Ticklemaster750 said:
But thanks to the legal red-tape (being an "adult industry" and all) and thanks to the beauracratic hoops I needed to jump thru, I just said forget it.
Interesting point. The adult industry aspect has been a problem for me as well. However, in my case it's not for legal reasons.
I'm not ashamed of producing fetish-like videos. The models know everything there is to know about my project, including the context and what the videos are for. They know what they're getting into. They do it willingly and with all the information they need to make an informed decision. The videos involve no nudity and no adult-like acts (aside from a few foot-licking scenes that are a little more kinky than what the average person is used to). The videos are perfectly harmless and are meant to be all in good fun.
However, the fact remains that, as tame as my videos are, the market is still an adult one. I mean, let's face it, the purpose of the videos is basically sexual arousal. I can't hide this from the models (nor would I want to), and it's the biggest obstacle when hiring models. Many people find the tickling concept fun, but would never accept to have strangers do, well, "intimate" things while watching them get tickled silly. After all, my models are just ordinary people, not actual fetish models.
Now, while I do produce videos that are of a somewhat adult nature, the truth is that I'm not totally comfortable with that fact. I have no interest in the adult industry as a whole. It's just not my world. Non-nude tickling and feet is all I'm willing to do. But since most people who hear about my project and myself don't know me personally, I can't entirely blame them for thinking that maybe there's something more to it. Like I'm some kind of smut peddler. I know I'm nowhere near a pornographer, but some very close-minded people don't see it that way. And even people who have no problem with my project and find it amusing, including the models, can still associate me with the adult industry. Each time I discuss my project with a candidate or someone else I expose myself to such judgement. And that's something I have a big problem with. It's painful to me. Like I said, I'm not ashamed of doing this, but, you know, sometimes it does weigh on me. I can't help but worry what people are thinking of me and wonder why I've decided to deal in a market that I don't like (the adult industry, not tickling, with which I have no problem at all).
Don't get me wrong, I've developed a very thick skin over the years after being let down by so many people. I manage to live through it without too much trouble now. But it still hurts to have people lack respect for me or, on occasion, even accuse me of pretty nasty stuff. One person even told me that what I was doing was "an abuse of women" and said she was thinking of calling the police. Naturally, her accusation and threat were absurb and totally pointless, but it still hurt. One's self-esteem can take a beating when doing something like this. I guess that some people are more comfortable with the whole thing than I am, but I'm just a regular guy with a regular life whose not 100% comfortable with the adult thing (even though I'm obviously interesteed in tickling for adult reasons myself).
Now, if this were an easier project to do from a technical point of view, it might be easier to deal with the adult aspect. Or, if the project had nothing to do with adult material I could accept working even harder to get models, as I wouldn't have to deal with unfair judgement from people. It would just be a "normal" business and I'd simply be "doing my job" (it's not my regular job, though, just a little sideline). But as it is, it's very hard to handle all the technical aspects knowing that, at the same time, some people are looking down on me, disapproving of my project. Very discouraging.
I sometimes wish I could do something like this in a non-adult context (too bad there's no potential there). I would make things so much easier. For instance, I would love to ask a few of my classmates if they'd be interested in posing. I know some would have excellent potential, and somehow working with people you already know is kind of special. It's entirely possible a few would be happy to do it. But I just can't risk it. It only takes one close-minded person who takes it the wrong way to get me into trouble in class. At the very least it would be an uncomfortable situation, having to study for the next two years with someone who thinks I'm a freak. Not good for my reputation. And who knows what she could tell our classmates. That could become a nightmare. So, because of the adult element, a project that's basically supposed to be fun and would be great to do with people close to me can become a sort of threat to my reputation.
It's always depressing to have a person say how cool she thinks the tickling idea is, only to see her mood crash down when the "adult" element is eventually brought up (usually almost from the start). I hate to think what that person thinks of me then. My approach with candidates makes it a little easier. I'm always a combination of friendly and professional when dealing with candidates. It can put people at ease and give me credibility at the same time. Definitely not the kind of project where you can start acting in a stupid, horny way, unless you don't respect people and don't care what they think of you. You need to be kind, respectful, honest and do your best to reassure the candidates without sugar-coating it. But sometimes it's not enough. Some people can still think you're scum. Even mild discomfort or hesitation from the candidates is unpleasant to me.
Mind you, most people are more tolerant than that. Some find it great fun and have no problem with it at all (though that doesn't necessarily mean they'd do it themselves). Some others don't get it, finding it weird and puerile, but otherwise don't have a moral/ethical problem with it per se. But some others do. And even if they're ok with it, I still don't like the idea that some of the more open-minded people still associate me with the adult industry.
My god, I'm been ranting like there's no tomorrow, haven't I? I'm very sorry about that. But it feels good to get it off my chest. Who knows, it might be useful (albeit in a a negative way) to some people. I just want to make sure that people considering doing something like this take the time to seriously consider all aspects of such a project and not jump into it just because they're excited at the idea of doing some tickling. It simply isn't that easy.
By the way, I'd like to say that it's not all negative for me. I mean, if it were, I don't know how I could go on, even with the very serious need to make some of my money back. I do take satisfaction in knowing I'm getting good material during a shoot. And I do appreciate the positive feedback I get from people from the community. It's encouraging and helps me endure the bad stuff. It's just that I can't say I get much of the kind of fun one would expect to get from working with tickling models. It's more a business than anything else at this point.
Sorry again for the length and mood of this post. I'm just sharing my feelings, that's all. I guess that's what the community is for. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
