I've got a question. Have you ever done a sex tape before? C'mon. If you haven't, don't act like you've never considered it before. I mean, it's not like all of us don't have at least a little bit of voyeurism (the desire to watch someone undress or have sex) and/or exhibitionism (the desire to be watched doing the same) in us. It's just that, most of us know to be out here peeking through random windows or stripping out in public is against the law. That's where learning how to make a sex tape comes in. The cool thing about it is it's a wonderful compromise.
So, just how do you pull it off? First, make sure that you make the tape with someone you totally trust, both in and out of the bedroom; that's what's most important. Once you've got the leading man for the starring role, all you've got to do is check the following 10 things off of your DIY sex tape list and you should, literally, be totally good to go.
How To Make A Great Sex Tape
1. Use Your Smartphone. And an Action Camera.
What's a sex tape without equipment, right? If all you're planning to do is record a couple of minutes and immediately delete the footage, your smartphone is really all that you need. But, if you want to go all out and record a semi-masterpiece that you can keep for a while, it's best to have your phone and something along the lines of a camcorder or action camera too. Your phone can catch the close-up shots while a camcorder or action camera (with the help of a tripod) can pan away and get the full view of what you and yours are doing.
As far as which is better (a camcorder vs. an action camera), the choice is totally based on personal preference. While a camcorder can give you high quality, even while holding it with one hand, an action camera is typically cheaper and comes with a ton of mountable options. (A list of the best camcorders is here while a list of some of the best action cameras is here.) Oh, and if you're really serious, you'll probably need to edit your video once you're done. If you're a newbie, you can check out a list of some of the most user-friendly editing software that's currently on the market here.
2. Install Some Orange Light Bulbs
Next to a good camera to shoot your sex tape with, pretty much any professional videographer or photographer will vouch for the fact that getting the right lighting down is key.
To tell you the truth, it's actually best to go with natural light, which means shooting your tape in the daytime (morning sex, anyone?), but if you'd prefer to do it at night, go with some orange light bulbs. It will create a softer effect on camera and also reduce any scars or marks on your skin that might cause you to be a little self-conscious.
3. Pull Out Some Props
Take your sex tape up a notch with the help of a few sex props. You can incorporate something that's already in your house—like your washing machine or kitchen counter—or pick up something like a sex pillow, some handcuffs or a mattress restraint. It really all boils down to how creative and/or risqué you want to get…and how entertaining you want your video to be.
4. Create a Soundtrack. Possibly a Script Too.
Something that can make a sex tape super sexy is some really great music. I ain't gonna lie, when I recently saw a duck twerking video (yes, you read that right), after I almost choked on my spit from laughing so hard, the first thing I wanted to know was what song was the duck dancing to. It was a short bop called "Vibe" by an artist named Cookiee Kawaii. If you don't want incredibly slow or even romantic music, adding songs like that can make your sex tape not just erotic but fun too. You can either play music semi-softly in the background or you can add it to your video afterwards (click here to learn how).
Speaking of fun, if you're hesitant to do a sex tape because you're thinking that it would be mad awkward, how about writing a script to follow? If you go into everything from the mindset of acting, it can take some of the pressure off. It can also make it easier to get into the flow of the act as well. It's not going to Hollywood, so don't overthink it. Just develop a couple of characters, a brief storyline and some loose dialogue. Then wing it, literally, from there.
5. Dress Up
Unless you want you sex tape to be a real-life documentary, by all means, PLEASE dress up for the occasion. If there was ever a time to pull out your absolutely-over-the-top-lingerie-best, it would be now. In fact, ask your partner what he has always fantasized about seeing you in and wear that. If you want to get all technical and you're wondering which colors resonate best on camera, blues and pastels are pretty dope. So are shades of grey and green.
6. Pick Your Angles
Angles are important too. For instance, if you're aiming for getting a wide shot of you and your partner's bodies, it's probably best to prop up your camera on the side of your bed. On the other hand, if a close up of your genitals are more of what you're after, the camera being at the corner of your bed is probably what's best. Just remember that if you use a smartphone and camcorder or action camera, that will help you to easily get some wide shots and close-ups without overthinking or doing a lot of starting and stopping.
7. Do a “Practice Run”
Probably, one of the biggest mistakes that people make while shooting a sex tape is just pulling out their phone or camera and pushing record. That's what makes it really amateur-looking. You can avoid this novice faux pas by doing a bit of a test run before you officially record your own. Set your cameras where and how you want and then shoot a few seconds of video, just to make sure you've got your lighting and angles right. It would be a shame to put in all of that hard work while the camera is crooked or the lighting is so bad that everything is blurry or you can't see much of anything at all.
8. Incorporate Some Erotic Self-Focus
If you've never watched an Aliya Janell Choreography video before, you're missin' out. One of my favorites is her "Backin' It Up" one ("So Anxious" is really sex too); not just because the girls are absolutely killin' the dance moves, but because they know how to rock heels and work a camera. Those dancers are totally aware of the fact that facial expressions are super important when you want to nail a performance. Same goes for a sex tape.
If you're naturally camera shy, something that can bring out your inner sex kitten is practicing some erotic self-focus. If you're sitting over there like, "What the heck is that?!", no worries. I penned a piece on it not too long ago. You can check it out here.
9. Don’t Forget to Do Some Dirty Talking
What's a sex tape without some dirty talking thrown in? Always remember that one of the best things about a sex tape is not just that you're able to watch you and yours in the act but you're able to pay close attention to all that's being said too. If you'd like a little inspiration, Kinky Quotes is full of stimulating one-liners. Remember, only you and yours are gonna see the video, so…feel free to totally go off, sis.
