Aptitude and Longitude (How to become a Contract Star)
by Nobody Special
If you’ve ever attended any of our Members’ Parties, or hung out with us at one of the bazillion industry conventions we attend, you may have heard variations of most of the topic of the day. To those of you, I’d advise just skipping to the oddly relevant photo set of “Georgia Adair Toys” and her first product endorsement shoot. Seeing Georgia concentrating naked seems like a much better option compared to listening to me ramble on, but since I did promise to do this article when we got back from Vegas this year, I’ll continue a bit for the hopeful and seriously aimed new readers we have (at least for this week I expect).
SO … for you aspiring adult super-stars out there, here’s a much shortened version of the typical “introduction” speech I always give when interviewing prospective clients. (Curiously, I’ve learned that if I had to write everything down, I wouldn’t be nearly so long-winded. You just think the paragraphs are long; you should hear the speeches.) The first thing I always ask may seem overly simple, but you’d be surprised how many people have stopped short over the years, just by hearing this introduction.
Basically, approaching a top porn career doesn’t differ that much from seeking any personal dream in life: You have to decide (in very specific terms) exactly what you “want” out of this career. If we don’t know where you’re trying to go, we can hardly help you succeed in the journey, now can we?
For those of you that think you’d like to be a “Contract Performer” for one of the companies, you have a bit more to think about on this “Goal” issue. You have to consider why you want to be under contract before you have any chance of either seeking, or more importantly evaluating, any offers. “Contract Girls” (a term I’ve always taken issue with, but a battle I’ve always lost) do get certain benefits, certainly. In pure economic terms you definitely make more money “per movie,” but – unless you live out of town and/or rarely work – you make a lot less money per month. Now the living out of town issue becomes a heck of a lot easier if you’re a contract player, because the companies will schedule shoots pretty much around your schedule. Still, with all the “included in the salary” kinds of promotions the companies do these days, you may find yourself paying living expenses in LA a lot more often than you might think. Of course, that whole “promotion” thing generally leads women to seek Contract Status in the first place, so understand that it’s pretty hard for even good representation to complain about these days when that purpose underlies both the company and the performer goals.
Although the precise makeup of the divisions here have changed a bit over the years, if you’re trying to make a living in this business, there are three basic areas in which you can earn money.
- Making Movies.
- Dancing.
- The “Other” Stuff – which used to be just magazine shoots and personal appearances, but over the last decade has come to mean Internet shoots and web site income as well.
In pure economic terms, you need to understand that ONE of these has to pay your bills. If you decide on which one early in the game, you’ll be able to more effectively plan your course of action.
