MaskTVMaura
07-04-2006, 02:14 PM
Hello Everybody!
Check out this article that was written about me in the local paper about my "unusual job" at MaskTV. It's hilarious!
Talent coordinator for adult production company fields clients' dreams
By Michael Kissinger
In Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner learned that if you build it, they will come. A nice enough mantra, but it's a little more complicated if you work in the adult film industry. Although the end product might seem as simple as hitting the record button on a digital video camera, it requires considerably more coordination and organization than meets the eye.
That's where Maura Ingraham comes in. The articulate 28-year-old works as the talent coordinator for local adult video company M Squared Productions, creators of Mask TV, where ordinary people submit their fantasies and, if chosen, act them out anonymously-hence the mask-with experienced "actors" in front of the camera.
Ingraham's duties entail everything from interviewing potential candidates to organizing catering, booking the talent, hair, makeup and technical crews, buying props, setting up and taking down sets, overseeing the film shoots, writing colourful copy for DVDs and the website and maintaining all the appropriate paperwork. And those are just the things I'm comfortable writing about.
"I'm an excellent communicator as well as coordinator and organizer," says Ingraham in a confident manner that's part motivational speaker, part enthusiastic job applicant. "The great thing about our productions is each one is its own project, so it has its own set of requirements. What I do is I take a look at the project and I say, 'OK, what needs to be done in order for us to get to our finished product?' So I make a list of everything that needs to be done, organize it as to how it might need to come together in a logical sequence and go from there."
If you're sensing that Ingraham might be a bit of a multi-tasker who thrives in a structured environment, you'd be right.
"I was in army cadets as a teenager," she says.
When asked what would surprise people about her job, she says it would be how normal it is.
"It's very normal. It's just like any other job except it's very sensational when you talk about sex."
In fact, just about every aspect of her job is pretty much business as usual. A quick tour of company headquarters reveals an office like any other in Gastown-a modest reception area, a radio playing Latin music, a boardroom, kitchen, staff members typing and clicking away on computers. The only noticeable difference is a large, open room that acts as the film studio, equipped with lighting, tacky furniture and a chest of drawers filled with sex toys, condoms, edible chocolate, oils, harnesses, clothes pegs, baby wipes and an array of latex items that causes Courier photographer Dan Toulgoet to mumble "Ay-chi-wa-wa" several times.
"This is just a widget like any other widget," Ingraham says. "We sell adult content, but we could be selling anything-we could be selling light fixtures, we could be selling televisions, we could be selling technology. The principles of running a business are the same."
Still it's not the type of business everyone is comfortable with, particularly some of her friends and family who believe Ingraham works for a film production company, not an adult film production company. Kind of like how my family thinks I'm a Pilates instructor.
"In my family, specifically, we don't really talk about sexuality in general," she says. "And so for me to come out and say, 'Oh, this is my job dealing with sexuality,' well that would just open up a can of worms that nobody wants open, and what would be the benefit of it?"
She describes her own approach to sexuality as "very relaxed" and open-minded. "I think adults should be free to do whatever they enjoy with other adults provided there's consent involved. So whatever floats your boat is fine by me."
Her boat floating job is also not an issue for her common-law husband of nearly nine years. "He thinks this job is great. We've been together for a very long time, our own sex life is quite exciting for us, so he's perfectly OK with it. And with my job, I'm not having sex. It's a job like any other job."
A self-described member of the "sex positive community," Ingraham says she's also into yoga, organic food and going to house parties where there are jam sessions for her to play percussion. Not surprisingly, she admits to having a bit of a hippie streak in her.
"Definitely. I am a granola munching tree hugger and proud of it," she says, adding that society would be a whole lot healthier if more people fulfilled their fantasies and desires.
All of which begs the question of whether she's ever felt inclined to get in front of the camera and act out her fantasies as her masked clients do.
"You know what, I can have my adventures any time I want, with anyone I want, under any circumstances," she says. "So I don't need to have the camera there in order to have my needs fulfilled. If I wanted to have an orgy with a bunch of people, well you know what, I think I'd be able to set that up on my own."
Ay-chi-wa-wa.
Do you have an interesting or unusual job you'd like to share with the Courier. If so, email mkissinger@vancourier.com.
