Exclusive Content - Industry Ultimatums

[Dianna Vesta]

It’s been a while since I’ve started a thread. This has been on my mind a lot and I thought I’d open up a discussion on content.

We realize the necessity to shoot exclusive content for our sites. Especially being in the niches we are, we find good quality content harder and harder to find. In order to retain our customers and convert we have to really dial into the mindset of our subscriber.

In order to offset cost we have been working on a plug-in to offer to webmasters, however I wonder what the future holds for plug-ins if everyone is moving towards exclusive content. Do you think webmaster will still want leased galleries and plug-ins? I believe that we will still use them because it’s just yet another bonus we offer our subscriber. What are your thoughts?

I’d also like to get some feed back from those of you who purchase exclusive content from producers. We’ve been approached by a few companies that want to buy exclusive content from us but I don’t see where its’ profitable based on the money they want to pay. When you factor in studio cost, cameraman (or at least a good one) models, production, etc. OH then you have to factor in the wasted time, breaks and people all showing up on time. Lol

So those of you purchasing exclusive video and stills, what do you pay & what is that based on?


Or those of you that shoot exclusive what do you charge?

We don’t want to go into full blown daily production. I would like enough clients to offset expenses, make a profit and shoot quality content for myself and clients.

Oh one last thing… how many shoot content in-house? MikeAI I know you do but don’t you also use producers?

Thanks everyone. I look forward to seeing you again.

[photogregg]

The content game has changed dramatically over the past few years.

I shot 200 girls, 50,000 pics for Content Broadband and the lease gallery did well, but the individual content sales in the store did about $40k a month.

Now, with more and more exclusive sites, the climate has changed. We shoot mostly exclusive, but also do semi-exclusive stuff for customers. It's custom, they pay the procution costs and get pics and video with their needs and url on the video...1-2 months down the road we add it to our store

A gamble, because individual sets and lease gallery sales are way down from a year ago....we figure it's like a hotel room...if it's empty you're not making anything...produce something custom for a customer that pays the bills and make additional $$$ somewhere down the line.

Exclusive does real well cash flow wise for us, but it's the old "working for someone else, paycheck to paycheck thing". Content producers will need to diversify like webmasters are doing to keep moving ahead in the biz.

My fealings:
-lease galleries - a tough road to make a buck
-exclusive - cash flow, but not big bucks
-custom non-exclusive - someone else pays for you to shoot and make the $$$ long term
-your own websites - make use of the talent and other people paying for content to make long term $$$
- diversify - do a little bit of all of the above

[BradShaw]

If you are still trying to figure out this business, I would put my tail between my legs and run to Subway.

[Billy]

Brad.. I have been getting ready....

Here it goes..

Hello sir, welcome to Subway, would you like to try one of Subway’s “7 Under 6” sandwiches, which features seven delicious choices that contain 6 grams of fat or less.

How did I do ??

[BradShaw]

Billy, you are hired!

[Almighty Colin]

Funny all around

[Dianna Vesta]

Originally posted by photogregg@Jul 22 2003, 06:15 PM

My fealings:
-lease galleries - a tough road to make a buck
-exclusive - cash flow, but not big bucks
-custom non-exclusive - someone else pays for you to shoot and make the $$$ long term
-your own websites - make use of the talent and other people paying for content to make long term $$$
- diversify - do a little bit of all of the above

Gregg thank you. Sorry for the delay. My Pc crashed and my back-up wouldn't acept my internet connection. Long story.

Anyhow I totally agree with that advice. We have sites now, as you know and we're looking to go completely exclusive. In doing this we figured we'd also recyle old content into leased a leased product. We have a CMS that can serve it to us for X amount of days then make it available after X amount of days to the plug-in. Even if I only had 5 good size clients leasing I'm making money by offsetting cost. In fact we'll actually limit the plugin to how webmasters we lease to just so the content doesn't saturate the web.

This part I have figured out. And I may or may not sell non-exclusive in the store. Haven't decided.

What I need to figure out is what to charge for exclusive. Like I said I can't see a way to make money and still produce the quality I want. I have a few niche customers wanting to pay 5.00 a minute and it's just impossible, at least for me to do this AND have more then one model, action, props, studio, etc.

It took me a while but I found an excellent cameraman & photographer. As you know there are models all over South Florida and I'm renting a dungeon studio with theme rooms. Of course I'll be directing and scripting.

So tell me what you think is a fair price per scene for niche/fetish/bdsm - I know the laws down here and I'm willing to get a little hardcore.

Also, thank you Gregg for everything. You've been really great through the year plus I've known you.

Dianna

PS: Seeking BIG ass client who needs monthly bdsm/fetish/femdon/spanking/strap-on, etc. Exclusive OR would be willing to purchase the content I use on my sites on a semi exclusive LIMITED arrangement.