I've been thinking recently and I'm curious to know - when you're watching a WAM video, does the background really make a difference? Do you care if they're filming in a bathroom, outside in their garden or if they've taken time to set up a tarp or green screen? Does it matter if they've just put down dust sheets or plastic in their kitchen or if they're standing in the shower?
You see, I'm quite limited in where I can film. I sometimes have to resort to the above - and I'm paranoid my videos look like crap based purely on where they're filmed. But does it matter to you lot? Are there certain things that can make a less-professional video look even worse? Things I could do to improve or things to avoid? I'd really appreciate your feedback on this.
I don't like scenes filmed in the shower. It just screams, "We did this as cheap as possible... probably with a camera phone!" Plus, the lighting is never that good.
Also, setting up a backdrop.... and then not cleaning it for (what seems like) 25 scenes in a row.... really defeats the purpose. If the models look disgusted by their surroundings, that's a turn-off.
I actually had great success filming outside in my early days.... and the Moonins do this now... so I think that's a good alternative to shooting in a home studio. I stopped doing it because of the audio issues, but mostly cuz HD made the sun "lighting" too harsh for my tastes. (Plus adjusting every time a cloud comes along SUCKS.) Big-budget shoots avoid this by using giant "shade filters" 30 feet in the air on cranes.... I don't have those kind of resources tho......
SStuff said: I don't like scenes filmed in the shower. It just screams, "We did this as cheap as possible... probably with a camera phone!" Plus, the lighting is never that good.
Also, setting up a backdrop.... and then not cleaning it for (what seems like) 25 scenes in a row.... really defeats the purpose. If the models look disgusted by their surroundings, that's a turn-off.
I actually had great success filming outside in my early days.... and the Moonins do this now... so I think that's a good alternative to shooting in a home studio. I stopped doing it because of the audio issues, but mostly cuz HD made the sun "lighting" too harsh for my tastes. (Plus adjusting every time a cloud comes along SUCKS.) Big-budget shoots avoid this by using giant "shade filters" 30 feet in the air on cranes.... I don't have those kind of resources tho......
Yeah, I'm really avoiding filming in the bathroom for that reason - even though I have a decent camera-tripod-lighting setup considering I have a really small budget. I like to film outside, but then you're restricted by the weather...
AMWorigins said: I honestly don't think your videos look like crap. Doesn't matter to me at all. A WAM video is a WamAM video. As long as you are having fun.
I can't help but be worried about it though. I don't have a big budget, I'm not a studio - I'm one person doing the best I can with what I have - but if my videos look crap because of something I could fix, I'd like to know - so I can fix it.
I mean is the background distracting? I remember one of Leon's shoots there was a hotel on fire in the background. The model (I want to say her name was Hannah) was a trooper and still did the clawfoot tub shoot anyways, but that had to be pretty damn awkward.
ItsJay said: Meh. Honestly, I can take it or leave it. I would rather the main focus is on the messy stuff being used. Id rather a video be filmed in a plain white room with fantastic coverage over a video that looks professional but has poor messy coverage. Both is just a bonus.
So you're more interested in the foreground than the background, huh?
Potatoman-J said: I mean is the background distracting? I remember one of Leon's shoots there was a hotel on fire in the background. The model (I want to say her name was Hannah) was a trooper and still did the clawfoot tub shoot anyways, but that had to be pretty damn awkward.
Distracting huh? I'd say a fire would totally fall into that category - but for example if it were filmed in a kitchen, would a shelf with some food/bottles of pop on it in the background be distracting? I can imagine if something were MOVING in the background, i.e. the aforementioned fireplace or a pendulum clock, that would be distracting...
It's important to me. I think once you start considering such things you can't then go back.
I have a studio with a washable floor and use backcloths, mirrors, rugs - tapestries (the crimson ones are a tribute to PiedPinups) Before that we would build a 'set' in the kitchen in a 10ft paddling pool and use hanging back cloths which would then go in the washing machine (I used to use grey ones because a had a large roll of the fabric - but this was a nightmare to colour match between my old cameras!)
I filmed a couple of pieces recently in Lily Ace's own bathroom. It's lovely and light and airy and classic looking but we only used it because that's where we happened to be and needed to set up spontaneously when we had the chance. It's less than ideal, presentation wise though.
I think it's a courtesy to the models too (as Rich implies above) : that they feel they are working in something like a professionally presented environment. A bit of class. If the model is dressed to the nines, why shouldn't their set be?
