Startup for a new gay porn company - Advice welcome!

[Guest thedolphinsofaugust]

A lot of people my age are having a hard time finding a job and a lot of people say to start your own business. I’ve thought for years of going into the porn industry – not as a performer, but as a director, visionary, and working behind-the-scenes – and creating my own studio to produce films and videos. The most successful studios today are launched online and the way they make money is through subscriptions. I don’t think there are any movie theatres left for gay porn (maybe one in SF?).

 

I’d like to call my company Testosterone. I think it’s a sexy, masculine, and very appropriate name and surprisingly there’s never been a company with that name.

 

Here are my ideas:

 

1. Capital: I have some money in the bank for capital but I’ll definitely need to raise more. I’m thinking white parties for affluent gay men, lol. I went to one once and it was at a mansion and the men were all retired, bored, and had all this money from working in Manhattan. If I could get a few backers, we can build enough capital for the startup.

2. A good crew. I know nothing about cinematography or what it takes to make a good movie. I should. I’d have to hire a few very talented but out-of-work people to work the cameras, help out with the production costs. I also want a really good photographer. Pictures and movies are all about lighting, angles, and timing.

3. A great website. You can tell which websites have the best designers but the way they look. I’d want a website that would top all of the other studios. Google has the right formula – its simple, accessible, and user-friendly. All websites should be like that.

4. Making money. To stay in business, we’d have to turn a profit. The only way to do that in porn is to make money from it, which these days must be nearly impossible since anyone that knows how to Google search really well can find a free download link. So here’s my idea: We’d allow every first-time visitor to our site 15 free minutes to watch anything they wanted. We’d allow people to use their debit cards. We’d also allow people that didn’t want to use credit cards (closeted men that didn’t want it to show up on their accounts) to send in cash through the mail. We’d also allow people to use gift cards (like the Visa gift cards you get for Christmas). We’d do anything we could short of intimidation or legal harassment to keep our customers with us.

5. Publicity. I’m a believer that any publicity is good publicity and massive publicity gets you noticed so we’d place ads everywhere, on as many gay sites that we possibly could, like Rentboy for example. A really hot star can attract a large audience and we’d plaster him everywhere.

6. Performers. With the best talent scouting in the business, we’d get all the hot guys. Most of the men in gay porn are actually straight or bicurious and its tough to get those guys to do a scene with another man, but once they do you can tell they love it. I think it’s nice to have a gay performer too (like Marc Dylan or Brent Corrigan) and pair him up with one of the straight. I think one of the least used couplings is a boyishly cute bottom and a big muscular top.

7. Merchandise. Along with the videos and DVDs, we’d sell merchandise. Everybody loves calendars and so we’d come out with a calendar around the holidays. We can also sell posters, T-shirts (if we just put “Testosterone” on it, anyone can wear it without anyone knowing it’s porn), and also a line of sexy bath and body products – bath wash, body oil, lube, and maybe an underwear line.

8. Sweat- Sweat is biologically very important for gay men. Studies show that gay men have certain sweat receptors to make them want to have sex with other men. For this company, it would be kinda like our trademark. We’d have the sweatiest sex on the market – you can do this with turning up the temperature on set, hot lighting, lots of oil, water, and the actual sex itself. With a name like Testosterone, you’d have to have a lot of sweat.

 

I’d also like to do an ancient epic about the Roman emperor Elagabalus. I think it would make a perfect gay porn movie. Like Caligula but younger and gayer. I was inspired by watching Ben Hur on Christmas.

 

Okay, that’s it. It’s unrealistic as hell but maybe there’s somebody on here that might like to meet me to talk it over and brainstorm. Any input and advice from you all would be appreciated, just your thoughts about the porn industry, starting a new business (whatever it is), and Internet startups. If there’s anyone who knows anyone who worked in gay porn, I’d also like you to respond and tell me what your experience was like. So...what do you think?

[jjkrkwood]

A lot of people my age are having a hard time finding a job and a lot of people say to start your own business. I’ve thought for years of going into the porn industry – not as a performer, but as a director, visionary, and working behind-the-scenes – and creating my own studio to produce films and videos. The most successful studios today are launched online and the way they make money is through subscriptions. I don’t think there are any movie theatres left for gay porn (maybe one in SF?).

