Todd Todd made his directorial debut for Vertigo Video with Mad at Daddy 2 and Lean & Teen.
A native of Pasadena, Todd Todd has worked as a photographer in the industry for the past eight years and relished the chance to direct.
“I love it, it’s fun,” he said, adding that it is a nice change to not have to be a photographer on someone else’s shoot. “I’m a hard worker. I come in and get it done and don’t screw around. … This is something I’ve had my eye on for a long time.”
Todd Todd worked as a strip club DJ for six years and was attending school for photography when he got a break. He called Club magazine because he liked photographer Scott Preston’s work, and then learned from Preston as his assistant before going on his own.
“He was a very big help,” said Todd Todd, who went on to assist Jonni Darkko when Darrko was shooting stills for Jill Kelly Productions prior to becoming a full-time director.
“He was the JKP photographer for a long time, and when he started to direct, he would direct every Wednesday and he brought me in just on Wednesdays,” he said. “He’s been in the business a little longer than me and I’ve been kind of following in his footsteps.”
Todd Todd shot stills primarily for JKP for the past 2 1/2 years in addition to assignments for other companies. He said he is continuing to do stills for Metro Studios, Defiance Films, Vertigo and the new imprint American Hardcore.
“I would like to get to a point where I’m just doing stills for my movies,” he said. “I’m a full package. I have my own lighting setup, my own digital photography setup and my own video camera.
“I found a company that I’m comfortable with. When {T.J. DiReda} from Vertigo asked me to direct for him – I started out with him as a photographer – we sat down and both had similar ideas. I told him I was looking for a company to expand and grow with.”
Lean & Teen, which hits the street on June 27, stars Bianca Pureheart, Denice K, Morgan March, Nadia Sin and Taryn Thomas while the just-released Mad at Daddy 2 features Courtney Cummz, Kelly Wells, Lexxy Love, Haley Paige and Hilary Scott.
“They’re both young girl movies, with good, hard sex,” Todd Todd said. “… I like to use my eye to find out where we’re going to shoot in a house. In some of these videos they’re using million-dollar mansions and they’re still shooting up against a white wall with a couch. I like to get colors involved and make it appealing. Those angles I’ve learned the last 10 years of being a photographer I’ve brought to my videos.”
The director said that the Pureheart/Anthony Hardwood scene and Denise K./Brett Rockman pairing in Lean & Teen, and the Lexxy Love/Randy Spears coupling in Mad at Daddy 2,were particularly hot.
“Those three scenes were most rockin’ out of all of them,” he said. “Being my first time, I can see where I can make improvements. I’ve already made improvements. I’ve learned from watching both of them and I always think I can do better.”
Meanwhile, he is planning to shoot a new Latin line for Vertigo, and another series for American Hardcore.
“Todd Todd is already one of the best photographers in the industry and with an incredible eye for talent and shooting hot sex, he is quickly on the rise,” said Vertigo’s DiReda. “He not only is someone to watch for, he hit a home run with two solid titles of dirty young girls and high-energy sex. With an already strong stall of seasoned directors Todd Todd fits into the Vertigo team perfectly.”
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