Citiboyz Turns 10

A lot of people ask Steve Shay how the twink niche has changed in the last 10 years, and if anyone is an expert, it's him. This June marked the 10th birthday of Citiboyz Video, the Midwest-based studio he started to share his love of college-age men at a time when the competition was non-existent. Studios have come and gone, but through it all Citiboyz has maintained a high level of quality that few twink studios can match - and still stands out in the now-crowded field.

"I got away from the whole professional look of putting the camera on a tripod and having perfectly level horizons and perfect composition and perfect lighting - where it looks like it was shot on a sound stage - into more of the MTV or gonzo style," says the director. "I'm really a stickler for sharpness. I have an eye for composition and lighting - you just don't have to make it look like you're trying to win a Directors Guild award. You can still be amateur, or pro-am, and have professional standards."

Shay notes that with so many new studios just repurposing Web content for DVD, a lot of the worthy steps used for productions have been overlooked - leading to a dip in quality. But that's not the only issue facing the twink market: Shay is particularly troubled by the bareback trend, which he notes has skyrocketed with the influx of European twink product (as well as some American studios).

"We made the decision a long time ago to have safe sex. As a producer, I feel some kind of social responsibility for the content I put out," he notes. "A lot of young men see our videos, and I don't want to give them the impression that barebacking is OK.... That overall trend has had a negative effect on the business. It's especially bad in the twink niche. Studios are exploiting the naïveté of the young men, who aren't old enough or maybe educated enough to understand the risks. There's some exploitation going on there, which I think is sad."

Also troubling to Shay is the trend by some studios to push the envelope in another way:  "Some of the studios are using guys that are purposely made to look very young, almost like they're not adults. That troubles me a lot...and that's a trend I'm glad we don't do," he says. "There are even studios out there that have gone beyond the whole barely legal look and have gone into the barely male look, boys who look like they're one step away from the surgery."

Shay says the word "twink" means different things to different people, and can be hard to define. For him, it has always translated into a youthful college-age man, regardless of color or body type - Shay uses models of varied ethnicities. "What I cater to are the people who appreciate the diversity and the sensuality of young men in all their flavors," he says. "Our niche is variety."

Shay notes that he comes up with scene ideas from his own jack-off fantasies ("I have an incredibly vivid imagination"), and he tries to shoot in believable settings, focusing more on themes than stories. "I don't do a whole lot of set-ups and scripting, but I try to do just enough set-up or dialogue so the viewer can buy into the scenario. Once they've done that, their imagination takes over. It's more enjoyable to them if it looks believable."

Shay has fond memories from many of his hits, including the successful Skaterboyz Diaries series, and loves the Real & Raw hits from his model-turned-business partner (and sometimes director) Gage Powers. Shay is proud to note that Citiboyz made stars out of Mikey Diaz and Justin Slater, and helped start the careers of people like Blu Kennedy, Sean Storm, Corbin Michaels and Brandon Baker. The studio's efforts finally paid off at this year's Grabby Awards, where Real and Raw Miami 1-2 won Best Twink Video and new exclusive Devon Moss picked up the Hottest Cock (Uncut) Award ("I was beginning to feel I was the Susan Lucci of gay porn," Shay says with a laugh).

The company will continue to release a new video every other month - it reached 51 in July - and Shay plans a big dick project for the fall: "I just suddenly find myself up to my ass in big dicks." The company will continue to work with CzechBoys.com to release its product on DVD. Shay also notes they are planning a new subscription site later this year, and he recently signed with Hustler TV to bring product into adult PPV on cable systems.

"I've been around 10 years in the twink business, and so many people have come in and out of it," says a reflective Shay. "I've managed to stay independent and build a respected company without having to compromise my personal ethics. I haven't had to kiss anybody's ass or sell out to anybody, or gone into barebacking. After 10 years, I think that's an accomplishment."

CONTACT: Citiboyz.com; CitiboyzTheater.com; [email protected].