For those who have commissioned a custom video, why did you do it?

[WarGriffin]

Commissioning a video takes money, time, effort, patience, and something of a gambling streak, since you never know how it's all going to turn out. But many producers today function almost entirely (or outright entirely) on custom requests, so obviously there is some critical mass of people deciding to commission their own videos. I'm curious what motivates people to do this. That may seem like a silly question, as in, "Duh, who WOULDN'T want to have their own personal fantasy brought to life on screen???" But given the many obstacles to commissioning a video, and the many videos available to purchase that have been commissioned by others, I'm assuming that it's actually a very small minority of heroine peril fans who have a strong enough motivation to actually commission a video of their own. And I'm guessing those motivations differ.

Here are some possibilities that come to mind:

-You were really passionate about a unique story line or brand new concept for a superheroine character that you had concocted and you couldn't find anything similar already in existence.

-You were really passionate about seeing a particular performer in the role of a particular heroine (or villainess) and no one else had commissioned them in that role before.

-Perhaps related to the last one, you wanted to see a particular performer in a particular costume that they hadn't been in before.

-You had some very specific action or peril element that you wanted to see used heavily and existing videos just didn't give that element enough emphasis for your satisfaction.

-Or maybe your desired element is very unique and you couldn't find ANY existing videos at all that included it.

-Maybe plenty of existing videos use a particular element of interest to you, but you were frequently frustrated because you didn't like exactly HOW the element was implemented, so you decided to just commission your own video to finally get the element done in the specific way you like.

-You were intrigued by the whole creative process and just wanted to experience being in charge of the story, and the characters, and the action, even if what you wanted to see in the video wasn't all that unusual for the genre.

-You had a long-term fascination with a particular episode of a regular superheroine show and wanted to see that same story line redone with more overtly sensual elements that you always wished were there.

-You're quite well off and have money to burn and just did it on a lark.

The list goes on ...

So please chime in and say what YOUR main motivation was, if you actually have commissioned at least one video.

Thanks!

[Mr. X]

I find when I get custom requests for stories then tend to be more fringe element things. In fact somethings I can't even do with poser. Like extremely obese women. These kinks can be very edge case and so one can't find them in most standard videos.

[Lurkndog]

I simply had a decent idea for a "bounty hunter" storyline that would run over the course of several customs, and the cost of the first video was affordable enough that I could give it a try. This was with SleeperKid's World, who do low budget videos, and do them well. Plus, the idea of creating something and writing a script appealed to me. Also, there was an actress available who I was pretty sure would be great as a villain.

As it turned out, there was no need to turn in a full script. They just wanted a one page outline that they could improv off of.

SleeperKid was great to work with, I was pleased with the way the video turned out, and I also got a big kick out of seeing it up on their website. But I never did order any of the follow-up videos I had planned, as real-life issues came up and I had bigger problems to deal with.

This is the video, by the way:

http://skwppv.com/skwppvnew/?download=a-bounty-on-keri

The last screen capture is of the "bounty" paper prop I made and sent to SleeperKid. I had fun making that, and I really liked the way the photo turned out. (It was from a tiny JPEG off SKW's website, but I managed to make it look good at a large size by applying a halftone effect to it.)

[WarGriffin]

I find when I get custom requests for stories then tend to be more fringe element things. In fact somethings I can't even do with poser. Like extremely obese women. These kinks can be very edge case and so one can't find them in most standard videos.

Yep, that makes sense, and I imagine there is a lot of that going on. Intuitively, I'd assume this is the most common motivation for requesting a custom: not finding what you want in standard videos because what you want is pretty fringe.

But on the other hand, so many producers are cranking out customs, and so many of the videos seem very standard, to the point that a common critique around here is that the videos seem too formulaic and all seem to follow a standard game plan. So it seems like there are still a lot of people commissioning customs that are not very fringe at all, and their motivations must be different.

My motivations have differed for different customs, but my very first custom was all about the model. I'd seen her in routine modeling stuff for years and had no idea that she was even available for fetish work, and then I saw that she had finally stuck a toe into the fetish water, and I didn't want to risk her stepping away from the fetish genre again before doing something up my alley, so I quickly commissioned her myself.

[WarGriffin]

I simply had a decent idea for a "bounty hunter" storyline that would run over the course of several customs, and the cost of the first video was affordable enough that I could give it a try. This was with SleeperKid's World, who do low budget videos, and do them well. Plus, the idea of creating something and writing a script appealed to me. Also, there was an actress available who I was pretty sure would be great as a villain.

As it turned out, there was no need to turn in a full script. They just wanted a one page outline that they could improv off of.

SleeperKid was great to work with, I was pleased with the way the video turned out, and I also got a big kick out of seeing it up on their website. But I never did order any of the follow-up videos I had planned, as real-life issues came up and I just didn't have the time or money.

This is the video, by the way:

http://skwppv.com/skwppvnew/?download=a-bounty-on-keri

The last screen capture is of the "bounty" paper prop I made and sent to SleeperKid. I had fun making that, and I really liked the way the photo turned out. (It was from a tiny JPEG off SKW's website, but I managed to make it look good at a large size by applying a halftone effect to it.)

That's a cool custom-creation story! I definitely can resonate with that "kick" out of seeing something that you made up appearing on a producer's website. I'm sure I'll never be a producer myself, but even being the story creator makes you feel sort of like part of the production team. And depending on who the producer is and how they work, you might even be interacting directly with a favorite model who is going to star in the video while you are hashing out the details of the commission and coming to agreement on the story line and content. That's fun, too.

You make a good point that low budget videos can be a good entry point to customs. The stakes get so high with the multi-thousand-dollar custom productions, you have to REALLY have a strong motivation to bust that move (assuming you aren't made of money, in which case, I guess you hardly need any reason stronger than a whim).

