Paying Your Models

[ucbearcub]

So here I am, once again, in need of advice.

On Friday, January 30th, my entire department here in Fort Lauderdale was laid off. Yet another casualty of how this country is STILL getting Bushscrewed.

I've decided I want to devote a bit more time to developing content for DVD and Streaming projects. I've got ideas and I've got people who want to model but my question is: What do you pay a model? And does this depend on what they do?

So, if any of you out there can share with me what you pay for solos, 1-on-1, people willing to show their face, versus people who do NOT wish to show their face, 3-ways, gang bangs, fetishes?

If you do not feel comfortable sharing, perhaps you can PM me?

I'd really appreciate it as it will give me a gauge on whether or not I will be able to do what I want, or whether I'm going to have to go and peddle my own cock (or ass!) on camera or on a street corner in order to pay these boys.

As always, I look forward to your responses.

Thanks!

Ben

[drakerock]

When I started my soft core site in May 2007 I asked the same question and I was told point blank "You can't ask that". So I figured out how many videos I needed produce and what I could afford to pay (after my living expenses were taken care of). I then started to look for models and made offers. In the beginning I was on the low end of the pay scale. Many of the guys whom I contacted said, "I'm not getting naked for that little amount of money" and others were okay with it.

The first ten guys I paid out of my pocket. Now, I operate on a cash basis when paying the guys - for the first two years I committed to paying 100% of what I bring in from memberships to the models. If they're a "name" they may make a little more, some a little less, but everyone makes roughly the same.

The pay range varies greatly from studio to studio (and web site to web site). There is no standard pay scale in the industry - at least it's not posted anywhere :)

When I started shooting hard core one of the ways that I figured out which porn stars I could afford was by working with some model managers. When I had a project I would tell the manager the details of what I wanted the guys to do, and how much I could afford to pay each. The managers would then submit guys that were within my pay scale. One thing to note when working with managers is that up and above paying the models, you also have to pay the managers, which may not be feasible when starting a company - at least it wasn't for me in the beginning.

If you have guys that are willing to model, you've jumped the first big hurdle. Figure out how many videos you want to produce, how many guys will be in each video, and how much you can pay them for each scene, then make them offers based on what you can afford. You'll find out quick enough if what your offering is reasonable and can make adjustments from there.

[ucbearcub]

Drake:

Thanks for the advice and sharing of your experiences. I know what I'd like to pay but I also know what is in my budget. The guys in the first disc were all paid out of pocket. I earned the money by being in front of the camera and used much of it to simply "pass it on" as it were.

The second disc, which was released the first Friday in February of this year, was total profit as I didn't have to pay myself or the other two guys who were willing to volunteer. It was a LOT of fun and our first P.O.V.

We're now into our 3rd and used some of the money I got as severance.

So, I guess that even though I keep getting the same response you got about not getting naked for that kind of money, it all would depend on budget, how much you're willing to spend and how badly I want to see this guy naked, huh?

Thanks again, Drake.

Ben
Horndawg Productions
blog.horndawgproductions.com