Somewhere along the way, Falcon's Mustang line lost a touch of its flair.
"Some of the Mustang films, we could have slapped a Falcon logo on them," notes Troy Prickett, Falcon's Promotions/Events Manager. So the studio rethought the line, and the search was on for a director to help bring back the Mustang touch: rugged, mature, masculine. The decision turned out to be an easy one.
"John Bruno has directed me as a model and I really enjoyed working with him. I did two films for his company, Massive Studio," says Chris Steele, Falcon's Senior Director of Production and Editing. "He's got a really keen eye for masculine guys, very man's man, muscular. And I love his ideas. He's got great ideas for scripts. His themes fit right in with the Mustang line."
So the studio watched Bruno's work and met with him. It was love at first sight.
"I found out that Chris Steele and Chi Chi LaRue recommended me to Terry [Mahaffey, late principal and president of Falcon], so I have all three of them to thank," says Bruno. "I was shocked and thought it was someone pulling a prank. But it was a huge compliment… it's surreal for me, but I am very excited and happy to be a part of the Falcon family."
Bruno notes that when he came out in 1989, he saw that Falcon was the biggest studio with the best productions and the hottest guys. It was an inspiration that helped lead him to create Massive in 2003, releasing a series of hits that showcased his unique touch: Hard Mechanics, Trucker, Hard Cops…the list goes on.
"A good friend approached me about forming a gay adult production company, and I had always fantasized about directing an adult video, so I said yes. Neither one of us had a clue about what we were doing; we just learned along the way," Bruno says. "I'm proud of all my videos, but Hard Mechanics really stands out for me. I think the Lane Fuller/Chris Steele scene is one the hottest things I have ever directed."
Bruno notes he was also inspired by the old, vintage COLT movies and LaRue's films. ("I love Chi Chi. I always tell her that she inspires me.")
For Bruno, the key to great sex is chemistry between performers. "I would never force a performer to work with someone he is not attracted to… I would say I'm a performer's director. I make sure all the models are relaxed and understand the scene breakdown. I listen to their suggestions of what they like and are capable of doing. I would never scream at a model on-set — talk about causing erection problems," Bruno says. "Also, I am all about locations. Real locations add great production value and make a video seem more realistic. I get ecstatic when I find a great location. That really inspires me."
The Mustang line was relaunched and rebranded in January with his first effort, The Hunted, already garnering solid reviews. "I was very nervous going in. But after I met the crew and cast, I felt at ease. But I did come to shoot very prepared and I knew exactly what I wanted. Chi Chi even stopped by the set. It was kind of like the passing of the torch."
While Bruno notes his directing style won't change at Falcon, he has already grown through the experience — and has new goals. "I had to learn to shoot with one camera. I shoot with two cameras on my Massive productions. It was a challenge for me, but Falcon provides an amazing production staff and resources that make things very easy for me. All I have to do is focus on directing, and Falcon takes care of the rest. I love it," he says. "I want to master directing big group scenes. For me they are the most difficult scenes to direct. There is a lot that can go wrong and it's difficult to capture everything and make it work."
The two-part film Trapped hit in February, and up next for Bruno is Brawlers, which he describes as a gay Fight Club. As Mustang's exclusive director, Bruno is scheduled to have a film every other month, with a possible monthly schedule starting in October.
"I would love to direct an epic saga along of the lines of a gay Mad Max/Road Warrior, an epic adventure with big action sequences and hot man-on-man sex. But I am not sure if the economics of this industry can support an expensive film. I got really excited by seeing the [straight] Pirates trailer: big effects and production values in an adult video… it gave me hope," Bruno says.
"I feel I have grown over the years with directing the nonsex/dialogue stuff. I feel I am much stronger now, visually, dealing with that. And I learned a few tricks for getting great anal penetration shots."
Bruno will continue to release three to four titles a year for Massive. Hard Mechanics 2 (the sequel to Massive's biggest seller) hit in January, and just released is Hard Cops 2 (in which Barrett Long "fucks the hell" out of Bruno fave Zak Spears). Coming soon is S.W.A.T., which unleashes a handful of hot newcomers. "We are renting real S.W.A.T. uniforms and vans, and have a great location."
In the meantime, Bruno looks forward to working with the new models Mustang has discovered. "Cal Jackson, Tommy Blade, Jake Dakota. They are really hot. I would also love to work with Erik Rhodes and Chris Steele," Bruno notes.
"I keep bugging Chris about doing one last video for his fans. But I think he is really retired from performing."
Photo courtesy of MassiveStudio.com
