Cost Per Minute
“Remember when the price was about a $1 per minute and the videos where more thought out ? Wish I could go back to those times” – Recent comment
I notice a trending conversation popping up on Rye’s new release and I wanted to divert ‘price discussions’ into something more meaningful than “remember the good ole days?”
I prefer evidence based pitchfork activities instead of ‘I will say something defamatory but will make no effort into providing evidence’ especially when it comes to money and this genre (Cause IMO we don’t sell enough for people to constantly bitch about pricing). So I did a little homework and here is roughly the last two months of releases
You can check my math if you would like too just remember – there is 60 seconds in a minute and 100 cents in a dollar.
The evidence taken from a 2 month sample is that yes… average cost per minute on videos has gone up… roughly by one penny.
Consider as another commenter mentioned that grocery bills have nearly doubled since the pandemic – there has been no notable increase in cost of heroine videos in roughly 14 years. As the ‘1 dollar per minute’ fetish trend was happening back in the early 2010s. And IMO was a stupid metric to base anything off as many producers back then would add 5-10 minutes of an actress stretching and walking around aimlessly to ‘shoe leather’ the film into being more expensive (I may have even been guilty of this from time to time).
In my opinion quality per minute should be the end goal, not a specific dollar amount. And all things considered – here we are in 2024 and the average cost per minute still appears to average at a dollar! You can all debate regarding ‘the quality and content of releases’ but something like cost is a provable metric.
I will defend Rye’s ‘archive’ pricing in saying that this should be considered when looking at recent releases from his studio – Rye has mostly retired, Lee Carl has taken over editing and pushing out his content – which would mean that the pricing needs to consider average sales + Rye’s production expenses + the added cost of Lee as an editor. I know that I couldn’t afford to pay someone to edit my films from front to back, there is not enough profit per film for me to personally afford that workflow and I am considered one of the more pricer options in the market.
Another thing to take into consideration is the amount of work per minute – not all minutes are created equal. In the intro of my new film ‘Ares Rising’ there is green screen work that took months to complete – and was less than 2 minutes long. I will repeat that – I spent months (roughly around 3 months) working on less than 2 minutes of footage. My last LoFi film (which was not added to the cost per minute breakdown) was $25 dollars for 50 minutes (which translates to roughly 50 cents per minute). That would mean a couple weeks of editing yielded a 50 minute film vs 3 months of editing yielding less than 2 minutes of useable footage.
I know thats an extreme example to make as I can promise no other producer is stupid enough to spend 3 months on 2 minutes of footage – but the point still remains… aren’t we beyond ‘1 dollar per minute’? Hasn’t this genre changed enough in the last 20 years for the conversation to advance from “Argh! This dude thinks his film is worth $1.50 per minute! I WILL CUM SOMEWHERE ELSE! Mom! Where is the meatloaf!?”
If this genre was actually experiencing pandemic pricing – the majority of the films we make would be trending between $80-$120 dollars per film and hell… maybe we should be raising the prices considerably as our production costs have risen, our profit margins have lowered and our cost ‘per minute’ has mostly stayed the same in over a decade. **Guy with a shitty cartoon voice raises his hand and yells from the comment section** “Excuse me… but aren’t YOU the ASSHOLE who releases a film for $100 DOLLARS?”
Well yes… I am. And TKJ averaged 66 cents per minute in a cost breakdown. So if it were included on the list above – it would only be beat by 1 single film in lowest cost per minute for the consumer. So I am more than ready to challenge and shut down this nonsensical premise of pandemic price surging hitting the heroine market.
Anyway, feel free to discuss below (at your own peril). If you’d like to talk shit about producing pricing I would urge you though to provide evidence and use a calculator.
With love, DW
This post and (some of) the comments are very interesting, intricate, and informative, and while I’ve noticed this trend of increasing above the $1/min, I’ve also noticed another trend that goes hand in hand with it. Padding. It’s a showbiz term, meaning to add running scenes/dialogue to a film/show/product in order to increase its overall running time or production value but does not add to its necessity or enjoyment and only inflates the budget. Bad B-Movies do this all the time (Look into Cannon films of the 80s or SONY films of today).
Previously on Superheroine Film Fetishes, films were very simplistic. Heroine is alerted of wrongdoing. They investigate, display their strength, are overwhelmed, beaten, sometimes captured or imprisoned, and in most cases (whether hard- or soft-core), some sort of sexual business is done to them for extra humiliation. This formula is simple, and I absolutely love it! It’s one that has proven to be successful for decades now, to the degree that we can deviate to find sub-niches of this fetish (strangulation, blood, alien stuff, etc).
I, myself, are more turned on by the middle section of this formula – the beatdown. And here is where I mostly have a problem with the increased run times, and therefore, the increased pricing on these films and videos. This is mostly directed at bigger production houses – The Rye, TBFE, Lucia Films – where you get a whole 10 minutes in with ZERO of what was laid out in the aforementioned formula outside of the beginnings of the investigation. I just spent $10-15 on exposition. If this was the opening to The Dark Knight (which you can get that whole movie on blu-ray for that price), I might overlook the fact. But guys. At the end of the day, this is porno.
Before you cast your pitchforks, I don’t mean AT ALL to reduce this industry to something so simplistic. Really I don’t.
Because the work that goes into all this is quite stunning. There is clearly a craft and skill with camerawork, costumes, editing, visual effects, and directing. We’ve come a drastically long way from filming these in hotel rooms with Halloween costumes. And I’m a guy who LOVES to be immersed in the story and the character work. The sell of the heroine and her struggles – and ultimate defeat against the enemy – adds to the (I’ll just say it bluntly) horniness.