I'm glad that your video turned out well and that it was a good experience with SKW. The video description sounds quite interesting, and that's a cool "bounty" paper prop you made. Nicely done!

[Zee]

I have had quite a number of customs made. Basically it is for specific actions in specific sequences as well for the heroine and villain that I wanted. I eventually grew tired of heroines in costumes, ugly looking villains and minimal storylines.
I found someone who produces movies with established actresses and actors in a storyline with detailed dialogue. It has plenty of intense scenes, water torturing, awesome AOH, blood and more. Some filming takes place in outdoor settings. I noticed that one of his videos was partly filmed in an airport and another at the entrance of a famous museum in Paris. I get what I want in a custom to meet my needs.

[Zee]

I have had quite a number of customs made. Basically it is for specific actions in specific sequences as well for the heroine and villain that I wanted. I eventually grew tired of heroines in costumes, ugly looking villains and minimal storylines.
I found someone who produces movies with established actresses and actors in a storyline with detailed dialogue. It has plenty of intense scenes, water torturing, awesome AOH, blood and more. Some filming takes place in outdoor settings. I noticed that one of his videos was partly filmed in an airport and another at the entrance of a famous museum in Paris. I get what I want in a custom to meet my needs.

[TIEnTEEZ]

I buy a lot of customs. And the reasons you are list are all good and sort've close to the mark, but not exactly right.

Most of the customs I order are not superheroine-related. They are femdom PoV customs. Now... there are a ton of these videos available online, so why would I pay for a custom? The main reason is that the online videos just don't have what I want. If you go on Clips4Sale, for example, you will see a tremendous number of femdom videos, a lot of which are PoV. And a lot of them are in the top 50 list. But almost none of them are non-consensual and that's what I'm looking for. I'm not sure why this is - maybe those videos don't sell well. Maybe I'm just even more bizarre in my fetishes than most men - even the ones who like Femdom. But I tell you, when I order a custom and it goes up on C4S, it usually ends up on the top sellers list, so I suspect there is a market for what I want, but the performers either just don't realize it, or can't believe it, or are just uncomfortable with the subject matter. The weird thing is that a lot of the performers I ordered customs from will tell me that they REALLY enjoyed doing it and they will often go way over amount of time I paid for and even produce sequels just because they enjoyed it so much. So it seems like it's an untapped market. Maybe if I order enough customs, the performers will eventually catch on and start doing it themselves. :-P

As far as Superheroine customs go, I order a lot fewer of those. It's partly for similar reasons. Primal is now producing content that is pretty much exactly what I want... but not QUITE. So sometimes I order a custom just to scratch a particular itch or because I know I can write a script that is just a little better than what they do on their own - because I have more time to devote to an individual script. My recent video (HellRazer) was pretty much what Primal does, anyway, but I got into the specific details of the progression of the bondage and torture and I think it worked out really well.

And then there's just the creative outlet. Sometimes, I just want to see one of my Champions Online heroines go live. Or I have a particular bug to write a custom just because I enjoy writing it. Just for the sheer creative joy of it.

[Zee]

I am impressed. While we do have completely different tastes in fetish, we seem to make customs for the similar reasons. I have my own itch as well.

[Lurkndog]

You make a good point that low budget videos can be a good entry point to customs. The stakes get so high with the multi-thousand-dollar custom productions, you have to REALLY have a strong motivation to bust that move (assuming you aren't made of money, in which case, I guess you hardly need any reason stronger than a whim).

Yeah, for me the low cost of entry was key. If I had had to pay over a thousand dollars, I would never have tried it.

There's a place for higher end productions too, of course.

[JohnFeer]

I have strange tastes that are paradoxically easy for a fetish-provider to enact....and I' have to say I've had very good luck with the producer's of said videos. I got my money's worth from all of them.
JF

[WarGriffin]

I have had quite a number of customs made. Basically it is for specific actions in specific sequences as well for the heroine and villain that I wanted.

Yep, I hear you. That's often a lot of it for me--I have something too specific to expect anyone else to happen to order it just the way I want, with just the performers I want. So I have to do it myself! It's good that you were able to find the right producer to tackle your scripts. I've tried a number of producers now, and some worked well for what I was requesting, and some not so much. And oddly, some producers worked really well SOMETIMES but then did really poorly other times. Finding a producer that consistently "gets" what you're looking for and can consistently deliver it (for a reasonable price) is golden!

[WarGriffin]

I buy a lot of customs. And the reasons you are list are all good and sort've close to the mark, but not exactly right.

...

And then there's just the creative outlet. Sometimes, I just want to see one of my Champions Online heroines go live. Or I have a particular bug to write a custom just because I enjoy writing it. Just for the sheer creative joy of it.

Those are interesting variations on the options I proposed, just subtly different.

I definitely agree that sometimes it's just a fun creative exercise to crank out a custom script and see how it takes shape! I must say, though, that sometimes the scripts that I have the most fun writing don't turn out to be the best videos, partly I think because I can get a little TOO caught up in the creative side of it and can wind up writing something that's a little too complex or a little too involved for the type of production I'm ordering, and the super-cool story almost ends up getting in the way of the action. Sometimes, my favorite custom videos have been the simplest storylines, but where the action is very well done. In any event, it's always an adventure!