 

I’d like to call my company Testosterone. I think it’s a sexy, masculine, and very appropriate name and surprisingly there’s never been a company with that name.

 

Here are my ideas:

 

1. Capital: I have some money in the bank for capital but I’ll definitely need to raise more. I’m thinking white parties for affluent gay men, lol. I went to one once and it was at a mansion and the men were all retired, bored, and had all this money from working in Manhattan. If I could get a few backers, we can build enough capital for the startup.

2. A good crew. I know nothing about cinematography or what it takes to make a good movie. I should. I’d have to hire a few very talented but out-of-work people to work the cameras, help out with the production costs. I also want a really good photographer. Pictures and movies are all about lighting, angles, and timing.

3. A great website. You can tell which websites have the best designers but the way they look. I’d want a website that would top all of the other studios. Google has the right formula – its simple, accessible, and user-friendly. All websites should be like that.

4. Making money. To stay in business, we’d have to turn a profit. The only way to do that in porn is to make money from it, which these days must be nearly impossible since anyone that knows how to Google search really well can find a free download link. So here’s my idea: We’d allow every first-time visitor to our site 15 free minutes to watch anything they wanted. We’d allow people to use their debit cards. We’d also allow people that didn’t want to use credit cards (closeted men that didn’t want it to show up on their accounts) to send in cash through the mail. We’d also allow people to use gift cards (like the Visa gift cards you get for Christmas). We’d do anything we could short of intimidation or legal harassment to keep our customers with us.

5. Publicity. I’m a believer that any publicity is good publicity and massive publicity gets you noticed so we’d place ads everywhere, on as many gay sites that we possibly could, like Rentboy for example. A really hot star can attract a large audience and we’d plaster him everywhere.

6. Performers. With the best talent scouting in the business, we’d get all the hot guys. Most of the men in gay porn are actually straight or bicurious and its tough to get those guys to do a scene with another man, but once they do you can tell they love it. I think it’s nice to have a gay performer too (like Marc Dylan or Brent Corrigan) and pair him up with one of the straight. I think one of the least used couplings is a boyishly cute bottom and a big muscular top.

7. Merchandise. Along with the videos and DVDs, we’d sell merchandise. Everybody loves calendars and so we’d come out with a calendar around the holidays. We can also sell posters, T-shirts (if we just put “Testosterone” on it, anyone can wear it without anyone knowing it’s porn), and also a line of sexy bath and body products – bath wash, body oil, lube, and maybe an underwear line.

8. Sweat- Sweat is biologically very important for gay men. Studies show that gay men have certain sweat receptors to make them want to have sex with other men. For this company, it would be kinda like our trademark. We’d have the sweatiest sex on the market – you can do this with turning up the temperature on set, hot lighting, lots of oil, water, and the actual sex itself. With a name like Testosterone, you’d have to have a lot of sweat.

 

I’d also like to do an ancient epic about the Roman emperor Elagabalus. I think it would make a perfect gay porn movie. Like Caligula but younger and gayer. I was inspired by watching Ben Hur on Christmas.

 

Okay, that’s it. It’s unrealistic as hell but maybe there’s somebody on here that might like to meet me to talk it over and brainstorm. Any input and advice from you all would be appreciated, just your thoughts about the porn industry, starting a new business (whatever it is), and Internet startups. If there’s anyone who knows anyone who worked in gay porn, I’d also like you to respond and tell me what your experience was like. So...what do you think?

 

A New business AND a sex change at the same time ? You are taking on ALOT Dolphin. Maybe one thing at a time is a better, more focused approach. Its always risky to bite off more than you can chew, unless you have someone around to administer the Hymlich maneuver ?

[gallahadesquire]

It WAS "the Heimlich maneuver" but the Family objected so it is officially now "abdominal thrusts".

[bootdad]

Don't even bother thinking about such a venture !!!

