Revenue sharing with model.

[Gonzodave]

I'm in the process of setting up a website which is to be built around one female model. I intend having a membership section, an online store (to sell video dowloads, live cam shows and other products) and a blog.

I am going to build and host the website, own the domain, produce and edit all of the photography and videos, source and market the products on the website and maintain the whole shebang.

I am an experienced website builder who is venturing into the adult industry for the first time.

My question is: in a situation like this, what proportion of the revenue split with the model would be considered as realistic. There are many websites on the www which are built around a model, which means that some webmasters must have addressed this issue at some stage.

I await..

[Voltar]

to be quite honest, your model is just content, and content is cheap...i've turned down several 50/50 deals in the past, because all the work is on the webmster side...
if she does live web cam shows and such...you may want to structure that after X amont of members she gets X percentage of dollars made(the initial amount of members covers your time..alot of time...and work, which will be 100 times more than she will be doing)..if her contract is fulfilled...so many lives shows per month, per week, with x amout of web cam time as well as photo shoots and movie time each month/week..then somewhere like 10%-25% of the profits...
make it all business like, spell out the costs involved so there is no suprises..and involve penelties of a monitary manner if she doesn't fufill her contract...and truthully..you should own all the content you make from her so if she flakes you still have it legally...and maybe some small initial fee to begin it off with...after all it's you that has it all invested..and amateur models on the whole are a dime a dozen and known to be flakey at the best of time in this business...even ones that are girlfirends, wives, neighbors, best friends..ect...
cover your ass..and use a lawyer too..

[Ramster]

If you do everything what Voltar says is true BUT if she is hot and a popular model that is a different story, you need her more than she needs you.

Revenue split at 50/50 is usually fine with you covering hosting costs (it's usually quite cheap). Let's be honest... other than set up it does not take a lot of time to upload and add new content each week. Once the site is done to add new content it takes an hour or 2 a week TOPS. So keep that in mind when setting up the deal.

[Simon]

One suggestion I don't see yet is to make sure you have a TON of content already shot/filmed before you open the site. Some would say you need a year of content to be sure it's worth doing even if your model vanishes on you soon after you open the doors.

Also, if live cam shows are an important part of the marketing approach and a big reason members will remain members, then you need to have some clear guidelines that apply to any ownership and revenue the model is to receive should she decide to stop doing shows (or just quits).

HTH

[Toby]

Originally Posted by Simon

One suggestion I don't see yet is to make sure you have a TON of content already shot/filmed before you open the site. Some would say you need a year of content to be sure it's worth doing even if your model vanishes on you soon after you open the doors...

That was also the first thing that crossed my mind when I read the OP's post. A year of site updates in the can, in addition to the content initially loaded to the site for launch.

The second thing I noticed, not much mention about marketing of the site itself, unless that is what was meant by "marketing the products." It's tough to market a solo model site without at least some personal interaction from the model. Unless she's just plain smokin' hot she also needs to have something that sets her apart from the rest of the herd, something to focus that marketing around.

All that said, a 50/50 split is usually the easiest way to keep both parties happy, so long as it's clear who covers what expenses out of their split.

[Ramster]

Originally Posted by Simon

One suggestion I don't see yet is to make sure you have a TON of content already shot/filmed before you open the site. Some would say you need a year of content to be sure it's worth doing even if your model vanishes on you soon after you open the doors.

YES, this is VERY important!

And you should control ownership of the domain if at all possible!

[Mike-mijen]

Originally Posted by Simon

One suggestion I don't see yet is to make sure you have a TON of content already shot/filmed before you open the site. Some would say you need a year of content to be sure it's worth doing even if your model vanishes on you soon after you open the doors.

Also, if live cam shows are an important part of the marketing approach and a big reason members will remain members, then you need to have some clear guidelines that apply to any ownership and revenue the model is to receive should she decide to stop doing shows (or just quits).

HTH

Hi, I have made my living for the past 14 years on my own content. Yes there is a lot of content you can purchase. Yet, having some unique and not seen before girls is the key. 50/50 split is more then fair and you also should pick up the tap for all photo shoots. With out the model you have nothing. You should have no less then 1600 photos for the members area and 20 solid videos before you open up sales on the web. Doing no less then 3 shoots a month and updating your members area no less then 3 times a week. That has been my formula and it has work very well. I prefer to have a model contract that makes me the owners of all pic and videos with out question. Get with your attorney on that. I find the average model will last about 6 months. They quite for odd reasons(new boyfriend, pregnant, move, rehab, etc.. Yet 6 months of photo shoots gives me a ton of content to work with far beyond the length of stay..Also rebills are great when you have exclusive rights to that model.

[Voltar]

Mike, do you find it's usualy just some stripper/hooker/bartender wanting to make her name more known so she can get bigger bucks and go on the road with her stripper act or charge more for services and such....all exposure for more money off other things...? that sort of thing..because that is what happened with me in the past a number of times...well, that what it basicly boiled down to...
i disagree with you about the split..since i know my time will be around a hundred hours promoting it and building for it in support structures, compared to each hour or two shot in vids and pics...that's why i don't do it myself...have kicked myself for not doing it in the past with a few strippers,lesbians, ect.. and such..but is that scenerio what you run into, or is my history fairly rare...?

note...i do work with new webmasters alot...so i tend to get these type of people showing up and asking for help..with little no knowledge and want basicly not to really do the thing themselves but to trick/get someone to do it for them...usualy it just suprises and irks them when pics of thier tits and twats don't send me running with a hard on to do it all for them for nothing...but we do get a little jaded and more business like in this business after a decade or two

[Mike-mijen]