As I mentioned before, I prefer the “beatdown” in the Superheroine Fetish formula, and it upsets me to see AMAZING talent in VERY sexy outfits spend the first 10 minutes walking around talking, then getting beat up for only 3-5 minutes, and then the remaining 20+ minutes is “forced sex”. I’m exaggerating a tiny bit, but so many videos have adopted this new formula with only slightly different variations. Don’t get me wrong, I love sex. But if I wanted cosplay sex, there are other avenues for that. Exposition and sex exists EVERYWHERE. With Superheroine Fetish, it’s the overpowering and defeating and capturing that makes it stand out (not the only, but the most significant).
I will go on record to say that I would gladly pay $2/minute – even $3 – if the video was 15 minutes but had precise (and to-the-point) pacing. Investigate, display their strength, are overwhelmed, beaten, sex. It’s a tried and true formula that still exists today in nearly every Superheroine Fetish film, but the time spent on each section is not proportionate to what the demands are for some people. Maybe I’m wrong on this. Maybe fans of this are loving the evolution of fetish/genre. Maybe there are fans who are satisfyingly fapping to first 10 minutes where a man looks at a computer screen that is surveillance of Wonderous Woman looking around the side of a building.
I don’t know. We all have the things we like. And if you don’t like it, it’s the Internet. What you’re looking for is certainly somewhere.
Oh, and if anyone can make a superheroine film that has a schoolgirl as the hero that would be awesome. I’ve not seen this anywhere, and it has been a fantasy of mine for a long time. With the uniform, knee socks, etc. Obvs, this would not be a literal little girl but maybe college aged or something. Steve Noir did something similar to this but not quite. Thanks.
**NOTE: Just in case you are reading this at face value, some of the more flippant sentences (like the SONY or Dark Knight line) are meant to be read with humorous intent or deadpan sarcasm. I have autism and sometimes think everyone thinks the same as me (but they usually don’t).
I think you might be a little late to the conversation (as its a dead topic already) but I think everyone could agree that they wish every film had more of what they loved and less of what they didn’t. But what everyone wants more of is too varied therefore – its kind of a waste of time being specific about what ‘you’ like and hoping/thinking anyone will take it into consideration when it probably conflicts with a large segment of other customers
In the end, the point of the conversation was mostly to address the ‘lie’ or miscalculation that the genre had experienced ‘pandemic pricing’ when in reality – the prices today are mostly in line with what they were over a decade ago. How content has changed within its run time is a completely different topic / conversation and wasn’t the primary thing being addressed here
Alex Bettinger has a Super Schoolgirl movie as well as a follow up Wonder Co-Ed movie over on his site, Superheroine World.
Might not be your cup of tea since you seem to be more into the combat aspect and neither of the combat scenes really stick out in my mind as being something special. It’s also been a looooooong time since I’ve watched them.
BULLSHIT! TBFE in the last two years have steadily released movies 2x the minutes of the movies.
example…24 minutes = 48 dollars! probably the last 4 years.
Here’s the thing, though. You’re cherry picking your example. I can do that, too.
TBFE in the last two years have steadily released moves 1x the minutes of the movies.
example… 80 minutes = 80 dollars! Or 110 minutes = 80 dollars! 41 minutes = 49 dollars! All of these examples are real, just the same as the one you provided.
Sometimes the price is on the higher end of cost per minutes and sometimes it’s not. There’s nothing bullshit about the premise of this post, which is that if you look at the last 2 months (which is a list of movies that are not cherry picked or massaged), we don’t see it looking that much higher than $1/min on average, with some being above average and some below.
But if you look at TBFE over the years specifically, I think you’ll find that they don’t really price on a $ per minute model. In general, longer movies tend to have a low $ per minute. Shorter movies are higher. In your example, you point out a 24 minute movie that cost $48 and say that’s a change of the last 4 years. I can go back 8 years and find 30 minutes for $40. Or there’s one that’s 24 minutes for $40 from 2016. Prices in general have gone up for the last 10 years, but that’s not surprising. In terms of cost per minute, that’s always been all over the place.
Having done some customs with them, I’ve seen the itemized list of factors that determine the cost to make a movie, which in turn informs the cost to buy the finished product.
The length of the movie does absolutely influence the cost, but it’s one of about 30 line items. And it’s not one of the bigger ones. Bigger costs are things like the actress’ day rate, how many people are in the movie, props, effects, set locations, the amount of editing required, etc. And a lot of that stuff doesn’t care if the movie is 10 minutes or 60 minutes. A lot of these things are charged per days or half days of shooting. Or some things don’t care at all. Shoot a movie in Portland with Mia Malkova and she’s got to fly to Portland and stay in a hotel for a night. Cost of the flight doesn’t care how long the finished product is. Cost of the hotel doesn’t care. Cost of food doesn’t care.
So you can absolutely jack up the cost of a movie by making it too long and requiring multiple days of shooting. But if the movie is super short, there are a lot of things that only get so cheap, so they don’t really benefit from the difference of 6 hours of shooting vs. 8. And you can absolutely jack up the cost of a short movie by having a bunch of people, costumes, props, and set locations in it.
Point is. I don’t think your 1 example really disproves the main point of the post, which is on average, genre-wide cost per minute isn’t specifically going up. Nor does it really say anything about the main point, which is cost per minute doesn’t actually mean all that much.
I’m afraid that you are wasting your time when you write a careful explanation like this in response to this guy. I think he’s just trolling (and therefore shouldn’t be fed). Hopefully some other people will read this and learn something from it though.
Haha. So true.
the only producer keeping the rate at 1 dollar per minute is Lucia.
also,
adding garbage to the movie just to increase the cost is BULLSHIT as well!
