Yesterday, I shot my fifth porn scene. I remember shooting Alice Inside almost a year ago now, and I remember I had no clue what I was doing. Then I made more films, some of them are now up online, others will never see the light because I’m not happy with them. But with every project, I learned something, and I know I’ll be learning a lot more in the future. So far, this is what shooting porn taught me.
1. Everybody’s different
Working with actors, may they be professionals or amateurs, is the most challenging part of the job. Everybody likes different things, reacts differently to a script, and interacts differently with their partner. So the challenge is about how to make them give life to a script that is mine? A script that comes from my own, deep fantasies? The trick is, it will never be exactly as I thought it in my head, and it’s ok. I explain my idea to the actors and they will embody it in their own way. The goal is to have something natural and spontaneous, so I feel that the mix between my script and their acting is a good compromise to achieve that.
Everybody is different, meaning the audience as well, is different. Everybody likes different kinds of porn. There will always be somebody who will criticize my work, dislike tattoos, or won’t like watching a guy going downtown on a woman, which is what brings me to my next point.
2. Sticking to your guts
I have my own tastes and not everybody have the same, obviously. That’s why it’s crucial to me to stick to my ideas and my vision. This is the only way to actually make something meaningful, instead of constantly manipulating your idea to please everybody, until it’s unrecognizable and soulless. It might sound a little bit pretentious, but I do think porn is an art like any other, and sticking to your guts is what makes art, even if only a little group of people like it.
3. Porn is more than performance
Explaining a script is tough, because what I try to shoot is not a series of sex positions, it’s about capturing passion, sexual tension, pleasure. And sometimes, there aren’t enough words to express what I felt when I wrote the script. However, I was lucky enough to work with great actors so far, who really let themselves feel and have fun, and this is what most people notice when they watch the films. It’s not about being bent that way or another, it’s about showing a feeling, a state of ecstasy.
4. Empathy and going with the flow
Making the actors comfortable is vital. Nothing will ever go exactly according to plan, so adapting to the state of mind of the actors, making sure they’re having fun and doing something that brings them pleasure is the most important aspect of a shoot. And yeah, things go wrong, just like with real life sex. Things break, dicks go soft, muscles get cramps, bodies sweat, it rains… – watch the bloopers of Alice Inside for more funny stuff. And that’s the beauty of it! You adapt, you go forward, you have fun.
5. All bodies are hot
People have such a different perspective than I do. Some tell me they loved something in the film, when I thought it wasn’t that great. Some love brunettes, bold guys, tattoos, long hair… All bodies are appreciated in a different way. That’s why I think it’s important to shoot with actors who look different every time and who don’t always stick to the typical porn profile.
6. Better porn. Better sex.
Personally, shooting porn films taught me to be happy with my own body and to not be afraid of enjoying myself freely when I’m having sex.
