According to our understanding, the average production cost of a Japanese AV is about 1.5 million yen. This money needs to cover the photographer, makeup artist, script supervisor, male actor, as well as location fees, promotion and advertising fees, actress costumes, and other miscellaneous expenses. Of course, the actress's salary is the largest cost expenditure.
So how is the salary calculated? The payment for each actress typically varies depending on her fame. The production company pays the money to the agency, not the actress herself. Top-tier actresses can receive up to 90% of the earnings; lesser-known actresses might only receive 20%, and unless they quickly make a name for themselves, they'll struggle to make ends meet.
Regarding working hours, to cut costs, production companies usually finish filming an adult video in one day, taking about 9 hours. If each shot is 10 minutes long, the actress has to immediately return to her original position when the director yells "cut." This back-and-forth is exhausting, even for the most physically fit actresses, let alone lesser-known ones.
Regarding physical health, due to the tight filming schedule, actresses often find it difficult to eat on time, making stomach problems commonplace. Furthermore, due to frequent repetitive filming, when they are not in good condition, actresses often suffer from back strains or even vaginal bleeding due to vigorous movements. However, the production company does not cover these medical expenses. Therefore, besides stomach problems, back problems are also a common occupational hazard for AV actresses, and gynecological diseases are even more prevalent.
Finally, even for a minor actress or one of the smaller stars, the money earned from filming one AV film far surpasses that of an average office worker. However, the more they film, the more distorted their perception of money becomes. It's difficult to go from luxury to simplicity, and many AV actresses suffer greatly after retiring. Even if they want to return to a normal life, they may lose their fertility due to occupational injuries and be unable to have their own children. According to statistics, the divorce rate of AV actresses exceeds 80%, and they can only have failed marriages and die alone.