[WarGriffin]

I have strange tastes that are paradoxically easy for a fetish-provider to enact....and I' have to say I've had very good luck with the producer's of said videos. I got my money's worth from all of them.
JF

Strange but easy for a producer to enact--that's a good position to be in! I'm often in the opposite situation, with an interest that isn't all that strange/rare in the fetish arena and isn't hard to enact in general, but it can be very hard getting producers/performers to understand exactly how I'm looking for it to be done. I've definitely blown a lot of money on customs that didn't turn out the way I wanted, not because the producer wasn't good but just because they didn't quite understand how I wanted the action to be implemented, despite my lengthy explanations in the script. It often takes at least one or maybe two videos of trial and error to really get to a good understanding with a new producer that I haven't worked with before, or else to decide that I'm never going to get to that place of understanding with this particular producer and it's time to just move on. I envy you for having something so easy to do that you always get your money's worth every time. Must be nice!

[Zee]

I did not mention, that the current producer with whom I working with has produced awesome videos that have more than met my expectations. They were quite expensive but I got my money’s worth and more.
HOWEVER,,I did work with someone else before and at first the films were good. Unlike my current producer, he wanted to things his way with minimal input from me. Unfortunately my last one with him was a major disaster. What he produced was nothing like what I asked for. Blind trust?

[Jacques]

Hi, I am Jacques. Intersting thread.
I am also a fan of Damien and have already made 6 customs with him. It is a question of getting exactly what I want. I consider these video’s as one component of my lengthy ‘bucket list’.

[TIEnTEEZ]

I buy a lot of customs. And the reasons you are list are all good and sort've close to the mark, but not exactly right.

...

And then there's just the creative outlet. Sometimes, I just want to see one of my Champions Online heroines go live. Or I have a particular bug to write a custom just because I enjoy writing it. Just for the sheer creative joy of it.

Those are interesting variations on the options I proposed, just subtly different.

I definitely agree that sometimes it's just a fun creative exercise to crank out a custom script and see how it takes shape! I must say, though, that sometimes the scripts that I have the most fun writing don't turn out to be the best videos, partly I think because I can get a little TOO caught up in the creative side of it and can wind up writing something that's a little too complex or a little too involved for the type of production I'm ordering, and the super-cool story almost ends up getting in the way of the action. Sometimes, my favorite custom videos have been the simplest storylines, but where the action is very well done. In any event, it's always an adventure!

Yes, I've run into this problem, and even taken it one step further. You kind've have to feel your way through it. My first custom scripts were very simple - barely even scripts, really, just a sort've story outline with a list of requirements and I let the producer/performer just wing it. And most of the customs I got back then were good, but not so good that I still watch them, because I think back then I was kinda nervous about what I really wanted. I deliberately censored myself.

But then I started writing more complex stuff and I started REALLY going overboard. I sent a script to Christina Carter and she quoted me an estimae of like $8000. Needless to say, I didn't ever get that story made. It was 4 main performers with a few extras and like 8 scenes in different locations and super-powers (special effects). I dunno what I was thinking. I guess I just wanted to push the limits and see what would happen.

I still do write some customs where there's a LOT of room for the producer's creativity. I sometimes literally write like 2-3 scenes of very specific story/dialogue and then put something in the script like "Scenes 4-5 - these scenes just follow the same pattern" and maybe list a few ideas and let the producer pick. In a way, that's more fun because you don't actually know what's going to happen next when you watch the video, but you know it will be something along the lines of what you want.

[WarGriffin]

I did not mention, that the current producer with whom I working with has produced awesome videos that have more than met my expectations. They were quite expensive but I got my money’s worth and more.
HOWEVER,,I did work with someone else before and at first the films were good. Unlike my current producer, he wanted to things his way with minimal input from me. Unfortunately my last one with him was a major disaster. What he produced was nothing like what I asked for. Blind trust?

I'm glad to hear that you've gotten hooked up with a producer that is working out so well for you now. I definitely feel for you, though, on the bad experience you described. The exact same thing has happened to me--first couple custom videos were good, then something changed and the next ones were not so good.

Your comment makes me wonder how most producers work in terms of doing what the commissioner wants vs doing what the producer wants. On a spectrum, there are some producers whose business model is to take a custom script from someone willing to pay a more or less set fee for a certain length of video and then that producer will try to implement exactly what the person requested with no other agenda in mind; then there are producers who don't want a detailed script but just a general concept from the person requesting the custom video, and then the producer will fill in the details as they see fit to produce a custom video that fits the general concept but also matches the producer's own style; and then there are producers who write their own scripts but maybe take custom requests that will shape a scene here or there or will shape some of the costumes but will not really determine the whole video. I think any of these business models can work for the person requesting the custom, as long as the expectations are managed appropriately. But where I've gotten into trouble is when I *think* I'm dealing with a producer who is in the first category and is going to try as much as possible to do just what I requested (unless it turns out to be unworkable for some reason), but then when I see the final video it turns out that I was working with a producer more in the second or third categories and they really just did their own thing and it hardly looks like what I requested at all. That's a difficult and disappointing spot to be in, cuz the money is spent, the video was made, and yet it's so far from what you wanted that you feel kind of betrayed, like you just funded the producer's own project instead of getting your custom video made. Anyway, from that experience, I've learned to try to get a very clear understanding up front about which kind of business model I'm dealing with, and how much of the video I can expect to actually look like what I requested. There's never any guarantee, of course, but it's good to at least try to get this issue clear.

[tumkar]

I've had quite a few customs done over the years - in fact I'd be scared to add up how much I've spent on them
One day I'll have to write a list of them..

Why do I get them?

I guess it's hard to pick a specific reason..

In the early days when there was less content around then it was more a case of getting the scenes I wanted with the heroines I wanted wearing the costumes I wanted. But these days there are producers who produce the sort of product I want (probably other peoples customs in a lot of cases ) so that particular factor is less. But still now and then I get the itch to get one of my ideas made - and it's true it's a great feeling when you see it up on the producers store - especially if it is in the top sellers list.

