From slimedmodels & the man the wife to the pie zone/slapstick stuff. Production is different between them but regardless everyone here invests lots of time and money into producing videos which is awesome.

I heard that Clark & Rich spend a grip just flying models out to them. And heard other producers say pies alone can be a lot of money(if real).

So how much would you guys say you need to start a studio/store? And what about finding people willing to do this?

Thanks

I'm not a producer, but I think this is a difficult question to answer: it depends on what you want, and what you already have.

* Location. Are you planning to film scenes at home (e.g. in your bathroom, garage, or spare bedroom) or do you actually want to set up a dedicated studio?

* Cameras, lighting, etc. Are you just going to record video from your phone? Do you already have any special equipment?

* Pies/cakes. Are you going to buy them ready-made from a bakery or make them yourself? How many do you want to use in each scene?

* Models. How selective are you going to be (e.g. bra size) and what are you asking for (e.g. fully clothed vs nudity)?

As a starting point, I'd suggest commissioning a custom; that will give you some idea of the cost for each scene.

I think the cost of hiring models is a big cost and it is alot better when you can depend on models to make more than one video. Slimed models has a very loyal group of models willing to come back time and time again. That saves alot of time. Some producers have to find a new model for every different shoot due to the fact that they get over friendly with their models or harass them with texts and calls after a shoot. Almost all my girls are willing to shoot again and again other than the ones that the experience wasn't for them. Models are never going to turn down money unless a producer acts inappropriate. That's what Vika has said to me on multiple occasions.

As other have said, the answer is dependent on your local economy and what you want to shoot (for example, mud is free, slime powder is cheap, and maple syrup is expensive). Think about what you need to shoot it and look up some prices on used stuff. Cell phones have really good cameras these days so you're probably set there. Lighting is a must--but even then you can use natural light if you're shooting outside or near a big window. Sound is usually critical in video but, in WAM, not so much (hmmmm...wonder why???)

The biggest variable is the rates of local models. Depending on where you live there may be a lot of models available or you're going to have to try really hard to find someone. ModelMayhem is still useful for at least getting a sense of rates individual models charge.

Short vague answer: the first step to starting a WAM production is knowing what, who, and how you want to shoot. Then you figure out what you need to accomplish it. THEN you can figure out how much everything costs. You'll find answers on eBay, Amazon, ModelMayhem, Peerspace (if you want a dedicated physical studio), grocery stores, etc. My prediction: it's going to cost a little more than you think and a LOT more than you're going to get in return from selling the footage, at least early on.

£37.54

Tsk tsk! Everyone know's the answer is $42!



TBH it all depends on what kind of studio/producer you want to become.

There are people who'll think nothing of spending $1500+ on video cameras, and buy three or four of them, and the same again on light rigs. There are people shooting on their phones using just the ambient light in a bathroom.

How much do you already know about photography and videography? Understanding how to position models and yourself with regard to light sources is probably the single most important thing about WAM photography that newbies get wrong. Second most important, knowing how to frame scenes to make sure whatever you regard as "the money shots" are in the final footage. This is where already having an interest in and understanding of photography can help, and may mean you already have at least some of the skills, and camera gear, you'll need.

Easiest and cheapest? Outdoor wetlook in a warm country. Hire some local girls, have them wear their own clothes and go in rivers or the sea. All you have to do to make it saleable is make sure you have model releases and there are no other people (in particular, no kids) in the background. For that you just need a half-decent camera or even a good smartphone, and a laptop to edit the footage on. The downside being you'll have four million competitors all doing the same thing, and frankly the results will be mediocre at best.

Most expensive? Build a custom studio, hire established porn stars and/or Instagram influencers with 50,000+ followers each as models, provide all the wardrobe and footwear yourself. Vastly better results but you could spend tens of thousands before you shoot a single frame.

Needless to say most of us are somewhere in the middle between those options, and hence what we've needed has varied according to our own circumstances. Do you already have any of the necessary facilities? Already having a room with a concrete floor and drain, and hot and cold running water available, makes a massive difference, for example.

So, what kind of things do you want to shoot, and what facilities and equipment have you already got?

$10,000.00

But you'll make a million dollars in your first year so don't worry about it.

How long is a piece of string?

Does your phone do videos? OK. Set it up on your desk in front of you. Get a jug, fill it with water.
Pour the water over you

Boom. You now have a wetlook clip that pretty much cost you nothing and you can now start a studio.

If the platform has a minimum clip quota then, you can repeat this scene multiple times with different outfits!

But seriously.
For any type of studio content.

The first thing you need is somewhere to shoot it. This might be your house, or a performers house, or a hotel bathroom (quality varies) or someone's premises that doesn't mind you using it for your purpose.
These all come with varying hire costs

Next you need a performer. If you are unknown you need to assume you are paying their full rate plus travel. Rates vary.
Some people try to cheap out here by going for new/naive models or amateurs who like the idea (or need the money. in this economy!) but sometimes you get what you pay for.
In splosh, we've seen those who've struck gold but then plenty where they've had to direct someone who really isn't enjoying it with all the cameras and everything and that they're now lured into (what is effectively) porn.

Oh, cameras, shit. yeah. you need something to record it with! you might get away with your phone, but you might want different camera equipment. Tripods. Gimbals. Lights, don't forget lights - and this is quite a set up.

Then obviously there is the cost of the splosh ingredients and that is just pretty much to your budget.

Obviously as well you need to clean up after, so if you are hiring somewhere you need to take clean up time into account.

It may well be you can do multiple scenes in per day - but, again, what I've found with splosh is obviously you know if a model has done multiple scenes in a day because by the 3rd or 4th they're starting the shoot with hair wet from the shower and minimal makeup cos they're sick of reapplying it.
If you CAN'T tell the person has done multiple scenes in a day then this might be due to more time between scenes or that you have someone very experienced in doing splosh scenes (who is probably also more expensive - rightfully so)

OK anyway - so you had a fun day, you cleaned up, got lots of hot camera footage (oh, did you run the cameras, have them on tripods - or - did you have to pay someone to do it? another cost!)

Now you need to turn what is on the camera into saleable clips. Some of this, isn't a big job, there's a lot of free software but some of it has it's limitations (and minimum spec requirements from your computer) and you might be able to just top and tail it and take out obvious mistakes, or there might be needs for cuts, replays, tidying up sound, or tweaking colour - there isn't necessarily a right or wrong here. I know someone who uploads clips pretty much straight from the camera and I know someone else who tweaks them within an inch of their life.
I do as little as I can get away with.

But this also kinda influences your budget because if you're happy to chuck something off a camera and up it's a lot cheaper than if you want to go for a bigger looking production.

There's no right or wrong here.

And the answer to the question is back to budget - and what results you want.