Well that really depends as it is a real mess in the background that would be a problem for me if the video would be a normal video with as little movement as then you can look at everything but if it was messy and it would jump from angle to angle I wouldn't be bothered by it
Richard Trouso said: It's important to me. I think once you start considering such things you can't then go back.
I have a studio with a washable floor and use backcloths, mirrors, rugs - tapestries (the crimson ones are a tribute to PiedPinups) Before that we would build a 'set' in the kitchen in a 10ft paddling pool and use hanging back cloths which would then go in the washing machine (I used to use grey ones because a had a large roll of the fabric - but this was a nightmare to colour match between my old cameras!)
I filmed a couple of pieces recently in Lily Ace's own bathroom. It's lovely and light and airy and classic looking but we only used it because that's where we happened to be and needed to set up spontaneously when we had the chance. It's less than ideal, presentation wise though.
I think it's a courtesy to the models too (as Rich implies above) : that they feel they are working in something like a professionally presented environment. A bit of class. If the model is dressed to the nines, why shouldn't their set be?
See, none of this is really relevant to me as a single person. I'm not a studio, I don't have models. I'm a single person who enjoys WAM and likes to make videos. I'm also a single person with a very small budget - so I do what I can with what I have.
Richard Trouso said: It's important to me. I think once you start considering such things you can't then go back.
I have a studio with a washable floor and use backcloths, mirrors, rugs - tapestries (the crimson ones are a tribute to PiedPinups) Before that we would build a 'set' in the kitchen in a 10ft paddling pool and use hanging back cloths which would then go in the washing machine (I used to use grey ones because a had a large roll of the fabric - but this was a nightmare to colour match between my old cameras!)
I filmed a couple of pieces recently in Lily Ace's own bathroom. It's lovely and light and airy and classic looking but we only used it because that's where we happened to be and needed to set up spontaneously when we had the chance. It's less than ideal, presentation wise though.
I think it's a courtesy to the models too (as Rich implies above) : that they feel they are working in something like a professionally presented environment. A bit of class. If the model is dressed to the nines, why shouldn't their set be?
See, none of this is really relevant to me as a single person. I'm not a studio, I don't have models. I'm a single person who enjoys WAM and likes to make videos. I'm also a single person with a very small budget - so I do what I can with what I have.
I'm not a studio either (though I've obviously succeeded in giving that impression). The point I'm making is that whatever you do, it's important that everything in the shot is there for a reason. If bathroom's and tarps are the real deal and the way you do it, then that's fine. I'm not being critical of you not using back drops. But I think it's a good idea to consider presentation if you're selling things. Everything's got to look intentional.
I'm not a studio either (though I've obviously succeeded in giving that impression). The point I'm making is that whatever you do, it's important that everything in the shot is there for a reason. If bathroom's and tarps are the real deal and the way you do it, then that's fine. I'm not being critical of you not using back drops. But I think it's a good idea to consider presentation if you're selling things. Everything's got to look intentional.
You certainly do give off that impression of being a studio. But yeah, I get what you mean by "intentional" - I think my videos look better indoors with a tarp or backdrop behind me than being outdoors with the garden wall. To me, gardens look just as slapdash as bathrooms do. But like a previous poster mentioned - if what's going on in the video is entertaining, I don't really notice the background either. I'm just trying to improve and avoid making rookie mistakes. I think I'm beyond being a rookie now, just.
If you're going for the "basement porno" look...a blue plastic tarp and harsh (heavily shadowed) lighting is the way to go
Trust me, though, a garden wall (so long as it's not crawling with bugs) is preferable to a plastic tarp (a clear plastic tarp is somewhat less bad if what's behind it is , say, a kitchen or sofa, etc.
But really, it's about YOUR personal aesthetic; what YOU are OK with, or, like to have complimenting the foreground scene 9which, yes, should be decent, wam-wise).
For me, when I first started making wam videos (coming from an indy film/video production background), having custom backgrounds painted/made for me (some less distracting than others), or even just a smooth, rich color backdrop (sheet) was a no-brainer...I was trying to avoid the 'basement porno' look, and, for me, a video -- whether kin/fetish/erotica or not -- should be a complete product (i.e,, nice looking in every detail)...color, details, props....not that I was going for a "pro" look, rather, I borrowed some pro techniques (including lighting) to inform my videos, and in so doing, developed my own unique style (was not for everyone, but I did have my fans).
