Kat Slater has been named the Creative Director for Hustler Video and VCA Pictures.
Slater moves into the new role with four years of experience directing videos for Hustler and a strong mainstream film background. She has shot the Young Sluts, Inc. line, Reel Joe, select volumes of Campus Confessions and most recently Hustler’s Cum Swappers.
“First of all, I like her work,” Hustler founder Larry Flynt told AVN.com Thursday. “Secondly, she is very aggressive. She’s extremely conscious about quality control of the product, whether it is audio or video. So you don’t often find directors that are so conscientious about the creative process.”
Slater told AVN.com that her new duties entail “a complete overhaul” of the video lines.
“Everything from box covers to the movies inside, paying particular attention to what’s inside,” Slater said. “I’m weeding through what we have. Our days of vanilla porn are over with.”
Slater, who studied cinema and film theory in Paris, shot her first short film in 1989 and also worked extensively on mainstream productions in assistant roles before moving into adult. She said that Hustler Video is in the process of separating its future releases into three distinct categories: the Hustler Gold label, Hustler Video and Hustler.
The Hustler Gold label will include “higher end projects” such as Prague-based director Denis Marti’s ProfessiAnals line.
“Tight and solid and never forgetting the sex has to be strong and horny,” she said.
The Hustler Video banner will include the Barely Legal lines, including Barely Legal Innocence, Barely Legal Corrupted, Barely Legal Summer Camp and a forthcoming Barely Legal Gangbang series.
Releases from the Hustler label will be “hardcore gonzo” material, Slater indicated.
Meanwhile, VCA’s gonzo line, X-Cessive, will be made “even stronger than it is,” according to Slater. VCA will also begin to return to “the stuff that really made it cool, but making that for today’s generation,” she said.
Slater called director Eon McKai, who released the alternative-themed Art School Sluts to some critical acclaim, “the new face of VCA.”
“So right now I’m weeding through everything and keeping the best of what we have,” she said. “We are definitely looking for great directors. People can come see me, but they have to have some body of work.”
Flynt, who took charge of Hustler Video in the past three weeks as he searched for someone to take on the position, said “creatively speaking, we’re on the same page.”
“I talk to her every day,” he continued. “I’m glad to have her on board. I think it’s very important. It was hard for me to supervise what was going on in the Valley from Beverly Hills. It takes you three hours to get over there and back. Here it only takes me five minutes. I think this will be a plus with communication.”
He added, “She’s going to have her hands full. We’re going to put out a total of 20 new releases a month for each company. There will be new talent coming on board, but I’m not ready to make an announcement at this point.”
Slater said Hustler would continue releasing product from its latest crop of directors that includes Van Styles, Jack the Zipper, Dave Road and Vanessa Blue.
In addition, she plans to direct six titles this year, three each of the Cum Swappers and Cum Swallowers lines under the Hustler label.
“Then we’re also going to be releasing some features, and some big budget stuff,” she said. “We want to start with a really great screenplay and not just a porno script. The script is not interesting if it tells and doesn’t show. We want really tight stories. And always for me, a huge focus is on hot, horny, great, hardcore sex.”
Slater said she has been in discussions with Hustler about moving into this type of role for several weeks, adding that it ultimately was Flynt’s decision.
“It’s a great challenge and I know I can do it,” Slater said. “I can’t do every job, but I know this is a job for me and I feel like I could be really good. I’ve really been welcomed with open arms. We’re on the team together, and I like to win. I’m competitive. … I like to play with the boys and win.”