I don’t understand how people can still realistically claim that pricing should still be akin to a $1 a minute as it was in 2000s to early 2010s.
Have they been living under a rock for the last 4 years? Hyper – Inflation is real.
Producers, actresses, the technical staff, the web hosting, card processors all need to be paid and eat too, and their wages/costs inevitably move with the economy.
Expecting them to keep churning out the same quality product for the same low price as 15 years ago just isn’t feasible. You only have to look at how much it costs for a meal at McDonalds now compared to 15 years ago to see how your dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to.
What we’re buying here is a lot of producers’ and actresses’ time – it’s not like goods or technology where technological advancements make the cost of a laptop/smart phone more accessible and cheaper over time.
So to even churn out videos of the same quality as 10 years ago probably costs more because of the inflationary costs of people’s time, regardless of if you think its the “same old thing” you’ve seen before, so you can’t reasonably expect the dollar per minute cost to remain the same.
I’m just grateful that producers like Damien continue to uphold their quality in the face of these cost of living challenges, so will continue to buy and support regardless of if the $ per minute count is high!
As a long time SHiP enjoyer I can say I look at value per dollar rather than dollar per minute. If the girl and costume is right then the dollar per minute can skyrocket, because I’m getting very good value per dollar since I’m cursed with being a “costume guy”.
Production quality and production scale have huge diminishing returns in terms of value, so producers with grandiose ideas will always suffer as their cost increases since it will be harder to justify the price to the general audience.
On the list in this article Sleepysuperheroines definitely has the most value per dollar by a large margin. That is of course if you are into sleepy superheroines and enjoy the costumes. Buyers of his content are absolutely feasting I’m sure.
Just think about how many times “insert fetish guy” asks in the comments if the film includes his fetish and if the answer is yes he’s buying. What is essentially happening is that if the film is 30 dollars for 25 minutes and what is selling it is 20 seconds of cradle carry or whatever the fetish might be. Producers are already selling at a huge markup as far as value per dollar goes. It doesn’t mean that the rest of the film has no value to “cradle carry guy”, but the value of 20 seconds of cradle carry is so high that overall the value per dollar is good even if the rest of the film has overall less value.
I don’t know what the solution for producers is, because over the years I’ve seen customers driving producers absolutely mad with their requests, feedback and entitlement. I know customers complain back that producers are entitled and some producers might be. The thing is producing content in this genre when you aren’t the girl in the films, you have to deal with min-maxing compromises and cost in the absolute labyrinth of fetishes tied to the genre.
I think the struggle won’t ever be resolved especially since SHiP interest is on a decline if the search term “superheroines” on google trends is anything to go by. The customer base is increasingly old heads set in their ways.
I agree with all of this. And I do think the biggest audience for this content might be dying off in the next couple decades, as I think baby boomers probably make up most of the people who have this fetish. I think anime is the trend with the younger generations
To those looking for cheaper SHIP content, or SHIP mixed with other fetishes, they DO exist. They are all over Clips4Sale and I actually hope people would try ManyVids. On MV, you can easily search for Superheroine content mixed with just about any fetish out there. If you can’t find it, you can hire a camgirl to act out a 15-20 minute clip for as little as $300.
If you’re getting tired of what you’re seeing here, take a break! I did, and I came back with a whole new appreciation of by what’s offered by the producers here. The amount of work in choreography, editing, costume making and talent coordinating is incredible. Their work SHOULD definitely cost more.
That was actually my comment and I do love this site but honestly I feel like over the last couple of years the same movie has essentially been produced over and over again and yes in my opinion the prices seem higher. I have even noticed older videos re-released or just reuploaded at higher costs then they originally were. Some producers do offer higher video content and costumes, yours are an example of that.
Maybe I miss the older times when there was a bit more peril and even a bit more in actual costumes when it delves more into the other fetishes I will only buy when the video goes on sale. I do wish there were a few more sales from producers where I can buy a few videos that I may not have tried before and see if that producer fits more of my tastes. Sorry if I set off a nerve with the comment
“Sorry if I set off a nerve with the comment” You can’t win sometimes – I ignore someone’s comment and they feel dismissed, I react to their comment to offer proof the comment isn’t fair and they think I’m reacting emotionally (nerve hit etc). Why can’t I be allowed to react and it not be emotional? Creating a spreadsheet to prove that films are not more expensive wasn’t a emotional reaction, it’s an analytical one
And it’s reacting to your feelings. If you “feel” that films are more expensive… well here’s proof that’s in your head.
And in case I need to double down on the point – everything I’ve said so far in this comment is not emotional. If anything it’s annoyingly matter of fact.
As a producer – I have heard the “lately every movie has essentially been produced over and over again” argument since I started in this genre as a 20 year old. I never recall ever seeing anyone suggest anything though that’s revolutionary or new.
So I challenge you and others, to be more constructive about what it is that you find repetitive and actually thinking up something that would be “new and exciting”. Pitch an idea that over 100 people agree on that hasn’t been done before and recently – and I’ll make a preorder and film it myself
I am doubtful though that anyone (including myself) has an idea that would be ground breaking enough for that many people to be excited about it. Maybe I am more cynical having made films for 14+ years now for this audience and hearing feedback for that many years but I just don’t see clearly what a brighter future looks like where people could agree there is another “golden age” of SHIP coming
I’ll triple down just cause projecting is something that everyone here loves to do with me and my aggressive communication – nothing in this comment is emotional, angry, nerve hitting and reacting. I’d argue it’s the opposite. You say you are bored by the offerings lately – my reaction is to promise to make your idea if you can motivate at least 100 people.
