Someone wants to film with me. How do I know they’re legit?
A polished Instagram page proves almost nothing. Expensive cameras prove even less. Anybody can say they have been in the business for years.
What matters is whether the offer becomes clearer when you ask normal questions.
Who are they in the production? Photographer? Producer? Creator? Performer? If the person arranging the shoot also intends to appear sexually in it, you should know that before you agree to travel. If another performer is involved, you should know who. If the answer to basic questions keeps becoming "we will sort that out when you get here", I would slow the whole thing down.
The same goes for the work itself. Words like sensual, edgy, mature and provocative are useful for mood and almost useless for boundaries. Ask what actually happens. Nude photography? Explicit posing? Oral sex? Penetration? Cum shots? Simulated sex? No sex at all? Plain language is much easier to make a decision around.
Money should become equally unexciting. What is the fee, how long is the day, who pays travel, where are you staying, when are you paid, what happens if the day runs long, and what usage is included? A real project may still evolve creatively, but the basic commercial deal should not mutate every time you ask about it.
Publication is another thing I would not leave until the end. A shoot can be over by dinner while the material stays online for years. Where does it go? Who owns the finished work? Can clips be used for promotion? Can it be licensed elsewhere? What name is attached to it? Do you get a copy of the agreement?
One of the simplest tests is how somebody behaves when you ask something mildly awkward. Can I see the paperwork first? What happens if I stop? Who is actually in the room? What STI testing is expected? Do I have to show my face? If those questions make somebody irritated or evasive, that tells you far more than a glossy portfolio does.
References can be useful, but I would not outsource the whole decision to them. Previous performers may have had a good experience and you can still be wrong for the production. The goal is not proving that somebody is a universally good person. It is establishing that this particular job is real, understandable and something you actually want to do.
My own productions are small, which makes this clarity more important rather than less. The people involved, payment, project, publication and boundaries are discussed before booking. I would much rather answer a pile of questions in advance than have somebody arrive still unsure what she agreed to.