Bren Ryder

As I mentioned in my last post I’m working on building this business and maintaining it mostly on my own. The exception to my solitude comes on shooting days where I’m filming the models and sometimes I get help from another camera operator to film the scene.

This blog is meant to give you an idea of what it’s like for a self-taught pornographer to run a business and attempt to make an impact on the porn industry and visual depictions of queer female sexuality. So, to give a glimpse into my life I am here to offer my list of 101 things-to-do starting in January 2009.

It’s actually a list of 17 projects that need to get completed and all the tasks that need to get done to make some headway on each one of these tasks.

I’m a little nervous about publishing my list. It makes me feel very vulnerable. Sure, I can take my clothes off and let you watch me have sex with a woman. Any judgements of my body or my sex will only reveal your own insecurity, but this is business. And, what if my way of doing business is wrong or doesn’t serve the queer porn revolution appropriately. Oh well, I can let that go. Just like everyone’s body and sexuality is unique so is my work life and my business contribution to the world. This is how I do it. Feel free to watch.

The List:

1. Schedule New Scenes
2. *Send out email to all the single models to plan get together. (20 min)
3. *Contact C regarding doing a scene. (10 min)
4. *Email S about doing a scene with L. (10 min)
5. *Schedule party to hook people up and brainstorm ideas. (20 min)
6. Update Enter Page
7. *Move review banners/buttons to front page. (40 min)
8. *Add quotes from various sources. (1 hour)
9. *Research appropriate child protection links and banners and memberships available. (1 hour)
10. *Add banners and links to child protection websites (30 min)
11. *Create an affiliate report. (1 hour)
12. *Add affiliate links and banners. (1 hour)
13. *Sign up as an affiliate for CyberDyke.com (20 min)
14. *Look into Monica’s Reviews – renew membership if necessary (1 hour)
15. Create a tour
16. *Create a static page (tour1) describing who we are and what we do. (2 hours)
17. *Create a compilation video of interview responses (8 hours)
18. *Embed a video clip on tour1 of a compilation of interview responses. (30 min)
19. *Create a static page (tour2) showing images and videos of Good Dyke Porn. (4 hours)
20. *Create a static page (tour3) showcasing the BrenRyder and GDP blogs, the forum and community. (2 hours)
21. *Create a static page (tour4) describing the payment options, Verotel, cancellations, free applications and costs (2 hours)
22. *Proof-read all of the tour pages and add the Sign-up Link to all the pages. (2 hours)
23. Update index page
24. *Add slideshow to index page showing latest addition, community update, tour link, $ign up page$ (6 hours)
25. *Create a button for The Tour. (2 hours)
26. *Add link to The Tour on the index page. (20 min)
27. Update public area
28. *Create a press area – add links and quotes from all press that gdp’s been in (4 hours)
29. *Create a review area – add links and quotes from all reviews that been done (4 hours)
30. *Review performance of affiliates on link page (2 hours)
31. *Update links page – remove inappropriate affiliates (2 hours)
32. *Update VOD page – flash it up a bit, promote HotMovies (2 hours)
33. *Update About Us page. (2 hours)
34. *Update distributor information on the website. (10 min)
35. Update BrenRyder.com
36. *Write a blog about affiliate reports. (3 hours)
37. *Redo categories on BrenRyder.com (20 min)
38. Update Members Area
39. *Convert all video files to wmv. (2 days)
40. *Add wmv link to all scene items. (4 hours)
41. *Create a newsletter to send out to paying members. (4 hours)
42. *Add categories to the videos. (2 hours)
43. Update Community Area
44. *Download Joomla Community and install in members area. (4 hours)
45. *Change gender fields on profile (2 hours)
46. *Redo AlexCravenGeneva preview files. (30 min)
47. *Email models about getting on the forum and creating their own profiles. (30 min)
48. *Create a model profile area. (6 hours)
49. Revive Forum
50. *Start a new thread or two (20 min)
51. *Move into members area. (1 hour)
52. Catch-up on Administrative Tasks
53. *Refurbish battery and get wireless card for laptop.* (2 hours)
54. *Update accounts on business software. (2 days)
55. *Do taxes 2008 (3 days)
56. *Go over domain registrations and renew only those which are necessary. (1 hour)
57. *Decide whether to make a few new sites that point back to GoodDykePorn (30 min)
58. *Reserve new domain. (10 min)
59. *Contact adult stores across US about Babeland distributing GDP. (2 hours)
60. *Add wmv files to Clips.com (2 hours)
61. Prepare Promotion Tools
62. *Make new banners for promotion – according to industry standard (2 days)
63. *Create an animated banner. (4 hours)
64. *Add preview clips to PornHub. (1.5 hours)
65. *Look into the possibility of putting clips on other tube sites. (1 hour)
66. *Put together promotional package to send to magazines and other media. (2 days)
67. *Create Photo Galleries for promotion and video clips to TGP’s on Verotel. (4 hours)
68. *Contact magazines and blogs about participating as a writer. (2 hours)
69. *Research all possible awards for 2010. (1 hour)
70. *Advertise on the Xtra online directory. (20 min)
71. Update Members Database
72. *Add complete contact information to contacts list. (6 hours)
73. *Add members to the Map. (8 hours)
74. *Add I to the members area. (10 min)
75. Start Free Membership Community
76. *Create a form for applications for free memberships. (4 hours)
77. *Create static page with rules and information regarding free memberships. (2 hours)
78. *Send out an email to all members announcing this opportunity. (2 hours)
79. *Create a newsletter to send out to community members, paying members, and free members. (6 hours)
80. *Set up a donation button to include in free members email communication. (1 hour)
81. Update AEBN Account
82. *Create a “DVD cover” for every scene currently online. (2.5 hours)
83. *Work out cover details with AEBN. (30 min)
84. *Burn more scenes onto a DVD to send into AEBN. (4 hours)
85. *Write scene descriptions and include photos and model I.D.’s into new content package. (4 hours)
86. *Update the appearance of the VOD library. (2 hours)
87. *Send in new content to AEBN. (1 hour)
88. Rework Business Plan
89. *Find and print all past business plan documents. (30 min)
90. *Read E-Myth Mastery Business Plan chapter. (2 hours)
91. *Make outline for new business plan. (8 hours)
92. Make a new short film.
93. *Read through documentary book (4 hours)
94. *Plan the story and what to shoot (4 hours)
95. *Shoot it (4 days)
96. *Edit it (8 days)
97. *Recruit musician to submit their music (4 hours)
98. Start Accepting Submissions
99. *Write guidelines for user submissions. (4 hours)
100. *Create a button and link for Accepting Submissions! (3 hours)
101. *Meet with lawyer for new contract. (2 hours)