A big one now is getting scenes with specific models. There are quite a few adult models out there with supergirl costumes thanks to me

I think that thrill of the process, from sending in a script to receiving the scene still carries a kick for me.

[heroinehunter]

okey-dokey...this is my custom creation story.....

A long time ago there was a zfx film that starred the beautiful Penelope Pace in which the lady was falsely accused of smuggling drugs, arrested, and sent to a jail. Of course, she received all sorts of bondage and bdsm style torments in this jail. I edited out the other model and made a video that was strictly Penelope. One sequence had her naked and tied AOH - first flogged, then electricity is used, then a dildo stuck in the mouth, back to flogging with legs now upward and spread. I'll admit - hands up and testify that for me it's an incredibly hot sequence.

A have a thing for Wonder Woman in bondage and bdsm peril situations. A person looks online and hopes that a producer/creator makes something that is relatively close to that specific sequence. Some videos do come close - but usually the story goes in a different direction than what you want to see, there's nitpicking details, not the costume you want the model in, etc. The only vid that came close to what I wanted to see was Christina Carter's Wonder Woman: Obsession. A great Wonder Woman bondage peril vid per usual by Christina, but I would have loved her gorgeous legs in a spreader bar, rope bondage instead of handcuffs, and no blood - this is exactly what I mean by being specific about details.

So, naturally I thought what if I can get a gorgeous woman in the Wonder Woman outfit and create a sequence that was similar to what turns me on about the zfx vid. I changed it to bellypunch / flogging / electricity. I did contact a couple of producers - for some it's not for them, others are asking a high price. It's actually hard to get a custom made because of the changing industry in which producers are now fighting filesharing. I was extremely fortunate to get my vid made with a producer - and I love it. Let's just say all the star and planets aligned just right at that point in time for me and I got what I wanted.

I tried to do a second. It had a better storyline, use of the belt this time, and peril scenes that I would like to see - not a sequence. But the producer I went through doesn't want to do the character anymore, just wants to direct, and has other dreams and projects to pursue. Will I pursue a second custom with another producer? Perhaps not. I would love to do it with my first choice producer even if it means a rewrite to lower her reluctance to do it, but I don't think it would happen. Also, It is an expense that is not necessary and there's other things for a customer to see and do in life other than create a fetish vid.

If you have a burning desire to see a certain vid, shop around and hopefully you'll get the right producer. Good luck in your search.

[WarGriffin]

Yes, I've run into this problem, and even taken it one step further. You kind've have to feel your way through it. My first custom scripts were very simple - barely even scripts, really, just a sort've story outline with a list of requirements and I let the producer/performer just wing it. And most of the customs I got back then were good, but not so good that I still watch them, because I think back then I was kinda nervous about what I really wanted. I deliberately censored myself.

But then I started writing more complex stuff and I started REALLY going overboard. I sent a script to Christina Carter and she quoted me an estimae of like $8000. Needless to say, I didn't ever get that story made. It was 4 main performers with a few extras and like 8 scenes in different locations and super-powers (special effects). I dunno what I was thinking. I guess I just wanted to push the limits and see what would happen.

I still do write some customs where there's a LOT of room for the producer's creativity. I sometimes literally write like 2-3 scenes of very specific story/dialogue and then put something in the script like "Scenes 4-5 - these scenes just follow the same pattern" and maybe list a few ideas and let the producer pick. In a way, that's more fun because you don't actually know what's going to happen next when you watch the video, but you know it will be something along the lines of what you want.

I know what you mean about self-censoring--I did that early on as well, which eventually seemed very silly and unnecessary to me. The producers can always say "no" if they don't like what you're requesting, but even if they reject the request, they aren't like to be scandalized by it. They've probably heard a truly gargantuan spectrum of requests, and hearing my little fringe interest is probably not going to make them bat an eye.

Wow, you DID go overboard there! I've been quoted some prices for scripts that were definitely higher than I could swing, and I've had to scale back some of my ambitions and make the scripts much simpler, but I've never been given a quote THAT high. But what an epic video that probably would have been, if you'd gotten it made! You can always dream ... and then consult your bank balance for reality.

I'm intrigued by the notion of giving a producer that much room for creativity, to the point where you really don't know what's going to happen next when you watch the video. After I've worked with some producers several times and I've felt like they had a very good understanding of my interests and style, it's definitely crossed my mind to try a very open script and see what they come up with. But I've never pulled the trigger on that. It's hard enough to have things all come out right even when I say very specifically what I'm looking for, so I worry that NOT saying what I'm looking for could end up with something far from my liking, and the fault would be all mine for having been so vague. But one of these days, with the right producer, I might bust this move and see how it goes. I like the idea of being surprised by the video, as long as the surprises are GOOD!

[WarGriffin]

I've had quite a few customs done over the years - in fact I'd be scared to add up how much I've spent on them
One day I'll have to write a list of them..

Why do I get them?

I guess it's hard to pick a specific reason..

In the early days when there was less content around then it was more a case of getting the scenes I wanted with the heroines I wanted wearing the costumes I wanted. But these days there are producers who produce the sort of product I want (probably other peoples customs in a lot of cases ) so that particular factor is less. But still now and then I get the itch to get one of my ideas made - and it's true it's a great feeling when you see it up on the producers store - especially if it is in the top sellers list.

A big one now is getting scenes with specific models. There are quite a few adult models out there with supergirl costumes thanks to me

I think that thrill of the process, from sending in a script to receiving the scene still carries a kick for me.

