What Makes a Pornstar in 2007?

chadknowslaw · 2007-08-20, 11:16 PM

In the 1970's and 80's, it took a lot of money to make an adult movie and there were not many places you could see it. Before VHS came along, an adult film took in excess of a quarter million dollars to make and played in a small number of adult theaters. There were not many adult films, so someone that performed in an adult film was a rarity. A porn star was someone who was in one of the few films that came out that year!

In the 1980's VHS made distribution easier because the movie could be sold or rented and viewed at home. Still, the production cost was high so there were few films made each year, few producers and few actors in front of the camera. If you were one of the few actors in porn, you were definitely a Porn Star!

In the 1990's, inexpensive camcorders, editing, DVD distribution, and Internet distribution all helped to drop the production cost from $250,000 per film down as low as $5000 per film or less. Anybody could make a porn film, or at least a few scenes. Instead of a handful of performers in a small number of films, there are now literally tens of thousands of adult performers just on production DVD's, and thousands more that are shown on membership websites that never end up in a packaged video.

Now that there are so many people in front of the camera, just being in a porn does not make somebody a "porn star". I know surfers often want to meet their favorite "porn star" and I have acquaintances that ask me how many porn stars I know or how many I will see at the next convention. There are a few names that stand out, but thousands more that do a scene or two and then move on with their lives; they are definitely not porn stars.

What does it take to earn the title of "Porn Star" in the year 2007???

SirMoby · 2007-08-20, 11:21 PM

That question has been asked a few times on the pornstar web and I think it's different for Internet pornstars and traditional pornstars.

Internet babes can usually get the title of pornstars when about 3 sites have different scenes from them and there is agreement on the name (not an easy task in the digital world).

I think model becomes a pornstar after about 10 movie titles. Of course if a hottie wants to call herself a pornstar after 1 flick then I'm OK with that but she won't make my bio list.

ecchi · 2007-08-21, 12:08 AM

Way back when video was new, we had a guy over here who set up a company producing solo girl softcore movies (you could only sell softcore over here back then, even showing an erect penis in a movie got the producers, and anyone selling/renting the video, a 6 month jail sentence) His films simply consisted of one girl undressing, then dressing in something else, then undressing again, and so on, for an hour. His costs were £1000 (the actresses fee) and a blank video tape (he shot them at home). I doubt that you could get a cheaper production! Despite the fact that all you got was one hour of the same woman undressing over and over again, the films were very popular, they made Phil Sutcliffe a very rich man, and he became the biggest porn producer in Britain (although most people have never heard of him, he works under an assumed name, he pretends to be a woman, a retired French prostitute - over here his cousin is the famous member of the family).

When I started selling video films back in the early/mid 1980s, his films were one of my best sellers. And what really amazed me was that he produced several films with each of the more popular girls. I had customers who were fans of a particular girl, and would buy any film with her in it, despite the fact that they just took their clothes over and over again in each movie. Some guys would come in every week to see if a new 'film' had come in with their favourite 'actress' in it. You didn't even get different locations, in those days he shot them all in his home (although nowadays he has proper studios with several sets).

All the 'actresses' did was repeatedly undress (not even a proper 'striptease'), but in that they had made several films, and had legions of loyal fans who collected everything they made, I guess they were 'Pornstars'. To achieve this title, all they had to do was spend a few hours taking their clothes off in front of a video camera.

Oh yes, and he had a 'girl of the month' and a 'girl of the year'. He would push them as 'the most popular pornstar in the country'. Sadly, this was probably true.

Preacher · 2007-08-21, 01:19 PM

First of all, I'd call anybody that has been content in a porn shoot a pornstar when discussing them...

But I do some work in the pornstar niche and while this isn't official, it's kind of my litmus test for whether I push a model as a 'pornstar' or not.

Has she ever been featured.

What I mean by that is, has she ever been 'featured' on a DVD box cover which means her name might possibly bring in consumers. Has she ever been a penthouse pet - giving her name some recognition? Have there ever been press releases about her appearing as a featured dancer at a strip club? Etc...

Generally I read so much pornstar news that I rarely have to research a girl to know whether she would qualify under my definition.

SirMoby · 2007-08-21, 01:21 PM

We could just get to the Justice Department's term for pornstar and that's anyone that's ever been filmed, photographed or seen by an audience having sex, masturbating or just naked.

ecchi · 2007-08-21, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirMoby

We could just get to the Justice Department's term for pornstar and that's anyone that's ever been filmed, photographed .....just naked.

And with baby pictures, that just about includes everyone on the planet.

tigermom · 2007-08-22, 01:42 AM

I think along the same lines as Preacher. It's name recognition more than anything, in my book. How one earns that kind of branding is a different matter. It takes some planning on the part of the person involved, IMO. For example, said model needs to plan ahead, create a catchy stage name and make sure that it is on display on her movies, be them on sites on DVD's. If he or she are good, along time they'll gain pornstar status.

