Let’s Elevate Your #RealWorldSex Videos!
By MakeLoveNotPorn Curator Alexis Makepeace.
My name is Alexis and I’m a curator at MakeLoveNotPorn. I’m a former film student who, before working at MLNP, worked in film funding and mentorship for emerging filmmakers. I have made A LOT of mistakes in my filmmaking career, and will definitely make many more. I have also watched a lot of new filmmakers run into the same issues, make the same oversights, and end up with a completed project that doesn’t look the way they had envisioned in their head.
The amazing thing about sharing your #realworldsex with MLNP, is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, because real life never is. I also want to remind you, as I continuously have to remind myself, the video rarely ends up looking like what you imagined it would in your head, and that’s part of the fun. The point of MLNP is to capture those unexpected, silly, awkward, messy, goofy moments that make us human. I want to share some (hopefully) helpful tips that can enhance all of these surprising, unplanned moments that make MLNP, and our #realworldsex videos, so unique.
Vertical Videos
Sometimes, things happen quickly. A spontaneous moment arises, you never planned to film a video, so you grab your phone and without thinking film vertically. While this is completely okay, and a video will never be rejected solely because it’s vertical, an optimal viewing experience for our members would be a video that’s horizontal. (16:9 aspect ratio) If you’re filming on your phone, as weird as it might feel initially, I would encourage you to try filming horizontally and see how you like it!
Lighting
Real life lighting is rarely, if ever, perfect. Depending on the color temperature of the lights in your home, or whenever your #realworldsex is taking place, you may notice the image looks either too cool or too warm.
If you’re interested in learning more about lighting and color temperature, this article is a great resource! If you’re not, but are looking to improve the lighting in your #realworldsex videos, I would recommend picking up a ring light. You can find one for around $20. Most have an adjustable color temperature between 3200K — 5600K (kilowatts), and you can place it behind your camera to be better lit If you have multiple light sources you can try some of the lighting setups in the article linked above, but it’s not necessary.
Where your lights are placed in relation to the camera and the subject matters. If you notice weird shadows, or too much of your background is lit and not enough of you, try either adjusting your light (if you can), or adjust your position.
Music (Copyrighted Audio)
This is perhaps the question our curation team gets asked about the most; what is and isn’t under copyright? The easiest way to think about it is simply, if you are hearing a song, sound effect, or any audio featured in any type of media, it is probably under copyright. This unfortunately can include a lot of things that may typically be heard in the background of your #realworldsex videos. Your spotify playlist, a video game that was left on, even smart devices such as your Alexa or Google Home contain audio that was made, and therefore owned, by someone else. To feature any such copyright material in your video would require written consent from said owner of the material. If I could feature a Grimes song in every video I ever made with no consequences, I would, trust me. We suggest using music under the creative commons, or alternatively, do you have any indie musicians/bands among your friends? Do they make music that you’d love to MakeLoveNotPorn to? This could be a great way to have usable music in your #realworldsex video, and promote their work at the same time!
Stills/Description
So you’ve filmed your video, you’ve watched it, you’re happy with it and ready to share it with MLNP! When you’re selecting the stills, you’re giving our members, and potential renters, an idea of what to expect from your #realworldsex video. This definitely doesn’t have to give away every moment, but it should be a preview as to what people are going to see, should they choose to rent your video. This is also a great opportunity to pick some SFW shots to share across your social media platforms. (and tag @MakeLoveNotPorn so we can share it too!)
The description under the video provides a little more context than the stills do. What led to this moment? What was going through your head? Did you try something new? Was this a special occasion, or an ordinary day made special? We absolutely love learning about all the behind the scenes stuff that led to you filming and sharing your #realworldsex, so please share as much as you feel comfortable!
Get Filming!
I hope this was helpful, and not overwhelming or deterring. Ultimately, what makes MLNP so special is that it captures your #realworldsex exactly as it’s happening. If you feel good and you’re having fun, that will come across on camera, and that’s what’s most important! Don’t worry if you try something and it doesn’t turn out the way you had hoped. Filming is a skill and it takes practice. Try new things, make mistakes, try again and make different mistakes. It’s all a part of the journey and most importantly, it’s real life.