 

1 - The gay porn bizz is so saturated with content (both good and bad) it is beyond overwhelming

2 - no sane individual would back such a venture regardless of how brilliant your business plan

3 - there is simply no money to be made in this arena - we live in a world of epic 'FREE' online and that will only intensify in the years ahead ... several years ago I gave a corporate lecture on this and the whole notion of the online consumer wanting everyone for nothing yesterday ... one of the primary reasons thousands of apps die in months or in many cases have even a shorter lifespan

4 - we are living in very transformative times - very little money is made the old fashioned way moving forward in this uber electronic decade

5 - the greatest challenge for anyone selling a service is understanding the ever evolving ever changing consumption patterns of all tribes - and the tribe buying gay porn is shrinking by the millisecond

[MiamiLooker]

Who buys calendars?

[hornytwells]

am looking to get rid of a massive dvd porn collection myself, more than I need, anyone interested pvt me? (based in nyc)

[gcursor]

and the award goes to

 

Its an interesting concept dolphins. However before going forward, if I were you then I would spend a lot of time researching porn companies/start-ups/etc on the internet. Typically it takes a year or more after the initial idea for the start-up to actually be up and running. Also keep in mind that porn is very well-saturated (as somebody said) so you would have to find a unique way to present your porn that not a thousand other people are already trying...there are unique porn perspectives out there but you have to decide which one is right for you...you would also have to think about a unique way to market it as well.

 

I applaud your idea and the energy that you have. I hope that you spend the time to move the creative force along. The one thing I would say is that I probably wouldn't put the "ideas" that you had for the new porn company on this website. Essentially you are publishing your "business plan" for others to see and possibly duplicate if they so desire. The partners that you find for your business venture will be the ones who you will be able to bounce ideas off of since they are investing so much of the capital.

 

I do wish you the very best of luck. Maybe you'll be winning awards sometime in the future.

gcursor

 

A lot of people my age are having a hard time finding a job and a lot of people say to start your own business. I’ve thought for years of going into the porn industry – not as a performer, but as a director, visionary, and working behind-the-scenes – and creating my own studio to produce films and videos. The most successful studios today are launched online and the way they make money is through subscriptions. I don’t think there are any movie theatres left for gay porn (maybe one in SF?).

 

I’d like to call my company Testosterone. I think it’s a sexy, masculine, and very appropriate name and surprisingly there’s never been a company with that name.

 

Here are my ideas:

 

1. Capital: I have some money in the bank for capital but I’ll definitely need to raise more. I’m thinking white parties for affluent gay men, lol. I went to one once and it was at a mansion and the men were all retired, bored, and had all this money from working in Manhattan. If I could get a few backers, we can build enough capital for the startup.

2. A good crew. I know nothing about cinematography or what it takes to make a good movie. I should. I’d have to hire a few very talented but out-of-work people to work the cameras, help out with the production costs. I also want a really good photographer. Pictures and movies are all about lighting, angles, and timing.

3. A great website. You can tell which websites have the best designers but the way they look. I’d want a website that would top all of the other studios. Google has the right formula – its simple, accessible, and user-friendly. All websites should be like that.

4. Making money. To stay in business, we’d have to turn a profit. The only way to do that in porn is to make money from it, which these days must be nearly impossible since anyone that knows how to Google search really well can find a free download link. So here’s my idea: We’d allow every first-time visitor to our site 15 free minutes to watch anything they wanted. We’d allow people to use their debit cards. We’d also allow people that didn’t want to use credit cards (closeted men that didn’t want it to show up on their accounts) to send in cash through the mail. We’d also allow people to use gift cards (like the Visa gift cards you get for Christmas). We’d do anything we could short of intimidation or legal harassment to keep our customers with us.

5. Publicity. I’m a believer that any publicity is good publicity and massive publicity gets you noticed so we’d place ads everywhere, on as many gay sites that we possibly could, like Rentboy for example. A really hot star can attract a large audience and we’d plaster him everywhere.

6. Performers. With the best talent scouting in the business, we’d get all the hot guys. Most of the men in gay porn are actually straight or bicurious and its tough to get those guys to do a scene with another man, but once they do you can tell they love it. I think it’s nice to have a gay performer too (like Marc Dylan or Brent Corrigan) and pair him up with one of the straight. I think one of the least used couplings is a boyishly cute bottom and a big muscular top.

