Who ever said you had to be gay to hit it big in the gay porn industry? The staff at Valley Pro Video never got the memo. The distributor and producer has grown even bigger over the last few years with virtually all gay product after starting as a straight company in 1990.
“All of us here are actually straight, so that’s why we’re not interfering on the set and not directing movies,” laughs Valley Pro president Michael. “We’re not going to do something we don’t know anything about. We take it very seriously, and I trust my gay directors. I let them do whatever they want to do, so maybe it opens up their creativity more. Maybe somewhere else they would not be allowed to do what they do here. So maybe that’s the key to success.”
Valley Pro began by just selling to stores, but in 1995 started exclusive distribution and manufacturing. The first gay line it released was U.S. Male, which featured the work of director Paul Barresi. Valley Pro also started to distribute The Body Shoppe line, which currently has more than 200 titles in its catalog. “It’s what brought us more into the market, because we were putting out one movie a week, and we were the exclusive distributor."
Another boom was created when Valley Pro began working with Czech directors, and bringing their movies to the United States. Five films shot with Czech superstar Jan Dvorak also helped boost sales and recognition.
Earlier this year, Valley Pro launched Elite Male, which Michael describes as an upscale line (it will be released exclusively on Video-on-Demand through Maleflixxx). “It has upscale packaging — we do the beautiful foil packaging, and each film features five hardcore scenes, all shot in Budapest with extremely good-looking, muscular models, really top of the line.”
Valley Pro also has a bisexual line called U.S. Male Bi. Most of the films are shot in the Czech Republic, with one release a month.
Other studios that call Valley Pro home include BarrackX69, Eagle Video, GAI Studios, Man’s Art, and Miami Studios. Niche line TORO Studios focuses on Mexican, other Central-, and South American product (mostly solos) and models, with titles like Straight From Argentina. At the end of October, Valley Pro began distributing the new hardcore line from Next Door Studios (AVNS will handle the already established solo titles) with the title Gay for Pay.
“Nine years ago, anything that came from eastern Europe was selling like hotcakes,” Michael says. “Not anymore. Before, people were so hungry for something new that anything looked good, but today the market goes toward quality, so today I believe whatever is quality will sell. And niches will always sell because there are always people looking for different stuff.”
To meet that need, Valley Pro expanded its offerings by starting Scandalistic Pictures in September. Its first title, Diesel Exposed, starring extra-butch female-to-male transsexual Diesel, was released on October 10. Michael described the line as “emphasizing all different kinds of fetishes. One title is called He’s Dating a Dildo, another is Sex in Spandex, for spandex lovers. Another title will be called Shaving in Sherwood Forest.”
While the straight lines that Valley Pro offered are not releasing any new titles, the company dabbled in the She-Male world by releasing My Virtual She-Male. Its success prompted Valley Pro to start producing more interactive features. Michael purchased three domains (MyVirtualTwink.com, MyVirtualMale.com and MyVirtualDaddy.com) and the first release, My Virtual Daddy featuring Parker Williams, will soon be released. Using multiple cameras and angles, and shot in a POV style that disguises the second performer, this technique allows the viewer to fantasize that he is taking part in the scene.
“I’m looking to give people something new and exciting. If you see how much product already came out, how much product is coming out every week, you don’t want to be just another line and just another movie. People get tired of seeing the same thing, so we try to give something fresh and different,” Michael says. “We’re putting out two movies a week, and I think I would like to stay at this pace.”
Valley Pro also was aiming for a late October launch of a large Internet store, GayEmart.com, that will include all of their own lines, as well as everyone else’s product and novelties.
“We want to establish a good Internet presence, which we still don’t have. That’s my goal,” Michael says. “I believe, unfortunately, that in about five years the stores are going to be past, and not doing very well. So you have to have a strong Internet presence, and that’s what I want to achieve so the customer will know about us.”
CONTACT INFO: 818-678-2960; USMaleInc.com.