How bout dat?
(P.S. which studios haven’t done a sale? Cause at least three major producers have done sales in the last two months)
Should we post our ideas here in reply to your comment or would you prefer creating a postb dedicated to this challenge ?
Feel free to post it as a comment here
Maybe I should make it into a contest or something
Aliens. It’s always aliens
Maybe not a contest or anything, but it might be fun to put up more posts aimed at generating discussion on this site. Like this one in particular has gotten a TON of people to come out and chat.
You mention that you think it’s a problem that people don’t post positive comments enough. I suspect that there are a TON of lurkers on this site. People who follow the new movies but never comment. Not everyone is super open about their porn/kink habits and feel comfortable talking about it to strangers. Giving people opinion-y stuff to open up and chat about might break a few people out of their shells and get them comfortable sharing things. MAYBE, that’d rub off onto the new movie release posts.
I’m sure there are some shells that can’t be cracked, but might be worth a shot.
Some ideas for thread: First sexual heroine awakening (like what was the scene/comic/whatever else that people first noticed). Hottest heroine that no movies have been made about. Or, like, the big 3: Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl -> Who are THE ultimate heroine peril castings for each?
Stuff like that.
116,000 page views in the last 30 days. Most people who come here don’t comment
Here is mine with Supergirl :
Supergirl crashes on a beach/ a dark alley. Her costume is in tatters and her powers are gone as she is crawling from the sand/mud. She is traumatized after a big defeat and a hard rape against aliens. As she tries to reassess herself and save some of her pride through tears, she is assaulted by some homeless thugs who by beating, raping and stripping her manage to completely destroy what was left of her good will to help humanity by forcing her to orgasm and left to cry in the street, naked with only her red boots left.
It seems like an idea done to death but here, we would explore the state of mind of Supergirl after an untold defeat. (like Batgirl in TKJ but never done with SG)
Stuff like that
Here is my idea:
https://www.darkcityfiction.com/forum/general-discussion/rainey-day-as-hippolyta
Basically a taboo/stepmother/stepdaughter SHIP adaptation with a lot of bondage, humiliation, outdoor scenes and threesome
I will take a shot, something I have mentioned and seen mentioned several times before but never implemented. An homage to the 1984 Supergirl phantom zone parts. It can start with Supergirl entering Selena’s castle and getting trapped in a similar way but instead of having the same PG stuff from the movie instead of seeing the guy and Selena she sees a version of herself being tempted in some way, could even be over the costume temptation. As that version of her gives in maybe the real version of Supergirl trapped in the glass prison gives in. Once she finally breaks mentally and gives in she is sent to the phantom zone and perhaps we can get the slime lake ending I have seen others mention in the comment section before.
As for studios without sales, I have not seen some of the smaller ones do them, The major ones typically do. Personally I would love an ultraheroix or sleepysuperheroine sale because while I have bought and liked some of their videos some have been hits for me and some misses like an producer.
Just going to leave a comment here, I don’t think pricing is an issue, if the cost goes up a bit due to post-pandemic inflation to roughly 1.30 per minute or aka some reasonable amount, I have no problem with that. Some of these people I think are just saying that because they’re used to saying it about everything else, groceries appliances cars houses etc all getting more expensive leads to a certain mindset.
However, I do think the quantity and quality of videos has gone down lately. I used to make regular purchases during the height of the rye + defeatedheroines + etc etc times, and haven’t found something I want to buy in quite a while.
And just to be clear, when I say quantity and quality, I mean there used to be many options out there, now it seems like there aren’t as many producers making regular video releases, and the ones that are making them aren’t making them as often. And because of that, if a well-made video comes out that is a little bit different than I was looking for (ares for example was a great one that was well made with a superb actress but just had stuff I wasnt looking for and didnt have stuff I wanted), well then it’s going to be another 4 months until the next video I want to buy comes out.
I think if there was just more studios making frequent videos with the available actresses and making a wider variety of them, it would go a long way. I don’t think a small increase in price is really a major issue, though I’m sure people will complain since we’re all paying more for everything else as it is already, I think if people want the videos they will pay for them.
For clarity – I didn’t make this post because I believed it was a “big issue”. I made it cause a group of people were claiming pandemic pricing was happening to SHIP, I thought it be interesting to break down the raw data and share it with customers and to create a conversation out of the topic. So just forewarning when my next topic article comes out “How big is too big?” it won’t be because I think a 12 inch dick is causing a crisis
“I think if there was just more studios making frequent videos with the available actresses and making a wider variety of them, it would go a long way.” – there is an issue with the logic though – more studios releasing more videos would only be possible if – consumer spending went up when in reality it’s been going down – and the less money people spend the less producers there will be.
I think the harder reality about the current state of affairs is – how many producers will fold in the next 12 months? And a secondary issue is rather – will there ever be enough new talent (directors) to replace the outgoing talent?
As a fan and consumer of SHIP – I do wish we had more producers making higher quality films. But as a producer of porn who regularly talks to my peers – I know the reality at this point is retention, both of directors and customers.
To be honest – I’m surprised as many films are coming out as there are.
The debate over cost per minute feels like a waste of time. A minute is simply a unit of time, not a measure of quality. Comparing minutes to cost without considering quality is illogical. Still, let’s dive into the factors influencing costs, production, and the genre as a whole.
Let’s start with a basic principle: things are worth what people are willing to pay for them. For non-essential items—the “nice-to-haves”—consumer willingness determines the price. This applies to everything, even the Netflix subscriptions people complain about but don’t cancel because they “need” it.
