Black Widow Talent Receives State License-
http://www.avn.com/articles/273865.html

Legal Porn Agents Rare-
http://sugarbank.com/tag/agents

NOW THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! I know Florida has licensing for agents too, but then again, they don't enforce it. Maybe it's time they did.

Most adult agents are not licensed or bonded by the state, but dont expect California to start enforcing these laws. The Labor Division has basically been stripped of its power of enforcement and theres really no criminal investigations occurring in regards to agents.

Licensed and bonded doesnt always mean that the performers will be better represented or treated better. And for the most part, unless the agent is complying with all of the regs of a licensed and bonded agent is required to the license really means nothing. My advice to any performer is to talk with other performers before selecting an agent, interview that agent and question them as to how they are going to best represent you. Read any contract put before you by the agent and seek legal advice before signing it. And try to stay with the top 4 agents in the biz, you will probably get more work in the long run.

Michael

All your advice on this is good. New performers, however, seldom have a mentor/performer with enough experience to lead them through the jungle of agent/predators effectively, and often have to depend on speaking with talent that agent is currently representing. This talent probably isn't going to express warnings yet.

I would like to see something for talent along the lines of what pornstarperformance.com provides for producers, whereas talent can inform other talent on the reliability and behaviors of agents and producers. If there's a site like this for talent, I haven't seen it, but I think it would be reasonable for one to exist as a tool for them.

I would agree. However, with the number of performers that are on Myspace and Xpeeps, it isnt that difficult to try to contact a few for advice before entering the business. It may not be the most effective means of gathering advice but it is a start.

As for the pornstarperformance angle for directors and producers, that could be problematic. Pornstarperformance is not a great idea to begin with. First off, I've seen posts made by directors about talent that borders on slander/libel. Adult employers, and thats what producers and directors are when they hire talent, are bound to the same laws the rest of us are. If you were attempting to find another job, would you appreciate your former employer posting on a public website that you were lazy, inefficient, often late and took long lunches? Employers in California are limited to what they can and cant say when they are asked by a prospective employer about recommending a former employee.

Giving irate adult performers a podium like that would probably lead to a website that was more a complaint department than truly helpful.

With any career, there is a learning curve in being an adult performer. Until a performer gets into the business and actually starts performing for different studios/directors they wont know who they like working with and who they dont. The same holds true as for other talent. It will take them a while to develop a no list.

My general advice remains to most female performers dont do anything or anyone that you dont want to. Walk off a set if you think you are being taken advantage. Do your homework.

Michael

The real problem with Pornstarperformance is the selective nature of the posts, i.e. producers can post but agents and performers often cannot rebut. I've never even looked at the site for that reason.

I would think that California would have insurmountable 1st amendment problems trying to prevent anyone from speaking truthfully about performance issues. The letter made public by the production company on Lindsay Lohan's current movie certainly seems no different than Pornstarperformance's schtick.

A major problem with the girls is simply the reason many get into porn in the first place - a complete lack of life skills colliding with the need to pay rent and buy drugs. Leaving the shoot means leaving the cash, and that isn't an option if you forgot to get a job at the start of the month to pay bills due at the end of the month (that "surprise" car payment that comes due the same day every month).

Even the girls who aren't that dumb may realize "there's another one off the bus every day" - if they won't do an anal then the director will just hire someone else more desperate. This has supposedly been an even worse problem in Europe once French/German/Italian girls had to compete with Czech/Hungarian girls, but I think it's a real issue in the USA too.

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I would think that California would have insurmountable 1st amendment problems trying to prevent anyone from speaking truthfully about performance issues.

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First Amendment doesnt have anything to do with private speech. Only speech that is being regulated by the government. California doesnt care about the issues involving PSP. A damaged performer would be seeking civil damages from a producer/director.

If the 2nd aspect to your hypothetical were true, rates for b/g would be $3.95 by now based upon a free market economy. From my understanding, since I dont produce content, some European girls are as expensive as American girls (factoring in exchange rates as well) and the Japanese girls according to a story in XBiz are more expensive.

I think it is an interesting angle to consider that pornstarperformance.com, when California has certainly demonstrated its belief that porn work falls under labor laws, is allowing public statements about hirees to breach what is lawfully protected.