Originally Posted by Voltar

Mike, do you find it's usualy just some stripper/hooker/bartender wanting to make her name more known so she can get bigger bucks and go on the road with her stripper act or charge more for services and such....all exposure for more money off other things...? that sort of thing..because that is what happened with me in the past a number of times...well, that what it basicly boiled down to...
i disagree with you about the split..since i know my time will be around a hundred hours promoting it and building for it in support structures, compared to each hour or two shot in vids and pics...that's why i don't do it myself...have kicked myself for not doing it in the past with a few strippers,lesbians, ect.. and such..but is that scenerio what you run into, or is my history fairly rare...?

note...i do work with new webmasters alot...so i tend to get these type of people showing up and asking for help..with little no knowledge and want basicly not to really do the thing themselves but to trick/get someone to do it for them...usualy it just suprises and irks them when pics of thier tits and twats don't send me running with a hard on to do it all for them for nothing...but we do get a little jaded and more business like in this business after a decade or two

First believe it or not most of my Models are girls I know or have met that are not strippers. In fact when I first started out. I thought strippers would jump on this. But they want to be paid up front. They are use to that immediate cash. So I will not even work with one unless she really proves to me she serious. I NEVER Pay upfront or just for a photo shoot. I am in it for the long haul. I have helped out many single moms and just plain Kinky chicks. You just have to learn how to sell yourself. Part of what I tell them is For every hour they put in front of the camera, I put 6 in front of the computer. That's how I do it. But the truth is at the end of the day I always end up with a ton more content after they leave and I make it part of my contracts that if the quite or miss two shoots in a row. They do not get anymore split from their site. I also own the domains. I know of a friend he builds the sites and promotes them for 50/50 split. The models send him the pics. I am not sure in detail how his contracts read. Hope this helps. I do not have all the answers. I just know what I have been doing has worked for me.

[LeRoy]

One thing to keep in mind also.

If they decide to leave the "biz" and want their content removed. Maybe they suddenly found a higher power or whatever.

Let them know up front. The content and sites will be up for the long haul. Long after they leave the industry.

[P0rn0gigi]

Yup, if she is making live webcam shows fair amount is 50% from the live performance, that if you provide equipment, training and support. else she gets more.

Then if you sell videos and pics, you should get a higher percent from each download and that is because you have to keep maintaining the site and promote it as much as you can to make it popular, and this is a continuous work, as for the model she only have to shoot the material once.

Also you should think of other models, and try to do couples, to diversify your content.
The competition is big out there.

[Mike-mijen]

Originally Posted by LeRoy

One thing to keep in mind also.

If they decide to leave the "biz" and want their content removed. Maybe they suddenly found a higher power or whatever.

Let them know up front. The content and sites will be up for the long haul. Long after they leave the industry.

That's true. I have 2 contracts they sign. Model contract, performance contract (explains what is expected from both parties.)

[Gonzodave]

Originally Posted by Mike-mijen

That's true. I have 2 contracts they sign. Model contract, performance contract (explains what is expected from both parties.)

Wow - thanks for the fantastic input everybody. These were exactly the lines along which I was thinking - I just thought that I would ask first to see what others' experiences were.

In this situation, I would certainly be covering my ass by having it all sealed legally-wise and that everything was made crystal clear before anything starts.

I am interested in the two contracts bit Mike-mijen - is there any chance I can get a look at both so that I can guide the lawyer? I can PM my email addy to you if you like.

Anyway, thanks heaps everybody for the advice.

[Mike-mijen]

I am not a lawyer. I would defiantly seek legal advice on your contracts. I did and it makes me be able to sleep at night. So good luck. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Every one here were new once to. Except Green Guy and MML. They were born with the gift from the porn gods!!!

[LeRoy]

It's a big risk.

Even with all the legal paperwork and contracts. You can still get screwed.

Let's say she wants all your work down after some time. You fight it and tell her she's bound by her signature.

She then takes you to court and lets a judge decide. Who is the judge going to be in favor of? Some cute not-so-smart 18 - 21 year old or a pornographer?

If she has a decent lawyer. The judge might side with the model.

[Mike-mijen]

Originally Posted by LeRoy

It's a big risk.

Even with all the legal paperwork and contracts. You can still get screwed.

Let's say she wants all your work down after some time. You fight it and tell her she's bound by her signature.

She then takes you to court and lets a judge decide. Who is the judge going to be in favor of? Some cute not-so-smart 18 - 21 year old or a pornographer?

If she has a decent lawyer. The judge might side with the model.

You right it could happen. No one has ever talk to me about wanting the content back. But there is always a first and I am not a douche bag enough to not work something out. I guess we all take a chance to be slammed with the 2257 law. Just the act of proving you papers are legit will cost you. So let it be said Porn is a risky business

[Gonzodave]

I'm thinking that a "get out" clause in an agreement/contract would hopefully negate the need for a court situation. I'm thinking that if the model wanted out, then she could have the option of buying her way out of it just like how they do it in Abbywinters.com

This was tested in the media here in Australia last year, whereby a model wanted out after a couple of years and Abbywinters said that the "opt out" clause was applicable and they wanted several thousand dollars to take her images/videos down - mind you the model was only paid $700 in the first place.

This was big news here. The model, not content with having to shell out some big bucks as part of her contract to Abbywinters for their future loss of earning, took the matter to the media and it ultimately came to the attention of the police in that part of the country.

Apparently it is only permissable to photograph, shoot or produce adult content in only one place and that is the national capital area (Australian Capital Territory - ACT).

Ultimately the whole thing fizzled out - the police put it in the too hard basket; the media dropped off as they do, Abbywinters kept the images/video up on their website and the model failed to achieve anything apart from the whole of Australia knowing that she had done adult content porn for $700

Perhaps in hindsight, she would have been better off just paying the "take down" fee!

Here at least, there is a good chance that a "get out" clause would work.