Now, consider the economic reality: most content creators and production companies are based in the United States, where the cost of everything has increased. Food, gas, housing—you name it. Production companies often provide basic amenities like food and water for their talent and crew during shoots. Let’s assume they maintain acceptable working conditions. How much does this cost? Likely hundreds of dollars per shoot, if not more.
Next, let’s talk about talent. Female actors, in particular, command high rates due to their content’s popularity. But regardless of gender, all actors have seen increased rates to keep up with the rising cost of living. This trend mirrors broader economic shifts and directly impacts production costs.
Even after filming, the costs don’t stop. Editing, publishing, and storing content require money. Transferring files or streaming content also incurs expenses. These operational costs add up, regardless of when the content was filmed.
At the end of the day, people will either pay for the content or they won’t.
The root of the debate likely isn’t cost per minute but whether the content itself is profitable. Does it generate enough revenue to justify production expenses? Can companies lower prices while still making reasonable returns? This is where the conversation should focus—not on arbitrary cost-per-minute metrics but on the broader economic sustainability of the genre.
Having been an active member of several communities centered around this genre, I can confidently say the industry is struggling. Both producers and consumers share responsibility for the current state of affairs.
Piracy affects all creative industries, but for companies operating in niche markets with limited audiences, it can cause devastating losses or severely hinder growth. Every stolen download represents not just lost revenue but also a missed opportunity to reinvest in better production, talent, or marketing.
Producers respond to these challenges in ways that are often misunderstood. Consider why so many films seem to cater to “a little bit for everybody.” While this may look like an effort to promote inclusion, it’s often a survival tactic to expand the audience base. The shift toward checkbox-style content isn’t necessarily driven by creativity but by financial necessity.
When producers fund a project, they’re gambling on its profitability. Including elements that appeal to a broader audience reduces the risk of failure. However, this approach can dilute the creative integrity of the genre, leading to formulaic content that feels more like a calculated bet than a labor of love. When producers retire, I’m not surprised.
Producers themselves aren’t blameless. Often, their responses to criticism come off as snarky, entitled, or outright rude. This very post, in its tone and message, subtly underscores the disconnect I’m pointing out.
I understand that dealing with complaints from customers—especially those coming from a narrow, personal perspective—can be frustrating. Trolls and constant negativity can wear anyone down. However, it’s worth asking: is your content truly what you hoped it would be? Does it reflect the inspiration that drove you to become a producer in the first place?
These are tough but necessary questions. Can you see why some consumers feel frustrated when they’re paying more for content that includes only small fragments of what they enjoy, surrounded by “filler” designed to cater to everyone else?
As a consumer, I can say my dwindling interest in buying films stems from a sense of boredom and a loss of faith in the genre. I still check in now and then, see some intriguing visuals, and think, “Maybe this one will reignite my passion!” But then I watch the trailer, read the synopsis, review the features, and walk away feeling uninspired.
For years, the genre has felt stagnant and formulaic. It’s crying out for reimagination—a fresh wave of creativity to remind consumers why they fell in love with it in the first place. Until then, redundancy and predictability will continue to drive people away.
My intent here isn’t to attack anyone. I’m simply sharing observations I’ve gathered over the years in the hope that the “us versus them” mentality—on both sides—can start to cool down. This genre thrives because of a collaborative relationship between consumers and producers. Neither can exist without the other, and like it or not, we’re all in this together.
In my humble opinion, constructive dialogue will always accomplish more than divisive posts or defensive reactions. Open, honest communication is key to addressing issues and improving the genre for everyone involved.
As for trolls? They’ll always be around. The best strategy is to disengage and let their attention-seeking behavior fizzle out on its own. Focus instead on the voices that genuinely want to build something better.
-Grim
thank you for your very interesting comment. I mostly agree. I sometimes feel the same about the genre not taking enough risks which is easy to say for a consumer; as a producer, your whole existence depends on how many copies you can sell. I also feel that there has been something like an ignite of new ideas with new studios like DCF or Westenra Films and I support them as much as I can. This year was also the year when I decided to commission my own film as those that were released in the last months (and years) felt more and more the same, but having that creative freedom and seeing your film get made 100% as you imagine it is an incredible experience. I suggest to everyone who has the financial capabilities to do it as well. If I could make a wish for the genre, I wish there was a producer who would make interconnected films with an overarching story, multiple recurrign characters that are always played by the same actress (something like Next Golbal Crisis), but BEYOND PG13. I know this is impossible for a lot of reasons but since it’s the holiday season I felt like mentioning that.
I am not that pessimistic for the future as you seem to be though. I also have the feeling that some consumers are complaining about the lack of output overall and I have my theory on this:
Since most people changed from Heroinemovies to Heroinenews, it seems there are less SHIP films out there, which is not the case. It is simply that some producers (for whatever reason; they don’t want to, Damion dislikes them, they are too busy etc. etc.) did not come over to this new site. However there are many producers out there that are never mentioned here, the sorts of:
Steve Noir, PRIMALS, NGC, Weaponz Tokyo, PKF, Connor Coxxx, Bluestone, you name it. Some are strictly PG13, some are outright porn with actress in a slutty leotard. But in my opinion, they deserve the label “SHIP” which is why I’m here.
To make it short: Some people might have to broaden their horizons
– Hual/Chris
For clarity – there isn’t anyone not featured here because “Damion dislikes them” (my apologies for the double negative).
I do think there is often ‘content blinders’ the audience wears though, where they claim not that much content comes out (there are 17 entries from roughly two months in my spreadsheet listed above, which is roughly 2 films a week) because it isn’t the content THEY want.
That being said there is an economy slow down this year that’s effected all markets, not just this one. And I don’t believe that means SHIP consumers should buy more – rather everyone should be more patient while we drought it out together.
