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All Forums > The Porn Pool > The Porn Pool Forum Page 144 > Porn is a dying industry. > Porn is a dying industry. (page 9)
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Taylor Von Bailey
Deactivated User

2116 Posts
8/06
Posted - Aug 16 2009 : 10:08AM
Though I mostly agree with you, I certainly hope this isn't the case. I don't think porn will ever die and I hope you remain employed since you are one of the best producers out there. The social downfall is quite apparent but I hope it is not as bad as you envision it to be. I know it is pretty bad right now, and it looks like it's only getting worse but that may not be the case. People might smarten up and become more independent thinkers but that doesn't seem entirely likely. Anyway, very well-written and interesting post; I just hope you're wrong about the future of our stupid society. One last thing: Hey hey, my my, porn oh, porn will never die! That's just a little Neil Young for you.
Bluto
Deactivated User

511 Posts
3/09
Posted - Aug 16 2009 : 10:47AM
A case of the under 30 crowd getting what they richly deserve.
MythMaker
Member

Jada... the best thing in porn
919 Posts
7/07
Posted - Aug 16 2009 : 12:06PM
I'm gonna add my wholly subjective two cents about a very small part of this discussion - reimbursing the talent. This is entertainment, not medicine or engineering or farming. Basically, these girls have the option to walk away from their chosen line of work. I also believe that the true performers make it, but there are only a handful that do. No one is guaranteed anything in life, regardless of how hard you believe the job to be. Try social work after spending 50K on your education. I don't blame girls for leaving the biz if they take a cut in pay, but that just proves this is a job not a priviledge (sp?). Hardcore fans, in that those who devote significant time and resources to keeping up, are hit hard because we like consistency, innovation, and fresh girls. When girls come on the scene, make a splash for a year or so and leave, fans feel bad because we're greedy little fuckers. Then the blame is projected to those we feel control the situation, agents and production companies. I don't know what I'm talking about, but we want to fantasize that these girls are goddesses and should be treated like royalty. truth is, it's a job and the economy sucks.
I do hate the proliferation of web content, as I am one for holding the product in my hand - no pun intended. It seams that everything being on the web will be too chaotic and true stars will never really have a chance to be established because the focus will never be on them, but on the website and it's proposed "niche".
A totally unfocussed and totally irrelevant posting I admit, but just some thoughts. I love the talent. For me it is all about the talent - and I fear they are being further commodified beyond the standard idea of "reasonable rate for acts". I'd like to say Marxism, but someone will detsroy me... oops, i just did.
JohnHenry
Member

165 Posts
3/09
Posted - Aug 17 2009 : 3:17AM
If you do the numbers, if there's 50 people wanting to plunk down 3$ each for a scene, the gross is only $150. Shave off $50 or more for credit card processing and 'middle man' costs of some sort, and I'm left with $100. It's far more profitable under the DVD model to put a copy of my DVD on the shelf of 10 video stores in Los Angeles, with a $20 sticker. If I only sell ten copies at $20 each, I've still brought in more revenue, for far less hassle.
In truth, the best way to market is to follow the motion picture model. When it's new, you sell for the highest premium (in the theater, for more than the cost of the DVD) and then as it's value drops over time, you sell it for increasingly less money. That means the hot product I release on DVD tomorrow will be sold scene by scene on a VOD site, two years from now.
This may sound as if producers don't care about the desires of the end-clients; on the contrary, it's a question of balancing the economic needs of the production with the desires of the consumers. There is already a glut of content available on sites like clips4sale and kinkondemand, where you buy only the scenes you want. You'll find that, per scene, these cost a little more, but again the cost of a production isn't like the cost of growing tomatoes per pound.
John
 
BYOB_Kenobi
Senior Member

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Kierkegaard
2684 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 19 2009 : 2:12PM
I took an expository writing class in HS and learned the amount of writing devoted within a paper should be directly proportional to the importance of the paper. If ADT devoted posts/writing about piracy were directly related to the industry’s decline due to piracy, utilizing the rule above the real world impact of piracy on industry decline would be around 80-90%. This is absurd! Piracy is a huge problem, but as several people pointed out earlier, it's nothing compared to 1). economy 2). ridiculous increases in cost of living coupled w/decreasing salaries 3). using failed business models 4). undifferentiated products (thru lack of creativity). Any one of these factors could equal or exceed impact of piracy, never mind the sum. Moreover, if piracy was so ruinous, why has the industry waited until now and not start anti-piracy strategy & tactics over a decade ago with RIAA/MPAA or soon after? This is like if a diabetic who found out s/he had diabetes 10 years ago, ignoring treatment, but are now complaining and scapegoating their blindness & gangrenous feet. If treatment was started 10 years ago, the damage could have been prevented or lessened.
The easiest way to determine an impact on system is to take it away and see the effect. Though experiment: If you reduced piracy to "acceptable levels" (cause eliminating piracy is unrealistic, period), lets say -80% current, would the industry still be in decline with all the other failing influences above & previously mentioned? If you say no, then I refer you to here.
You get what you put in. Why are producers surprised when industry collapses if they have specialize in formulating mass quantities of Talk, Suck, Fuck, Blow videos for years? The need for porn to be more creative doesn't not mean the typical linear thinking practices. I won't speak for everyone, but the needed creativity ≠ more extreme, more quantity (larger gangbangs), or more fringe fetishes that don’t reflect demand (nothing against fetishes) in porn. It means focusing on quality, ingenuity & unthought-of aspects that reflects realistic demand.
Right or wrong, piracy partially exists because consumers haven’t got what they paid for. This is why homemade stuff has taken off (aside from novelty factor) because it can compete with and beat multimillion dollar studios productions for negligible cost. Speaking of costs, why hasn't industrial management included piracy into financial calculations and adapt accordingly, esp. if they have data from music & film industries? Companies who focused on ingenuity & adapting to environments are Apple & Google (where are they in porn)? Apple came along w/micropayment model when many recording companies were complaining about piracy, but using same failed business model. Where are Netflix, Hulu, etc. etc. in porn? You get what you put in, which is not much in this case.
Bottom line, the porn industry is currently in same situation when GM realized they destroyed themselves because they were cranking out SUVs, instead of fuel efficient & economical cars. Piracy is one factor of decline, but it’s a drop in the bucket (comparatively), so labeling it as a sole or majority existential threat instead of talking about non-forward looking business models & poor products is delusional, naive and IMO a waste of time. Also, saying that piracy is not only factor, but only talking about it comes off extremely biased and non-objective especially if the person is vested and wants to help industry recover.
JohnHenry
Member

