AMVC

What AMVC is

AMVC.com is a video distributor for amateur adult producers, online since July 1997. Its producer page says it offers online sales, marketing, duplication and distribution of gay, bi, straight and trans amateur videos, and thanks prospects for considering it "to help fulfill your marketing and distributor needs." It pays producers whose videos it sells, and its strongest side is gay and male amateur work: the entry page quotes AVN calling it "The King of Amateur Gay Porn Videos." The producer page states a new policy that it no longer accepts producers outside the United States, so it is a US-only route. The pages do not name a joining fee or publish a revenue split.

How earning works here

A producer shoots their own amateur videos and AMVC sells and distributes them. The producer page headline is "Make Money From Your Porn Videos & Clips Via AMVC!" It directs prospects to a "How To Become An AMVC Producer (F.A.Q.)" page, with the instruction to read everything there before making contact, a page of legal, medical and adult resources, and an "AMVC New Producer Application" with a warning to read the earlier information first. Accepted producers get a "Producers Only Area." Buyers reach the catalog through an entry page with separate gay and straight sections, and the producer area also links a section for adult webmasters and an "Advertise Cheap!" page.

The how-to article explains where the distributor comes in. After a producer has shot and edited a video, "AMVC takes over the marketing, duplicating, and distribution tasks," and the article pitches this at people who enjoy making videos but lack access to "thousands of online customers eager to purchase their product," and at people who are good with a camera but do not want to handle the bookwork and footwork of selling. It says the gay videos are the biggest sellers, that the company is working to grow its straight, bi and trans catalog, and that it welcomes videos of almost any genre, "nothing illegal, of course!" At the time the article was written, AMVC said it marketed and distributed for over 120 producers and ran 8 video labels of its own. The text is dated 2001, so those figures are historical and the current producer page gives no count.

The rest of the article is a guide to making amateur videos, and it shows what the distributor expects to receive. It tells the producer to film everything, since "it's easier to edit something out of the video than it is insert something you never recorded," and to start with "vanilla" scenes. Before footage goes to market, the producer edits out copyright infringements, anyone without a model release, and anything that may be deemed obscene or questionable. The home setting is described as the ideal location, because amateur and pro-amateur productions are what AMVC's customer base buys. The article advises good lighting and quality recording gear, since skimping has cost producers, AMVC included, unusable footage.

On paying models, it says all model payments should be clearly documented, preferably by check, and that rates depend on budget, performance, the model's sales appeal and experience. A producer chooses between a flat fee or hourly pay and whether to pay royalties on video sales. On royalties it warns that the terms must be spelled out in a written agreement, and adds the author's own view that the method is "more trouble than it's worth."

Parts of the article speak to performers. It says a model is rarely an employee and is usually hired as contract labor for a one-time job and payment, and that most of its models have full or part-time jobs and "do work for us on the side." It warns performers to check that a talent scout runs a legitimate business, to keep signed copies of everything, and to agree on limits with the producer before a shoot. The author says they will usually fire a model who is late, and that AMVC has contacts for getting performers more work in magazines and other video companies.

Money and rules

The pages publish no payout percentage, price per video, royalty rate or payout method for producers. They do say "Prices and Terms of Service are subject to change without notice," and the storefront adds that the company is not liable for pricing errors.

What the producer page states is the paperwork: "All producers with offices in the USA will need to submit a W-9 form to us to complete your paperwork." The same page says "We NO LONGER Accept Producers Outside of the United States!" The site says all videos comply with 18 U.S.C. section 2257 and 28 CFR section 75.

The how-to article sets the documentation standard. Every person appearing in a video, whether having sex or not, must show proof of being at least 18, and the article notes that some states set 21. Valid ID is a photo state-issued ID, a photo driver's license, a photo military ID or a passport, with "no discussion of accepting anything different." It advises a second form of ID, such as a Social Security card, and at least 2 legible copies for the producer's records, and says AMVC keeps an electronic scan as well as paper copies. A signed and dated model release is required, and the article says an example release and other legal resources sit in the producer section. A standard release states that the model is of legal age and gives up all rights to what may be done with the footage. Anyone who does not copy the ID and have the model sign a release is, in the article's words, "operating an illegal business." It also tells producers to consult an attorney about zoning, obscenity and other local laws before filming.

The 2001 article describes AMVC as a subsidiary of a Washington corporation located in Seattle. The entry page bars users in North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, citing those states' laws, and says the company is converting to a new site to be accessible for all adults.

Who it suits

It suits a US-based amateur producer, especially one making gay, bi or male-led content, who already shoots finished videos and wants a distributor with sales, marketing and duplication behind it rather than a self-run store. The producer must be ready for the paperwork: ID copies for everyone on camera, signed releases and a W-9. Someone comfortable with a formal application and written agreements will find the process matches what the site describes, and a producer who wants to stay behind the camera and leave selling to someone else is exactly who the article is written for.

It is not for a creator outside the United States, which the site rules out, or for someone who needs to see a split before applying. The reference article dates from 2001, the producer page's copyright runs to 2022 and the entry page announces a site conversion, so much of the published guidance is old. A creator wanting a fan page, live shows or direct tipping will not find those tools here.