MariaOzawa · 2007-08-22, 04:05 AM

ive already read this topic in other forum. anyway
2007 porn star for me issssssss maria ozawa

NinjaSteve · 2007-08-24, 11:50 AM

I always thought it was anal.

NobleSavage · 2007-08-31, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NinjaSteve

I always thought it was anal.

Yes, it should be a requirement to earn your Pornstar title!

remote · 2007-09-12, 12:48 PM

we were talking about this a few month ago, me, trash, daisy rock and isabel ice.
we came to the conclusion that you need 10 dvd covers, then you can call yourself a star.
Daisy got 9...soon there!

tickler · 2007-08-24, 01:35 PM

Some options:

- As an award winner like "Best New Starlet"
- Featured DVD titles like the "Xxxxxxx - Filthy Whore" series
- Recognition outside of the porn industry

ecchi · 2007-08-24, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickler

Recognition outside of the porn industry

I'd say this one was an indication that you are NOT a porn star, because most people 'outside' do not like to admit that they watch porn, so if you are famous outside the industry it infers that you are more famous for your 'day job'.

Obviously that does not include pornstars who become famous for being involved in a scandal (President of the USA caught in 'three in a bed' sex romp with pornstar and rottweiler puppy).

Licker4U · 2007-08-24, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickler

Some options:

...Recognition outside of the porn industry

I take that to mean "recognized by people not associated with porn". Lke when Jenna Jamison was featured on a prime time TV show. It was something like 60 Minutes, Dateline or one of those types of shows. She was "recognized" by a non-porn news program.

tickler · 2007-08-24, 09:08 PM

So I see Savanna Sampson on CNNs Larry King tonight talking about $$$s, Sex, and religion.

alexey · 2007-09-12, 01:51 PM

Hey people I find this topic very intressting.
I'm building a "porn star site" at the moment where you are able to search for your porn star, get free trailers etc..

beta project: http://pstarfinder.com - it's not finished yet

I could use some tips as it's difficult to get the most "popular / wanted" stars in the database. Also, a lot of surfers probaly think 'models' are porn stars too.

About the former penthouse pets - i don't even know what they are exactly but i do know a lot of 'former penthouse pets' are popular pornstar names these days...
I will probaly make some more top 15 lists featuring: former penthouse pets, popular male actors & asian stars.

any other ideas for the site are welcome!

2007-08-20, 11:16 PM	#1
chadknowslaw Greenguy & Jim's Unofficial Board Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 52	What Makes a Pornstar in 2007? In the 1970's and 80's, it took a lot of money to make an adult movie and there were not many places you could see it. Before VHS came along, an adult film took in excess of a quarter million dollars to make and played in a small number of adult theaters. There were not many adult films, so someone that performed in an adult film was a rarity. A porn star was someone who was in one of the few films that came out that year! In the 1980's VHS made distribution easier because the movie could be sold or rented and viewed at home. Still, the production cost was high so there were few films made each year, few producers and few actors in front of the camera. If you were one of the few actors in porn, you were definitely a Porn Star! In the 1990's, inexpensive camcorders, editing, DVD distribution, and Internet distribution all helped to drop the production cost from $250,000 per film down as low as $5000 per film or less. Anybody could make a porn film, or at least a few scenes. Instead of a handful of performers in a small number of films, there are now literally tens of thousands of adult performers just on production DVD's, and thousands more that are shown on membership websites that never end up in a packaged video. Now that there are so many people in front of the camera, just being in a porn does not make somebody a "porn star". I know surfers often want to meet their favorite "porn star" and I have acquaintances that ask me how many porn stars I know or how many I will see at the next convention. There are a few names that stand out, but thousands more that do a scene or two and then move on with their lives; they are definitely not porn stars. What does it take to earn the title of "Porn Star" in the year 2007??? __________________ Chad Belville, Esq. http://www.chadknowslaw.com

2007-08-21, 01:19 PM	#4
Preacher There's Xanax in my thurible! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wherever they screw on my head Posts: 2,441	First of all, I'd call anybody that has been content in a porn shoot a pornstar when discussing them... But I do some work in the pornstar niche and while this isn't official, it's kind of my litmus test for whether I push a model as a 'pornstar' or not. Has she ever been featured. What I mean by that is, has she ever been 'featured' on a DVD box cover which means her name might possibly bring in consumers. Has she ever been a penthouse pet - giving her name some recognition? Have there ever been press releases about her appearing as a featured dancer at a strip club? Etc... Generally I read so much pornstar news that I rarely have to research a girl to know whether she would qualify under my definition. __________________ NSCash * This Depraved World

2007-08-22, 01:42 AM	#7
tigermom You can now put whatever you want in this space :) Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 893	I think along the same lines as Preacher. It's name recognition more than anything, in my book. How one earns that kind of branding is a different matter. It takes some planning on the part of the person involved, IMO. For example, said model needs to plan ahead, create a catchy stage name and make sure that it is on display on her movies, be them on sites on DVD's. If he or she are good, along time they'll gain pornstar status. __________________ XLEF

2007-08-24, 11:50 AM	#9
NinjaSteve Trying is the first step towards failure Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 122	I always thought it was anal. __________________ .

