Do You Have a Secret Film Class?

Just about every couple, no matter how experimental in the bedroom, has some sort of kink they like to play around with, even if it’s as basic as knowing your partner’s sensitive spots. But recording yourself having sex is one of the more modern ones and is, apparently, not that uncommon. However, this particular kink comes with more benefits and pitfalls than most.

Maybe you’ve had some experience in the area, or maybe you’ve watched someone else’s tape — it’s a tab on certain porn sites even. If you have, you’ve probably noticed a big difference between actual porn star porn and actual people porn, and I am not talking about the lack of production quality. It’s plastic people making obnoxious noises versus a real couple having real sex.

“I love homemade porn. I think that it brings couples even closer together. It’s something believable … with real emotions behind it, raw and passionate,” said Marlee Malone, a freshman from the University of Texas at San Antonio. “You really have to trust someone and trust yourself. Making porn videos that include yourself is also a huge step in the right direction towards self-confidence and self love.”

And that is most likely the main reason people aren’t open to the idea of recording themselves. Sex is an intimate and very private thing, and being able to look back and watch yourself is, I would assume, more than a little unsettling. Not only are you watching yourself from a new perspective, you’re looking at yourself from angles you’re not used to and that are possibly rather unflattering.

But another reason for apprehension: revenge porn. Yeah, it is a real thing, where couples that record themselves and then suffer an unpleasant break up get back at each other by posting videos or photos on the net. This has the ability to hurt both people involved (or everyone if you got really freaky with it).

Once you record yourself having sex, it is there almost permanently. You can hit the delete button on your ex’s camera, but who’s to say they didn’t hit the copy button before? Can you ever be 100% sure that, if the relationship ends, your partner won’t do something hurtful with the video?

“I dated a guy for a while during high school who would always video tape me giving him head. Sometimes he would use his laptop and sometimes he would use a handheld camera,” said Savannah College of Art and Design junior Raine Blunk. “I never watched them with him. After we stopped hooking up, I asked him to delete the footage, but I have no idea if he ever actually did.”

So, just like any decision you make in the bedroom, it comes down to love and trust. It takes a certain degree of comfort to turn the camera on, something that, when you are already naked in front of someone else, is surprisingly difficult to muster.

“It is extremely passionate and personal, and sometimes silly and always a deep experience. It’s accepting yourself, trying new things, or strengthening your relationship,” added Malone. “Anything and everything that you feel comfortable with is open for your viewing pleasure.”

 So maybe it is something you are your partner are close enough to try, or maybe not. But if you both decide it’s worth a shot, you may find that it’s worth a sequel.