More To Come:

1. Make a plan for creating merchandise.
2. Publish Volume 2 DVD.
3. Schedule writing time for the manifesto.

Sing it now….”don’t want to be…all by myself…anymore”.

For the last two years-ish I’ve been building this business and running the website (GoodDykePorn.com) all by myself, mostly. There are plenty of people who have contributed to the business/website. Of course, the models are the most important contributors. Plus, there have been a few crew volunteers who have been there to hold the other camera and assist in other crew tasks. There has been plenty of support through encouragement and even financial support. I could not do this completely on my own, but…

When it comes right down to it, though, I am doing all this on my own. I shoot the video of the incredible and brave women having sex (sometimes with another camera operator), edit it, sometimes make music for it, encode the video for web download, upload it to the website, then blog about it. Everything that the website requires – updates, code changes, new additions, and reworking the format – is done by me alone. So far I’ve been doing my accounting by myself. I tried to hire out the work initially, but it was too expensive so I took it back to do myself, which means I have a lovely pile of accounting work ready to be done “someday”. Marketing is also my responsibility – which could have something to do with the slow (but steady) rise of GoodDykePorn to the minds of dykes and porn watchers around the world. I had a friend who expressed interest in getting involved on a few occasions but that never panned out.

I think my biggest struggle with doing things all by myself is that I really like it that way. I struggle with it because it seems like for a business to work properly and to live up to it’s full potential it needs multiple people with all the right skills working to make it great. I just made myself a filmmaker, editor, marketer, accountant, webmaster and blogger simply by doing it. I didn’t do those things before. I’ve been learning by doing and I want to keep doing it. If I followed the business way of doing things then I’d be the business operator and I’d have experts in filmmaking, editing, marketing, accounting and webmastering on my team who do the work in the way that jives with my vision. Instead, I feel like a solitary artist who meticulously, step-by-step, job-by-job, task-by-task works to create a business that jives with my vision.

When it comes right down to it though, it comes right down to the money. As a new independent porn producer who mostly caters to women I’m not exactly raking in the cash. I’d love to hire out a few things like marketing and accounting, but any money that does come in needs to be used to make more DVD’s, or make more scenes, or to pay back start-up loans, or to compensate myself for all the work that I do put into this venture.