165 Posts
3/09
Posted - Aug 19 2009 : 3:48PM
Kenobi,
We're not suggesting piracy is the only cause of the decline. We're saying that it's a serious source of revenue loss. I posted some facts related to piracy and revenue drops here. I'd be most interested to see any numerical evidence you have suggesting that 'failed business models' or 'differentiation' are a more powerful cause of declining revenue than piracy. There are many porn companies with successful business models and products significantly different from the mainstream, companies that are continuing to thrive in the face of recession and inflation (Girlfriend films, Pink Visual, BurningAngel Entertainment, Kink.com all come to mind.) Each one of these companies are watching their profits eaten at the bottom line by piracy.
John
caroline-NL
Member

543 Posts
3/07
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 1:18PM
At least partly, the US porn industry is responsible for this situation too.....
1.) Too few female viewers. Most of the US X-rated movies dont catch the interest of women, or they are too degrading and too stupid.
Leads directly into 2:
2.) Women who collect porn mostly collect originals, they dont load down content from "pirate" site. Usually.
3.) The excessive overproduction. You can only watch and pay a small amount of movies every month. I am a big fan of Nautica Thorn and Lanny Barby - among others - but its impossible to buy ALL of the movies. Even if it would be possible, I hadnt the time to watch 500 movies. It reminds me of cannibalism.
4.) No extras, if I look at the higher priced CRITERION DVDs, there is a collectors market. Why not relasing some special collectors editions, with a poster, autograph card, etc., with a higher price. You cant download these extras.
5.) Mainstream erotic/ porn mags have almost abandoned articles about porn movies.
6.) The loss of hardcore mags. Hardcore mags were always a great way to promote movies. But most of the mags were cancelled in the last years, because of lower sales.
7.) Use more manpower to stop illegal downloading.
8.) Dont focus your business only on the Internet. Quite a lot of customers ( at least in Europe ) dont want to watch porn on the compy. They still want to watch DVDs on the TV.
9.) One of the biggest problems, at least in Europe, the stricter porn laws. EU countries were forced to implement almost all of the US porn laws.
Edited by - Caroline-NL on 8/21/2009 1:20:30 PM
Hardware All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Your other left
14595 Posts
3/02
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 2:15PM
Are you sure that your politicians weren't simply too embarrassed to support porn when push came to shove? After all, what could the US really do? Take our soldiers and go home?
BYOB_Kenobi
Senior Member

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Kierkegaard
2684 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 2:34PM
JohnHenry,
Although the video game industry is entertainment (don't remember your earlier reason justifying use of video game industry for comparison), they are both significantly different that comparing decreased sales between two is not appropriate.
I don't have many numbers because 1). I have not seen many studies cause I’m guessing there’s not much funding opportunities for financial impacts of piracy in porn industry studies (either through government or private) 2). I only really pay attention and give weight to 3rd party studies because of their objectivity, less bias, less COI 3). this industry is not my profession (not a cop out, I just haven’t come across much in my limited readings). However, the overwhelming number of threads/posts in ADT alone talking about disappointing feelings of recent industry products and services from customers represent a significant number of 'cases' which tells me it’s a significant factor. Although I have no direct evidence of my the hypothetical magnitude of the problem, people don't need evidence for making educated guesses and suggesting solutions for causality of the industry decline. BTW, thank you for the list of adapting, forward-thinking companies as I will check them out in the future.
I don't want to get into a circular argument so I'll recognize we have different viewpoints on magnitude of the causalities of industry decline. It just makes me nutty when some people spend a lot of thread time talking about piracy and not many other factors. I know there’s a lot of members here who have heavily vested interests (justifiably so) and get emotional about piracy. But they lose me when they cannot talk about it logically and lose sight of bigger picture (esp. when discussing a macro based issue like the causality of industry). However, you are not one of them, because I find your objective and logical discussion is refreshing.

