Making homemade porn can be an exciting way to get in touch with your sexuality and/ or explore connections and broaden sexual horizons with partner(s). While some may post amateur porn to a site or to an OnlyFans account, many enjoy keeping their homemade porn for private enjoyment only. If you’re interested in making DIY porn just for you and/or your partner(s), there are certain things to keep in mind to ensure the experience is safe, sexy, and fun. Here are ten tips for making your own amateur porn.

Define your reasons for wanting to make homemade porn 

Defining your reasons for making DIY porn can help inform how you might act in and shoot your film. Here are just a few reasons some might enjoy making homemade porn: 

• To move past self-consciousness and feel sexually empowered. For some, seeing themselves on camera as a “star,” or as the center of physical attention, can help them overcome body insecurities and feel more empowered in a sexual space. 
• ‍To deepen intimacy with a partner or add excitement if sex has become routine. Making homemade porn with a partner can be a good way to get out of a sexual rut and rediscover a new kind of connection. “I love that my partner has a file of all our films that he masturbates to on his own time,” O.school reader Sarah, 34, tells us. “We’ve also put on our previous homemade porn on the tv while we have sex to it I find it to be so much fun, trust-building, and a great way to expand my sexual horizons.”‍
• To explore exhibitionist fantasies. If the thought of being watched during sex turns you on, filming yourself can be a way to explore your fantasies in a safe and consensual way.‍
• To see yourself represented and claim your sexuality. The DIY Porn Handbook, filmmaker and performer Madison Young writes that some people choose to make DIY porn, “because we are tired of waiting for someone else to represent our bodies, our gender, our sexuality in a way that resonates with us.” Making porn for you, by you, means that you’ll be able to see yourself, and everything that makes you unique, represented and celebrated on screen.
  

1. Establish consent, boundaries, and privacy policies‍

If you’re performing with your partner(s), talk it through before you hit record. Even making a written list of your motivations and your boundaries can be a good way to establish consent and ease communication. Plan beforehand what you’ll do if someone feels uncomfortable, consider using a safe word to call a halt to the action, and make an agreement about how the footage will be stored, who’s allowed to view it, and how it will be disposed of if the time comes to delete your sexy content.

Remember, it’s always ok to change your mind or withdraw consent at any time, for any reason. You should feel comfortable that your costars (if you have any) will be willing to stop filming, change the plot, or even destroy the evidence if you decide you’re no longer comfortable.‍

2. Get inspired by the porn you like‍

If you’ve viewed porn before, you may find that specific scenarios or types of performances turn you on. Do you tend to enjoy scenes where the performers take on specific roles — i.e., boss and employee, professor and student, or friends on a camping trip? Or do you prefer porn that feels more intimate and spontaneous? Do you like feminist porn that focuses more on the female performers’ pleasure and empowerment? Do you like watching rough play with plenty of cum shots, or tender and sensuous sex that focuses more on the performers’ faces and expressions of emotion? What about incorporating kink, or accessories like toys and blindfolds? Thinking about what you like to watch will help you to discover your own style and guide you towards making a film that resonates with you.‍

3. Set the scene‍

Choosing a space where you feel comfortable can help you to let go of inhibitions and take pleasure in the process. Selecting somewhere with access to the basics (water, towels, lube, toys, comfy pillows, or whatever you need to make sex feel safe and fun) can help to ensure success. Make sure that your location is private and that there’s absolutely no chance of roommates, kids, or pets wandering into the room. Lighting candles, using essential oils, or other sensory cues can help you get into the mood. If you’re filming outdoors, it can be helpful to have someone who can serve as a lookout to make sure that no one wanders onto your set, as well as plenty of blankets and towels.‍

4. Wear what makes you feel sexy‍

Many of us have some insecurities about our bodies or feel shy in situations where all the attention is on us. A sexy outfit can help you to feel more confident. Something as simple as a favorite pair of underwear that makes your butt look amazing, or as elaborate as a full-on costume of your favorite film, TV, or literary character can help you to step into the sexiest, most empowered version of yourself and give you the confidence boost you need to shed your inhibitions on camera.‍