I do think though we have another problem though – which is nice customers not contributing to the conversation cause they don’t like all the fighting in the comments from meaner “customers” (the loudest barks usually come from people who don’t actually buy anything) so it appears from afar that there is all this discourse and fall out that doesn’t really exist
The reality is some of the films people complain about the most – sell the most. But you wouldn’t be able to tell that from reading the comments posted under the videos here
I have always regarded the quality and approach of Next Global Crisis fondly. I would love to see that model applied to R or X-rated films. I wouldn’t consider it impossible, but it would require serious investment from producers, fans, and talent. The issue I imagine producers will face is talent—specifically the limited pool of available actresses who can convincingly sell the role. It’s a mixed bag, and I feel consumers tend to be more forgiving of poor acting in adult content. That said, this is just speculation on my part.
I suppose my view on the subject could be considered pessimistic. Having been involved in the genre for about two decades now, I’ve seen a lot of content come and go. At the rate things are moving, I think AI will eventually reach a point where people can create their own content before human creators figure this out. Okay, that’s pretty pessimistic, lol.
Regarding the migration between Heroinemovies and Heroinenews, I think there are several factors at play. Some people might stay with Heroinemovies out of loyalty, despite its decline from the active, spam-free space it used to be. I know I’ve been a member of that site for many years, though I’ve become less active over time. For those who haven’t migrated, it could also be tied to Damion’s approach to things. While I agree with him at times, we differ in our perspectives, and that might be off-putting to others. Another possibility is that some producers are no longer as invested in the genre as they once were. Many of them now run their own sites or sell directly through distributors.
Either way, I’d love to see some resolutions between producers and consumers. I think a mutual understanding would strengthen production overall and create reasonable expectations on both sides.
I remember a couple years ago I commented to someone that serialized SHIP films don’t work – cause every next chapter to the story had less sales than the first. People told me I didn’t know I was talking about and that people just didn’t buy my films cause I sucked – a year later NGC announced they were deviating from serialized storytelling because it was no longer working for them
I love NGC in case that needs to be clarified – but it’s dishonest to use them as a current example of serialized storytelling since it’s no longer what they are doing with rare exceptions.
HeroineMovies SEO might be better cause of the original owners work on the website for over a decade. But let’s not forget it was sold to a new owner who doesn’t know how to run a website to save their life. Making this website was the only way anyone was going to get fast and quick updates regarding the studios features here and someone continually moderating spam.
That being said – there is a lot of traffic to this site. It is by no means suffering from lack of traffic.
I do agree there’s at least 10 people who don’t like coming here cause it’s run by “Damion”. But it beats every producers waiting two weeks to announce a film they released a month ago. I didn’t make this site cause I wanted too, I had to. New producers like DCF were not getting responses from new management to allow them to post and other big producers were having their accounts disabled. I’d be surprised if the site is around a few years from now
I agree with you, and to clarify, I referenced NGC because their content was excellent in its time, and I’m blanking on any other studio that came close. I acknowledge that serialized storytelling might not be plausible, which is why I stated that it’s not impossible—but it would require commitment from talent, producers, and consumers alike. That’s the only way I believe it could work.
I remember the sale of HeroineMovies well. Before the sale, the site faced potential shutdown, and while I was one of those hoping the new ownership would keep it alive, I’ve since come to feel that a merciful closure might have been the better outcome. I commend you for creating this site; I was genuinely happy to see it. I even considered making one myself, but it was more of a fleeting thought than a realistic option with my current responsibilities. I hope this site continues to thrive and fill the void HeroineMovies left behind. I don’t recall referencing a lack of traffic, though, as that wasn’t something I intended to comment on.
I’m also unaware of anyone specific who doesn’t like “Damion.” I personally don’t dislike you at all; I’ve just expressed that we differ in opinion and approach on certain things, which I’ve always been transparent about. My post wasn’t aimed at anyone specifically, but rather at a systemic issue that’s developed over the years I’ve been part of this community. There’s always been some degree of, “Aw, no debooting!” but at some point, that evolved into, “I hate all producers who don’t do debooting.” I find that kind of attitude toxic. I’m not one of the debooter fans, for the record. I used that example because I see if often.
I agree that the loudest voices aren’t necessarily reflective of the community as a whole. What producers might not see or hear are the more candid comments made in side chats, private servers, and other spaces where people feel freer to express themselves without fear of public ridicule or shaming. These might include some of the “nice” customers you’ve referenced before.
Regardless, I remain cautiously optimistic that things can grow and the genre can be revitalized. It’s a unique genre, and it’s one I’ve enjoyed for many years.
If I had like… 200 customers that be willing to buy a “season pass” for a 10 episode mini series… the possibilities… !!!!!!!
There is a reason TV shows film everything at once – it’s too hard to keep that many people on board over time. People quit the business or move on to other things, etc. From time to time we even have talent pass away
I don’t know this audience has the stomach for one character / one actress for 10 episodes straight though. Nor could they probably afford to prebuy a 10 episode mini series
I do think producers need to hear more positive feedback (I don’t, I let the money talk) but 98 percent of the people who buy films don’t comment or are anywhere to be found online. I think it’s just something they consume and watch quietly.
And there are definitely people who don’t like me. Usually though – they are the kind of people who want to call an actress a “cow” and don’t want have that comment moderated out of existence, so I’m comfortable with them not being a fan of me
I think it comes with the territory though – controversial people make controversial things, and behave in ways that make people uncomfortable. If people want me to be nice, perfect customer service, cordial etc – they in reality are looking for someone who rather be a preacher than a fetish film director.
