How to Make a Professional (Amateur) Porn Film #3 - Casting

The most important part of any porn movie is the cast - specifically the women (or men If you’re working the homosexualist/gaysexual tip.) Your cast will determine what happens in your movie, and the kind of success you can expect to have. Anything, however poorly shot, which features Jenna Jameson or Tera Patrick is worth thousands today; if you cast your movie right, the only thing left to worry about is screwing (oh! I’m punning) things up.

• Ladies first. Start by casting your female leads. If that’s your other half make sure you discuss what’s going to happen and what’s expected.  Asking your wife how much she likes the postman three minutes before a scene isn’t going to work. If you’re not working with your partner, a talent agency is going to be easier and quicker than advertising (ads can work but, outside LA, the chances of finding the right sort of people are slim.) Going to an agent gives you more choice, and more protection, than asking members of your AA group.
• Choose men based on reliability. Looks and size are nice (thank you, it’s a gift) but choose male performers for their ability to get wood on demand and keep it for extended periods (unless the theme of your movie is ‘getting toothpaste back into the tube’). If you’re the male talent, expect erectile dysfunction and have a plan B. Plan B can be a sex-toy, another performer or a ’stunt cock’ - i.e. a guy whose reliable cock stands in for yours.
• Get tests. Everyone you shoot needs to be tested for STD’s, even if they’re ‘just’ sharing toys (anyone who comes into contact with body fluids has to be tested and clear). The industry expects performers to pay for their own testing (unless they’re under contract to a studio). Make sure you know what a real test looks like - call the testing center to verify if you don’t. Using condoms is a really smart idea.
• Prep in advance. The camera sees detail you ignore in the heat of the moment, i.e. freshly waxed flesh looks like cold chicken peppered with tiny scabs, and bra’s leave dents in boobs for up to an hour after they’ve been removed. Speak to your performers so they can wax a couple of days before the shoot, and arrive for work braless. If guys are going to shave, make sure they have adequate time to heal/get stitches. Few people outside porn spend much time staring at their exposed ass - ensure everyone checks their airlock for Klingons.
• Confirm ID. Traci Lords had a real passport which showed a fake age, there’s nothing you can do about that, you will go to jail however if you accept a third generation Xerox of a video-rental card as proof-of-age. Insist on originals and check carefully, any mistakes made will be your problem. Don’t even take a test shot until you’re sure the ID’s good, and remember that in the US today, it’s effectively illegal to shoot anyone who doesn’t have a US ID (i.e. a foreign passport won’t work). Take a picture of each performer with their ID so you can prove they gave it to you.

Sam’s Swollen Tip: Whatever your plans, make sure everyone you cast knows what you plan to shoot and has agreed to it. You’ll be surprised at what people are sensitive about (the standing joke in porn concerns how much pickier people are about who they kiss than who they screw). If your plans and your cast don’t mesh, change something before you’re on location wasting time and money.