Check out the story and PICTURE here:
http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/065206/entertainment/065206en4.html
Check out this article that was written about me in the local paper about my "unusual job" at MaskTV. It's hilarious!
Talent coordinator for adult production company fields clients' dreams
By Michael Kissinger
In Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner learned that if you build it, they will come. A nice enough mantra, but it's a little more complicated if you work in the adult film industry. Although the end product might seem as simple as hitting the record button on a digital video camera, it requires considerably more coordination and organization than meets the eye.
That's where Maura Ingraham comes in. The articulate 28-year-old works as the talent coordinator for local adult video company M Squared Productions, creators of Mask TV, where ordinary people submit their fantasies and, if chosen, act them out anonymously-hence the mask-with experienced "actors" in front of the camera.
Ingraham's duties entail everything from interviewing potential candidates to organizing catering, booking the talent, hair, makeup and technical crews, buying props, setting up and taking down sets, overseeing the film shoots, writing colourful copy for DVDs and the website and maintaining all the appropriate paperwork. And those are just the things I'm comfortable writing about.
"I'm an excellent communicator as well as coordinator and organizer," says Ingraham in a confident manner that's part motivational speaker, part enthusiastic job applicant. "The great thing about our productions is each one is its own project, so it has its own set of requirements. What I do is I take a look at the project and I say, 'OK, what needs to be done in order for us to get to our finished product?' So I make a list of everything that needs to be done, organize it as to how it might need to come together in a logical sequence and go from there."
If you're sensing that Ingraham might be a bit of a multi-tasker who thrives in a structured environment, you'd be right.
"I was in army cadets as a teenager," she says.
When asked what would surprise people about her job, she says it would be how normal it is.
"It's very normal. It's just like any other job except it's very sensational when you talk about sex."
In fact, just about every aspect of her job is pretty much business as usual. A quick tour of company headquarters reveals an office like any other in Gastown-a modest reception area, a radio playing Latin music, a boardroom, kitchen, staff members typing and clicking away on computers. The only noticeable difference is a large, open room that acts as the film studio, equipped with lighting, tacky furniture and a chest of drawers filled with sex toys, condoms, edible chocolate, oils, harnesses, clothes pegs, baby wipes and an array of latex items that causes Courier photographer Dan Toulgoet to mumble "Ay-chi-wa-wa" several times.
"This is just a widget like any other widget," Ingraham says. "We sell adult content, but we could be selling anything-we could be selling light fixtures, we could be selling televisions, we could be selling technology. The principles of running a business are the same."
Still it's not the type of business everyone is comfortable with, particularly some of her friends and family who believe Ingraham works for a film production company, not an adult film production company. Kind of like how my family thinks I'm a Pilates instructor.
"In my family, specifically, we don't really talk about sexuality in general," she says. "And so for me to come out and say, 'Oh, this is my job dealing with sexuality,' well that would just open up a can of worms that nobody wants open, and what would be the benefit of it?"
She describes her own approach to sexuality as "very relaxed" and open-minded. "I think adults should be free to do whatever they enjoy with other adults provided there's consent involved. So whatever floats your boat is fine by me."
Her boat floating job is also not an issue for her common-law husband of nearly nine years. "He thinks this job is great. We've been together for a very long time, our own sex life is quite exciting for us, so he's perfectly OK with it. And with my job, I'm not having sex. It's a job like any other job."
A self-described member of the "sex positive community," Ingraham says she's also into yoga, organic food and going to house parties where there are jam sessions for her to play percussion. Not surprisingly, she admits to having a bit of a hippie streak in her.
"Definitely. I am a granola munching tree hugger and proud of it," she says, adding that society would be a whole lot healthier if more people fulfilled their fantasies and desires.
All of which begs the question of whether she's ever felt inclined to get in front of the camera and act out her fantasies as her masked clients do.
"You know what, I can have my adventures any time I want, with anyone I want, under any circumstances," she says. "So I don't need to have the camera there in order to have my needs fulfilled. If I wanted to have an orgy with a bunch of people, well you know what, I think I'd be able to set that up on my own."
Ay-chi-wa-wa.
Do you have an interesting or unusual job you'd like to share with the Courier. If so, email mkissinger@vancourier.com.
Check out the story and PICTURE here:
http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/065206/entertainment/065206en4.html