2007-08-24, 01:35 PM	#12
tickler If there is nobody out there, that's a lot of real estate going to waste! Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,177	Some options: - As an award winner like "Best New Starlet" - Featured DVD titles like the "Xxxxxxx - Filthy Whore" series - Recognition outside of the porn industry __________________ Latina Twins, Solo, NN, Hardcore Latin Teen Cash

2007-08-20, 11:21 PM	#2
SirMoby Jim? I heard he's a dirty pornographer. Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 2,706	That question has been asked a few times on the pornstar web and I think it's different for Internet pornstars and traditional pornstars. Internet babes can usually get the title of pornstars when about 3 sites have different scenes from them and there is agreement on the name (not an easy task in the digital world). I think model becomes a pornstar after about 10 movie titles. Of course if a hottie wants to call herself a pornstar after 1 flick then I'm OK with that but she won't make my bio list.

2007-08-21, 12:08 AM	#3
ecchi Banned Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: About to be evicted!!!! Posts: 4,082	Way back when video was new, we had a guy over here who set up a company producing solo girl softcore movies (you could only sell softcore over here back then, even showing an erect penis in a movie got the producers, and anyone selling/renting the video, a 6 month jail sentence) His films simply consisted of one girl undressing, then dressing in something else, then undressing again, and so on, for an hour. His costs were £1000 (the actresses fee) and a blank video tape (he shot them at home). I doubt that you could get a cheaper production! Despite the fact that all you got was one hour of the same woman undressing over and over again, the films were very popular, they made Phil Sutcliffe a very rich man, and he became the biggest porn producer in Britain (although most people have never heard of him, he works under an assumed name, he pretends to be a woman, a retired French prostitute - over here his cousin is the famous member of the family). When I started selling video films back in the early/mid 1980s, his films were one of my best sellers. And what really amazed me was that he produced several films with each of the more popular girls. I had customers who were fans of a particular girl, and would buy any film with her in it, despite the fact that they just took their clothes over and over again in each movie. Some guys would come in every week to see if a new 'film' had come in with their favourite 'actress' in it. You didn't even get different locations, in those days he shot them all in his home (although nowadays he has proper studios with several sets). All the 'actresses' did was repeatedly undress (not even a proper 'striptease'), but in that they had made several films, and had legions of loyal fans who collected everything they made, I guess they were 'Pornstars'. To achieve this title, all they had to do was spend a few hours taking their clothes off in front of a video camera. Oh yes, and he had a 'girl of the month' and a 'girl of the year'. He would push them as 'the most popular pornstar in the country'. Sadly, this was probably true.

2007-08-21, 01:21 PM	#5
SirMoby Jim? I heard he's a dirty pornographer. Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 2,706	We could just get to the Justice Department's term for pornstar and that's anyone that's ever been filmed, photographed or seen by an audience having sex, masturbating or just naked.

2007-08-22, 04:05 AM	#8
MariaOzawa Rock stars ... is there anything they don't know? Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 12	ive already read this topic in other forum. anyway 2007 porn star for me issssssss maria ozawa

2007-09-12, 12:48 PM	#11
remote Aw, Dad, you've done a lot of great things, but you're a very old man, and old people are useless Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: .se Posts: 22	we were talking about this a few month ago, me, trash, daisy rock and isabel ice. we came to the conclusion that you need 10 dvd covers, then you can call yourself a star. Daisy got 9...soon there!

2007-08-24, 09:08 PM	#15
tickler If there is nobody out there, that's a lot of real estate going to waste! Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,177	So I see Savanna Sampson on CNNs Larry King tonight talking about $$$s, Sex, and religion. __________________ Latina Twins, Solo, NN, Hardcore Latin Teen Cash

2007-09-12, 01:51 PM	#16
alexey Are you sure you're an accredited and honored pornographer? Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 61	Hey people I find this topic very intressting. I'm building a "porn star site" at the moment where you are able to search for your porn star, get free trailers etc.. beta project: http://pstarfinder.com - it's not finished yet I could use some tips as it's difficult to get the most "popular / wanted" stars in the database. Also, a lot of surfers probaly think 'models' are porn stars too. About the former penthouse pets - i don't even know what they are exactly but i do know a lot of 'former penthouse pets' are popular pornstar names these days... I will probaly make some more top 15 lists featuring: former penthouse pets, popular male actors & asian stars. any other ideas for the site are welcome!