I want to make it clear, I do respect your opinion and appreciate your insight and clarifications on some production SOPs & problems especially from an industrial aspect. You seem like you have a good handle on the current operations in the industry which I respect. That being said I still don't buy that piracy is more problematic than the economy or general industrial complacencies (not all companies).
BTW, it's too bad I don't have a 10" cock and the demand for
caroline-NL
Member

543 Posts
3/07
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 4:12PM
No, the USA and CAN founded the Cyber Crime Convention, they nominated a conservative dutch scientist, an US marionette, so that it looked like an european institution.
In fact, this CCC is only a trojan horse to enforce US porn laws. Ive followed this process for years. The biggest site about this topic is in german, but you can find some infos about the the age "harmonization" here. And a very strange case, where US feds arent following their own laws.
http://trewthe.wordpress.com/2007/11/24/us-feds-accuse-second-color-climax-model-of-being-underage/
German site with tons of documents:
http://schutzalter.twoday.net
Edited by - Caroline-NL on 8/21/2009 4:20:06 PM
imsorry
Deactivated User

Fortune presents gifts not according to the book.
43 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 4:15PM
^caroline is being awesome^
undone
Deactivated User

what's for dinner?
214 Posts
6/07
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 5:38PM
Here is my 2 cents, I just saw Kiki Vidis fuk and suck in a fresh outta high school video (new one). ALL girls should watch her scene...I cannot stop thinking about it and my cock is like, let's mind fuk her again!!! Watch the scene...enough said..please.
Her facial expressions...I mean, my cock loved it!!! PLEASE more girls like this...awesome to stroke and cum too...if all scenes were like this I would pony up more cash! (I cannot stop writing about her scene...she is a real porn actress in this one...a gift to all cocks.) Mind blowing. Kiki...if porn fades for you, hit me back, I'll take care of you!
PORN is alive and well in her scene.
Steph7
Stephanie Sage

14 Posts
1/09
Posted - Aug 29 2009 : 6:53PM
I agree with so many of these posts. I just want to respond and give you guys a little insight from my experience. Regarding the posts about $600 being a lot for some people, (ie Home Depot employees, etc) maybe it is. However, the aforementioned expenses of being in porn (makeup, hair, nails, gas, std tests, etc) add up so quickly. Some companies will actually comment on the fact that you have brought an outfit that has been used in a previous scene for another company! lol Forcing the girls to have to purchase clothes and lingerie on a regular basis.
When you question a company on the rate they are willing to pay, they simply reply with, "well, with the economy...and blah blah." SHUT UP about the economy. Yes, I'm aware of our current status as a nation. HOWEVER, if your site is doing so shitty that you can only pay $600 for a b/g, you should find another job. Your product obviously sucks. Which is usually the case, if you ask me. (I always look at a site first. I usually get a good ab workout from laughing my ass off at the quality...and that they think I'd accept that much to be on such a crap site) Some people think less of a girl because she has sex on film for money. That's fine if you feel that way. But she's still a human. She deserves more money than that to let all of you see her soul. lol And to see her body entered in multiple places by a gentleman with a large cock? I think she deserves more than that. You guys like to watch, right? Then don't question or talk shit about girls in porn because they want more money. Despite what some of you might feel, they deserve the rate they set. Otherwise, you'll all be stuck jerking it to whatever skank or crack whore is willing to accept the bargain. ;)
Regarding the comment on us not only shooting ONE scene a month? LOL These companies are NOT paying well. And the agents? Don't even get me started. If you don't spend your free time kissing everyones ass, you will not be getting work. In my opinion, they ALL have WAAAAY too much on their plate. They have absolutely no time to focus the time needed on any one girl. They constantly recruit new girls. I went into the office of my previous agency one day and one of the employees was sitting on the computer and had been on MySpace and other networking sites, all day, trying to bring in new girls. What about the girls they're already neglecting?? lol After your first month (which they coincidentally command 15% instead of the standard 10%...on top of the "booking fee" they recieve from the company...greedy bastards) you might get 2 or 3 scenes in a month. That will barely cover rent and bills out here. Even in the Valley where it's hot as fuck and the areas are ghetto. So, yes, sometimes you DO only get one scene a month. The rest of the month you're stuck annoying the hell out of your agent to PLEASE get you more work. They choose to ignore you. Why do they give a fuck? They have 50 other girls doing their one or two scenes a month and they're collecting commission and booking fees with a big, fat smile on thier face. Then, when you decide to book your OWN work by networking within the industry, the agents get mad. Well, fuck them. I was told by my previous agent to "have the companies contact ME!" Why? Why the fuck would I do that? I'M finding the work, so why should I pay them a commission? Not to mention, the companies appreciate the fact that they don't have to pay a booking fee. So, everyone wins. Oops...except for the agent. I think people get confused. Agents work for the TALENT. It's not the other way around. They are supposed to be AGENTS, not pimps. But that gets a little lost in this industry.
I also read a comment stating that "only a handfull of girls will make it...blah blah blah." That is true in a sense. Some are actually good performers. (Jenna Haze...I love her. I think she's great in a scene. And a few others) Others are mostly doing privates, sometimes with people who are higher up in the industry, which does help them. Because I've seen a few girls become pretty "big" (if you can even say that anymore in this industry) and I thought they were horrible in a scene. So, I guess you have to really GRAB a lot of people by standing out in some way, which gives you the popularity to not have to ever mess with the dirty, underbelly of porn. Simply because you'll be in high demand by the fans and the companies...no ass kissing necessary. OR you can just weasle your way to the top because this industry isn't too bright. You can offer a sexual favor in return for almost anything. lol Kind of funny. But that's just the way it goes. It's almost as if money is important to them, but secondary. A power trip, if you will.
I really liked doing porn. I like being on set. I like the crews. I really enjoyed the job, in general. But the people that you need to go through to get to that actual set, suck. I'm mostly speaking of agents. They are greedy and not very intelligent. It's a pretty simple formula. The major agencies just get a little too big for their breeches. Oh well. It's always been this way and I'm sure it will continue to be this way.
Porn is a dying industry because people don't take time on the business end. Yes, stupid fuckers will always find a way to get free porn. I hate them. Cheap and lazy. The girls they jerk it to would NEVER fuck them because they are so cheap and would most likely be laughed at...sitting there with their pants down, trying to watch the seedy quality segments or video. (Next time you're viewing a scene for free, just picture the girl pointing and laughing at you while you hold your dick in your hand. You're a sad fucker) Otherwise, there are people who are willing to pay for the product. If we could produce quality, like it use to be, then MAYBE (because I can't read the future) things would look up. Rather than focusing on bringing any trashy looking skank into the industry and seeing how extreme she'll be and what we can fit into her asshole, we could make normal scenes with hot girls who can radiate a certain sexuality that just grabs people and makes them want to watch. Men will be hard and even the straightest of women will get a little wet. I guess we'll see...
Until then...RIP porn. I miss you
Flash All-Star Supporter
Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01
Posted - Aug 29 2009 : 11:36PM
^
Nice, I like that post.
 