That's interesting. I think the reasons also have changed a bit over time for me. A lot of it now is that "kick" from the whole process, but also it's getting scenes with specific models that might not otherwise make my kind of scenes, or at least I'm not inclined to wait forever to see if someone else will commission them to do so. I've had too many favorite models over the years retire without warning, so if I really want to see a particular model in a particular kind of scene that they haven't done before, I may just hustle and put in my own request.

A side note: But it's funny to me how impossible it seems to predict which models are going to stick around and which ones aren't. Some models have been doing this for over 20 years and are still cranking out videos as both performer and producer, totally going strong. But so many of the other models who were contemporaries with them when they started are LONG gone. Some models only do a couple videos total and are done. And I've never been able to figure out a rhyme or reason to who is going to have serious longevity in this business, and who is going to move on to other things in pretty short order. It's sort of like trying to guess which musicians/musical groups that are popular right now are going to be the few who are STILL making music and touring and who are STILL going to be household names two decades from now!

[Zee]

So, one thing that hasn't been discussed is how the price for a custom is set. For one producer, I provided him a synopsis of the story, the actress I wanted and costume. I wanted input for the villain and other characters in the video (if any), but he said NO. Also he only wanted a brief outline with no details. He would use his creative abilities to produce the detailed story. I do not think that there was an actual script; they made it up during the actually filming. He gave me a fixed price.
With another producer, I was able to provide him a more detailed story and he would write the script and dialogue. On several occasions he provided me the detailed script, which had been prepared to send to the actresses for their approval. He then prepared a detailed quote which included salaries based on the standard rate and the number of days, costs to rent the locales as well as the other miscellaneous items such as food, costume purchases, train tickets, etc.
Are my experiences similar to others?

[arkane]

-You had some very specific action or peril element that you wanted to see used heavily and existing videos just didn't give that element enough emphasis for your satisfaction.

-Maybe plenty of existing videos use a particular element of interest to you, but you were frequently frustrated because you didn't like exactly HOW the element was implemented, so you decided to just commission your own video to finally get the element done in the specific way you like.

-You were intrigued by the whole creative process and just wanted to experience being in charge of the story, and the characters, and the action, even if what you wanted to see in the video wasn't all that unusual for the genre.

I'm not delving today into the many unsatisfactory experiences I had with producers (not all of them, of course). My motive is (was): I wanted some specific peril elements done, and done in a certain way. I can't say they are uncommon: one is the good old chloro KO, so many people are sick of it because it's everywhere, other are more extreme and controversial and less frequent, like smothering with various methods, or drowning, still there's plenty of stuff around if you want to search for it.

I am generally not so satisfied with the stuff I find on the market (with some brilliant exceptions) because it's quite rare a clip where these fetishes are shown with intensity and realism. So I paid for scenes where there's tension, forceful action, traps, drama, screams (but not the continuous moanings you generally hear), or sometimes just silence with almost no words being spoken, surprise and sudden defeat, rage, prolonged resistance and fight, desperation, and so on.
Often I ask for specific details or items or costumes (but the last one is not so important for me, usually).

Sometimes maybe I couldn't explain myself well enough, sometimes producers and models (and models-producers) were out of their depth doing what I asked (and this could be my fault too, I always tried to spend less, I never tried the expensive producers that show more professionalism, but my resources aren't unlimited.).

Speaking of money, if I had great resources probably I'd end up having some of the best to create a whole serie for me, but this is another matter... LOL

[Jacques]

Actually, I collaborated with my producer of choice to develop a new character. One episode has been released and a second episode was filmed two weeks ago.The costs for a series of 4 or 5 episodes are going to be expensive. It takes about two days to film the customs. The first one had some pretty cool out door scenes.

[WarGriffin]

So, one thing that hasn't been discussed is how the price for a custom is set. For one producer, I provided him a synopsis of the story, the actress I wanted and costume. I wanted input for the villain and other characters in the video (if any), but he said NO. Also he only wanted a brief outline with no details. He would use his creative abilities to produce the detailed story. I do not think that there was an actual script; they made it up during the actually filming. He gave me a fixed price.
With another producer, I was able to provide him a more detailed story and he would write the script and dialogue. On several occasions he provided me the detailed script, which had been prepared to send to the actresses for their approval. He then prepared a detailed quote which included salaries based on the standard rate and the number of days, costs to rent the locales as well as the other miscellaneous items such as food, costume purchases, train tickets, etc.
Are my experiences similar to others?

Yeah, pricing is truly all over the map, both in terms of the amounts and the processes for setting and communicating the amounts. I would say that the two experiences you describe are probably at opposite ends of the spectrum, and most of my custom request experiences have been somewhere in between. I have always written a full script for my custom requests, and in maybe half the cases the producers have used my script directly and have shared it with the performers without any changes to what I wrote, but in about half the cases the producers have taken my script as a guide and have then written their own script or outline and their own version is what they use on set and share with the performers. In a few cases, I could tell from the final product that the "outline" that the producer made from my script must have been pretty loose and left a lot of room for improvising things on set, but only a couple producers has ever actually shown me their own outline/script that they made from my script. I thought it was nice to see that, though.

As for the costs, it seems that some of the lower-cost producers still post publicly a fixed price structure for a certain number of models X a certain number of minutes, and that "base" price might go up if you are asking for something particularly difficult or you want special costumes, etc. But for the producers with more elaborate sets and higher production values, the pricing often is not known until you send in the script and get a quote back. Even for the multi-thousand-dollar customs that I have done, I've never been given an exact breakdown of costs the way you described in your second example. That would be nice to see, I guess, for information's sake, but typically I am just told a total amount that the producer will charge to do the video, and I don't know how much the models are getting paid or any other details of where the money goes. Occasionally, something will come up in preparation for the video and the producer might wind up telling me that one of the models can't make it and that certain options for replacing her could be done at the same cost while certain other models would increase the cost because the other model's fees are higher, and the actual fee may be mentioned. But usually I don't know those details. Maybe more producers would tell me if I asked, but I don't ask, and not that many volunteer the information.

