In Sex Film Industry, Some Long For A Real Plot

[TheEnforcer]

Good NY Times article about what's happened to movies these days in the industry. Click link for full article.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/business/media/08porn.html?_r=1&hp

Lights, Camera, Lots of Action. Forget the Script.

By MATT RICHTEL
Published: July 7, 2009

The actress known as Savanna Samson once relished preparing for a role. “I couldn’t wait to get my next script,” she said.

There’s no reason to look at them anymore, she said, because her movies now call almost exclusively for action. Specifically, sex.

The pornographic movie industry has long had only a casual interest in plot and dialogue. But moviemakers are focusing even less on narrative arcs these days. Instead, they are filming more short scenes that can be easily uploaded to Web sites and sold in several-minute chunks.

“On the Internet, the average attention span is three to five minutes,” said Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment. “We have to cater to that.”

Vivid, one of the most prominent pornography studios, makes 60 films a year. Three years ago, almost all of them were feature-length films with story lines. Today, more than half are a series of sex scenes, loosely connected by some thread — “vignettes” in the industry vernacular — that can be presented separately online. Other major studios are making similar shifts.

[miz_wright]

There was a similar point in this article on xBiz (http://www.xbiz.com/articles/110075).

Specifically, this bit:
" As bad as vintage pornography from the '70s and '80s was from a technical standpoint, there was something to be said for its inventive plots and amazing storytelling – something that a lot of today's pornography lacks. [snip] Quite simply, there's something inauthentic about the pornography produced today that the movies of the past so rightly captured."

[softball]

I still make those movies. One of my best sellers is called "The Intruder". Its about an hour and an older woman's fantasy of being watched and having sex with an "intruder" wearing a balaclave....who in the end turns out to be an ex lover. It still sells well on DVD. Most of my little movies have "plots". Kind of at least a beginning a middle and an end....an minor three act play with titles like "Hollywood Whores....Orgies by Appointment. But I have been in the film biz most of my life so they just come out that way.

[EmporerEJ]

Waaaa.......

Mr. Hirsch has it right. They SAY they "want a story." But it's crap.
Clearly, the market has spoken.

[AdorableAudrey]

I don't mind a little story to keep things in context but personally I think porn is best kept to a 20% bad acting/80% action ratio. I do think the 3-5 minute thing though may be just a trend though having more to do with the way clip stores, download speeds, and file sizes have effected the market.

[EmporerEJ]

I don't mind a little story to keep things in context but personally I think porn is best kept to a 20% bad acting/80% action ratio. I do think the 3-5 minute thing though may be just a trend though having more to do with the way clip stores, download speeds, and file sizes have effected the market.

I agree, and think the clip thing may have to do with metering.
How do you guys mange to keep customers happy by charging them by the minute?
It's like, there's a clock running in the background.

I'm not liking sex on the "tick tock." Now, when I was 18, and it was all new, the faster the better. But now, I just can't imagine enjoying myself, knowing my credit card has a stopwatch on it.

[gonzo]

I agree, and think the clip thing may have to do with metering.
How do you guys mange to keep customers happy by charging them by the minute?
It's like, there's a clock running in the background.

I'm not liking sex on the "tick tock." Now, when I was 18, and it was all new, the faster the better. But now, I just can't imagine enjoying myself, knowing my credit card has a stopwatch on it.

You sell them a package of minutes that they can use to watch on any movie ... seems to work pretty well from what Ive seen over the past 5 years.

[EmporerEJ]

You sell them a package of minutes that they can use to watch on any movie ... seems to work pretty well from what Ive seen over the past 5 years.

For who....the seller, or the buyer?
Sure seems good for the seller.......I'm just uncomfortable with the experience for the consumer.

I think I'd like to see an independent surveys on that. The surveys I've run are 100% against. (From the consumer perspective)

The only positive I can seem to find, is, if you pick a shitty flick, you don't waste all your money on it?

[TheEnforcer]

If I'm watching with a female I'd prefer more depth to the movie. Andrew Blake movies are great for watching with a woman for example.

[softball]

You sell them a package of minutes that they can use to watch on any movie ... seems to work pretty well from what Ive seen over the past 5 years.
I'm with Gonzo on this. I joined aebn and it was fucking compulsive. You just wanna see everything and you soon don't care alot about the money you have already spent. It just drives you from movie to movie and its kinda fun.

[Hell Puppy]

I think there are several things driving the nature of content these days.

The largest one is how people are viewing. The internet and digital in general means people can get to exactly what they want immediately, watch it at their convenience, etc.

Ever watch the way today's kids listen to music? Watch movies? Watch TV? They're ALL OVER THE PLACE. They have internet age attention spans, and they've never had to deal with having to watch something contiguous and on a schedule.