Randomizer
Member

234 Posts
6/08
Posted - Aug 30 2009 : 12:46AM
Stephanie makes some good points, and I don't doubt that $600/scene is not enough for a girl to make a career out of (or even a short, part-time working-my-way-through-college one), but I think her rants about the "the economy" driving down rates is pointing the finger in the wrong direction. I'm sure a lot of porn companies are going under due to the recession and piracy, but that's not what is driving down rates -- the low rates are due to the glut of girls on the market relative to the amount of porn being produced -- so the remaining producers can offer Volkswagen rates to Mercedes girls and get away with it. This problem will only go away once enough girls decide they can't survive on $600/scene, exit the business, and the glut of talent dries up. I'm sorry but that's life in the big city.
I suppose a lot of new young girls are flooding the market right now because there aren't a lot of normal job opportunities, but eventually enough teenage girls will hear the horror stories and find some other line of work.
BYOB_Kenobi
Senior Member

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Kierkegaard
2684 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 30 2009 : 12:55PM
With all due respect Steph7, isn't it rather insincere to not discuss the consequences of the economy on the industry? I too get depressed after watching the news for the past year, but leaving out the economy in an industry reliant on Main St is necessary, if people want to figure out the reasons -> solutions for the industry decline.
Steph7
Stephanie Sage

14 Posts
1/09
Posted - Aug 30 2009 : 5:35PM
I see both of your points and honestly, we can debate this all day. Especially with input from all different sides. IN the industry or a consumer...or a piracy expert. I was simply stating my opinion on the situation from my experience in the industry. I'm incredibly shocked at the way people handle themselves when they have such a high standing in porn. I could see how information obtained in the most basic college business courses could benefit some of these people.
Regarding the comment on a "mercedes quality girl" getting "volkswagon rates..." That is just not true. When you're talking about a girl who has even reached that level, she's getting paid her rate because she's in high demand. And I agree that, in time, the industry will weed out the masses and go from there. It's a somewhat self destructive industry.
I am not saying that the economy has nothing to do with porn dying. Or that piracy doesn't either. I'm saying that majority of Americans spend AT LEAST $20-$40 a month, if not more, on absolute crap that they do not need. For instance, fast food, a new ipod, new car stereo, and many other things. I'm sure that if any of you that are reading this, think about it, you spend money on something that is not necessary. If these people could realize that they are contributing to the downfall of the porn industry and cut back on those frivolous purchases, they could afford the $20-$30 a month that a site costs. However, people seem to feel that they deserve free porn! LOL Why?
There is a line in one of my favorite shows (Scrubs) where the character, Dr. Cox, is going off on one of his rants and says, "I'm quite sure that if they took porn off of the internet, there would be ONE website and one website only. And it would be called 'bringbacktheporn.com'" or something to that effect. It's so true. If we took porn off of the internet all together, people would realize how much they miss the easy access of getting it off the web rather than going out for a dvd and possibly embarrassing themselves bc they are ashamed of their fetishes. Do you see what I'm saying? Why can't people just do the right thing? Because the line has become so fucking thin, no one can see it anymore. It's sad.
Anyway, it's nice to get others' opinions and I like to get different perspectives so that I can open my own mind.
Have a good one :)
BYOB_Kenobi
Senior Member

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Kierkegaard
2684 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 12:23AM
I remember that scene. Dr. Cox is my medical hero and I love his rants. My favorite Dr Cox rant. I'll miss Scrubs [xx)].
BrekkyDJ
Member

