How much Do Top Directors Make?
 

Title says it all. Not sure which are the best paid porn directors , but how much do they top ones make?

Some own the company they shoot for, and they make waaaay less than they did before the tube craze.

^^^^ This.

ok. what about those that hire directors/cameraman. how much would they pay to shoot per scene , film , yearly etc?

anyone? my dick is not too short.

post dick pics

Between $500-$1000


Most hold camera. and so some hire 2+ cameramen.


Some directors take their own pics.


Some produce, direct and take their own pics.


So many factors are involved. Budget and what does the client or product want shot.


Some days are easily 12-15 hours if there is heavy story and dialogue and some are as simple as a two hour gonzo scene.


Hope that helps you out.:thumbsup


Just Dave

thanks. i have heard quotes from directors who shoot for sites like babes.com earning almost $8000 for 3 scenes they shoot in one long day or two normal days. i assume $1000 is not for that type of x-art type production?

Rule of thumb: if someone tells you how much they earn, they're lying.

I found 80K per year average on google (Source : simplyhired.com/salaries-k-porn-director-jobs.html)

Babes and x-art are long days. 2-3 camera shoots and are very expensive days. Those camera men are getting $500 on average.


I also don't see them getting more than 2 scenes done in a day. We are talking 12-18 hour day.


If you actually look at X-Art, Im pretty sure that its one scene a day. I checked out a few of those videos and near the end of the ones I saw, you can obviously see that its night time.


Two scenes like that in a day, I can easily see a director who runs one of the cameras making 2k in a day. But making 8K in one day today? No way!! And getting 3 of those type scenes done in one day and keeping up the quality, I never see happening unless they are running 2 seperate crews on the same location.


Budgets for those type of BG scene are 6K-7K. Thats with a good location and good talent. $5500 with a cheap location and lessor talent.


Both situations, the director is only walking away with 1K per scene. And thats only if the scene goes good from start to finish. Guy has wood issues and you have to kill it, ohhh man!!


You can easily eat 1K-$1500 in kill fees. Happened to me once on that level. I paid out of my pocket and I still had to come back and shoot the scene. Keep in mind, the client pays for a completed scene, not my problems on set.


Hope that helps you.


Just Dave

Dave nailed it.

Dave knows porn. :thumbsup

can you elaborate more on this "kill fee". so the guy has wood issues , you can't call other guy last minute? this kill fee goes to all your hired help? what percentage?
Also, can't you protect your investment by getting guys with rep and history of performance?

Kill fee = girl shows up and everyone else shows up...guy can't get hard, or some such other failure (girl doesn't show up!!)....these people just can't have a wasted day...

Girl-girl shoot...same issue if one doesn't show...
I could go on and on...

Thank you buddy.

Thank you.

I like to think I speak what we all at the higher end know about production.





Kill fees? Yea thats a long one to explain. But here we go:


Kills get paid out for different people depending "when" the scene gets killed.


If the scene gets killed "before" makeup because the girl can't shoot, (Too many bruises, pimples on her ass if its an ass shoot, bad razor burn, out break, etc), If thats the case you can get away with just rescheduling everyone. If the home owner is cool, you also won't have to pay the $100 an hour , 1st hour location fee.


Things start to change after makeup.


You kill a scene after make up, say after pretty girl stills, thats where it starts to add up.


Say your shooting a BBG: Thats what the client wants. If one girl is sore and can't perform, and those are the pairing the company wants, you have to pay: $150x2 for 2 make up jobs(The Make up artist did her job and left already), 3+ hours for location at $100 per hour(Location has been used), $150 for your PA, because he has already unloaded and set up equipment and a $200 kill for the girl thats not getting her rate because the scene isn't getting shot(Thats Standard). The guys are generally pretty good with just a reschedule.


Thats $950 out of your pocket and you still have to shoot the scene on another day. Clients pay for completed scenes, not for producers problems.

This is how it breaks down: Make up is gone already with her check when she's done. Try not paying your PA, see if he comes back to work for you next time, he has already been working for you. Try not paying location, see how that turns out. Try not paying the girls their $200 kill fee, see if her agent or that girl ever works for you again.


