OK, now I might be seriously misinformed, so anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I've heard that girls that are relatively newcomers to porn can earn up to several hundred dollars for a scene. Contract girls who have the name can make up to a few thousand dollars for a scene. If we look at most Hollywood actresses and the type of money they're making there seems to be no competition. However if a Hollywood blockbuster's budget is, for example, $100 million, u might have to be paying the leading actor/actress up to $20 million for a role. If you have more then one "name" star in the film, then almost one-third of the movie's budget might be to pay the cast. Let's look at the proportions here. If an actress makes, let's say $2,000 for a scene (once again correct me if I'm wrong!) I don't think the product makes less then $10,000, right? Since I'm assuming that some of the big, feature porn flicks that go on to be nominated for the AVN awards make a lot more than that, why aren't the biggest starlets paid more for a scene/movie? Based on the proportions of a film's budget/profits, it seems that these girls should be making more. However, if my figures are way off, then excuse me for babbling so much!
"Your daddy works in porno Now that mommy's not around. . ."
In regard to your Hollywood comparison, keep in mind that these porn debutantes can shoot one or two scenes a day when they're freelance. 30 days a month w.one scene a day adds up to, if we take a basis of 800$ a scene, more or less 24000 $ a month for a freelancer. I don't know how much money Bridgette Kerkove did in her 1st year, but I'd be curious. If Glenn Close or Nicole Kidman do more than one movie a year, it's an event. I dont think porn starlets are underpaid.
i should be so lucky, lucky lucky lucky
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olduser Deactivated User
Self-Removed User 215 Posts 3/02
Posted - Dec 4 2002 : 9:13PM
Yeah, exactly, basically it only takes an hour or maybe up to 3 with setup from what i've heard to do a scene. Does anyone here know more than these ballpark figures for money though? I've always been curious just HOW much most girls make. My guess is that a top-tier (Briana Banks, Jenna, etc.) contract performer makes around 50k/movie or around 25k/scene (this number is straight out of thin air, please correct me if I'm off). Also, how much do they get paid for featuring? I know they make money from pictures and stuff on the side too, but just from the club itself?
The women might be able to do several scenes a month, but most don't last very long in the industry. Some appear in a few flicks upon which they can raise their stature on the dance cirtuit where they can make good money. By money I mean CASH. I'd be surprised if every tip is reported to the IRS.
I'm also curious about the economics of porn films. From what I've read, the average sales of a US-made video are less than 5,000 units, and even the most popular lines seldom sell more than 20,000. Manufacturing and distribution costs take more than half the retail price, so the production company probably ends up with $5-$10 per unit to cover production costs and overheads. On that basis, the 'talent' probably get a large proportion of the production budget, which seems fair as they are doing most of the work!
Believe me, if they made that much dough...I would get a sex change!!! The reality is way less glamorous. Top performers make very good money, especially when they become cross-over icons like Jenna. But the average pay for, let's say, an anal scene is between 800 bucks for a newcomer and 2,500 for a big star. Still, Ms. Jameson probably makes more than that, but it's a unique case.
The most I have every heard of any one girl making per movie was Juli Ashton's contract with VCA that paid her $25,000 per movie. Though I think she did very few of them at that price.
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olduser Deactivated User
Self-Removed User 215 Posts 3/02
Posted - Dec 5 2002 : 3:02PM
Obviously many of you guys know more than me, so please do not think I am trying to pretend it is otherwise. I heard someone (I think Fishbein)on Stern say that during the late 80's or early 90's the money started going up, to the point where someone (I think Ginger Lynn) was making 100k/movie, but that now it was "significantly less". Was that 100k figure just total BS (from what you're saying it seems that way). Still, a pretty big name performer (let's say on the level of like Sky or Taylor Hayes or someone like that) only makes 2500/scene, to me that is shockingly low. Where does the rest of the money come from? How much do they make from dancing and from their internet sites? I remember Leanna Hart said she made "several hundred thousand" per year (on Stern again) and I do not even consider her a top-tier performer (again, I realize she could be BSing as well).
Most girls start out in porn so they make a name for themselves in feature dancing. Dancing pays a lot more than acting in features. How many strippers have made a slew of gonzo just to come back to the stripping circuit as a "feature" dancer (somehow, the term has lost its meaning along the way)? Lotsa girls will shoot so many scenes & preferably boxcovers in a short amount of time & then when they get a name start touring. In the feature dancing heydays of the early 90's, I once read that Amber Lynn, mother of all feature dancers, earned up to 5000 $ a night. If she toured all month, make your calculation. No b/j, no vags, just stripping. Contract performers also derive a lot of extra from various editorials for upper-rack mags, convention appearances, etc... Add up advantages in nature (I think some years ago Vivid contract girls were being offered a new car & a boob job as a welcome, but I may be mistaken) & escorting, which is more or more popular, you get the idea. The trick is to make a name for yourself. Once u've got that, you hit the jackpot.
Thanks a lot Vodka! OK, that cleared away a lot of misconceptions I had. To me, the industry seems backwards that the girls make more money on small-scale entertainment (read stripping to clubs with maybe a hundred guys) than to large-scale entertainment (read making a movie).
Posted - Dec 4 2002 : 6:58PM