7. Merchandise. Along with the videos and DVDs, we’d sell merchandise. Everybody loves calendars and so we’d come out with a calendar around the holidays. We can also sell posters, T-shirts (if we just put “Testosterone” on it, anyone can wear it without anyone knowing it’s porn), and also a line of sexy bath and body products – bath wash, body oil, lube, and maybe an underwear line.

8. Sweat- Sweat is biologically very important for gay men. Studies show that gay men have certain sweat receptors to make them want to have sex with other men. For this company, it would be kinda like our trademark. We’d have the sweatiest sex on the market – you can do this with turning up the temperature on set, hot lighting, lots of oil, water, and the actual sex itself. With a name like Testosterone, you’d have to have a lot of sweat.

 

I’d also like to do an ancient epic about the Roman emperor Elagabalus. I think it would make a perfect gay porn movie. Like Caligula but younger and gayer. I was inspired by watching Ben Hur on Christmas.

 

Okay, that’s it. It’s unrealistic as hell but maybe there’s somebody on here that might like to meet me to talk it over and brainstorm. Any input and advice from you all would be appreciated, just your thoughts about the porn industry, starting a new business (whatever it is), and Internet startups. If there’s anyone who knows anyone who worked in gay porn, I’d also like you to respond and tell me what your experience was like. So...what do you think?

[EZEtoGRU]

I agree with the other comments that the porn business is not currently a good industry to go into due to the proliferation of free porn sites. Why pay for access to it when so many sites make it available for free. Once I discovered cam4, I have no need to pay for porn again. I think most folks in the porn industry are struggling right now

[nate_sf]

I'll echo what the others have said and say porn is a challenging business at this point, and finding a specialized niche may be the only way to make it work nowadays. Maybe erotic historical drama as you've suggested, who knows?

 

The two companies I've done work for recently have been focused on specialized kink, and on older guys. I'm not sure how much either company actually makes in profit, but the pieces seem to be there for at least the possibility of some income through subscriptions.

 

So you've done the first step in outlining a business plan. I'd suggest fleshing it out further and, as others have suggested, keeping it under wraps. Show it to some folks for input. Assume you'll have to finance everything yourself.

 

I'd also suggest, if it's possible, to get an entry-level job at a studio in production. It depends on where you live, but most companies can be traced to the former places of employment of their principals. You learn the craft, decide how you may or may not do it differently, and go out on your own. Warning, often bitter rivalries arise when someone jumps ship to start their own venture!

 

In a PM I've encouraged you to join us at the DC Forum for lunch next month to get a chance to meet some people and hope you do. You've said in other posts that you've felt isolated at times so this would be a way to meet others and build a social network for yourself. There will be some others there with first-hand experience in porn who you can discuss your ideas with further.

 

I agree with JJ, you've got a lot on your plate! It would be good to focus on one thing, or triage your efforts a bit. Perhaps explore your femininity with drag, and your interest in porn with some on-set experience? Maybe that's how Chi Chi got started!

[PoppedRice]

Lots of ideas here about business plans, etc. My $0.02 - whatever you do - be it a new porn site, or something else - I suggest reading the book "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries...you can use the ideas in there to validate your business model quickly (quick failure of your hypothesis means you don't have to invest that much time or money). (Also go to http://www.theleanstartup.com.)

 

FYI - the only connection I have to the book is that I've been teaching these principles for the past few years to peeps here in Silicon Valley (agile and lean software methodologies). Agile/Lean have finally crossed the chasm and have become mainstream...I don't make any money off recommending the book, or the book itself. ;-)

 

- PoppedRice

[bootdad]

I am all for unconditional positive regard ... but's let's also be realistic !!!

 

1 - unless you are living under a rock - without electricity - the porn business is saturated (including gay porn) the vast majority of studios are suffering, incomes for most performers are at disappointing lows, the industry is going through a cycle of epic re-structuring unlike any industry in the past decade - too many people chasing too few opportunities in an industry that has been shifting to a 'FREE' user model with strong emphasis on amateur talent.