You’re not wrong, and I completely agree—the comments about actresses being “cow” are absolutely uncalled for. I’m all for free speech, but good grief…
I’ve always admired your enthusiasm for exploring possibilities, and I think it’s great that you put thought into these discussions. That said, I feel like your time might be better spent than arguing with people who came in with unshakable opinions or clear agendas. I used to engage with those kinds of people too, but if it’s obvious within one or two messages that they’re just ranting and not actually reading or considering anything? I let it go. If I wanted that kind of argument, I’d just visit my family, lol.
I think there is value in any discussion about SHIP. Anyone who is just being insulting I don’t give much thought too. And I dont think I am wasting too much time in responding, helps break up long editing days anyway
Personally I like more in costume than out, probably in the minority on that one, I do not mind nudity especially if it adds to the defeat. As for the actresses they should be treated with respect from all angles.
I’m the same. I also prefer boots to stay on but that’s because I hate feet. That being said, if a video comes out with debooting it doesn’t mean I’m not going to buy it. I still will especially if my favorite actress/actresses are in it.
Can’t be picky if I’m not coughing up the dough to fund my own custom.
Like I said, a serialized way of releasing new films will be difficult when you consider “serialized” as: Season 1, cliffhanger. Season 2, cliffhanger and so on…
NGC might have stepped away from that “season” format, but what they do is they keep their actresses (not only the heroines, the bad guys as well) fairly long, sometimes over a span of multiple years and that is something I would love to see in a non-PG13 movie. In my opinion, it gives the whole thing more depth if not only the clothing but also the face has recognition value.
I get that you think this is an idea that you are somehow presenting as new information – but it’s not. Plenty of softcore/hardcore films have done this and much to their detriment there is a vocal majority that complain when the say actresses are used again and again. I remember working with Ashley in 2020 there were a decent amount of people who told me she was too saturated in the market and I needed to stop casting her.
And it becomes a sales trend thing in the end anyway, right? You change casting when the same face stops selling well. And from my experience – same actress / same character =s downtrending sales always.
that’s too bad, but thank you for the insight 😉
Thanks for putting this together, I am a data-driven person so it is good to see. The only fault I see with the analysis is arbitrarily taking out the Rye films to bring the average to close to $1/min. It smacks of cherry-picking the data. I don’t disagree with your reasons for pointing out why they are more expensive (and I appreciate you mentioning them) but every film has its own unique story and expenses.
The fact that the mean and median are both around $1.16/min is sufficient to make your point IMO. Compared to things like gas, groceries, and electricity (and undoubtedly producer costs) this is a pretty mild increase. And honestly the pace of releases has slowed a little, it seems to me, which means I am actually spending less on this particular hobby than I have in the past.
I’ll gladly pay more for high quality and pride in one’s craft. Thanks to all the producers for their work. (And I too think that Lucy should charge more.)
Or perhaps I should say, “I think Lucy’s films are worth more.” Her decision on what to charge of course!
I included the price breakdown both with and without Ryes films for a very specific reason – Ryes has retired from the genre and Lee Carl is simply editing through all of Ryes unreleased projects – so the rate both in which recent projects have dropped as well as their higher price are not the “usual” behavior for the genre but a temporary anomaly. So it being only two months of data – the anomaly kind of distorts the numbers. If I were to widen the data set into – the last year of releases, I’m pretty sure it would possibly even dip below the one dollar price mark. And to be honest, I might compile that data for the sake of looking at it, as I do think there is value in monitoring things like this for the business (SHIP genre).
I don’t mean to say that Rye should be charging more, but it’s a unique situation and I don’t think everyone is 1. Aware of it or 2. Has considered the specifics before they complain
Rye has retired – Lee is editing his remaining work – Lee is suffering from health complications – so if getting Lee extra work means that Ryes remaining films cost more then… don’t we have enough empathy to not cry about the pricing of his remaining films? I don’t think people are purposely cruel (well some people here are) but I do think people are simply not bothering to consider all those factors before they hit the enter button on their complaint.
To be clear – people have a right to complain. But the point of this article was to address specifically the conversation brewing that ALL heroine films were experiencing pandemic pricing surges, when that’s very clearly not true.
LOL @ “Argh! This dude thinks his film is worth $1.50 per minute! I WILL CUM SOMEWHERE ELSE! Mom! Where is the meatloaf!?”
The fact that this is your own description of your consumer base is absolutely hilarious. No wonder heroinemovies.com has more traffic.
HeroineMovies is dead and I helped kill it. You’re welcome
That isn’t my description of the consumer base – it’s me making a joke about people who complain that their porn is “too expensive” because something cost a couple dollars more. I also included the “meatloaf” joke from the film ‘Wedding Crashers’ cause I do expect this audience to have a sense of humor. Especially since we’re all masturbating to comic book characters, you’d think you handle a couple jokes and yet here you are whimpering like a ____________ (fill that in with whatever word makes you most offended)
More traffic? Where are you getting that from? Last comment on that site was 24 days ago. Before that, it was the “what happens next” guy 2 months ago. And the third most recent post was a quarter of a year ago.
Things are hopping here.
Ah, the one in the same person that complained that Lucy wasn’t charging enough for her films.