Australia
246 Posts
10/06
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 7:54AM
Now that's a dumb quote!
Calling food (abeit Fast Food) frivolous compared to Porn?
Ummmm, I'd take the food first if I could have only one. I think my imagination could get me by, rather than living without food.
Or an I-Pod versus Porn?
I would say an I-Pod is something that you would use more often.
Plus the I-Pod is an asset. Something you could sell easily and get money for, if you were in a situation where you needed to sell something.
Porn... at little harder to resell.
Steph7, I'm not calling you an idiot or anything like that, I just think your passion got in the way of making an excellent argument.
Let's be honest. In tough economic times, when people need to cut back, like it or not, Porn is one of the first on the chopping block.
Posters here have mentioned that if need be, they could watch old scenes over and over again.
Plus, like I posted in another thread, the over supply of Porn in the past few years has made this decline.
Now there is so much product out there (many hosted illegally online) if the Porn Industry stopped production tomorrow, most of the world (not the passionates that you have hear or subscribe to sites) population that view porn, wouldn't notice.
There's just so much any person can watch... and believe me, it will take awhile to get through watching all the stuff that's there on the tube sites at the moment.
The music industry has faced the same problem for years. Most artists now are find ways to making money via other avenues. From touring, to corporate sponsorships.
As it's been said before, Porn needs to re-evaluate how it operates... I don't have the answer... but the person that comes up with it, will surely make some dollars.
BrekkyDJ (wondering which starts are coming to Sexpo in November)
Flash All-Star Supporter
Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 1:49PM
I could be wrong, but I got the impression that she was saying that those who feel they deserve free porn could cut back on other purchases to legally purchase the porn they consume.
Steph7
Stephanie Sage

14 Posts
1/09
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 2:13PM
Gee, thank you, Flash. Thank you for excersising your reading comprehension. That is exactly what I was saying.
Listen, Brekkster, you live in Australia. It's different, here in America. Have you been here lately? Our country could stand to lay off the fast food. Yes, you SHOULD eat before you buy porn. However, when you sit down and do the math, grocery shopping and having food at your house is A LOT cheaper than going out. Not to mention the amount of people that have 2 dormant ipods because they just HAD to have an ipod touch. It's a waste. What? The old ipod didn't hold enough music? Maybe those people are taking a lot of cross country road trips and don't like repeats. Who knows.
Did you realize that you were on the adultdvdtalk website?? Double check the address bar. In case you weren't sure, this is actually a site for people that are very into the ADULT industry and come on here to TALK about it with others. LOL The people on these forums really like porn!! Shocker...I know. I'm here to tell you that these people WOULD, INDEED notice if the production of porn was to stop! If you browse through a few more of the forums, you'll see people looking for "New vids by (blank blank) anyone?!?!" Wanna know why they're saying this?? Because they want to see NEW videos!!!!! OH MY!! Therefor, when the videos stop...people will notice, Brekky.
One last thing, mate...If you'll notice, there is actually a $10 difference in my estimate between the amount people spend on crap and the amount that a website costs. SOOOO, I guess they can ALL take that $10 and knock themselves out on double cheeseburgers and 89 cent tacos!!! WOOP WOOP! Then, at least they'll have purchased porn to watch while they're in bed, recovering from the gastric bypass.
Before you call someone's opinion "dumb" you should try to actually read what they're saying and understand it. Remember what you learned in grade school? Or do they not teach that to the aussies? Oh well.
Take care ;D
BYOB_Kenobi
Senior Member

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Kierkegaard
2684 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 2:56PM
I don't mean to , but I have to jump in. Although I am the first one to agree that many American consumers have lived a champagne life on a beer budget recently (and need to scale back), there are real ridiculous increases in costs of living, which is why the economy is important part of the equation. Some recent increases in areas not easily scaled back are energy ($3 gas), food, credit card interest rates, tuition, health care costs, etc. etc. So I think BrekkyDJ is saying that there's not much room to cut back, if people are paying +$1/gallon more compared to a few years ago, in addition to other costs.
In this, I am not advocating piracy, but I think there's a lot of (IHO) misplaced sentiment attributing piracy as a major cause of the financial decline of the porn industry, reminiscent of music industry over a decade ago. There's a good independent empirical study showing there was no "statistical significance" of music piracy as a causal for declining music sales and found the cause was largely due to an common operational practice cited in the study.
I don't want to speak for BrekkyDJ, but I think he and I don't want to see the porn industry excessively obsess and inappropriately scapegoat piracy resulting in deterring the industry from finding the more significant causes and ultimately saving itself motivated by our selfish reasons (so we can continue to enjoy the products). We are on the same team, we just don't think doing the above is the solution to industry salvation due to historical and recent economical reasons.
Take care.
pornclerk
New Member

1 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 3:48PM
I think she's right. It IS a dying industry. And the porn industry itself is to blame for it's own demise. I manage a store and can't even sell or rent a third of the movies. Why? Because the market is saturated. What was once a glorious profession that represented sexual expression and freedom is now any body's gig with a camcorder and enough cash to rent a motel six for the night. pfft. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED! I've seen films that weren't even edited! Women referred to as "starlets" who aren't even contract girls. In my day, a lady earned that title! Well I'm not gonna take it any more. I'm doing something about it. I'm fighting back and begging them to get their s*** together and make a better product. Please please please.
love,
a loving pornclerk
--
www.pornclerk.com
undone
Deactivated User

what's for dinner?
214 Posts
6/07
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 8:40PM
I love cute sexy young girls displaying their bodies and modeling sex for me to pleasure myself too. I love mind fuking all of these hard workers. Here is some of the problems as I see it.
1. most girls just don't "have what it takes" to have a long "career" in the porn business. I am not talking about looks here...with HD and more demands on exposure...most guys like them on the younger side and guys love variety...why mind fuk the same girl over and over..I have a girlfriend for that. There is over exsposure, if a gilr wants to make the most money..she has to manage her efforts very wisely..not just beg for a scene.
I wish the girls were paid more..for the pleasure they provide me..they deserve it. I should just make my own porn and do it right. Porn valley sucks..cum east..I'll work on it. Long live porn.
 