 

2 - a business plan is a great deal more than 8 points in a 'forum' entry (let's be realistic here) rarely a day goes by when less than millions of brilliant ideas are hatched between friends, over coffee, around boardroom tables, in workshops, at meetings, in team building exercises and the list goes on . . . an idea is of little value simply because it is an idea! Flushing out the idea, making it tangible, turning it into something viable . . . that is a daunting process !!! You could post 1000 great ideas on this site today and rest assured even with some very talented individuals in pursuit of new opportunity, the usual failure rate would set in (all quite predictable) and it would be a remarkable if 2 or 3 of the ideas came to fruition and could be monitized over the next year. People live under the enormous misunderstanding that an idea is worth $$$ - one of the biggest myths of all time !

 

3 - finally - CAPITAL - or someone investing - I don't think the dear readers realize or understand the difficulty of attracting money - I have sat in on meetings over the past decade where very capable individuals have presented comprehensive business proposals, with great research, glowing letters of endorsement, these presenters had stellar academic and / or business backgrounds and great employment history and the list goes on...at the end of the day ... as an investor the criteria is simple !

What is the valuation of the business from the owners perspective? What is the value of the business from the investors perspective? Usually these are about $ 2-10 million apart on every start-up! The guy with the idea is always convinced his genius and unsold product or service is worth millions coming out of the gate !!! Most start-up guys think it is enough to give up 5-10 percent of the business when most investors is looking for 45-75%.

 

What revenue has been generated to date? 99% of those looking for money have often not sold a single $1.00 worth of the product/service offering. With most investors that knocks the idea right into the toilet without going any further regardless of how brilliant the idea is.

 

Finally - what are the margins, what is the ROI and how quickly can I/we recover the investment? Sadly - most people hoping to set up their first business venture do not have a clue !!!

 

I won't even bore you to death with SAD and I do mean SAD stories of people who have mortgaged homes, burned through investments, used up $100K of retirement money, borrowed from friends, relatives and parents, burned through severance packages - never sold 5 cents worth of their idea - kept developing that idea and could not understand why NO investors were interested in the concept / product / project or service being offered / developed. Start-ups have a phenomenal record of failure. YES - we all support the underdog and we all want to see people succeed and we love reading about people starting a business in their basement and turning it into a million dollar success story - but the horrible reality is (and many successful business people will reiterate this) you spend a great deal of time drowning in uncertainty and failure before reaching the goal of modest success.

[jjkrkwood]

am looking to get rid of a massive dvd porn collection myself, more than I need, anyone interested pvt me? (based in nyc)

 

Maybe we should Pool our porn collections. Looking to get rid of mine too.....;-)

[hornytwells]

I have 900 dvds, (don't ask why, I inherited a lot of them!) pvt me and we can swap lists?

[BSR]

I know guys who started up porn websites about a decade ago, before piracy became as rampant as it is today. At first, cash flowed like Jed Clampett and abubblin' crude. Well, maybe not quite, but money was good. Like with every profitable new field, zillions more entered the industry while total revenues shrank significantly, in other words, more competition by orders of magnitude fighting over a much smaller pie. Those once-flush porn entrepreneurs are currently barely limping along or have already lost everything. Frankly, if there were an effective way to combat piracy, given the significant lost revenue, somebody would have come up with it already. Why buy the cow when there there are oceans of milk you can get for free?? Piracy is wrong, it's stealing, but it's also reality.

[gallahadesquire]

I have 900 dvds, (don't ask why, I inherited a lot of them!) pvt me and we can swap lists?

 

Up for having an auction or a firesale? PM me.

[Guest Merlin]

Maybe we should Pool our porn collections. Looking to get rid of mine too.....;-)

 

There is a thriving market for VHS and DVD porn on eBay with worthwhile prices. Often large groups are offered. Someone wishing to earn this way could buy groups and resell them individually.

The future is probably in offering scenes to be down loaded or viewed on the internrt and the field is crowded.

I do think there is room for some willing to offer more specialized types. The trend in US seems to be beefy, older guys with lots of body hair. Any younger ,smooth guys are likely to be mixed in with the hairy guys, on the theory of something for every one. Bel Ami has done well, specializing in younger,thin/athletic, mostly-smooth guys, but not all shaved. the early 90 s the guys were shaved guys with great tan lines. Those were the golden years.

