Getting INTO Porn (the gay way)

by Jiz Lee ~ May 26, 2009

The mainstream is getting gayer and gayer — I heard wind that a queer pornstar friend of mine will be playing Lynsey Lohan’s DJ lover Samantha Ronson for Hustler. [UPDATE: She DID Hustler's Hollywood Stories: Lyndsy Lohan, featuring Dylan Ryan as Sam!] Syd and myself shot with Belladonna last weekend in LA, and mainstream producers are starting to fund queer directors’ movies. The world is starting to open up to queer sex , though it might be slow to embrace and understand all bodies.

I get asked pretty regularly, “How can I get in Porn?” About a year ago I wrote “Getting into Queer Porn” which listed some San Francisco porn companies to work with.

Getting into Porn Tips:

1. Be yourself. Sexy is being yourself. (Easier said than done!) You have your own style and your own unique sexuality. You don’t have to change a thing, and you can apply to work in queer porn without shaving your armpits.

2. Apply. Identify your favorite porn companies and look on their site (sometimes at the footer) for a contact or models link. Fill out the form as best and complete as you can; make sure to list activities you really want to do, or think you’d be good on film doing. If you have an idea of who you’d like to work with, suggest it. If the company has a premier or event, go to it and introduce yourself to make connections. (You can ask models or photographers about other companies to shoot for, or questions about fees, advice, etc…)

- Photos: have one that includes your whole face. Hipster shots are cool, but they don’t let the casting agent know what you look like. A full body shot is also appreciated; really, they just want to see your style. Abstract blur-motion shots of your belly don’t quite cut it either.

3. Be friendly and patient. Queer Porn companies often have small offices and may not be able to book you right away. Trying to bust your way through the door is not going to help get you on screen any faster. Just try another company and check back every month or so.

4. Practice. This might be the funnest part. Borrow a video camera from a friend and film a scene – solo, or otherwise. Watching yourself on screen, or noticing how it felt to have a camera present, could tell you a lot about what it might be like with more lights and a camera crew in the room. It can also shed light on what you’re comfortable doing on screen, and what you’re not. Bonus: If you’re comfortable, post it to XTube.com or Clips4Sale.com and see what it feels like to have an online audience. It might be worth it to question what it would feel like if a parent or sibling found the clip, to see if you’re really okay with doing porn.

5. Get online. Websites and twitter accounts are the new business card, and having a place online for directors and future co-stars to see you — more than just an email adderss — makes all the difference. Start off with having your pictures hosted on sites like OneModelPlace or ModelMayhem, or if you know how, jump on in with a blog (blogger or wordpress) or a cheap site through google or yahoo. Facebook or Myspace profiles should be public (18+) and be careful posting explicit images or your site could be deleted, other sites like DigiRomp and Fetlife allow for more explicit images. Either way, having an easy way to see you and contact you will increase your game.

I hope this advice helps. I don’t mind getting these questions from people and think everyone should give porn a shot. By writing this blog post I hope I covered your questions all at once. : )

Feel free to leave comments if you have any others so that they’ll be a place for others to read and share ideas.