From The Trenches: What Happens on Porn Sets
BUSINESS THREADS
Ever wonder what it’s like to be the male performer on a porn set? I get this question often, so let me relate what happened on a Wildlife Productions set, and the happenings on a couple of Dave Cummings Productions shoots.BUSINESS THREADS
Ever wonder what it’s like to be the male performer on a porn set? I get this question often, so let me relate what happened on a Wildlife Productions set, and the happenings on a couple of Dave Cummings Productions shoots. I think these are somewhat typical.
I was booked to appear in Wildlife’s Productions’ “Screw My Wife, Please, Vol. 12”. Having been the host in Volumes 6 through 11, I had a pretty clear idea of what Director Bobby Rinaldi wanted. The series is composed of five sex scenes showing husbands bringing their wives to me for a fuck session that I arrange for the wife with a real porn stud; sometimes the husbands participate, but often they prefer to watch the action. I do a mini-interview, help the wife shed some clothing, and introduce one of the well-known porn stars to the couple, whereupon the action begins! Sometimes I watch and provide some commentary and steer some dialogue, and sometimes I also get involved in the sex (I bet you know which I like the best!).
On one occasion, I drove to the San Fernando Valley from San Diego, checked into a nice hotel that Wildlife was paying for, went out for a delicious dinner, did some department store shopping, and got back to my room in time for some reading and television before going to bed at 11:30. No, I did NOT have any alcoholic beverages that evening (I never drink 18-24 hours before a shoot, as I find that as I’ve aged my sexual performance is sometimes affected adversely by booze). In the morning, I went out for coffee and a bagel, shaved my beard as closely as I could so as to not scrape any female’s inner thighs or face, showered thoroughly, put on hand lotion (the girls always appreciate smooth fingers and hands) and drove to the location by my 9:30 AM Call Time. Upon arrival, I lugged in my five changes of wardrobe, checked in with the Director, went into make-up to meet the first wife and create some rapport, chatted with the first husband and porn stud, completed all the required paperwork and proof of age documentation, and had another cup of coffee.
Before the scene started, we all examined each other’s PCR/DNA HIV tests to make certain we were all negative and within the required 30 day period since the last test, and huddled with the Director to go over the scenario, dialogue, sequencing, and made certain we all knew where the lights and shadows were relative to our placement and positions. The wife said it was OK for me to suck her breasts and that she’d be glad to suck my penis during the scene, so I quickly gargled and freshened up my crotch area—personal hygiene is extremely important in the Adult Industry!
Because we were doing both a hard core as well as a cable version, each scene took approximately two hours. While doing one scene, other wives, husbands, and porn studs for subsequent scenes began quietly entering the room to watch the action, along with various other folks (While getting head, I almost lost control and shot a load just from feasting my eyes on gorgeous onlooker Ryan Conner, a new actress whom I had done two sex scenes with previously to this shoot). After the second scene, we broke for lunch while the lighting crew set up for the third scene. Everything was going well, and everyone was having fun. The Wildlife shoots, thanks to gifted and talented Director Bobby Rinaldi, are always well organized and enjoyable. After the fourth scene, we broke for dinner; the fifth and final scene began around 8:30. Though it was another long day on the set, the entire crew, cast, catering and make-up folks, and others had another enjoyable day on a porn set. While driving back to San Diego, my face had a continuous smile of contentment—heck, I had lucked into having sex in four of the five scenes! The best part is that I got paid to have sex!
Now, let me relate what happens on a smaller gonzo set—gonzo is where the participants recognize the presence of, and sometimes even talk to the camera as if they were talking to the actual viewer. Shooting for the Dave Cummings Productions gonzo series “Sugardaddy” and “Sex Fun”, sex scenes were filmed with Ryan Conner, Shanna McCullough, and Aurora.
Unlike being a “hired gun” for shoots like the one described above where all I have to do is show up and perform, my smaller budget gonzo shoots required me to do all the pre-planning required of a Director, Producer, and crew as well as preparing to be the main male actor. There are no catering/make-up/production assistants to handle things; I arrange for sodas and snacks, the actress does her own make-up, and I assemble the back-drop for the photographs, set up the lights, prepare the paperwork, come up with a brief but (hopefully) realistic scenario, arrange for a cameraman and still photographer, scout locations, and do the myriad of things necessary to make the shoot run smoothly. Except for outdoor shoots, I usually shoot in my Condo or at the home or business locations of acquaintances.
I had an interesting shoot with the beautiful Aurora; we started filming behind a new, but yet to be occupied, office building overlooking a canyon near San Diego—we were shooting next to and inside a van. Since it was Sunday, office workers from near-by building aren’t usually around. While Aurora was giving me head, we had to stop and scurry into the van as a truck drove in to let a dog out to relieve itself. After 6-7 minutes the truck drove off and we continued with a number of sexual positions. As we were nearing the end of the sex and gearing up for my first “money shot”, a police car (alerted by the guy in the truck) drove into the lot.
Once again, Aurora, the cameraman, and I scurried into the van. The cameraman covered up his camera, while Aurora and I hurriedly got some clothes on. I got out and greeted the policeman who stated that he was responding to a report of vehicles congregating in the lot and wanted to see our ID’s and see what we were up to. The cop was extremely professional, seemed to know what actually was going on but didn’t delve too much into specifics, filled out a report, called in our ID’s and vehicle license plates, and then told us that everything was in order but that we should consider departing the area. Whew! I was prepared to accept full responsibility for all of us had he opted to cite us for anything. When I gave him my Drivers License, I also gave him my retired military ID card, and I (now) wonder if perhaps he was an ex-military member who decided to give us a break. At any rate, we had to adjourn to my condo for another sexual position and the cum shot.
So, unlike the normally quiet and routine gonzo shoots that I usually do, this one had an element of risk and potential problems. The other two shoots I had that particular week went smoothly, thank goodness! Being a male actor on a gonzo shoot is relatively easy, unless of course you’re also the Producer/Director!
Each shoot is different, yet there seems to be a somewhat normal routine depending upon whom you’re shooting for, the budget, and the circumstances surrounding the basic type and theme of the particular production.