This is more of the mid level to higher end standards. If your doing POV at home with no PA, No make up artist, and your shooting it at your apartment, you won't catch all of these fees. But you will still get hit with an agency Kill fee for the girls wasted time.


I avoid some of these fees by doing makeup at my studio before I drive to location. There I make sure the girl is free from marks and is actually able to shoot.


Was on set shooting camera for my buddy who was directing an important scene. Long story+script, car shots, dialogue, street shots, 4 room storyboard, undress tease, etc. It was a BGG, I personally would have never hired that particular guy because I knew what was gonna happen, but it was not my call. When we were finally ready for sex 16 hours in, one of the girls pussy was too sore from being with her boyfriend the night before. She couldn't put a finger in without crying.


Talk about shaking my fucking head!!! Location rate was murderous because the guy also had serious wood issues. Everything on the planet was going wrong. My friend asked me "what would you do??" Thats when I took control of this train wreck, I was able to shoot it out of sequence with a shit ton of lube and a shit ton of waiting. Two cameras and my experience as an editor saved the situation. Saw the edits 3 days ago. Scene is flawless looking. lol


My buddy learned the lesson of "why I book good guys". He learned that shit with his check book!! Warned him before that too.


16 hours on set sucks!! I have a saying I always say: "In two months, people are gonna see a good scene or a bad scene, nobody is gonna know if it too 4 hours of 16 hours to shoot"



Good questions.

Lets talk about whats good in a money standard. This is where clients that know nothing like to really chinch out on the budget. Clients think that $200-$300 guys are the way to go to save money. I have spent 5 hours trying to get a decent looking scene out of a $400 guy. If Im paying location at $75-$100 an hour, price goes up quick.


Any guy worth shooting in LA is gonna be at minimum, $500-$600. Thats the low average guy that can do the job. And thats no guarantee that he can do it. If he's fighting with his girlfriend or his mind or the girl is a bitch to him, your gonna be fucked!! And as a director you really have to tell them what you want and how you want it without stressing them out limp. Fine line you need to walk with getting what you want and not totally fucking yourself.


Good guys who work all of the time start at $700. At this rate, the scene is 99% a done deal and a decent size dick. No worries. Can get a good real(not mechanical looking scene)looking BG scenes with 25-30 usable minutes, in 50-60 minutes.


At $800 your getting a big dick, 30 min of usable footage in 35 min. Guaranteed 100% completed scene.


At $1000, you getting a big dick and 30 min of usable in 30 min. with zero cuts. Guaranteed 100% completed scene.



The super beauty about guys that are $700 and up, is that you really don't have to tell them shit. They know what to do, they are excellent on positioning+ opening up, they are all packing heat, and you are guaranteed to have a solid scene when your done.


The issues that always seem to come up are this: Cheaper clients don't want to foot the bill on the better guys, because they see a BG scene cut together and as long as its exposed and in focus correctly, they don't care and are happy. The better guys don't give a shit if you don't hire them, because all of them are booked out 30+ days in advance. No deals no negotiations, because they all work all of the time and are always in high demand.


The funniest thing I ever heard 9 years ago when I wanted to hire better guys was this: "You can pay me my rate and have a kick ass scene and be out of location quick or save money on a budget no-name guy, be there all day long, pay that much more in location fees and have a mediocre scene." I think of that saying every time I book scenes. lol



Brazzers, Jules Jordan Video, Evil Angel directors, Elegant Angel, all have a thorough understanding on how a real good guy "drives" the scene.


Hope this helps you understand some things.


Just Dave

great posts, Dave!

All spot on Dave :2 cents:

I only use the $700 and up guys ever. And only through an agency. I don't have time to fuck around. If the client says get someone cheaper I don't do it. Period.
I also spell out cancellation fees going in. If a client doesn't not agree to these then I don't shoot. I have lost a few jobs with these policies,
but I have never failed to deliver a shoot once. Only the clients who want it done right with no excuses are the clients I deal with. :thumbsup

Wow. Awesome, useful, factual posts on gfy!

