LOS ANGELES—Arriving on set in his jeans and T-shirt, Derek Dozer is not much different than the wide-eyed college dropout who found himself doing odd jobs at an adult production house 20 years ago.
His warm personality and penchant to go all out or not at all when it comes to work was never lost on those around him—especially his bosses. Having gone from sweeping the floor to directing Tushy’s new big-budget Elsa Jean showcase, Influence, Dozer is at the height of his powers—even in the midst of a pandemic.
“I’m excited about working with Elsa and even more excited about the fact that she picked me to do this,” said the Los Angeles native. “We’ve gotten along well over the years and we work well together so it’s a great opportunity to do a high-end showcase. It’s the girl’s first time to do anal and it’s important to have someone there who she is comfortable with on set.”
The new showcase features the adult superstar in five anal sex scenes, marking the first time she has performed anal sex on camera. The movie, which shot its final scene just weeks ago, presents the blonde vixen in a variety of sexual scenarios, including two three-ways, a girl/girl and two boy/girl anals. The first of those, pairing Jean with Ryan Mclane, debuted on Tushy.com Monday.
“We’re wowing people with our location and our production values and well-shot sex with our performers,” Dozer beamed. “Elsa is great. She’s amazing, I absolutely love her, she’s been very positive and she’s killing it, and for someone who’s never done anal she was amazing.”
For Jean, working with Dozer was like old times with a good friend:
“I really enjoyed working on this project with Derek. He’s such a kind, easygoing and professional guy. I was lucky enough to pick my director, so I chose Derek,” she said. “We worked together a few times before, but I was really impressed with him on a Vixen shoot we did. I think he’s an extremely good photographer. I love how creative and gorgeous his shots are. He’s so efficient with how he maps out the day so it’s easy for the talent.”
Having a good rapport with the director and being on the proverbial same page are especially important for the Ohio-born performer.
“Some sets can be long but he’s excellent at getting every shot done, but not making it a long day,” she explained. “Not only is he amazing at his job, but he’s amazing with making the talent feel comfortable. This was the most fun on set I’ve ever had. And I’m so thankful to have had Derek on this project. People like Derek are the reason I love being on set.”
Elsa Jean and 2020 Vixen Angel of the Year Ariana Marie
Although her fans have been clamoring for her to do her first anal scene since her early days in the industry, Jean wanted to wait until the time was right. So when Vixen Media Group (Tushy's parent company) came calling with a showcase proposal, she happily agreed.
“When I first started the industry, I promised myself I would wait a decent time to do anal and it had to be a showcase,” she said. “I’ve been in the industry almost five years, so I think it’s perfect timing. I also wasn’t going to do it unless I truly enjoyed it.”
With its reputation for high production values and big-name performers, Vixen rented a fully furnished 18,000-square-foot penthouse in downtown Los Angeles for the shoot, featuring wide spaces for proper social distancing in addition to daily testing of the cast and crew for COVID-19.
With the addition of notable cameos and other top performers, the showcase is one of the biggest hopefuls for next year's AVN Awards, those close to the production say. But for Dozer, the movie is more than a buzzworthy showcase—it’s the culmination of a career that has spanned nearly 20 years, starting when he was asked to run a camera on a blowjob shoot that managed to impress his boss enough to give him a permanent job as a director.
Elsa Jean and Vixen Angel Emily Willis
Having dropped out of college after injuring his knee during football practice, Dozer was an unlikely candidate to become a porn director. After working at an adult production house where he swept the floor of the warehouse, Dozer soon began directing for Extreme Associates before moving on to West Coast Productions, Antigua Pictures, AllRealityPass.com and Sudden Impact, until things took a downward turn during the 2009 recession.
“I went to The Erotic Network for about a year and Hustler bought them and fired everyone. I was kind of in limbo in 2010,” he recalled. “I tried to be a welder one time since I didn’t have any plans, so I got certified and I thought this would be a good career. But then I started getting calls again from people wanting me to direct.”
Soon, Dozer was back shooting for such companies as Elegant Angel, Hard X and ultimately Vixen, where he has served as a contract director for its Tushy, Vixen and other labels. Since his return, he has overseen such popular series as Elegant's Big Wet Tits and Performers of the Year, Tushy's Anal Models, and many others. Perhaps his most notable release prior to now was Elegant’s epic 2018 Kleio Valentien vehicle Squirtwoman: Wasteland, which earned six 2019 AVN nominations, including Best Director - Feature for Dozer.
“It was a passion project for me and a very challenging shoot where we had to shoot out in the desert in 100-degree heat, with a lot of costumes and a demanding schedule,” he said. “I was very proud of that movie and everyone involved in it. It was just too bad it didn’t win any awards.”
But as he looks back on his career, Dozer credits his dedication to his work and his positive attitude for his success in an industry where longevity is never assured.
“It’s important to treat people well and especially how I interact with my crew,” he said. “The number one thing that I need when I get on that set on top of everything else is that the girl leaves happy and that we get the best out of her. Maybe the girl was drunk or hungover and she wants to do one position, but we’re not going to berate the girl because she wanted to do one thing.”
With the shutdown in production, Dozer has been more reflective about his work and his own need to remain creative and expand his horizons as the industry moves forward during the pandemic.
“I got a chance to play a lot of golf with my dad and enjoy the time off thanks to Vixen, which has been very generous by continuing to pay me during the shutdown,” he said. “But returning to set was a little odd. The first scenes were a little weird, shooting with the mask and doing social distancing and we’d do a little air hug and that part was a little weird. But I’m glad we’re back working.”
Elsa Jean and Ryan Mclane