I also think MOST porn viewing isn't exactly cuddling up on the couch to watch a full length movie. Instead it's guys with their pants around their ankles looking to get a nut. They dont need a two hour feature.

Cheap production has also enabled anyone to make a porno, so this means people are not limited to the same 3 dozen or so girls and dozen or so guys in every movie. Furthermore, there's a big taste for "reality" in all forms of entertainment right now.

All of this is changing porn....the business models like Vivid and other studios have always done is a dying breed.

[miz_wright]

As a part of the market that doesn't see much action (read: primarily straight chicks): yeh, I like stories. Most of the guys I know in my demo market like stories - 'cos it reminds us all of the smut we snuck from out folks' fuck-flick stash.

The market speaks 'cos that's what's there. There isn't a whole helluva lot of story driven porn around any more.

You say that it's a meter running when you're watching your stroke streams online - but there doesn't have to be. There are options. Wanna quick five-minute jack? Groovy - buy a minutes package. Wanna watch the whole plot unfold on a classic (or some of Rob Rotten's cinematography)? Right on - download that fucker as a rental. Boom! Everyone wins.

All too often, VOD is aligned exclusively with PPM - and it doesn't have to be. There are ways to watch a well-crafted story where the hottie gets drilled and we get to be the spectators that make money and don't leave the consumer drilled too.

But we need the content, and that's tough to come by anymore.

[softball]

I think you are both missing the point, liz and hp. A movie with a plot...not exactly the most complex of dramas or comedy I might add, is something that is still composed of scenes that can be returned to, but are framed in such a way that an atmosphere is created that excites the customer, rather than a flatbacked person getting it in a stand alone scene. The ADD thing still applies, because they will nut it, but will return to the film...again and again until the plot goes stale.
Here is an example....click the Abigail Fraser trailer...

http://www.stockingvideos.com/stream/opener.html

[miz_wright]

I think you are both missing the point, liz and hp. A movie with a plot...not exactly the most complex of dramas or comedy I might add, is something that is still composed of scenes that can be returned to, but are framed in such a way that an atmosphere is created that excites the customer, rather than a flatbacked person getting it in a stand alone scene. The ADD thing still applies, because they will nut it, but will return to the film...again and again until the plot goes stale.
Here is an example....click the Abigail Fraser trailer...

http://www.stockingvideos.com/stream/opener.html

I was kinda responding to EJ's points. I'm in agreement with you, so I am not really sure what you're getting at here. You might note that I pointed out I like a story - and so do most of the people I know, both in and out of the industry.

[tony404]

I think in the 70's that worked better because alot of the actors porn wasnt the goal.They were actors and actresses who were out of work.Lots of members in the crew also shot mainstream films. I watched pirates it was like a badly acted high school play with sex.

[EmporerEJ]

I think in the 70's that worked better because alot of the actors porn wasnt the goal.They were actors and actresses who were out of work.Lots of members in the crew also shot mainstream films. I watched pirates it was like a badly acted high school play with sex.

But it had "sophisticated special effects and an 8 million dollar budget." I can think of lots of things to spend 8 million on.....

[Hell Puppy]

But what I'm saying is compare the relative quality of mainstream television and movies between now and the 70's with porn. The same type of thing is happening.

There are a handful of really well written TV shows on at anytime surrounded by hours upon hours of mind numbing reality trash. Far from the way it was in the 70's with Norman Lear, et al, turning out things that were not only funny as hell but relevant. Movies? Epics are few and far between, instead we get an endless slew of sequels, remakes and big budget "what things blow up" action films.

Ever see the movie Idiocracy? If not, go watch it.

I'm pretty sure "Ow, my balls" would draw killer ratings right now.

[softball]

I was kinda responding to EJ's points. I'm in agreement with you, so I am not really sure what you're getting at here. You might note that I pointed out I like a story - and so do most of the people I know, both in and out of the industry.
oops, my bad....sorry.

[softball]

But it had "sophisticated special effects and an 8 million dollar budget." I can think of lots of things to spend 8 million on.....

I am still lost in the 70's lol.....The first "adult" film I shot was in 1983 in the UK with a budget of UKL125,000 ....a tidy sum back then. It made #19 in the British Billboard video charts (soft core). The producer was a mad mother fucker who wanted to be the Bob Guccione of Wales.
Does that get me the Oprano lifetime award for stone age film making?

[Evil Chris]

I'm just driving by.

[softball]

I'm just driving by.
bump for the EC board tour....
Old habits die hard.

[Evil Chris]

bump for the EC board tour....
Old habits die hard.My God you're easy. :)

[softball]

My God you're easy. :)
sure, Chrissy....whatever puts the cream in your coffee....bump for the "evil" one....

[miz_wright]

sure, Chrissy....whatever puts the cream in your coffee....bump for the "evil" one....

... ew.