Page 45 - AVN July 2015

By Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals
Nurturing the Newbie
Veterans share tips on helping green performers grow
want people to only do what is within their comfort zone, and we want to create
an environment where people feel safe enough to communicate when they’re
uncomfortable. I always make sure they know that they can communicate issues
or concerns with me at any time.”
Kelly Madison Productions’ Ryan Madison, who’s directed a litany of relevant
content, including the Teen Fidelity series, also emphasized performer comfort
and establishing rapport. “The number one thing we do to make a new performer
feel safe and comfortable on set is to be a safe and comfortable company to begin
with,” Madison told me. “Being a female-owned company, right off the bat, makes
the girls feel safe. And we go out of the way to discuss exactly what’s planned as
far as sex goes, and most importantly, empowering them by letting them know
they can say ‘cut’ at any time during filming if they need to.”
Madison added, “Even the most basic stuff, from greeting them kindly to
offering food and beverages, if done gently and kindly and with respect empowers
the talent—especially when we always tell them we want them to ‘be themselves.’
Yes, it’s performing, but what we like best is to showcase the girls and really make
them shine.”
”When we do bring in somebody
who is new to the business,
I always pair them
with a leader, somebody
who has shot for us a
number of times.
—Dan O’Connell
be confusing and overwhelming. Or, it can be amazing—the perfect way
First day of school, first day at a new job. The first day of anything can
to begin a new adventure. The early days of working as a performer are
no different. I asked some industry leaders in production and talent
management what they do to help ensure new performers learn the ropes
in a way that is both effective and comfortable.
Mark Schechter, owner of Adult Talent Managers LA (ATMLA), emphasized
the importance of spending time with new performers and outlining industry
protocol. “I personally will spend one to two hours with every new performer
upon our initial meeting and acceptance for representation, discussing everything
from the risks of STDs in the industry and how the testing system works to
expectations on set and proper financial record keeping,” he said.
Most significantly, Schechter said, he tries to make new performers aware of
the industry community resources available, including APAC (Adult Performer
Advocacy Committee). “I give performers information about APAC and encourage
them to join the organization so they can establish a peer group and get involved
in the industry in a proactive manner,” he said.
Awareness of resources and the opportunity to build skills is key to supporting
new talent. New Sensations director Eddie Powell frequently shoots newer
performers, as his portfolio can attest. From Schoolgirl Cuties to the Innocence of
Youth series, you can almost guarantee relatively green performers will be on his
set.
I asked Powell what he did specifically to help new talent feel
comfortable and effective. Essentially, what he does is direct. “I
shoot quite a few newer performers, performers that don’t know
about posing or about opening up to camera, etc. I take a lot of
time providing as much direction to them as I can,” he said. “I
spend a longer time on ‘pretty girls’ so they can understand how to
get their best angles and how to pose. It’s important to help provide
them with the skills they’ll need to succeed in this business.”
Establishing a comfort level for new performers through this type
of guidance in turn benefits everyone on set.
“When you take the time to make someone comfortable, you’ll get
a better performance out of them,” Powell explained. “When newer
performers come to set, you want them to succeed. As a director,
that’s part of my job—to help [performers] be as successful
within the scene as possible. So, I take the time to instruct
and teach and try and pair them with more seasoned male
performers that know how to take the lead so that they don’t
feel as much pressure to carry the scene.”
I found this insight quite telling, as it speaks to the
rationale behind older/younger pairings consumers seem to
love—and critics outside the industry seem to hate. Aside from
fulfilling content needs, on-the-job performance mentoring is
happening in real time between performers of variable experience
levels.
But everything isn’t always so overtly strategic on Powell’s
sets. He added, “I’ve also been known to tell the newer
performers quite a few bad jokes—nothing relaxes a girl
more than a really cheesy, bad joke. If you can get them to
laugh, it helps them ease into the scene and the day more quickly.”
New Sensations director Jacky St. James, who can almost always
be found assisting on Powell’s sets, also mentioned her efforts to put
performers at ease. “I try and make a connection with [the newer
performers] immediately. I might have been on countless shoots, but
if they haven’t it’s important to be cognizant of that,” St. James said. “We
Some sets are far more complex, however,
as content shot for Kink.com can attest. With
performances that are exceptionally physically
demanding and a fan base that expects a very
precise aesthetic and tone, the producers of
lines like Electrosluts and Hogtied must go to great
lengths to assess performers’ comfort levels and
adjust for experience. I spoke to Bobbie Sanchez,
Kink’s assistant talent manager, about what goes into
preparing for their shoots.
“Communication with our models is highly important
when on set,” Sanchez informed me. “We interview models
prior to them coming in to shoot so we can gauge what
their experience is with BDSM, and we make sure that all the
BDSM activities they will be partaking in are adjusted to their
comfort level. We also make it a point to check in with our models
constantly while they are shooting.”
Clear communication was consistently cited as key, and
one of the most frequently cited “best communicators” on
set is Girlfriends Films’ Dan O’Connell. O’Connell shoots
nearly all the company’s girl/girl titles, including their Mother-
Daughter Exchange Club series and other older/younger-themed
titles. In O’Connell’s view, a healthy positive relationship with
performers is essential to a good experience.
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