I’m happy right now. I’m optimistic about the future. I feel confident that I can do everything that is required of me. I’m not a natural marketer. I love to procrastinate. But, I have a list in front of me that has 101 tasks to do and I will do it. I’m going to revel in the omniscient power over GoodDykePorn while it lasts. My progress may be slow, but I think slow is beautiful. I have such an incredible job. It suits me perfectly. And I’m doing it all by myself.

I’d rather ask you back to my place, but instead I’ve decided to give myspace.com another try. Earlier, they deleted my account for having a link to my website, GoodDykePorn.com. I didn’t have anything nudity on the profile just a banner and a link. After getting deleted I read the fine print and sure enough, they prohibit links to porno sites. I hate that I actually have to read those damn Terms of Service things every time I want to access a service online.

Myspace seems like a useful place for people around the world to find me and get to know what I’m about and catch up on the latest happenings without having to go to the site directly. Understandably, people get worried about accessing anything porn without first knowing that it’s trustworthy.

So, please be my friend. Send me a message, leave a comment or just visit. I’m here for you, babe.

Also, you can find me on facebook.com and I’d be delighted if you’d befriend me there. I’m much more active on there then I am on myspace, but I’ll do my best to keep myspace current, as well.

Okay, two goals: one personal goal and one professional goal.

Coming up with only one goal for these two areas of my life was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I knew I’d have to spend some time really thinking about what’s important. I have a ton of tasks that I want to do: make volume 2 DVD, shoots hot sexy scenes, update website, promote more effectively, lose weight, cut out junk food, socialize more, etc, etc.

But, none of those things are the number one most important thing to do. Looking at one of those tasks as my single solitary goal for my life is very unexciting. A goal must be exciting. It must be worth the effort. It must be so compelling that when I browse the internet aimlessly I’ll immediately recognize that what I’m doing isn’t getting me closer to my be-all-end-all GOAL.

Of course, even the life of a dyke pornographer can’t be that passionate and exciting all the time, but I thought about it a lot and I’ve finally come up with one personal goal and one professional goal.

The personal goal is a simple one and so simple and straight-forward that I’m not sure if it’s the right one.

PERSONAL GOAL: Pay off my debt.

I struggled with this one because I feel like I focus a bit too much on it. I’m constantly checking balances, working and reworking my debt reduction system, reading finance books and blogs, planning, planning and more planning. When really the only thing I need to do is make more money for a couple of years and it’s done. My goal for last year was also to pay off my debt. Initially, I immediately rejected it as a primary goal because I thought my obsession was a bit unhealthy. But, then I came to the conclusion that sometimes obsessions need to be cultivated. I’m such a laid back, slow-is-beautiful kind of person that I could use some more obsession in my life. Obsessing over debt and striving towards a zero balance is not exactly a sexy goal, but I’m going to use this opportunity to exercise my obsessive power until this goal is achieved.

Now, the fun part – the professional goal. I love my job and making goals for work is uber sexy. Like I mentioned before, the tasks sometimes aren’t so sexy: new graphics, find help, update accounting system, create new customer database. Therefore, none of those things are my primary goal. Those things must serve my primary goal.

PROFESSIONAL GOAL: Create Good Dyke Porn™ Manifesto.

This gets me excited. The Good Dyke Porn™ Manifesto is everything. It’s the website, the promotion, the content, words describing our mission, a book perhaps, a new DVD, a documentary film or simply brainstorm scratches on a pad of paper.

This year my goal is to create the manifesto. Maybe the next goal will be to deliver the manifesto (through promotion, selling, etc). But first, I must solidify exactly what it is I’m doing, meaning to say, the impact I’m intending to make and manifest it into media for others to understand. The vision in my business plan and goals from two years ago need to leap in front of the eyes of the world so that everyone can understand Good Dyke Porn.

This is exciting. This is about creation. Now, everything that I do from writing this blog to filming a scene or hiring a helper needs to serve this goal: to create the manifesto.

Of course, I still have to do my accounting and release media that, while in line with the manifesto, isn’t exactly the manifesto itself. But, the awesome thing about creating the manifesto is that once I have it written in a frame in my office (another creative form) then all minor or major tasks will be serving that mission statement.

This creative goal is going to take more than one form and I’m going to leave that open. I’ll know when the creative process for the manifesto is done. At that time I’ll begin to focus on a new thrilling goal.