His desk setup consists of three screens, which he uses to monitor the live, erotic webcam performances of nine models performing for clients all around the world. On one screen, Farias, 31, communicates with the models, messaging them about their lunch breaks, solving connection problems, and sometimes translating explicit client requests from English to Spanish. Monitors help teach models the ropes in an industry for which there is no formal training, according to the three studios, six monitors, and seven models who spoke to Rest of World.
Axel Zapata, 22, who works as a monitor for Juan Bustos Studios, told Rest of World that he starts his day by designing a work plan for the seven models he oversees. The models work around a topic for the day — special shows, dressing up, or games of roulette.
Once models are connected, monitors will check the image and sound of the transmission, offering camera angle suggestions and configuring interactive sex toys if necessary. Monitors also play the critical role of translators during live shows, interfacing with English-speaking clients in wealthier markets. Angela Jones, a sociology professor at Farmingdale State College, State University of New York, who has studied the online sex market and wrote the book Camming , says interacting with models is a major draw for users, and monitors are tasked with facilitating that communication.
Cam studios and experts who spoke to Rest of World said that established monitor roles are most prominent in large studios. Juan Bustos Studios, which claims to be one of the largest networks of camming studios in Colombia, says it employs approximately 2, models and monitors, according to its founder. Not all models use studios. Sophie Pezzutto, a Ph. But according to research by Jones, low internet penetration means that models in countries like Colombia have to rely on studios, where computers, cameras, and reliable internet are guaranteed.
Models who started camming independently during the pandemic joined webcam studios as they realized they needed a support system or their home internet connections faltered. Though she earns more money from home, her outdated computer lets her connect to only one camming page. But working with monitors and studios comes with its own price. Monitors work on permanent contracts that pay for their social security and health care, unlike models who work as contractors and whose wages vary, depending on the success of their shows.
