Erika Lust Tells Us How to Make Better Sex Tapes at Home

October 24, 2015
COLETTE-CALLAWAY

When I hear the term "sex tape," I think of a few things: Kim Kardashian's career-launching tryst with Ray J., revenge porn, and the Cloud. We still don't know what the Cloud is. Though brilliant men and women are starting to speak out about the unfair stigma sex tapes carry—mostly thanks to idiot politicians who say things like "If you don't want it to leak, don't take one"—sex tapes are still not considered useful tools that can help us expand our sex lives. And until about a year ago, I thought no differently.

I can't entirely remember how I decided I wanted to take a video, but I'm 85 percent sure it was my idea. I'd been seeing my partner at the time for quite awhile, and we were incredibly open about sex. Somehow, "let's take a video" became part of said dialogue, and we employed the powers of Apple to take exactly two videos—both of which are less than 10 minutes long and more closely resemble clips from the movie "Cloverfield" than naked people doing something enjoyable. But I digress.

After trying it for myself, I realized two things: One, taking a sex tape is great for exploring your sexuality. I consider my first video to be the gateway of sexual exploration for me, and I plan on taking many more. Two, considering my video library looks like it belongs to the horror genre, I knew my advice would be lacking in this department. So who did I turn to? The queen of erotic filmography, Erika Lust herself. I had the pleasure of reading her ebook "Let's Make a Porno" and interviewing her via email to extrapolate on everything I'd learned from her material already.

Her main goal in providing all the information she does? To inspire people to live out their fantasies. Naturally, I'm on board, and I'm here to give you a run through of everything I (and likely many other folks) do wrong when we break out our video cameras.

Don't take your clothes off yet

I'm talking to you. Yes, you. It turns out we're approaching sex tapes from the wrong angle entirely. When you make a video, you're not just taking a video of yourself having sex the way you normally would (though that's not off limits, as I've illustrated)—you're producing something. The most surprising—and professional—tip Erika offered is something you might not normally associate with homemade sex tapes: Plan it. Many a sex tape may have come about on an impromptu "let's get out the camera and see what happens" whim, but a good portion of the fun happens during premeditation—provided you do it correctly. "A good tip is to get a clear image of the aesthetics you want for your video, so maybe some time on scriptwriting, have your own pre-production meetings. This can actually be a very interesting game for couples," she said.

Ah, there's the important word: game. Sex tapes are meant to help you live out your fantasies, right? So what better way to bring up (and execute) the fantasy you've had for years and have yet to explore as an actual participant? Planning your sex tapes not only creates a safe, exciting space to talk about all the things you want to try, but it also ensures that they actually, you know, happen. (And as a bonus, it assures that you won't take something you're going to regret down the road.) Think of your video like a souvenir.

Don't let the word "scriptwriting" scare you, either. You're essentially just sitting down and crafting a narrative. Are you playing yourselves or embodying other people? What spurred this event, and what emotions are you trying encapsulate? Even if you're keeping your performance as authentic as possible, you can still decide what you want to happen ahead of time.

Think like a teenager

I know we've all seen our fair share of homemade porn videos, and most of us are familiar with a darkly lit room illuminated by the singular flash of an iPhone—and this is why many clips look like they were taken in outer space. Your bedroom is a perfectly fine place to take a sex tape, but Erika encourages you to get creative—why not give your laundry room or kitchen (or I don't know, your bathtub) a go? Rooms without beds can be an important part of the narrative you tell, depending on what, exactly, your narrative is. If you're at a loss for creative places to have sex, consider all the choices you made as a teenager when you had to avoid your actual bedroom and/or family.

Another important factor in terms of video quality is the color palette of the room you choose. While most actual porn sets are decorated in neutral tones, Erika advises against following suit. Color, as it turns out, can make a video vibrant much in the same way it impacts photography, creating a visual richness that is surprisingly important for the erotic punch. Texture is important too, whether it's an exposed brick wall, a bunch of cool plants, or a thick blanket.