JohnHenry
Member

165 Posts
3/09
Posted - Aug 31 2009 : 9:31PM
Hi Kenobi,
I read the article you posted. Here's the last paragraph:
Doesn't sound like an impartial article to me. The author cites a study entitled "The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis" by Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Koleman Strumpf. The 'empirical evidence' has come under heavy criticism by peers for not releasing the actual data that they used to draw their conclusions. It's sort of like an astronomer telling you he's discovered a new galaxy he's named Schmucatelli, but refuses to reveal the location.
Here's Stan Liebowitz from the University of Texas at Dallas School of Management blasted the study: his critique can be read here.
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1014399_code59984.pdf?abstractid=1014399&mirid=5
Liebowitz's comments are pretty strongly worded, even for an academic:
"First, they conduct additional tests (“quasi experiments”) which they claim support their overall finding. In the following pages I attempt replications of their quasi experiments and conclude that contrary to their claims, none of their quasi experiment supports a conclusion that file-sharing has a benign impact on record sales.
Second, O/S provide factual details about the industry that appear to be consistent with their overall conclusion. Surprisingly, these ‘facts’ were almost never supported by reference to actual data. My attempts to verify many of these factual claims indicate that these O/S statements appear to be at variance with actual data."
Media (CD and DVD) sales have plummeted for nearly a decade. Pretending that it's simple market over saturation is preposterous; a quick look at the major agency rosters shows the number of talent dwindling at an alarming rate. Pirates are quick to blame the companies that produce media, as justification for their activities. The circular logic "If it wasn't so expensive, I'd pay for it" certainly doesn't justify a house guest stealing the TV off your wall, would it?
John
skronker
Notable Legendary Icon

Scopophiliac
9780 Posts
9/02
Posted - Sep 1 2009 : 1:03AM
I don't think entities like Kink are going broke right now. And you could look at them as an example:
1) web-based
2) very strong, unique, original content across a wide range of sites
3) premium pricing structure with incentives for loyalty and multiple subscriptions
4) they keep a lid screwed down (mostly) on tube piracy while flooding the Internet with brief clips
5) always coming up with new ideas
6) not Valley-based and invested in showing off "alternative" talents
7) extremely focused brand identity
8) has talent loyalty (based on number of repeat performers)
9) high quality productions
melt
Pornstar Diplomat

The pride of Manchester
3763 Posts
1/09
Posted - Sep 1 2009 : 7:36AM

Lots of brilliant and not so brilliant insights regarding the state of the industry have been expressed here. Stephanie is passionately fighting for an industry that she loves and wants to continue participating in - just not for peanuts.
All of this is understandable but unfortunately "free" porn does exist and people being what they are they will take advantage of this no matter what anyone here says or does. The industry is facing not only the economic slowdown but also the fact that free stuff is readily available.
The porn market re-acts like every other market in the world to supply and demand. Unfortunately the over supply of product and the lesser demand has resulted in the talent being the first to be affected. Remuneration is down and the continued inflow of new girls into the industry is just making the problem worse. The actors are not the only ones affected and it appears as if quite a number of backroom staff have also needed to find second jobs in order to survive what we all hope will be a temporary phase.
If and when the industry recovers the talent will be the last to feel those benefits just as surely as they are now the first to be feeling the harsh reality of an industry in trouble.
The net has also made it so simple for a couple of teenagers with a camera and a laptop to make their own porn movies and there has been a huge increase in the amount of genuine amateur movies that continue to see the light of day. Reality porn like reality tv appears to be what the masses are enjoying at present and also making inroads into the more traditional market.
Porn will never die but it is in intensive care just at the moment.

skronker
Notable Legendary Icon

Scopophiliac
9780 Posts
9/02
Posted - Sep 1 2009 : 2:13PM
The other thing is personality. Why does Mike John have solid sales? Because he developed a strong following among fans who appreciate that he delivers what they want with a distinct, beer-soaked flourish. And with lots of comedy. Chris Streams in his own way ... these guys give good value for money ... blowbang for buck! And, interestingly, they really LOVE women (why else would they pay so many mopes to satiate every starlet's profound thirst for hot steamy servings of scrote-sauce?) ... and revel in crazed mind-destroying female sexuality.
8erout
Member

93 Posts
12/05
Posted - Sep 1 2009 : 5:30PM
I believe it is, unless the industry allows more euro-porn into the states. The EU has some of the best porn on the planet. next, we (USA) should have more Latin America porn from our neighbors to the south. Again, we do not see a quarter of what is provided worldwide. As long as current American porn company's hold most of the international porn out, then yes, the industry will fold.
Edited by - 8erout on 9/1/2009 5:42:08 PM
juha
Senior Member

2752 Posts
3/05
Posted - Dec 29 2009 : 11:23AM
I would like to hear some conclusions from directors and pornstars about the developments in porn in 2009.
Edited by - juha on 12/29/2009 11:24:56 AM
Randomizer
Member

