Dave Cummings - Maximizing Your Content Investment

I'll look forward to hearing yours mang.

I'd love to read your comments and advice--thanks!

:-)

Nice interview mang.

paul, wtf, are you superpornman now? lol lmfao

No way and never claimed to be. I've just been producing porn 32 years and little of the basic rules have changed. I suppose the biggest changes, and I would love to hear Dave's and others thoughts on this, is female models attitudes, the strength and the way we churn out content today.

But if people can't learn something from people like Dave and I and other old veterans, ( ) whose fault is that?

jeeza i dont think u get it

OK here goes. This is just one guys view of how he thinks it should be done. There will be hundreds of others who tell you it's wrong and I would love to hear why so people can judge for themselves. This is for Newbies.

First thing is to really examine what you should be shooting. Shoot a niche you understand and like. Then shoot it the way you think it would be best to shoot it. Look at other peoples work but be careful copying them. Some of them could of been shooting years and copying them as a newbie is tough.

Then plan shooting the scene, write down a script, get some pictures and make a running board. This is useful so the model and you can talk it over. Models prefer to be given lots of guide lines. You need to know exactly what you're trying to create before the model turns up.

Doing castings is essential. you need to know the models before you give them a job. I recently saw a sample video of a girl who was clearly doing something she did not want to, did not give a damn and refused to do back shots because of her tattoo. The sample was a good example of what not to do. And why castings are essential. If a model won't turn up for a casting (considering the distance) for a weeks to a months normal wages for 6 hours work. She/he is telling you a lot. She/he could be telling you it's her way or no way, she/he could be telling you that if she did the casting she would not get the job or she/he could be telling you they don't care.

For a newbie to give that control to the model is very risky. In the main models rarely care if they will get another job from you and will do the least they can get away with working with newbies. Yes there are exceptions, but the general rules are all I'm covering here.

On a casting tell the potential models everything about what you do and expect for them. Everything includes scenes, action, money, time they turn up, HIV certs for BG and today GG. Props you will use, the style of how you work and anything else you can think of.

Get everything ready before the shoot starts, equipment, check everything including batteries and spares. Lights, laptop or computer, clothing, props, baby wipes, shower, shaving equipment, douches, deodorants, drinks (never alcohol), snacks if it's a full days shoot. Then if you have access to the location set your lights, arrange the furniture, look at the angles, check everything before the model arrives. You take a few test shots and put them on the laptop to check them. AND make sure the models confirm the day before the shoot. If she/he is going to flake best you know the day before.

The odds of a new guy struggling with getting the shoots right, models to do what he wants and establishing a style of his own are very long. Preparation is everything. Guys like Dave and me could walk into a shoot and pick it up as we went along. But we still prepare for a shoot and make sure it goes smoothly.

No BV I don't get what you mean, can you be more specific please.

Now I understand.

It's in reference to my avatar. LOL

I was just commenting on your new SuperPornMan avatar.

There might be people thinking "Why does it matter." It matters because porn is an individual and intimate product and today some produce it like it's all peas in a pod. So long as a scene is 20 minutes, ticks all the boxes and you get 120 stills it's fine. It's not because that's filler content, exclusive or non it's just the same scene over and over again.

If you want people to buy a membership in todays business you have to give them more than a site for $30 to download filler content from. The porn has to be an individual and intimate product. The customer will spend money on.

I have always thought castings important. If it's just one girl turning up it's a very good chance to find out who she is and what she is capable of doing. Even at the other end of the scale and 50 girls turn up it's still better than shooting a model from a picture she sent.

But you have to be organised and look like you know what you're doing. Otherwise it's a good chance to screw up everything.

So again prepare yourself.

Write out a script of what has to be said, so you can give them to models rather than waiting to fill the room and keep going back and starting again. It has to include how you work, where you work, when you work (so they know they can't turn up 3 hours late), what action you shoot in the different categories which she agrees to or not on the models form. How much you pay and anything else you can think of that's important. Why?

So the model can't say "You never said that on the casting."

If you're doing a casting for 50 have models forms and scripts laid out. These are the models details like name, phone number, age, size, what she will do, have it written down what you shoot and get her to yes or no to EVERYTHING. Saves any misunderstandings when she tells you on the shoot she does not do that.

And all this has to be done in a gentle, friendly but firm way. Introduce yourself, confirm their name or ask. Sit them down, thank them for coming and all with a smile. Offer a coffee, tea, juice or bottled water. Have ash trays ready. Sit them down and tell them who you are and what happens today. Including taking test shots.

These should be done in a very matter of fact way yet not cold. You need to see her naked and how she poses. Put her through a dozen or more poses. If you're shooting teens check their IDs before you do this and I do mean CHECK them. If they query you might sell the pictures. Explain because you're not doing an ID shot and getting a model release you can't sell the pictures. And there is not market for 12 pictures of a person posing solo for test shots.

You're establishing you're a professional guy who knows what he's doing and in control. But a nice guy as well.

This is your chance to evaluate if the model is right for the part, will do it as you need and not someone who will screw the day and waste your money. Get it right and you should have a good days work, easy, fun and profitable. Get it wrong and you're wasting your time.

IMHO, Paul is right on-target. Pre-shoot detailed communications with the model, along with other detailed pre-shoot preparation is a must; planning ahead makes things go a lot better, for all concerned. The bottom line is getting a worthwhile and valuable outcome, not shooting from the hip and hoping things work out profitably!

Amen to dat shit yo

Planning ahead make for a better product and an easier life.

All the lessons I learned in this business I learned from listening to others and from falling flat on my face. LOL