiers and start responding to the want ads. You'll find video work fast if you're the right type), you're going to need another tactic. So in brief, here's my advice:
Do your research - Unzipped was right, knowing how the industry works will help. Start a library of books on the gay porno industry. You should buy and read Isherwood's "Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Times of Joey Stefano", Edmonson's "Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan All-American Sex Star", ChiChi LaRue's "Making It Big : Sex Stars, Porn Films and Me", and Skee's "Bad Boys on Video : Interviews With Gay Adult Stars". Also, start hanging out on the ATKOL forums. It's the largest porn discussion area on the web, and has participants ranging from myself to Cole Tucker to legendary director William Higgins.
Send those pictures out! - Go buy a copy of the 1999 Adam Gay Video Guide (a MUST for the aspiring porn star). Look in the magazine for porn stars with the same "look" as you. See what movies they've done, and what companies produced them. Then look up the pictures in the back and start sending out letters and pictures to the companies. Be aggressive! They may not even write back to you at first. But if you constantly write to them they will eventually get your attention. They receive thousands of pictures each year, but most are just people sending them on a whim. Perseverance will make you stand out.
Sending pictures to magazines is also a key. Not Unzipped (that's for established stars), but magazines like Torso, Freshmen, and Blueboy. Look in any adult bookstore for magazines with models of the same age/type as yourself. They're always looking for models, so send them a few nude pictures of yourself (even snapshots are fine) and a letter describing your interest in modeling for them.
Consider other options - Not everyone is headed for a career of stardom on the west coast. If your fantasy is simply to get in front of the camera, you may do well participating in amateur videos or more localized lesser budget directors. Both have directors and producers scattered around the country in the most unlikely of places. Checking out amvc.com will reveal a number of these directors, the types of videos they film, and how to contact them.
Also, consider posing for amateur picture galleries. Have a friend take a series of flattering nude photos of yourself (lots of photos is the key - take three rolls and pick out the six best pictures) and submit them to galleries across the web. Post that you're interested in doing gay porn and appearing in magazines. You never know - you may just get an offer like that. Twink film director Kevin Clarke was well-known for a while for inviting Badpuppy's models to participate in his vids.
Consider fetish work - This one isn't for everyone, but if you have a fetish, go for it. I have a 320-lb friend who appeared in "fatboy porn", as he puts it. On camera he had the chance to bend over and be fucked by well-known porn star Drew Andrews. Similarly, there are literally dozens of small operations filming videos of every fetish imaginable, from foot worship to shaving one's head. If you've got a fetish or a quirk, see what market there is to participate in it.
In parting, remember that unless you're on the west coast, a career in porn can take years of work to develop. Don't be discouraged if it takes time. Patience is part of the weeding-out process, and being persistent will help you find the work you're looking for.
Nevertheless, porn can be fun to do. So to answer your questions, allow me to refer to the People Magazine of porn, Unzipped. In their March 30, 1999 issue they listed ten steps to success in porn. They are:
Being good looking
Working out
Being experienced at gay sex
Willingness to have sex with guys who are not your type,
Flooding porno companies/magazines with nude pictures of yourself
Moving to California
Not having an attitude problem
Learning how the business works from those who have worked it.
Limiting your video appearances
Remembering it's the support of the fans that make you a star
Their list isn't gospel by any means, but it will maximize your chances. If you live in South Bend, Indiana (or any other non-porn producing city), you're not going to find much in the way of local work. You're going to have to go to the bigger cities, and in porn circles that means California.
Assuming you're not already there (and if you are, just pick up Frontiers and start responding to the want ads. You'll find video work fast if you're the right type), you're going to need another tactic. So in brief, here's my advice:
Do your research - Unzipped was right, knowing how the industry works will help. Start a library of books on the gay porno industry. You should buy and read Isherwood's "Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Times of Joey Stefano", Edmonson's "Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan All-American Sex Star", ChiChi LaRue's "Making It Big : Sex Stars, Porn Films and Me", and Skee's "Bad Boys on Video : Interviews With Gay Adult Stars". Also, start hanging out on the ATKOL forums. It's the largest porn discussion area on the web, and has participants ranging from myself to Cole Tucker to legendary director William Higgins.
Send those pictures out! - Go buy a copy of the 1999 Adam Gay Video Guide (a MUST for the aspiring porn star). Look in the magazine for porn stars with the same "look" as you. See what movies they've done, and what companies produced them. Then look up the pictures in the back and start sending out letters and pictures to the companies. Be aggressive! They may not even write back to you at first. But if you constantly write to them they will eventually get your attention. They receive thousands of pictures each year, but most are just people sending them on a whim. Perseverance will make you stand out.
Sending pictures to magazines is also a key. Not Unzipped (that's for established stars), but magazines like Torso, Freshmen, and Blueboy. Look in any adult bookstore for magazines with models of the same age/type as yourself. They're always looking for models, so send them a few nude pictures of yourself (even snapshots are fine) and a letter describing your interest in modeling for them.
Consider other options - Not everyone is headed for a career of stardom on the west coast. If your fantasy is simply to get in front of the camera, you may do well participating in amateur videos or more localized lesser budget directors. Both have directors and producers scattered around the country in the most unlikely of places. Checking out amvc.com will reveal a number of these directors, the types of videos they film, and how to contact them.
Also, consider posing for amateur picture galleries. Have a friend take a series of flattering nude photos of yourself (lots of photos is the key - take three rolls and pick out the six best pictures) and submit them to galleries across the web. Post that you're interested in doing gay porn and appearing in magazines. You never know - you may just get an offer like that. Twink film director Kevin Clarke was well-known for a while for inviting Badpuppy's models to participate in his vids.
Consider fetish work - This one isn't for everyone, but if you have a fetish, go for it. I have a 320-lb friend who appeared in "fatboy porn", as he puts it. On camera he had the chance to bend over and be fucked by well-known porn star Drew Andrews. Similarly, there are literally dozens of small operations filming videos of every fetish imaginable, from foot worship to shaving one's head. If you've got a fetish or a quirk, see what market there is to participate in it.
In parting, remember that unless you're on the west coast, a career in porn can take years of work to develop. Don't be discouraged if it takes time. Patience is part of the weeding-out process, and being persistent will help you find the work you're looking for.
Comment by Anonymous on January 21, 2008
About your advice on becoming a porn star, I just wanted to add to what you said, that it takes more than the physical requirements. The guy who wrote you about wanting to go into porn for the $$, and others like him need to ask themselves if they have the stomach for porn, not just body and dick. I did some photos and was asked to come back for videos because they liked my look and attitude. But the truth is, I sucked. I mean, it was hard for me. (how in the hell do I get around these puns?) Let me just say that you have to have a couple of inner qualities too: exteme horniness to get hard at the drop of a zipper, and an exhibitionist personality that really gives you pleasure to see yourself on film. I managed to pull it off because of my work ethic, but I really don't have either and I knew it so I soon quit. I think you should tell people that because many people go into porn, only to regret what they've done.