In an effort to educate its members and the public about next month’s mid-term election choices, The last time he was in Las Vegas for the GAYVN Expo, Alexander — the founder of Alexander Pictures — discovered that a lot of people assumed something about him that wasn't true. "I look a little younger than thirty-five, so a lot of people would ask, 'What movies have you acted in?' And I'd say, 'No, no, I’m a producer.'"
It isn't the only misconception people have about the Russian immigrant who moved to the United States in 1991. Now a U.S. citizen, he started ProPhotoModeling, capitalizing on his photography that appeared in magazines like Inches, Torso, and Freshman. Soon renamed Alexander Pictures and producing videos since 2002, the company is now doing better than ever with recent releases like the two-part 8 Inches From Brazil, which prompts Misconception No. 2.
"If fans write to me or send me an email, sometimes it’s in Spanish. They expect that I live in Brazil — or in America, but have a Brazilian background. And I answer, 'No! I’m Russian and I live in San Diego.' It can be a little confusing at times."
But Alexander still has to do a little bit more convincing sometimes to questioning industry fans and peers, primarily due to Misconception No. 3.
"People say about Alexander Pictures, 'What exactly do you do?' And I say, 'Well, I own and operate the business. You’ve probably seen some of my movies.' And they say, 'Well, yes I have… but how can you? You’re deaf!'" says Alexander through an interpreter. "So that is a conversation I have to engage in."
Born deaf, Alexander's first language was Russian sign language. Then he learned how to write Russian. But his move to the United States necessitated learning American sign language (completely different from its Russian counterpart) and then English.
"I have actually had to learn four different languages through this whole process, and I'm tired of learning new languages," he says with a laugh. "That's why I don't know Spanish or Portuguese… I don't even think I want to. I'm just tired."
Having traveled the world, Alexander discovered a passion for Brazil and its men. Nearly all of his films — including his popular Bananas From Brazil and Brazilian Cum Ons series — are shot there. While Alexander admires the work of Kristen Bjorn and Marcostudio's Max Julien, he wanted to offer something different from their beefy Brazilians by focusing on slender guys with big dicks. He says the ruler is his favorite casting tool.
Alexander's goal is to provide something new and different, and three recent shoots helped him stretch his creativity: Jungle Cruisers was filmed in the jungle; Poolside Heat took him outdoors under the sun; and Underwater features sequences filmed, natch, underwater.
"If you’re in a room with a floor and a backdrop, the fantasies aren’t as great, whereas if you’re in the natural jungle environment, it really feeds into the fantasies."
All of these experiences helped push him as a director, something he wants to do more as he becomes more comfortable with the sound aspect of his movies. "In the past when I was filming, I didn’t focus on the sound at all. I would just do the videography and that was it," he says. "And I got back home and a friend said, 'Your sound is awful! It’s really bad! There seems to be something wrong.'"
Whether it was a barking dog, traffic noise, a cell phone ring, or a helicopter flying above, Alexander, being deaf, would miss it unless tipped off by his assistants or editors during post-production.
"Even the toilet flushing," he says with a laugh. "That’s something I wouldn’t be aware of. And they'd say, 'No, that doesn’t sound good.' It’s an ongoing learning process, trying to understand how sound becomes involved."
Communicating with his models has been much easier. "I use gestures completely, and it seems to work. Brazilians are very skilled with gestures. And I've also hired interpreters to speak for me. Currently, I bring my boyfriend. He can speak Spanish very well. I wanted him to become more involved with the industry."
Alexander also relies on the input of his mother and sister, who are also deaf. "They’ll even share it with other people and other friends, — they’re proud of the business, and they’re supportive."
In addition to making about six films a year (he is also thinking of making bisexual videos), Alexander plans to become more involved with Internet ventures including a new website, and doesn't rule out more print photography in the future.
"In the business, as far as negotiating with people, I haven’t found being deaf to be a problem. All they talk about basically is finances anyway, and they don’t really care what kind of background I have. That’s not important," he says. "But if I provide a good movie and a good service, that’s what’s important to them."
Contact Info: AlexanderPictures.com; [email protected]. Distributed by Lucas Distribution, LucasDistribution.com.
Photo: AlexanderPictures.com