? According to this chart and this post – she should be. What are you trying to throw in my face anyway? That I believe we should advocate for a young female creator to be paid her worth? She should be
If you had reading comprehension skills – this post proves that everyone universally isn’t charging enough. So bite me, cunt
My only problem is that in this genre, there are very few movies with my own tastes and I understand that they always seek to cover the most classic fetishes to reach the largest possible audience, ending up looking like many movies together, the most obvious answer is: hey Don’t complain, don’t you like it? Hire your own custom movie, and it’s true, I’ve been looking into prices, and they are very high for fans who don’t earn in dollars, I’ll give you an idea. on the air, perhaps from time to time, production companies could open a special order for a custom film in which several people with similar tastes can participate in the financing.
nothing, just an idea, greetings
I think DCF has a forum specifically for people to band together and group fund a custom together.
yeah check out darkcityfiction.com and look for the forum, there are plenty of guys looking for a partner for a crowdfunded custom film, like myself
Do tell – what are your taste that are not being served by the current offerings?
hahaha, I have read you and I know that you are quite direct and sometimes too harsh, I hope it doesn’t fall into my luck, I’m going to be direct, I don’t like pantyhose and it’s full of movies where the heroine has pantyhose, I don’t like them bare feet, (I like that the heroine stays with her boots on) and it is full of movies where the heroine ends up barefoot to add to the fetish of Feet, I like where the heroine ends up dead with her eyes open and there are practically no videos of that style, I also like the hypnosis genre and there aren’t any of that type either, I’m talking about good quality productions. like the one that is usually seen here and other details regarding some dialogues or acting styles that I will not highlight on this occasion, I have bought videos and I have enjoyed them but I feel that I need something more for full enjoyment, I know it is very personal and therefore maybe not profitable, but really at least something slightly different sometimes helps to freshen up the scene, I ask you, how did it go with the killing joke? It was an attempt at something different, would you try something similar again? (no ashely lane please).
greetings
I think people who are afraid to voice their opinions cause of what I might say to them often forget it’s not what someone says usually, it’s how they say it. Example: ‘I love nude legs, I see this film doesn’t feature them, any possibility that will be different in the next release?’ VS ‘Pantyhose?! Again!? Why the fuck would I buy this?!’
I tend to slap back hard when people are inconsiderate with how they are asking, not usually regarding what they are asking for
Your list breakdown:
1. No pantyhose
2. No feet
3. Dead with eyes open
4. Hypnosis
If anyone else likes this list – mention it in the replies. Personally – I wouldn’t make it but I am not the only game in town, so maybe someone else is reading and it could be useful to them. And I dunno maybe I am short circuiting but – most films in this genre don’t have pantyhose or foot related content. If I need to make another table/spreadsheet… I will. I take notice of those things as – I don’t buy films with nude legs and well… I don’t end up buying a lot of films because of it.
I don’t see the need or reason why I would discuss the ‘results/success’ of TKJ with you as: it features pantyhose, feet, no hypnosis, etc. So why would you really care about it? I do plan on making more ‘Black Label’ films – they will feature… pantyhose, feet, etc. And I will bring back Ashley Lane as I please. I also find it a little complicated that you are telling me not to hire my friend after making a list of all your preferences that are the opposite of the films that I personally make. To me it’s like going to McDonalds and asking for a Whopper. I don’t say any of this with an angry tone, just an analytical one.
DCF has a community board on his website for people looking to make group customs together that share common interest. I would recommend checking that out as it’s a current option to make a list of your desires and find others who might share in that interest.
I think when I made my original comment maybe I said it wrong and maybe I am in the minority but when I started buying and getting into the genre there were two types of films it seemed
The Dano from Superheroine central membership which I will be honest no one has replicated and I am surprised
And
The classic peril situation stuff like heroine peril used to do etc which was a little campy but to me had a lot of charm
We later got into the RYE and TBFE which upped the production budget and for awhile they were great, I am not saying that they still are not occasionally great but from what I see a lot of it is cookie cutter stuff and maybe that has to with production costs or things I am not aware of and maybe that is just one customer ordering a whole lot of customs.
Some of my favorite video’s of all time featured power items and depowering and not of the sexual nature, haven’t seen a great one of those in a long time. Examples like Wonder Woman’s belt, Gold Avenger from SHC power gem and Emerald Avenger from Lee Carl.
Hypnosis and mind control outside Ultra Heroix and maybe some C4S stuff I do not see too much anymore and these to an outsider looking in look like low hanging fruit to ma and are easier to do.
Also I don’t know if all of the older models have just moved on or other people weren’t fans, I used to love Dillion Harper to me she seemed into the roles a bit more. I think Lucia brought her back a few years ago but then she quickly vanished again.
Hey, there are a lot of guys who want to bring a lot of those elements back but they lack the money to fund a custom of their own. That is why, like many people mentioned, DCF have set up a forum where people can come together and crowdfund a project.
I’m sure you will fans of hypnosis and mind control there as well as the power item stuff
Where is the forum?
As stated before I would love a Supergirl 84 style and kinda pitched my idea up there when asked but did not see any real traction
https://www.darkcityfiction.com/forum I think
For me, a lot of my needs are met in these videos. If I am being fair, the one taste I feel like I rarely see is pacing. Sometimes I like a vid with a slow pace to the torture/rape – where every punch is felt and really reacted to, where rather than 10 punches to the stomach back to back; there is one that drops her and we really see the impact of the pain. In terms of sex where the sex/rape is slow, tortous, where you can kind of savor the suffering. This isnt for everyone and I dont need it in every video at all but since you asked for an example (to be fair you didnt ask for one of mine specifically) this would likely be my biggest one.
No complaints here. Simple marketplace strategy. If you don’t like the film for any reason, don’t buy it. I’ve never understood people who complain about prices. Do they do that to every market in the world that is too expensive?
If prices were actually skyrocketing in the genre I’d understand all the noise about it, but relatively speaking… it really hasn’t changed. With the exception of possibly one producer… who has retired?
Thank you for this, love it!!