-DON’T treat smaller creators with less dignity than larger creators. We’re all doing the same work & everyone has started somewhere -DO treat everyone equally, despite their experience & social media following. This job can be isolating, especially if you’re new. We need all the kindness & support we can get.
-DON’T coerce people into content that they’re not comfortable with. A good content creator is able to work w/ their co-performer’s boundaries to ensure nobody walks away regretting a shoot.
-DO ask about boundaries before shoots. Always have a safe word discussed for rough content.
-DON’T spam other content creators for collaborations. Especially publicly within the comments. If you have good content you really shouldn’t have to do that, it should speak for itself.
-DO ensure your social media pages have links & examples of your work. How can anyone consider you for a collab if there’s no content to be seen?
-DON’T force friendships on others or constantly hit them up after the shoot. It’s okay to be friendly but don’t assume all professional relations have to be friendships. It is work, after all.
-DO make sure all parties have content, especially before you start promoting said content or focus on other collaborations. Make sure it’s on your to-do list & crossed off. Also, it’s a good idea to have something of your own to store footage on to lessen the risks of exploitation.
-DON’T withhold content or ignore creators when they ask for content. It’s demeaning putting yourself out there in terms of trade & shared content only to walk away w/ no content.
-DO discuss the timing of content releases, specifically for shared content. It’s hard to sell content that everyone releases all at the same time. The goal is for everyone to make money from the content!
-DON’T use alcohol or drugs to encourage people to ‘let loose’ for content purposes. There’s a reason studios don’t want performers to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during shoots.
-DO speak professionally in emails & messages about trade shoots. Consider it a business interaction.
-DON’T send inappropriate photos or attempt to sext when planning a collab. As stated above, it should be treated as a business interaction!
Most of all DO have fun & DO be safe!
See more from Winter on her Twitter account below!
