Custom video content is cheap because the "shooters".....
- Have next to zero equipment costs. They use a handy cam and use the on-board omni mic so you can hear the camera guy talking/breathing louder than the model. I use mics that cost more then the cameras these guys use and the difference in sound is night and day.
-Many of them use hot lights during the video shoot and the models have to suffer through it. Not exactly a recipe for getting a great scene from your talent. I use natural light with fill from daylight temp Kino Flos to keep the talent cool as cucumbers. Kinos are expensive and you can build your own to save money but of course you have to factor in your time spent building them and tracking down high CRI rated bulbs. ( I am certainly not saying hot lights are cheap. Obviously HMIs are expensive and hot lights in general are fine in a cold environment or if the A/C is turned on)
- Don't hire a make-up artist (or use a cheap one). I always have a good make- up artist and pay them extra to stay the entire scene during my lesbian shoots to constantly touch up the models during their breaks from pussy licking.
- Don't have any location expenses because they just use a room in their house or office which has a ugly couch (or worse - a bed) pushed up against a white wall. I use real locations that look great on camera and also bring in props.
-They hire a video editor and pay them an low hourly rate and of course the end product suffers.
-They crank out scenes like McDonalds cranks out hamburgers. Every scene is the same "What is your name" "How old are you", "Where are you from", etc.
-Don't spend time actually "casting". They just throw any 2 available people together without any concern for how hot the scene will be. When I shoot lesbian scenes I work hard in pairing the girls with other girls they REALLY WANT to fuck. The same goes for my b/g scenes but to a lesser extent.
Now, I am not criticizing content guys for shooting scenes like they do. In fact I envy them. I am seriously thinking about shooting scenes the same way because I would make a TON of money compared to taking my time in trying to create something that is above average in quality.
It seems in the content biz that professional photography is valued greatly but professionally shot video is rare and not expected. Most of the video guys just use handy cams set on "full auto" mode and of course it turns out looking and sounding like a home video.
I have had a recent client tell me "This is the best custom content I have ever bought". You don't get feedback like this from using the McDonalds philosophy. But of course you have to respect the fact that a good restaurant located next to a McDonalds makes less money even though their product is much better.
I am seeing a change in the attitude of some program owners recently. I guess because this biz has become more competitive the program owners are taking more of an interest in higher quality video content. Paying an extra $400 -$500 a scene to get a product that is noticeably better than what you competition has might just pay off great dividends in the future.