[arkane]

When a precise set is established (for example you want a two models clip = that's 150 $ per model per 10 minutes so it will be 300 for ten minutes, 600 for 20 minutes and so on) in my opinion is no better than having no idea about how the cost is distributed. If I have one scene in mind I'd like it to be done well, even if it's long just 8 minutes with a couple to spare...

But I never made a script with all the dialogue set word by word.

[Zee]

Customs for multi thousand of dollars, I am impressed, actually very impressed. I sure hope for your sake that the result was awesome.
$600 for 20 minutes, that is pretty steep unless it was porn.
I submit a detailed story line and then the producer developes his version and submits it for my approval as well as approval from the actresses. Once agreed he would write the actual dialogue in french. I never saw the actual dialogue. He did make some tweaks during the actual filming., usually during the torture sequences. BTW, videos are in french with subtitles.

[arkane]

$600 for 20 minutes, that is pretty steep unless it was porn.

I was not giving precise quotations, and I've never spent that much... but I assure you that for a 20 minutes clip 600 $ it's not a very high price. Obviously everything depends on who is doing it, and on things like special effects, equipment, staff, editing, hiring expensive actresses or relatively unexpensive fetish models (categories are blurred), and so on.

[WarGriffin]

When a precise set is established (for example you want a two models clip = that's 150 $ per model per 10 minutes so it will be 300 for ten minutes, 600 for 20 minutes and so on) in my opinion is no better than having no idea about how the cost is distributed. If I have one scene in mind I'd like it to be done well, even if it's long just 8 minutes with a couple to spare...

But I never made a script with all the dialogue set word by word.

The benefit of the exact per-minute-per-actress pricing that is posted publicly in advance is mainly just that it gives a ballpark for what a given video concept might cost from that producer. I remember when I sent in my very first custom script request, I had NO IDEA what to expect the model/producer would come back with as the charge. The quote could have been $200 and it wouldn't have surprised me, and it could have been $2000 and it wouldn't have surprised me either, as I was brand new to this and just had zero frame of reference for what getting your own video concept brought to life would cost. But depending on the cost, I may not have been able to afford it. So in that case, it might have been nice to have had some basic pricing structure shown in advance, so I could have known whether it was even remotely financially realistic for me to be trying to get my script made with that producer. But knowing the specific breakdown of where the money goes has never seemed all that important to me.

[WarGriffin]

$600 for 20 minutes, that is pretty steep unless it was porn.

I was not giving precise quotations, and I've never spent that much... but I assure you that for a 20 minutes clip 600 $ it's not a very high price. Obviously everything depends on who is doing it, and on things like special effects, equipment, staff, editing, hiring expensive actresses or relatively unexpensive fetish models (categories are blurred), and so on.

Yeah, there really is no way to say "that amount of money for that length of video is too expensive" without knowing more details. Seemingly one of the biggest drivers is the size of the cast. My most expensive custom video had 5 actresses in it, and that cast size had much more impact on the cost of the video than the length did. In fact, the length wasn't even really all that clear to me going into it, as that's partly a factor of how the shooting goes and how much gets left on the cutting room floor. The producer and I never agreed on an exact length, just the scenes and settings and events that would occur across the story arc, and the type of action that would be highlighted in each part. I knew the script couldn't be done in 10 or 15 minutes, but I didn't really know how long the final video would actually run. But I think the producer gave his quote based on the number of models, the setting to be rented, and the fact that it would take at least one full day on set to shoot it. I didn't shop around and get alternative quotes from other producers, so I can't say if the producer I worked with was on the high side or the low side or in the middle of the pack for what I was requesting. But I picked him based on my impression of his prior work and style, which I thought would fit my script idea well.

I do remember that some of my early customs were made by a model whose pricing seemed very reasonable to me. It turned out that some of her fellow fetish models actually got mad at her because they thought her prices were too low and it was making their prices seem too high by comparison. These other models didn't object to how much she paid them when they performed in her videos, but they objected to how little she charged the customer for the production. She reluctantly eventually made a jump in her pricing, to be more on par with her peers.

[WarGriffin]

Customs for multi thousand of dollars, I am impressed, actually very impressed. I sure hope for your sake that the result was awesome.
$600 for 20 minutes, that is pretty steep unless it was porn.
I submit a detailed story line and then the producer developes his version and submits it for my approval as well as approval from the actresses. Once agreed he would write the actual dialogue in french. I never saw the actual dialogue. He did make some tweaks during the actual filming., usually during the torture sequences. BTW, videos are in french with subtitles.

The process you describe with your producer sounds great to me (apart from the language, as I don't speak French--although it's never really occurred to me to consider whether subtitles would bother me--maybe they wouldn't and then the French dialogue would be a non-issue).

I have had some major hits (in my own opinion) and some major misses (in my own opinion), and that's true across the full pricing spectrum. It's a gamble. You live, you learn. I'd say my batting average is definitely higher now than when I started, but misses can still happen.

[endofallthings2]

I worked with The Battle for Earth for my custom, “The Broker”.

http://www.thebattleforearth.com/thebroker.html

Much like some of the others on here, I did it because my particular kink (truly bad/humiliating ends of heroines with no reprieve or hope) wasn’t as well served in the marketplace as I would have liked. (Although ironically -and to my benefit - I’m starting to see a bit more of it coming on stream recently).