I sometimes suspect that the porn directors are straight or at least never watch. They often start with a star with a great body. Then they put him with a couple of guys best described as extras, then the camera focuses on the extras and the very close up "in and out", as though that is not the same in every vid. Somehow the great looking star gets lost. No chance to see the beauty of his body. Sometimes the guys don't take their clothes off entirely because the director thinks the story is important.

 

The advantage of a business limited to online scenes for download is much lower capital, organization and overhead.

[Guest Merlin]

Maybe we should Pool our porn collections. Looking to get rid of mine too.....;-)

 

There is a thriving market for VHS and DVD porn on eBay with worthwhile prices. Often large groups are offered. Someone wishing to earn this way could buy groups and resell them individually.

The future is probably in offering scenes to be down loaded or viewed on the internrt and the field is crowded.

I do think there is room for some willing to offer more specialized types. The trend in US seems to be beefy, older guys with lots of body hair. Any younger ,smooth guys are likely to be mixed in with the hairy guys, on the theory of something for every one. Bel Ami has done well, specializing in younger,thin/athletic, mostly-smooth guys, In the early 90 s the guys were shaved guys with great tan lines. Those were the golden years.

I sometimes suspect that the porn directors are apstraight or at least never watch. They often start with a star with a great body. Then they put with a couple of guys best described as extras, then the camera focuses on the extras and the very close up "in and out", as though that is not the same in every vid. Somehow the great looking starg gets lost. No chance to see the beauty of his body. Sometimes the guys don't take their clothes off entirely because the director thinks the story is important.

 

The advantage of a business limited to online scenes for download is much lower capital, organization and overhead.

[bootdad]

Quickest way to learn about any industry sector - attend their trade show !!!

 

The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE) is a trade show held each January in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is sponsored by the Adult Video News Magazine (AVN). The 2010 AVN Awards show was held during the Expo at the nearby Palms Casino Resort. The AEE is the largest pornography industry trade show in the United States.[1] The 2007 AVN Expo had over 30,000 attendees, which included 355 exhibiting companies.[2] Attendance for the 2010 Expo was just over 28,000. The 2010 AEE was held from January 7–10. The 2011 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo was held January 6-9 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

 

Until 2012, the AEE was usually held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center running concurrent with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), although there is no connection between the two. The 2012 Expo is planned to be held at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on January 18–21, one week after the 2012 CES.[3] The change in dates is stated to help exhibitors minimize travel expenses and maximize networking opportunities.[4]

 

The AEE mixes industry only events with open hours for fans seeking the usual autographs, pictures, and memorabilia. One of the major aspects of the AEE is that most of the major adult entertainment stars make appearances. The first two days of the show are considered "Trade Only". During these times only people in the adult industry can gain access to the show. The AVN Awards were presented on the third night of the four day show.

[+ friendofsheila]

I agree with JJ, you've got a lot on your plate! It would be good to focus on one thing, or triage your efforts a bit. Perhaps explore your femininity with drag, and your interest in porn with some on-set experience? Maybe that's how Chi Chi got started!

 

My 2 cents:

 

I agree with Nate.

 

I read Chi Chi LaRue's book and found that Nate's suggestion is just how she got started. She got a job (I think it was clerical) in a porn company. She started poking her nose into other departments to learn what they did and how they did them. She eventually moved her way into the publicity area. From there she eventually got a chance to direct. I think that the people who educate themselves about what they are embarking on make the best choices.

 

I also saw a recent interview with LaRue where she said the industry is not doing so well right now.

 

So, maybe you can't cut it in the industry right now capital-wise, but if you get started now learning about the industry itself, maybe you will be ready by the time things get better. Or maybe you will learn that the industry is full of people you'd rather not be associated with.

[robberbaron4u]

Both Jaime Lee, "The East Coast Boy", and, Rafael Alencar ventured into the production end of "blue" films. Jaime got one flick in the can before closing down his "studio", and, I am uncertain as to whether or not Rafael is still doing business as a producer. I am given to understand that the "real money" in the industry is in distribution not production.