How to Cast A Porn Movie Outside of Porn Valley

Posted at 1:12 PM Jul 10, 2008

In case you’re not a pornographer, here’s how you'd cast a standard-issue porn film if you’re in the Los Angeles area: visit the website of various porn agencies, like World Modeling or Spiegler Girls, search for the kind or performers you need (brunette who does girl/girl and has natural breasts? no problem), then call or email the agent with your request and the shoot info. Being in touch with a few different agencies is your best bet, so you'll have a contingency plan when performers are no-shows.

But things are a lot tougher if you're trying to make porn outside of Porn Valley and don't have the budget to fly performers in from LA. Here are some tips:

1. Make sure its legal to make porn where you’re at – some states have laws against hiring people to have sex. In New York, you’re a-ok… that is, you can hire people to have sex with you or each other in front of a camera, but not to have sex with you off camera. An important distinction.

2. Watch porn, get to know who is out there and where they live (but not in an overly creepy way) or travel (lots of female performers tour on the feature dancing circuit). Read porn gossip blogs, study up - this is the most fun part of the process.

3. Ask fellow travelers to recommend performers. Word of mouth is the best way to go, that way you can find out all about your would-be performers' habits in advance, so you can make sure to have that rum-and-coke ready for the porn star who demands such things on set.

4. Myspace, One Model Place and Sexyjobs.com. But don’t be that dude who emails a woman to say “have you ever thought about making porn?” if she doesn't indicate she's game for adult modeling. Women get this question all the time, and if they aren't interested in making porn, leave them alone.

5. It has to be said: Craigslist. Your #1 source for total amateurs. A crap shoot, but always entertaining. In the final product, you'll probably have a mix of experienced and amateur performers.

6. If you’re feeling extra-adventurous, hold an open casting call and advertise it through Craigslist and various social networking sites. Be sure to have a digicam with you so you can take awkward nudes of the folks who come to see you. Also bring a clipboard, which will make you look legit. Have some kind of forms for your wannabes to fill out. Ask stuff like: what are your measurements? What special talents do you have? Do you own any specialty clothing or props?

7. When auditioning a woman, your job is to make sure she feels comfortable and knows that her limits will be respected, and to make sure she doesn’t look massively different in person than she does in her carefully lit and photoshopped photos. And any respectful porn producer knows there are no casting couch freebies. Don't be creepy.

8. When auditioning a dude – especially ones who haven’t done porn before – your job is to make him uncomfortable, act totally uninterested in his dick, refuse to participate in any casting couch fantasy he might have. Then ask him to get a hard on. Keep acting booooored. If he can get it up, he might be cut out for porn.

9. You think playing match maker for yourself or your friends is hard? Try doing it with people who are going to be fucking on film. Be familiar with your performers do and don't lists, and ask them who they'd like to work with - your performers themselves can be an excellent casting tool.

10. Try to hire people who are flexible and might be willing to do more than one scene. This way, when someone doesn't show up on shoot day, you can double up - without porn agencies at your disposal, you have to be creative if you want to get your shoot done.

--Audacia Ray

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