Additionally, I enjoy writing, so I really liked the challenge of writing a custom in screenplay format. It’s very interesting how something that reads ok on a page doesn’t work in live action....if I were to do “the broker” over again, I’d do a page one re-write of the villains dialogue etc.

Battle For Earth were actually really good about transparency of costs - I was given model “day rates” + costs of editing etc in advance as a breakdown. Can’t fault them for their quality or customer service.

I’ll probably commission again - but it needs the stars to align with an idea and an influx of cash!

[tumkar]

I've even thought about trying to team up with (or even creating) a studio in the UK with the sole purpose of creating superheroine themed content/customs. The idea being that it would pay for itself and i would slip one of my own in now and then just to feed my habit

[TIEnTEEZ]

I'm intrigued by the notion of giving a producer that much room for creativity, to the point where you really don't know what's going to happen next when you watch the video. After I've worked with some producers several times and I've felt like they had a very good understanding of my interests and style, it's definitely crossed my mind to try a very open script and see what they come up with. But I've never pulled the trigger on that. It's hard enough to have things all come out right even when I say very specifically what I'm looking for, so I worry that NOT saying what I'm looking for could end up with something far from my liking, and the fault would be all mine for having been so vague. But one of these days, with the right producer, I might bust this move and see how it goes. I like the idea of being surprised by the video, as long as the surprises are GOOD!

Well, I usually write the intro stuff to set the tone of the story, and then let them make up the rest. And I often also include a long list of like 'suggested' dialog. That way it gives the feel of what I want without nailing it down to actual dialog that they need to memorize. So they can pick and choose a few of them and try to work them in, if possible.

[TIEnTEEZ]

So, one thing that hasn't been discussed is how the price for a custom is set. For one producer, I provided him a synopsis of the story, the actress I wanted and costume. I wanted input for the villain and other characters in the video (if any), but he said NO. Also he only wanted a brief outline with no details. He would use his creative abilities to produce the detailed story. I do not think that there was an actual script; they made it up during the actually filming. He gave me a fixed price.
With another producer, I was able to provide him a more detailed story and he would write the script and dialogue. On several occasions he provided me the detailed script, which had been prepared to send to the actresses for their approval. He then prepared a detailed quote which included salaries based on the standard rate and the number of days, costs to rent the locales as well as the other miscellaneous items such as food, costume purchases, train tickets, etc.
Are my experiences similar to others?

I'm pretty sure I know exactly who that second producer is. He's the one who told me, several time, "I'm really good at writing scripts." And was strongly opposed to dialog. Am I right?

Anyway, yes, experiences ARE certainly all over the map. Some producers want you to be extremely specific and others prefer to use their own creativity. I have had good and experiences with both types, so I dunno if either is better than the other.

[Zee]

Sorry there is miscommunication on my part regarding the second producer who btw is very new to the genre. After a back and forth discussion, he produces a draft script synopsis which requires approval by the actresses and myself. Then he writes the detailed dialogue. I am too lazy to write the dialogue for my custom. I am pretty sure that he would agree to a customer writing his or her dialogue

[davidfet1]

Years ago, I paid a producer a few times to do custom work. I was always disappointed with the results. Many times the video was what I asked for but shot so poorly that it was not worth watching (video done in one take and in a long shot and with bad lighting).

So, I found a video camera at the goodwill and started putting together costumes. I learned as I went along and found myself enjoying the process of designing the costumes, the props and the scenes.

I truly suggest to all the people on this thread to think about making your own custom. It is far better than paying a producer who may not have the same level of passion for the project or for what you want filmed. This way it will be as close to what you want because you are the one actually making it.

[arkane]

So, I found a video camera at the goodwill and started putting together costumes. I learned as I went along and found myself enjoying the process of designing the costumes, the props and the scenes.

I truly suggest to all the people on this thread to think about making your own custom. It is far better than paying a producer who may not have the same level of passion for the project ...........

Oh well. I haven't the time, the skill, the models, the videocamera, the location, the costumes, and so on.
This is not for me....

[Heroine Addict]

Years ago, I paid a producer a few times to do custom work. I was always disappointed with the results. Many times the video was what I asked for but shot so poorly that it was not worth watching (video done in one take and in a long shot and with bad lighting).

So, I found a video camera at the goodwill and started putting together costumes. I learned as I went along and found myself enjoying the process of designing the costumes, the props and the scenes.

I truly suggest to all the people on this thread to think about making your own custom. It is far better than paying a producer who may not have the same level of passion for the project or for what you want filmed. This way it will be as close to what you want because you are the one actually making it.

I'm glad that worked for you and the results you've posted do indeed look excellent. However, even if I had the resources and contacts to do that (which I don't), I'm not sure I could enjoy a sausage dinner if I had just spent a day working in the sausage factory.

The video would be more of a souvenir of working with those people, as I probably couldn't appreciate it in the same way as a ready-made finished product. There wouldn't be any sense of escapism if I had already spent hours selecting every frame and making every creative decision.

I guess customs are a halfway point between ready-made and self-produced videos. The customer gets to dictate the storyline, costumes and models, but there's still the distinctive look/style of the producer's work. Of course, how well the finished product matches what you imagined/expected can vary. But not knowing exactly how something will look is kind of the thrill of watching anything for the first time.

[Kookie]

I've had 3 customs with TBFE, and while they always do a great job in quality I feel like I still need to polish and know what I really want to get the most out of it. Sometimes I'd be left unsatisfied and wanting more but that's something that can be fixed with more specific writing. They always try to do everything that is written but people are not mind reader, so that's that.

Anyway, my main motivation is mostly to bridge the JAV superheroine genre and western. I feel like JAV has some specific fetishes that I like that's never pictured in all the western superheroine clips. So I usually take examples from the japanese clips and try to imitate it, which is why I choose TBFE because their production quality is comparable to GIGA, which we all know has insane budgets.