Mood lighting

As we know from the "Cloverfield in Space" ambiance, lighting makes a massive difference in terms of video quality. "It's important for me that each film has it's own atmosphere and feeling, just like each sexual encounter in real life has its own unique atmosphere. I love daylight though, and am thrilled whenever I get the opportunity to shoot outside," Erika said when I asked what kind of lighting she recommends when making a sex tape.

The only thing you want to avoid? Inadequate lighting. You need a fair amount to really illuminate your bodies and the surrounding setting, so don't skimp. There are plenty of ways to create "soft" lighting without opting for three solitary candles. That said, it's true that it's illegal to film sex outside without a permit in most situations—though secluded backyards, balconies, patios, or even a room with a big wall of windows will allow you to take advantage of dawn, sunset, and any other time of day you might want to steal the light from. Plan accordingly.

Equipment

Most couples are resistant to having a third person come into their bedroom to take a sex tape for them (though if you're not, it's another way to spice up your sex life), so the "how" becomes a major issue. Erika says that your smartphone will take perfectly good footage, as will the video camera you already own, so don't worry—it's simply a matter of putting your device of choice where it can get good footage. "There are tripods, selfie-sticks, notebook cameras... Experiment, do some test shoots to see what works best, play with lighting and setting. Creativity is the only must to make your shots varied and exciting."

And while I initially laughed at the idea of filming a porno with a selfie stick, that would probably make an amazing (and hilarious) POV video. In essence, Erika says the only thing you really need for good footage is a way to prop a camera up. (They even make tripods for iPhones.) I imagine playing with the shot at first is critical, though—the last thing you want to do is film an entire video only to find out you can only see your feet wriggling around. Unless you're into that sort of thing.

Music

You may already incorporate music into your sex life, which is fantastic. Ultimately, whether you record the music in real time or add it during post-production is largely dependent on the sound quality you're seeking. When I asked Erika what she preferred, her answer was simple. "I like to keep it quiet during shooting to capture those intimate, natural sounds. Then music can be added afterwards. But if you're experimenting with shooting sex videos and you still get a bit nervous, playing music during sex can really help you relax."

I suppose if one of your fantasies involves heavy metal, it would be important for it to be playing while you're having sex. Anyways. The point is, music plays an important role in film, and at the end of the day, porn is still art. Music is worth incorporating into your sex tapes, even if it's just in snippets, and can be added to the film easily after you've taken the footage.

Post-production

You wrote a script. You picked a room. You shaved. (If you're into that.) You set up a tripod. You had sex. Now what? Do you leave the raw footage as it is, or do you play with it? Though Erika's ebook warns against cheesy transitions, she says you won't know how you want to edit it until you experiment. "I think it's best to just dare to try and see what something looks like, instead of sticking to some rulebook about what is functional," she said. "You have to make mistakes in order to succeed. Nothing is going to be perfect on the first try."

This is true with everything, but many people (like myself) get frustrated when their first take doesn't come out swimmingly. Don't get discouraged. The really high-quality video editing programs can cost a good chunk of change, but there's quite a bit of free stuff out there as well.

Security

Not to draw attention back to revenge porn, but security is incredibly important. It's so easy to trust someone you love while you're with them, but people can be surprisingly vengeful when they're angry. She says your best bet is always making sure you're the only one with a copy, but speaking for experience, I can understand that you'd both want to be able to watch it separately, too. Regardless, Erika strongly warns against letting it anywhere near the Internet, which includes file-sharing platforms like Dropbox. "There is always risk involved with sharing anything online, and you always have the option of using a pen drive." Good thing I carry one of those on my keychain.

Sex tape etiquette loosely follows that of nude pictures—while yes, you may want to hold onto them like you would souvenirs, explicit material of someone else is no longer yours once the relationship has ended. When I ended mine, I deleted the videos, as did my partner. This adds another layer of protection for the both of you.

All in all, my interview with Erika was even better than I thought it would be (which is saying a lot, since I think she's the shit). Perhaps the most poignant words she left me with perfectly explained why taking videos can be great for your love life: "I let my life inspire a script, so why not to let a script inspire life?" You can't argue with that.