There must have been a shift in the space time continuum.

There goes my dream to be a porn producer :D

big diff between gross and net

Thanks buddy.:thumbsup




You are at the absolute high end on what you shoot. Locations for you are $100-$150 and hour with a location kill fee because of location services. I do know your situation.


To everyone reading this: I know for a fact, that if Jay has to kill a scene, It will be easily over $1,500-$2,000 depending on the time he has to kill the scene. Its the 2nd camera man factor and the high end location fees.

Keep in mind Jay way knows his shit! If you are gonna work with Jay, "do not" pick his guys and listen to what he recommends for the shoot!!! Trust me if it costs more, its for the quality, not his pocket!! He knows what he is doing.


So does Dean, Grape Soda, Jay Rock MaDalton. These guys are all solid shooters and respected businessmen. Their Net profits and rates are generally bellow what is fair for what they bring to the table. And the saddest thing of all: One bad Scene "KILL" eats up their profit for a whole shoot and then some.


Anyone have questions ICQ me. Will tell you whats up for free. No secrets here. :thumbsup





I know exactly what I'm talking about. Down to the dollar.

Im always around for an honest straight up FREE consultation on what is what in production.


I have good relations with everyone I have done business with. Shit! I get companies calling me up and asking me about particular shooters Bi-Monthly.




Yea, its rough out there. I ate a few scenes back when I started.



Just Dave

used to cost $200 for every $1000 net, now it's WAY different :winkwink:

I've never met anyone that knows as much about shooting scenes or shares as much as JustDaveXXX. He's a honest, trustworthy, hard working guy, and he also shoots great content.

so, it seems even if you get a $800 guy and reputable crew, you still have chances of something going wrong resulting in a kill fee correct? what would be a good math to plan on ? 1 in 5 shoots have a $1000 kill fee for high end shoots? when i say shoots i mean one scene.

shooting sex is like gambling.. you throw your money down and hope to walk away with a profit... risky biz..... the models are flakes and the agents will over promises, equipment breaks... so you have another model on standby and back up gear and sometimes you still lose money.. just the way it goes... and then you toss drugs into the mix and it gets really weird, then with the gov involved anything can happen :2 cents:

Thank you very much my friend.


GFY is where I come to learn about things I do not know, so I feel that I should share with others what I know to give back. Thats what makes GFY work. Sharing of information and experiences.



OHHH yea!! Has happend.


One time my video camera got squirted by Sophie Dee and the screen turned off permanently. Had to take it to the shop to get fixed. Luckily, I always bring a small back up camera for video sign ins+sign out and that camera saved my ass and finished my scene.

One random time, I shot my stills started story for my scene and the city started digging up the street. Was so bad I had to kill the scene. Paid crew, paid make up and paid the girl $200, the home owner was cool with the reschedule.


Another time I had Erik Everhard. $1000 guy. Way worth it! The girl cut his dick with her finger nails. He started bleeding and we couldn't finish the scene. KillS!! all the way around. Sucked!! I payed!!


The worst one was a location the was $150 and hour. Was there for 8 hours. Needed 10 more minutes of footage, girls ass started hurting. She was being a pain in the ass all day, and I couldn't be a Dick about it(Fear that the story would make Mike South) and force her to finish. Im always professional with what ever the situation is. Had to play nice guy and keep quiet. Went to reschedule to get the 10 minutes I needed to finish my scene 3 days later, the girl decided to retire and No-Show me on the morning of the of the reschedule. I ended up eating $1600+, and I had to pay another $300 location services kill fee that day. And the super salty part of everything, I still had to reshoot the whole scene from beginning to end with another girl for free just to cover my costs from the 1st shoot.


4-in 450 scenes for Brazzers. Thats with all top notch guys. Random situations, none for wood issues.



Kills happen to the best of us. Shit happens! I can't go and bill the client for my set problems. The client pays for finished scene, not my problems on set.


Just Dave