Please yourself.
Robby WLP, back in the day, managed to keep the amateur look but also avoid the dreaded plastic tarp background and maintain a basic level of quality video-making.
Nowadays, seems that Pie Zone has a deft grip on colorful and cool videos and backgrounds (even if green-screened).
Here's a few examples of scenes I shot (indoor and outdoor) that worked well as wam video backgrounds:
wamajama said: If you're going for the "basement porno" look...a blue plastic tarp and harsh (heavily shadowed) lighting is the way to go
Trust me, though, a garden wall (so long as it's not crawling with bugs) is preferable to a plastic tarp (a clear plastic tarp is somewhat less bad if what's behind it is , say, a kitchen or sofa, etc.
But really, it's about YOUR personal aesthetic; what YOU are OK with, or, like to have complimenting the foreground scene 9which, yes, should be decent, wam-wise).
For me, when I first started making wam videos (coming from an indy film/video production background), having custom backgrounds painted/made for me (some less distracting than others), or even just a smooth, rich color backdrop (sheet) was a no-brainer...I was trying to avoid the 'basement porno' look, and, for me, a video -- whether kin/fetish/erotica or not -- should be a complete product (i.e,, nice looking in every detail)...color, details, props....not that I was going for a "pro" look, rather, I borrowed some pro techniques (including lighting) to inform my videos, and in so doing, developed my own unique style (was not for everyone, but I did have my fans).
Please yourself.
Robby WLP, back in the day, managed to keep the amateur look but also avoid the dreaded plastic tarp background and maintain a basic level of quality video-making.
Nowadays, seems that Pie Zone has a deft grip on colorful and cool videos and backgrounds (even if green-screened).
Here's a few examples of scenes I shot (indoor and outdoor) that worked well as wam video backgrounds:
Now you see I was avoiding the clear tarps like the plague coz I really don't want people to see my kitchen. I can't stand that look, but that's just a personal thing - if the content is good, I don't mind what the background looks like.
Thankfully I try and use a mix of natural light and stage lights so my tarp doesn't look so shadowy and sketchy.
This depends on individual taste but backgrounds don't really matter for me, showers and tubs are fine but lighting is the one thing that can make or break a video. Too dark and you might not even be able to tell what substances are being used and too bright then you will need to turn down monitor brightness so everything is not white washed.
I like a level of "realism" in a scene, so the setup, which includes the background/setting is important. If someone is sat on a plastic sheet or in a paddling pool, or in a bathtub. It makes it a very different kind of video/photo that is purely a wam fetish piece, which in itself has it's place and market. But isn't really my bag. I have always noticed how much more "buzz" there is on wam forums around "real life" wam material, such as TV gameshows etc. So I'm guessing it's not just me who likes a scene to feel "real".
MudSlogger said: I'm fine with any background. Cheesy background music, on the other hand, is an instant mood-killer. I really love when I can hear every soft, squishy, sloppy noise that a messy substance makes.
Interesting point. I admit I usually use background music, but that's because I don't feel comfortable speaking in my UMD videos, it feels a bit scripted and phoned in - so BGM helps to hide some of the silence - though I do keep the volume low so if there are splat sounds, you can still hear em.
It doesn't take much to not have a shitty background. There's also a reason any professional production doesn't have a shitty background.
Proper cloth backdrops work great, but you have to switch them then clean them. The moment I could paint a couple of walls, out came the brushes. Not distracting and dead easy to clean. Assuming you don't go for colors that are too bright...
JKL989 said: This depends on individual taste but backgrounds don't really matter for me, showers and tubs are fine but lighting is the one thing that can make or break a video. Too dark and you might not even be able to tell what substances are being used and too bright then you will need to turn down monitor brightness so everything is not white washed.
This, absolutely. Understanding the basics of how light works in photography is vital. Doesn't even have to be any of the technical stuff about colour balance and light temperatures, just the very basics:
The scene must be well lit with light coming from the same side the camera is on. Usually this means bright lights either side of the camera operator.
Don't mix light sources - almost any kind of light is fine but make all the sources the same - don't try and mix fluorescents with halogens or LEDs or tungsten bulbs (or any of them with each other), don't try and mix electric light with daylight. Have one light source type and then use several of them to get enough brightness.
