Do Porn Stars need an agent?
By Mariah Milano
This question seems to be coming up more and more recently. In my opinion the answer is yes and no. If you’ve been around for a year or more then I say it’s up to you but you don’t NEED one. If you’re new then definitely you need an agent if you want to get paid and paid correctly.
There are girls out there who like the hassle of bookings being handled by an agency and that’s very understandable to me. I was lucky enough to be with World Modeling for my first 3 years in the business and to be treated very well by Jim South who wasn’t an agent, but THE agent for over 25 years. He actually cared about the girls he represented and would never send some 18 year old to do a dp without explaining to her the downsides of the shoot and what it would do to her per scene rate should she start out doing this type of work.
(this is generally, not true in EVERY situation)
Let me elaborate. When a girl is brand new she is going to get the most money per scene than at any other point in her career. First of all she isn’t all over the place on websites and DVD’s and banners and galleries. She is fresh and new and will be much more of a value to the production company/website. As time goes along her rate will get lower because she is seen on many other sites and movies and is no longer the fresh new face of the industry. She will then become one of the many girls working and shooting and she will be able to get what the going rate is for her scenes unless she is exceptionally attractive. When that happens is when a girl should then decide if she wants to take it to the next level with an anal scene or a 2 on 1 or
something more hardcore. At that point she can demand a crazy rate for her first anal scene. For example look at how Gianna Michaels was able to hold off on doing an anal scene for nearly 4 years and then as she was ready to call it quits for a while she got a fat paycheck from the best company out there IMO Elegant Angel. Same goes for several of the top porn stars lately. They held out, built their names and then got paid. Very smart and savvy and you have to give credit to whomever it was that drew up that marketing plan.
Now the beef I have with the agencies is this: They get paid $100 booking fee from the production company who hires their talent then they also get %10 from the girl hired. So they tell the girl she needs to be available for as much work as possible when they are filling out their "Do’s and Don’t" lists. The young girls trying to make everyone happy and become the new Jenna Jameson will listen and do whatever they are told because they don’t know any better. So they go out and do an anal scene for their 5th or 6th scene and get $1800 instead of the $1200 they usually get for a straight boy girl. They are ecstatic to be getting that extra cash and decide they’ll do more anal scenes even though it fucking hurt like a bitch! 🙂
So now they are doing anal scenes for $1800, then $1500. then when their straight boy girl rate goes down to $800 or $900 their anal rate is $1200. So instead of holding out and building their name up and getting a $5000 paycheck to do their first anal scene they fucked everything up and rushed into something they weren’t properly advised on doing. My former agent sat and told me in HER office that she would NEVER book a new girl or anyone under 22 or 23 to do an anal or dp scene. Yet one of her most popular girls is doing almost exclusively anal scenes at 21 years old. So what will she be doing in 2 years from now and for how much? That’s the real question.
The agents also push the girls to escort which to me is fucked up. I know I know, most are already escorts, but what about those of us that aren’t? Does that mean our agent won’t work as hard for us if we don’t do the bachelor parties and overnights to New York that they ask us to do? I really think it does. I have experienced it first hand to speak on it. Its the way it goes in this business these days.
I currently do most of my bookings directly but I have a publicist (Star Factory) and recently began representation by a new agency (Big Love) just in case I feel I need someone to have my back for a mainstream project I have been hired for. It doesn’t hurt to be covered in case someone thinks they can walk all over you because you’re a hot porn chick! lol
All the new girls out there get an agent that doesn’t bring up escorting when you interview them. And yes, YOU interview them!
THEY work for YOU! not the other way around! Be smart and don’t go for the fastest dollar because if you handle yourself in a professional manor the money will come. You’ll shorten your career by jumping ahead, but if you’re into the ass fucking and double penetrations then by all means, jump!
A very wise soul once said, "if you enjoy your job you’ll never work a day in your life", and I can honestly say that I love my
job these days, but it does feel like work sometimes I have to admit! But yesterday when I was sucking on Sophie Dee’s huge tits and getting my pussy vibrated by this little Asian slut I wasn’t working one bit!
God Bless and Happy New Year!
xoxo
Mariah Milano