It’s just human nature to want to film yourself having sex. From making a Xerox copy of one’s butt to stripping down and jacking off on Chatroulette, history has shown us time and again that when presented with a new form of technology, mankind won’t waste much time before figuring out how to expose themselves on it. From the dawn of filmmaking, people have probably been thinking, “Hey, what if I used this to film myself having sex?” and thanks to certain technological developments that have taken place in the century or so since, it’s never been easier to do exactly that. 

As recently as the early part of this millenium, sex tapes remained largely the domain of celebrities who, it’s worth noting, were simultaneously shamed and ogled by the masses when their private content leaked (if they were women, anyway.) These days, however, any shmuck with an iPhone can film themselves having sex any time they want — but that doesn’t mean they should.

I’m not saying anyone who wants to shouldn’t record themselves having sex, (provided they are doing so with the explicit consent of any other participating parties) but if you’re going to do it, you should probably put in a little more effort than simply propping up your phone on your bedside table and going at it. 

In order to help you make your amateur foray into porn look as non-amateur as possible, we checked in with the pros — the porn pros. Below, Woody All-In, Senior Video Editor at AdultTime.com, and adult performers Siri Dahl and Sarah Vandella share their tips for making DIY porn you’ll actually want to watch. 

Get consent 

This should go without saying, but just as a reminder, you can never, ever record someone in a sexual situation without their explicit permission. All-In even prefaced our entire conversation with, “I’m assuming everyone involved in the filming process is willing to be there and fully consensual.” But you, as a person actually involved in that process, cannot simply assume that’s the case — you have to know because that consent has been freely given and made explicitly clear. It doesn’t matter if it’s someone you’ve filmed with before; it doesn’t matter if it’s your wife of a billion years; it doesn’t matter if you know the person you’re filming definitely won’t mind and you want it to be a sexy surprise. You absolutely cannot film anyone without their knowledge and consent, ever. 

Have a game plan 

While it may seem sexy and spontaneous to simply hit record and see where the mood takes you, chances are you’ll be less than satisfied with how that spontaneity actually translates on camera. While there’s no need to write and choreograph a whole scene, (unless you want to, of course) you’re going to want to go in with at least a rough idea of what you’re doing. 

“Definitely have a game plan,” says All-In, and make sure everyone is on board with it. 

“Have a loose idea of what you want to film,” Vandella suggests, including what positions are in the rotation and what’s off limits. “Talk to your partners and make sure that everyone is aware of boundaries and limitations,” she suggests, adding that putting a safe word in place may also be a good idea. 

And while you should have a plan, it’s also important to stay flexible. “Keep in mind that what you’re comfortable with could change halfway during filming, so make sure you have some back-up suggestions or ideas in case something doesn’t work for you,” says Vandella.

Finally, “Rehearse!” says All-In. Again, you don’t have to memorize lines or run through choreography, but it’s a good idea to figure out how you’re going to look and sound on camera — and how you want to look and sound on camera — before you film the feature presentation. “It’s easy to roll the camera and move in the space you will use, test out your screaming and moaning levels and check the footage to adjust accordingly.”

Insidehook