Softcore pornography that does not contain ejaculation sequences is produced both to respond to a demand by some consumers for less-explicit pornographic material and to comply with government regulations or cable company rules that may disallow depictions of ejaculation.

Two exceptions are softcore pornography, in which penetration is not explicitly shown, and 'couples erotica', which may involve penetration but is typically filmed in a more discreet manner intended to be romantic or educational rather than graphic. The term is typically used by the cinematographer within the narrative framework of a pornographic film, and, since the 1970s, it has become a leitmotif of the hardcore genre. Cum shots may also depict ejaculation onto another performer's body, such as on the genitals, buttocks, chest or tongue.

Facial cum shots (or 'facials') are currently regularly portrayed in pornographic films and videos, often as a way to close a scene. Cum shots have become the object of fetish genres like bukkake. The term is usually applied to depictions occurring in pornographic films, photographs, and magazines. Illustration of an oral cum shot, in which a man ejaculates onto a woman's tongueĪ cum shot is the depiction of human ejaculation, especially onto another person.