234 Posts
6/08
Posted - Dec 30 2009 : 2:05AM
The combination of piracy being impossible to stop (and amateurs who get off on uploading their home videos to "tube" sites), with the fact consumers will always prefer "free" internet content over just about any price, means that a large portion of the paying audience is going to stop paying for content. But the porn industry would be foolish to think their situation is unique.
Today's shifting market is not only true of music and movie piracy, it is ALSO something the newspaper industry is facing -- consumers simply see no reason anymore to PAY for their news to be delivered in paper form, let alone pay for it online, when there are free, legitimate options... and they couldn't care less about "quality" so long as it is FREE. Journalists shout they are the protectors of democracy and are entitled to steady work in their chosen profession, and the response from the public is... the sound of crickets.
Therefore, the porn industry must adapt like all the others to the new technology. I suspect the survivors will be those that are ad-supported -- both google-style ads on the pages, and ads before the content.
juha
Senior Member

2752 Posts
3/05
Posted - Dec 30 2009 : 8:57AM
I don't see how this can work.
Placing ads on a page that people visit who aren't willing to pay doesn't make any sense.
posthum
Member

349 Posts
12/09
Posted - Dec 30 2009 : 12:31PM
If there weren't so many companies who's privacy policy consists of 'send us your personal data at your own peril, we'll share it with all the world' there would be more distribution channels I'd buy from, that's for sure.
How hard can it be. Don't pass on my fucking data. Get a biller that doesn't either. DHD media is great. CCBill is not. The deal is money for porn, not money + my name everywhere for porn.

Edited by - posthum on 12/30/2009 12:33:03 PM

Randomizer
Member

234 Posts
6/08
Posted - Dec 30 2009 : 6:54PM
^^^ Great point I forgot about because it's so 2nd nature now for me to restrict who I do business with for that very reason. Yeah, there are few companies that operate on the repeat-business model, and instead try to screw every CUSTOMER to the maximum extent possible.
If your logic is that the porn visitors are porn cheapskates and pirates and thus won't buy any porn that's being advertised, the market has shown you're approaching this all wrong. Broadcast TV is ad-supported, it's just that the ads are typically for things besides TV, although even then, I'm sure Comcast advertises to lure people to 200 paid channels of crap. CNN.com is ad-supported, but let's see... they're advertising gold investments... which obviously cost money.
The point being, eventually there will be a dominant free-streaming-porn site, the way Google took over the search market... and there will be businesses that want to reach those viewers, to buy all sorts of stuff. Some of them may even be trying to sell you blu-ray versions of trailers that are on the website.
 
charn
fubar

2880 Posts
12/09
Posted - Jan 9 2010 : 12:28AM
companies may stop producing piratable dvds and files and show all content on streaming sites. then someone will write a program for recording streams and we're back to square one.
duefuss
Member

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious - Brendan Gill
723 Posts
4/09
Posted - Jan 9 2010 : 8:05PM
The oldest known statue, the Venus of Willendorf, was made around 50,000 years ago. It is of a naked woman with huge tits and a big butt. You can call it a religious object if you want to, but but it was PORN, pure and simple.
Ever since, there's been a porn 'industry', and it ain't going anywhere.
It's going to change.
It'been legal for a relatively short time. Fifty years ago it was a felony to sell it equal to selling street drugs. But morality, which changes slowest of all things human, is moving inexorably towards regarding it as more or less an ordinary part of life (which is to say that morality will, as it usually does, catch up with reality, because porn has been, in fact, occasionally enjoyed by most people for some time, I think).
Even before this this process, which has already begun, is complete, the current largely awful makers of porn will be unable to compete with an audience, that, as this forum suggests, is growing in sophistication.
Necessity will concieve of effective delivery technologies to minimize stuff like piracy and create new ways of enjoying vicarious sex.
The only question is when all of this will occur. The technological solutions to porn's current problems are likely coming soon. The winnowing of bad porn makers will take longer -- how much longer depends on we the consumers and how long we settle for what they feel like giving us instead of insisting on quality.
The moral transformaation that declares porn to be a beneficial acceptable part of healthy sexuality that is no one's affair but its consenting audience -- that will take a long time. But it will happen as surely as it has started happening already, as surely as free and open acceptance of sexuality has happened.
Certainly, whatever its future, porn is a changing industry, but NOT a dying one.
charn
fubar

2880 Posts
12/09
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 12:37AM
i would like to see a site of videos edited by consumers, organized and tagged for all the crap we won't see in these improved videos: tattoos, implants, swinging ball shots, cameramen who won't shut the fuck up, guys jerking off for ten minutes in a twenty minute BJ scene, robots with tits saying "oh yeah" every five seconds, etc. etc. etc.
royalties paid to the original producers, minus editing fees, would be appropriate. maybe also a smack on the head.
billywatson
Manojob.com

939 Posts
1/07
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 12:04PM
Porn is dying because of pirates. That's it. Economy plays a small factor; a lot of product plays another.
Vices are historically recession-proof. The amount of product out there is nothing more than supply and demand. If there's too much, they'll be a slow-down, but nothing like what's going on now.
What's going on now are tube sites and the sheer amount of traffic they generate. I've said this in other threads, so I sound like a broker record, but I don't care.
And I know what a broken record sounds like, cause that's the generation I grew up in, and the only free porn I ever got was maybe a found stash of Hustler magazines.
Everyone know what Alexa is?
Go find Alexa ratings on Tube 8, Porn Hub, and KeezeMovies. Once you do that, wrap your head around those ENORMOUS numbers. If you don't understand what an Alexa rating of 50 (last Tube 8 number I saw) is, just know it's in the millions of hits a month.
Millions. Each and every month. With nothing to download, no viruses to worry about, and no nosy store clerks judging you when you hit the play button.
Now talk to me about "starlets" and "market saturation" "camcorders" and "Motel 6's".
duefuss
Member

