You could say Norman Bentley has been to hell and back. The owner of Matrix Content and principal in Defiance Films ascended to the upper echelon of the adult world with the proliferation of Internet porn, but shortly after his 30th birthday he almost lost everything.
After splitting with his Matrix business partner John Berg, getting a divorce, and facing accusations that he gave webmasters’ personal information to Acacia, Bentley suffered a heart attack. He was 31.
Today, the L.A. native is wiser, and his stock is back on the rise. Matrix remains the industry’s pre-eminent content company, and Defiance is carving out a place for itself in the video industry. Bentley, now 33, is engaged and will release his first feature later this year. The production, he says, will speak for itself.
Bentley’s story isn’t just about the phoenix rising from the ashes, though; it’s about a promoter who got a chance gig in mainstream production, fell in love, and busted his chops to learn everything he could about the industry.
Tell me about being a rave promoter.
Those were crazy times. I remember spending one whole summer without seeing daylight [laughs]. It was right when the rave scene started, so there was a group of about 20 or 25 of us always together. We’d all go to the clubs and promote and I’d take care of a lot of people underneath me—make sure they ate; people were crashing at the house all the time. It was very hippie-style. This was 14 years ago.—Damn, I’m feeling old [laughs].
Does the term ‘rave’ still mean the same thing it did 10 years ago?
No, it’s a lot different now. I remember going to a rave eight or so years ago. I stayed 10 minutes and left. It just didn’t feel the same to me.
What’s the biggest difference?
There’s no more Ecstasy. They used to crank Ecstasy out of Texas and it would come to L.A. in 100,000-hit boxes. Those days are gone. When I got out of it, a lot of people were starting to do crystal meth, and I’ve seen a lot of them go down the toilet. I had a weekly after-hours on Sunset Boulevard, and I remember once there was this skinny girl talking about how she was three months pregnant and she’s sitting there doing meth. That’s pretty much when I got out of it. I didn’t want to watch that happen.
How did you get into production?
My friend’s father is a well-known music video director. He called me when he was doing the video for Bon Jovi’s “Always.” There was a rave scene in it, and he asked me to put something together for him—as a consultant. I ended up being the segment producer on that part. I threw a real rave, and we filmed it. It was probably the most amazing rave I’ve been a part of because I had $100,000 to spend on just art department. I made giant couches with cushions the size of a king-size mattress. I had a giant living room built with girls on swings above the stage. It was fun. That was kind of my goodbye to the rave scene.
What did you do for HBO?
After the Bon Jovi video, I started working on student films because I really wanted to learn filmmaking. I did just about every job you could do on set and got a lot of experience. Eventually, I was working on a feature film directed by Wim Wenders, which was my first union job, and I got a call from the guy who did the Bon Jovi video. He was doing this Bette Midler show for HBO, so I ended up doing production on that.
Discuss your first adult gig.
First of all, it was with Penthouse, so it was very exciting for me. I was a production coordinator and it was the same as doing a commercial or anything else, just on a smaller scale and working with beautiful chicks. That’s the first time I picked up the camera and shot anything. I met a lot of people, some of whom I still do business with on the Internet side, like [Bruder Releasing Chairman] Marc Bruder. He’s like Papa Bruder to me, and today we distribute stuff for him on Matrix.
You’ve said Matrix was the top content producer in the business six months after launching. What do you base that on?
There was a point where we were on every tour. Every time something came up in the news and they showed a graphic of an adult site, it was a Matrix image.
Has it been hard balancing your work and personal life?
When I first started in the Internet, I ended up getting married. I would work on a commercial once a month or pick up a show here and there and make good money. You work yourself to death for a week and then you don’t have to work for two or three weeks, so I’d go out with my boys. Here I was married, and I realized I have to provide. All these new pressures came in, so for three years I did nothing but work. When I started on Matrix, I’d work 48 hours without sleep. I had to get an LCD screen because the CRT monitors made my eyes bleed from not getting enough sleep. If some guy would call from Germany at 3 a.m., I’d jump out of bed, go downstairs, and wouldn’t go back to bed, but that’s what it takes to build the business.
Why is Matrix so successful?
The quality; the customer service I always put my heart into in the beginning. The past couple years have been rough for me and I’ve kind of lost focus, but with the help of my friends, my life is getting back together. I have a fiancee now. She’s a beautiful woman who’s always there for me. It’s time to bring Matrix back to where it was.
Has business decreased with so many people producing their own content?
Yes, because the content got flooded. It’s a different market now. There are hosted galleries, so webmasters don’t need to buy content anymore. It’s a matter of adapting and changing. Whereas Matrix used to solely rely on Internet licensing, we’ve branched out to magazines and cell phones. Things are good, but we have to diversify.
You’re redefining the look of Matrix today. What will change?
We had one look that was done by Robby. She’s a talented photographer, but one person’s eye can get repetitive, especially when we supply to so many people. Our stuff is edgier now.
How much are you involved with Matrix these days?
I’m totally hands-on.
Has your role changed from five years ago? Why?
Five years ago I was breaking my back, but I have the staff and support now. I went through some tough times. A lot of things that happened with Matrix I took personally, and it affected my health. I had a split with my partner John Berg. There was the Acacia scandal, and what really hurt me was that webmasters who we’ve taken care of and had relationships with thought that we gave their information to Acacia. It hit me really hard.
What’s behind Defiance Films?
There was a group of talented guys who wanted to put something together and there were people who wanted to invest in it. That’s all Defiance is, and it’s doing well. I’ve directed two movies, but I’m not involved with the day-to-day business.
What’s your next film going to be like?
It’s called Runway, and it’s about a day in the life of a fashion coordinator. It’s got a great script and the acting was really good. I’m taking my time on it.
What do you bring to the director’s chair?
With gonzo, there isn’t much room for creativity. The concept for Runway was mine, and I had the script for four months before I shot it. I could watch the whole movie in my head. When we were shooting, things went really quickly. It was very organized, and the final product will speak volumes.
Do you employ the “casting couch” when new girls come in?
No, [laughs] it’s actually done very professionally.
What do your parents think of your career choice?
At first they weren’t too thrilled, but they saw how I was successful and that it was a business. My dad always tells me that as long as it’s not illegal, it’s OK [laughs].
Finally, if you were ever on the cover of Forbes, what would you want the headline to read?
The Gentleman of Porn.