10. Transfer. Or DELETE.
Leaked sex tapes. I'll be honest, when it comes to celebrities, a lot of times they're about as "leaked" as their music (meaning, it's called an accident when it really isn't). Still, sometimes it does happen for real and usually that's because their sex tape is out in a cloud somewhere. That's why it's best to either shoot the video, watch it and then totally delete it (if it's on your iPhone, remember that you've got to also delete it from your "recently deleted album"; if it's your computer, remember to delete it from your recycle bin).
Or, if you want to keep it for future viewing pleasure, transfer the footage to your computer (NOT a cloud) and make sure your computer is password protected.
That way, the only people who can see the tape are the ones you want to see it. I'm pretty sure that you can totally feel me on that. Happy sex shooting, y'all.
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Want A More Intense Orgasm? These Tips Are Sure To Make You Cream
10 Secrets To Feeling Super Sexy (When You Don't)
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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And so, since this is the time of year when catching a cold (and/or the flu) is common, let’s talk about the impact that sleep (and again, a lack thereof) has on your immune system. That way, you can remain as healthy as possible during the fall and winter seasons.
1. Less Sleep Means More Colds
GiphyLike I stated in the intro, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard somewhere that the fall and winter are the seasons when people are most susceptible to catching a cold or coming down with the flu. And that’s exactly why I thought I would start this all off by sharing the fact that some studies reveal that if you get less than six hours of sleep, on a consistent basis, you end up making yourself more vulnerable to coming down with both. In fact, some research says that only 18 percent of people who get six-plus hours of rest caught a cold while almost 40 percent who got less than that did.
The logic behind it all is sleep gives your body time to build up the proteins and cells (like cytokines and T-cells) that you need to fight off certain viruses. So, if nothing bothers you more than having a stuffy nose or stubborn cough when it’s cold outside, getting more sleep is one way to prevent that from happening to you.
2. Less Sleep Means More Allergy Symptoms
GiphyAt the end of the day, an allergy is basically what transpires whenever your immune system “overreacts” to something that other people’s systems do not. And since sleep is what helps to keep your immune system nice and strong — well, I’m sure you get how less allergy-related symptoms and more sleep go hand in hand. Also, since sleep helps to decrease bodily inflammation (more on that in a bit) and inflammation can also intensify allergy symptoms, that’s just one more reason to get as much shut-eye as possible.
3. Less Sleep Means Potential Diabetes and Heart Disease
GiphyDid you know that in 2024, Black women were diagnosed with diabetes 24 percent more than any other adult demographic. Also, it continues to be a reality that heart disease is the leading cause of death for Black women. These two sobering statistics alone should be enough of an incentive to do whatever you can to keep the risk of diabetes and heart disease way down.
One way to do that is by getting more sleep. Aside from the fact that sleep strengthens your immune system to where it is easier for you to fight off illness and diseases, sleep can keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy space; plus, when it comes to your heart, it gives it, along with your arteries and blood vessels a break.
4. Less Sleep Means Less Time for Your Body to Push “Reset”
GiphyIf you really stopped to consider all that your body goes through during the day (you can read some about that here), you definitely would respect it enough to do your best to thank it by giving it no less than six hours of sleep, each and every night. Sleep is what helps to slow your brain and body down so they are able to “refuel” for the next day. After all, how can your body prevent you from getting sick if your immune system is too worn out to fight ailments off? Exactly.
5. More Sleep Helps You to Fight Off Infections
GiphySpeaking of, in order for your body to fight off infections, there are certain cells and antibodies within you that need to be healthy and strong — one way that they get and stay that way is by you getting a good amount of sleep. For instance, remember when I touched on cytokines earlier? Well, the same way that they help to prevent colds, they also help to prevent infections too. And since sleep lowers your cortisol (stress) levels, rest gives your body the time and space to build up an army that can fight off free radicals and other health-related challenges while you are awake.
6. More Sleep Lowers Bodily Inflammation
GiphyWhenever a health-related issue is mentioned on this platform, inflammation is something that is mentioned quite a bit. Probably the easiest way to explain inflammation is it’s how your body responds/reacts whenever something is happening to your body that shouldn’t be, whether it’s an illness, an injury, a germ or something that you may be allergic to.
If you happen to have chronic inflammation, some symptoms that are associated with that include fatigue, stiff joints, skin rashes, weight gain and moodiness.
The interesting thing about all of this is if you aren’t getting enough rest, you could be triggering inflammation in your body. That’s because studies reveal that a lack of sleep can elevate molecules that are associated with inflammation. So, if you don’t want inflammation to increase within your system, you should definitely catch more zzz’s.
7. More Sleep Regulates Hormones
GiphyWhen it comes to hormones like serotonin, estrogen and cortisol, believe it or not, they play a role in how your immune system acts and overreacts. That’s because, if your hormones are out of balance, that can cause your immune system to work harder than it actually should and that can make you more vulnerable to sickness. One way to keep your hormones leveled out? SLEEP.
That’s because sleep gives your body the opportunity to rest, repair and restore your hormone levels. On the other hand, when you are sleep deprived, that can put/keep your hormones on the ultimate roller coaster ride. #notgood
8. More Sleep Strengthens Vaccines
flu shot GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyIf you’re someone who is good for getting some sort of vaccine around this time of the year, make sure that you rest up before and after getting your shots. Not only does adequate rest before a vaccination help your immune system to be better receptive to your shots but sleep also helps your body to build up enough antibodies to make your vaccinations effective after getting them. Because if you’re gonna get pricked, shouldn’t it be worth it? My thoughts exactly.
Get some freakin’ sleep! Your immune system depends on it.
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