If shooting outdoors make sure the sun is behind the camera and not behind the model. I've seen what would have been amazing wetlook videos but for the sun being behind the model so all you see is the silhouette and can't see any detail at all. When watching a scene live our eyes can adjust to different brightness levels in different parts of the scene - cameras can't do that, so if the light is behind the model, all you get is a black shape of them.
Knickerslopperglory said: I like a level of "realism" in a scene, so the setup, which includes the background/setting is important. If someone is sat on a plastic sheet or in a paddling pool, or in a bathtub. It makes it a very different kind of video/photo that is purely a wam fetish piece, which in itself has it's place and market. But isn't really my bag. I have always noticed how much more "buzz" there is on wam forums around "real life" wam material, such as TV gameshows etc. So I'm guessing it's not just me who likes a scene to feel "real".
Must admit I am permanently baffled by the buzz about gameshow and award ceremony WAM on this forum. Even the best of those scenes are usually pale shadows of what even a beginner WAM producer can create, and yet they always get enormous threads with tons of comments. I genuinely do not get it, but clearly lots of people do find them appealing.
As to backgrounds, to a really scratty, messy background is off-putting. Shelves full of randomly piled stuff (even worse if said stuff is splashed with the residue of previous shoots), live electrical sockets (just NO!!!!), etc - if the stuff can't be moved, then some kind of screen should be put in front of it - even just a light wooden frame with a nice dark cotton bed sheet draped over it and then a plastic dust-sheet over that to protect it - basically make the background plain.
In general though, what really matters is the actual wamming going on in front of the background. A scratty background but with a model in the right outfit doing exactly the right things, and filmed so we can see them properly, is better than a perfect backdrop but mediocre wamming.
Must admit I am permanently baffled by the buzz about gameshow and award ceremony WAM on this forum. Even the best of those scenes are usually pale shadows of what even a beginner WAM producer can create, and yet they always get enormous threads with tons of comments. I genuinely do not get it, but clearly lots of people do find them appealing.
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Absolutely, the produced wam is way better wam, but the "real life" wam has an added appeal, which in my case is linked to the plausibility and professionalism of it. This may be the same for others!
Must admit I am permanently baffled by the buzz about gameshow and award ceremony WAM on this forum. Even the best of those scenes are usually pale shadows of what even a beginner WAM producer can create, and yet they always get enormous threads with tons of comments. I genuinely do not get it, but clearly lots of people do find them appealing.
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Absolutely, the produced wam is way better wam, but the "real life" wam has an added appeal, which in my case is linked to the plausibility and professionalism of it. This may be the same for others!
Yep I love some of the amateur stuff because it's easier to identify with everyday people vs professional model but that being said if the pros have material that pushes the right buttons then I'll buy their stuff.
JKL989 said: Yep I love some of the amateur stuff because it's easier to identify with everyday people vs professional model but that being said if the pros have material that pushes the right buttons then I'll buy their stuff.
I think you might be conflating quality and amateur/professional.
Something produced by an amateur doesn't have to be bad quality in terms of lighting and filming. Conversely, there are "professional" producers that truly suck at both of those.
JKL989 said: Yep I love some of the amateur stuff because it's easier to identify with everyday people vs professional model but that being said if the pros have material that pushes the right buttons then I'll buy their stuff.
I think you might be conflating quality and amateur/professional.
Something produced by an amateur doesn't have to be bad quality in terms of lighting and filming. Conversely, there are "professional" producers that truly suck at both of those.
This.
Also, the supposition that the reactions of the model are somehow inauthentic if the production is too good.
DungeonMasterOne said: live electrical sockets (just NO!!!!),
FWIW, I use bare white walls and electrical code in the US decrees that every wall in a habitable room shall have one or more outlets, so all my scenes have them in view, however I long ago determined that I could not afford enough insurance to keep me out of jail if I electrocuted one of my girls, so they are all covered in heavy clear packing tape
I have to say that I'm always extremely impressed by the way many of the "Valentine's Network" videos appear to just trash a really nice house with no plastic in site. The same goes for WAMFAN's videos. Even with a bunch of plastic spread around I still find small blobs of pie residue days (ok months) after the fact.
DungeonMasterOne said: live electrical sockets (just NO!!!!),
FWIW, I use bare white walls and electrical code in the US decrees that every wall in a habitable room shall have one or more outlets, so all my scenes have them in view, however I long ago determined that I could not afford enough insurance to keep me out of jail if I electrocuted one of my girls, so they are all covered in heavy clear packing tape