The other thing that I've developed overtime is that I really want to see some actress in my original character's costume, they usually look really hot already in it not doing anything but when mixed with some action it's even better.

Third maybe my fetishes are pretty niche so it's hard to find specifically what I like in the available videos. Thus I went ahead and ordered my own stuff.

[WarGriffin]

Years ago, I paid a producer a few times to do custom work. I was always disappointed with the results. Many times the video was what I asked for but shot so poorly that it was not worth watching (video done in one take and in a long shot and with bad lighting).

So, I found a video camera at the goodwill and started putting together costumes. I learned as I went along and found myself enjoying the process of designing the costumes, the props and the scenes.

I truly suggest to all the people on this thread to think about making your own custom. It is far better than paying a producer who may not have the same level of passion for the project or for what you want filmed. This way it will be as close to what you want because you are the one actually making it.

I'm glad that worked for you and the results you've posted do indeed look excellent. However, even if I had the resources and contacts to do that (which I don't), I'm not sure I could enjoy a sausage dinner if I had just spent a day working in the sausage factory.

The video would be more of a souvenir of working with those people, as I probably couldn't appreciate it in the same way as a ready-made finished product. There wouldn't be any sense of escapism if I had already spent hours selecting every frame and making every creative decision.

I guess customs are a halfway point between ready-made and self-produced videos. The customer gets to dictate the storyline, costumes and models, but there's still the distinctive look/style of the producer's work. Of course, how well the finished product matches what you imagined/expected can vary. But not knowing exactly how something will look is kind of the thrill of watching anything for the first time.

After talking through some of my script requests, which were pretty specific, a producer once suggested to me that I get a camera and make contact with some performers and try creating my own videos, as it would be more likely to produce a result that really fit my exact vision and in the end might even be cheaper than multiple attempts at custom requests with established producers. I thought about this for a while, and considered starting very small to just put a toe in the water to see how it would go with one short, simple video. Shortly after getting this thought in my head, though, I wound up getting relocated for work to a place where performers were not available. The thought passed, and I didn't wind up coming back to it even when I was eventually relocated again to a more reasonable place in terms of opportunities. It sounds good, but something makes me ambivalent about it.

Without having put my finger on it before, I think that "something" may be what Heroine Addict described. In the back of my mind, I think it makes me recall my experience with CGI programs (Poser and such) that I thought were the answer to a lot of fetish wishes when I first encountered them years ago. I put in time and learned the programs well enough to produce images, storyboards, and even animations that were pretty darn good depictions of my fantasies, if I do say so myself. But after all that, I learned that I really couldn't enjoy looking at my own CGI creations the way I could enjoy looking at someone else's, because I couldn't stop thinking about every little technical detail and creative decision and software hurdle that I'd spent hours laboring through for each image. I couldn't stop being my own critic, and wanting to tinker a little more with this coloring or that lighting or this facial expression or that costume design, etc. I couldn't look at the sausage without being transported back into the sausage factory. So I eventually dropped the computer art hobby, realizing that it was simply more enjoyable to see someone else's finished product (even if it were no better than something I could have made myself, and something I could've made closer to my own specific predilections), because I could just take the product at face value and not go into tinkering mode with it. And also there would be that sense of surprise to see what someone else cooked up. I think I agree with Heroine Addict that custom videos are the halfway point, with the right balance of input from me to push the production decidedly in the direction of my niche interests, without me getting truly into the sausage factory and dictating EXACTLY how it gets made, which probably would activate my tinkering mode when it came time to try to enjoy the finished product. And there remains that bit of surprise (sometimes good, sometimes less good) when I see how the producer/performers actually implemented my script. There is something nice about that surprise upon the first viewing

All of that said, I still might try my toe in this water at least once at some point, maybe, just to know for sure how I will react to it and if it will be the CGI program experience all over again. My humble hunch is that I could do a decent job of it, with some practice (as was true with the CGI stuff), but that's also an unproven. Might just be interesting to test myself in this domain one day.

I wonder how many current producers started this way, not really setting out to BE producers as such, but just trying to shoot their own fantasies for their own interest at first, and then finding that they were good at it and there was a market for what they produced, and that selling could provide the finances to continue. And next thing you know, they became a new producer on the block.

[TIEnTEEZ]

I would love to create my own videos. I'd love to start my own production studio and hire models and make videos that cater to exactly my fetishes. I even have a background in film from high school and I started college as a communications major intending to go into film, before I realized I would have to spend my life looking for work and switched to computer science.

But I don't think I could ever actually do it. Just hiring models would be a MAJOR undertaking. And then there's contracts and scheduling and finding a place to shoot. Not to mention that if I ever wanted to recoup any of the money, I'd have to open a Clips4Sale store and then film a bunch of stuff I wasn't interested in so as to broaden the audience and my customer base.

Also... I don't live in a place where adult fetish models are common. I guess if you like in L.A. you are good, and maybe NYC(?), but anywhere else I imagine it would be very tough to find quality talent.

Then you have the added nightmare of dealing with fetish models - who (and forgive me for this) I imagine are not the most stable people. I mean... just dealing with many of them over the internet can be like dealing with dangerous psychotics in a mental ward.

And then there's the editing, and post production. And in the end, I don't think I would ever be able to enjoy a video that I MADE, because I would know too much about it. I would be too close to it and I would never be able to sit back and WATCH it without drowning in all the memories of what went wrong and how difficult it was to make - not to mention that there would be NO surprises. By the time you could watch it, you would have had to watch every line of dialog a thousand times while editing it.