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious - Brendan Gill
723 Posts
4/09
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 2:46PM
Without question the amount and popularity of free porn on the 'net has hurt those who sell porn for money. Why wouldn't it?
It's hard to see, however, that all that free porn is going to actually put an end to porn for profit. Certainly it's going to change the industry, but it's still pretty easy to somehow make a buck with porn for its sale to ever disappear
I agree with a post in another thread that thought niche porn, catering to specific fetishes and styles, would dominate more of the market. And there will always be a place for the favorite stars whose prowess and looks earn them a large following. My own opinion is that the porn DVD may very soon be a thing of the past, but the same may be true for ALL DVDs as internet technology spreads and improves.
Overall, I think the porn industry will become smaller, at least until technology adds some new thrill to the porn experience. It was the VCR that killed theatrical porn and created really high profits for the industry, and I think technology will eventually rescue the industry again, but how exactly is yet to be seen.
To say, though that porn is a dying industry is a bunch of alarmist nonsence, or perhaps, for those who don't like porn, just wishful thinking.
Fornucatur
Member

18 Posts
1/10
Posted - Jan 28 2010 : 1:19AM
Her quote strikes me as the bitter parting shot of a girl who knows her career has been milked dry and she's giving the finger to the industry because she's in denial about being washed up.
Ask Jenna Haze if the industry is dying and I think you'll get a much different answer, because Jenna is a still a goddess and in demand.
Chest Rockwell
Member

89 Posts
1/08
Posted - Jan 28 2010 : 6:20AM
I'd say Stormy is far from washed up. I think it is in poor taste to say she is a has been so she is now down on the adult industry, especially when she has said over and over she is proud of what she has done and what the industry has done for her and vice versa. She is an accomplished director, writer, and performer and has indicated that she wants to continue to direct even after her onscreen career ends. Washed up is a bit harsh I'd say, burned out perhaps. You are entitled to your opinion, of course as I am mine. I would love to hear Ms. Daniels' take on this. Also, the problem of piracy is making it difficult for the industry to stay afloat in some instances. Sex will always sell, but not in as much quantity as long as there are people getting their porn fix for free, and illegally free I might add. I can understand why some performers, directors, etc could become disillusioned when they spend the time and money for a production of any kind, be it film or music, just to see it stolen by piracy.
Fornucatur
Member

18 Posts
1/10
Posted - Feb 9 2010 : 11:35PM
Technically I did not say she was washed up -- I said her quote sounds like someone that's in denial about being washed up -- it the sort of thing someone says when they want to believe they're too good for something that's rejected them.
fu_q All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Marv Montag (@PornOfYore)
2506 Posts
2/09
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 9:45PM
Looks like they are trying out the PSA approach on youtube:
FSC Anti-Piracy PSAs Posted to YouTube
Putting it on the DVDs, too, might be worth a try.
(great minds think alike -- j/k)

Zaer
Deactivated User

249 Posts
10/07
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 11:44PM
And that will work about as well as it worked for the Music and Movie industries.
fu_q All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Marv Montag (@PornOfYore)
2506 Posts
2/09
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:38AM
^Party pooper!

ClayraBeau
Member

659 Posts
2/10
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:46AM
Just wanted to point out that Pink Visual's lawsuit against the sites Billy mentions above is moving forward from what I just read. If the tube sites like that get shut down, it'll help, but the industry still needs to change...
Flash All-Star Supporter
Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:37PM
There comes a time Zaer when no comment is appropriate. By now everyone knows that you proudly steal, although you won't call it that. However knocking down every attempt to prevent piracy is getting old. Fast. If you have no constructive comments, maybe you should just think about not posting in the thread.
NewRomancer
Deactivated User

under THEIR avatar
738 Posts
7/08
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:59PM
What's more frivolous than spending money on porn?
And one has to keep in mind that the people who are the most alarmist, are the ones who live in HUGE homes and drive big expensive cars having got rich off the backs of others already... And it's very hard to change someones mind about what they 'believe' when their beliefs are tied to their bank accounts.....
There is NO WAY to prevent so-called piracy... Never has been and never will be... All that ends up happening is that methods that attempt to, end up massively inconveniencing legitimate customers and drive them away... At the very least there will ALWAYS be The Analog Hole...
I have to wonder why a big porn studio hasn't opened a Tube site, put their content on it, and sold a ton of ad space, just like all the other tube sites do, to make money? The people who were going to buy their DVDs will still buy their DVDs (For some of the same reasons, I expect, that ebooks have not completely replaced paper books) Some people who were never going to buy the DVDs anyway, might just hit the tubes and the company will still generate some revenue off them...
Flash All-Star Supporter
Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 2:02PM
And here comes the other one right on cue. You can prevent piracy. If their actions cause one person not to upload, they have prevented piracy. If their actions cause five people to rent or purchase the movie legitimately, they have prevented piracy. And yes, it is piracy. Stop dancing around with your so-called and at least have the balls to admit you are a criminal.
NewRomancer
Deactivated User

under THEIR avatar
738 Posts
7/08
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 2:26PM
Sorry Flash... the simple fact of the matter is, there's NO kind of security that cannot/will not be got around by someone who wants to get around it...
And sorry to disappoint you again, but I am not a criminal, no matter how much you might wish I was...
(I live in a country where it is legal to 'file share'... Your countries laws do not apply to me)
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