Internet schminternet; the Web isn’t going to be taking away DVD sales any time soon—so said several of the gay adult industry’s leading content producers during a lively discussion Saturday morning.
Of all the seminars held at this past weekend’s first-ever GAYVN Summit, the "Directors Download" seminar—which featured a panel consisting of gay adult directors Steven Scarborough, Doug Jeffries, Michael Lucas, Thor Stephans, and moderator Chi Chi LaRue—was predictably the most well attended, offering little controversy but a lot of food for thought.
Many of the comments made during the seminar addressed the convergence of the Internet with traditional video-production companies, and all seemed to agree that the Web is becoming a major venue for the proliferation of their material.
"I think the future is moving toward more straight-to-Web, more amateur, more reality, TV-type content," said Scarborough, president and founder of Hot House Entertainment.
Even still, Scarborough was quick to add that such trends do not worry him. "What that means to me is that [the Internet is] a great introductory vehicle for people to get familiar with porn," he stated, referring to his own releases as "collectible" titles. "Hopefully, they’ll graduate to movies that are more expensive to make."
Stephans was in agreement with Scarborough, noting that, "It’s interesting how, only years ago, we had VHS. Now, it’s DVD, streaming videos, iPods…it’s gone from that VHS tape to all these venues to sell. I find that exciting. Internet has really opened up a major avenue for product. Your investment can be broken down into many different products to sell. It’s interesting to see where we’re going next."
Some directors—like Scarborough and Lucas—talked of their practices of shooting shorter sex scenes for movies that can be distributed easily online, or shooting additional scenes that won’t be included in the retail version of a title but will appear on their websites as "deleted" or "bonus" scenes for paid members.
The directors also debated the issue of storyline versus all-sex movies, which prompted Lucas to say, "Audiences are bored with just-sex movies; they want more plot." LaRue admitted he was not being a fan of movies with a lot of dialogue, although he conceded that he does like to make the occasional "vanity project" with bigger plots. Meanwhile, Scarborough confessed he is not concerned with caving to pressure to produce story-based movies.
"I can’t be all things to all people," the director declared. "I love the feedback from my fans, but I also have a shredder. If I try to service all my fans, I’ll do a disserve to the people who’ve been with me forever."
One audience member asked if the directors ever felt compelled to outdo themselves. Lucas responded by saying, "I think porn is a very important thing, but I don’t think it’s art, so I don’t look at it as trying to outdo myself. It’s very easy to make a better movie if you’re working with good people."
When asked if today’s porn producers approach shooting content with a different mindset, all conceded they did. They lamented the days before porn performers were readily available to their fans ("Back then, it was more about idol worship," Scarborough recalled), adding that increased production schedules have forced them to become more creative.
The directors also noted how several amateur websites have "returned" the industry to its more humble roots.
"It seems like it’s coming full circle," Scarborough posited. "Back when I got into this business, we started off shooting 30 scenes on the same couch. Then, we went to shooting elaborate films with all these big sets and stories. Then the Internet came along, and we’ve come back to shooting scenes on the same couch."
How does such a trend affect video producers struggling to adapt to these rapidly changing times, one audience member wondered.
"It’s not anything to be afraid of," Scarborough responded. "We’ve been here before."