5. Ease into the scene slowly‍

It can be intimidating to film yourself in a sexual moment, especially if you’ve never done it before. Rather than going for a hardcore penetration-and-cum-shot scene right out of the gate, it can be helpful to start with something mild and build the intensity — over the course of a single shoot, or over several sessions. If you’re filming with a partner, for example, you could begin with kissing and light touching. If you’re making a solo film, starting out by doing a strip-tease, stroking yourself through your clothes, or even just recording yourself talking about something that turns you on can be good ways to start.‍

6. Decide how professional you want the finished product to look‍

Making porn for you and/or your partner(s) can be a simple point-and-shoot affair involving only your smartphone or your laptop’s built-in camera. If you’re turned on by the exhibitionistic aspect of filming yourself, or you’re looking to overcome shyness, a basic, unedited shoot may give you exactly what you want. For some, making a more polished film can be an exciting challenge. If you’re considering sharing it at a later time, looking to express your creative side through film, or are interested in making something with higher production values that you’ll want to watch again and again, using more high-end equipment, multiple cameras, and even incorporating elements like storyboarding, advanced lighting set-ups, or sound design can make your shoot look more professional. ‍

7. Be your own director‍

In The DIY Porn Handbook, Young writes, “Although it has its challenges, there is something wildly empowering about directing your own fantasies and living them out in front of the camera.” Making your own porn means that you have total creative control: You can decide what to highlight and what to leave out, whether you want the action to be lighthearted or intense, romantic or rough (or all of the above). You get to determine the plot (if there is one) and how you’ll be represented. ‍

8. Consider lighting 

For an intimate ambiance where atmosphere is more important than seeing details, you can try soft, indirect lighting, a red lampshade or filter, or even candlelight. If you want to see more, lighting yourself from the front with brighter lights is a good way to go. A good rule of thumb is to avoid backlighting (having light coming from behind you) and to use several light sources, like lamps positioned in different places around the room. If you want a more professional look, there are many online tutorials that can help you to create a lighting scheme for your film shoot.‍

9. Think about angles‍

Changing up the angle and camera position is another way to make your scene hotter. In general, having the camera pointing down at you, showing as much of your body as possible, is a good way to go. Try changing positions to showcase more of the action and show off the parts of your body you like the most. Moving the camera part way through can let you capture more perspectives — for example, you can transition from a wide angle that shows your entire face and body to a closer shot that showcases penetration or specific body parts.

Doing a clothed practice run to figure out which lighting works best, which angles you find most flattering, and where you want to place the camera can be a great way to figure out how to set up your shoot without the pressure of having to perform.‍

10. Edit‍

Editing your film lets you remove parts where you get up to move the camera, have an awkward moment, or capture an unflattering angle, and create a seamless-looking film. Many computers come with editing software already installed; online tutorials can help you find tips and tricks to make your film look as polished as possible if that’s important to you.‍

11. Make sure everything is secure, safe, and private‍

Saving your film in a secure location is an absolute must. If you’ve recorded it on your phone, transfer it to another location (your laptop or an external hard drive, for example) ASAP. Storing it in an inconspicuous location on your computer (not on your desktop!) and using a file name that you’ll remember, but that won’t inspire snooping, is a good way to keep it on the down-low (“fridgewarrantyinfo.mpg” is a lot more discreet than “homemadeporn.mpg”!). Encrypting the file and protecting it with a password adds another layer of security.

Remember, if you’re making porn with a partner, having a deep level of trust, and agreeing beforehand on boundaries and limits, is absolutely essential.‍

12. Have fun‍

Especially if it’s your first time making DIY porn, it can feel awkward to film yourself — and that’s ok! Being able to laugh at the sillier moments and leaning into the humorous aspects of sex can help you to relax and have fun with the process.

Porn performer Spencer Bradley tells O.school that the most important thing to keep in mind when making porn is “To enjoy! Get lost and react to what you are feeling.” Whether it’s for you and your partner(s) or for your eyes alone, pleasure is the point: If you’re having fun, the experience will be more enjoyable in the moment and more fun to watch later.‍

The bottom line

‍Making your own porn can be a hot, and empowering, experience. It can help you to move beyond self-consciousness in the bedroom, celebrate what makes you and your sexuality unique, and build intimacy and trust with a partner. Whether you want to make your own private record of an intimate moment, or share your film with someone you trust, it’s vital to make sure that consent, communication, and privacy are front-and-center.