Page 50 - AVN September 2015

Lust in Motion
Michelle Flynn’s Lightsouthern Studios gathers ‘Momentum’
by Australian director Michelle
Lightsouthern Studios, founded
Flynn in 2011, offers this
description of its visually
stunning erotica on the company
website: “sun-kissed Australiana
meets adult entertainment.” It’s
an apt phrase, particularly for
Flynn’s magnum opus, the four-
part Momentum series. Even the
stills from Flynn’s movie differ
dramatically from most adult
movies. Shot outside on the
beautiful Australian coast, the movie
looks like an indie project that
would be at home in a mainstream
film festival. And the sex scenes
deliver on Lightsouthern’s promise
to offer “content free of bias and
comfortable in its own skin.”
If it sounds like Flynn produces
erotica that deserves a spot at the
feminist porn table, that’s certainly
true. But she’s first and foremost
a visually driven storyteller, and
she gives viewers a nostalgic and
dreamy reverie starring four girls
and one guy who embark on sexual
explorations during the 1970s in an
Aussie beach town. The first volume
itself is short, but there’s much
more to come—and Flynn opened
up to reveal how she was inspired to
make the series, and what lies ahead
in the next installments. The second
volume comes out this month,
distributed in the United States by
Pure Play Media.
FEATURE
What led you to adult filmmaking?
I started out in the industry as a
performer, which was great because
I got to experience first hand what it
is like to work as a model, but after
a while I couldn’t deny my curiosity
to understand the magic behind the
camera so I begged, borrowed and
stole for a job with Abby Winters.
Unfortunately without any experience
handling cameras they had to throw me
on reception, so on weekends I would go
into the office and learn how to use the
cameras and help the production team.
When a job came up to shoot I had
worked hard to prove I was the natural
choice.
What was the first adult company
you shot for?
I worked as a senior videographer and
project manager at Abby Winters for
six years and then decided to strike
out on my own. I did some shoots for
WeAreHairy.com and ATK.com but I
realized that after years of working in
the industry I wanted to create a studio
with a different ethos and set of business
practices so I approached companies that
had vision more like my own.
Momentum has a wonderful indie
film quality. Did you set out to
shoot independent films?
I think like a lot of great ideas it all
started with a desire to do something
different. Most of the “bread and butter”
work we do is short-form content for
third-party websites, but I really wanted
push the boundaries and create a sexy
movie that could be shown on the adult
film festival circuit. Hence the Momentum
series was born. I knew it had to be fun,
light-hearted and bursting with nostalgia
as well as showing what Lightsouthern
is all about, which is what we did—then
it just kind of took off.
You raised more than $6,000 on In-
diegogo to fund Momentum. When
you thank the donors in Momentum
1, you mention Garion—is that
Garion Hall of abbywinters.com?
Yes, Garion of Abbywinters did (along
with about 40 other legends) generously
donate to the film. He has been very
supportive of my ventures, I still often
ask him for advice.
Momentum is set in the 1970s and
its characters live in an Australian
beach town. What drew you to that
time period?
I grew up in a small town by the beach,
so for me this film is a direct link to my
own sexual adventures. Also I love the
aesthetic of that time period in Australia.
When I think of the 1970s I think of
youth culture, surfing, string bikinis
and classic cars, all things that are
characteristically Aussie—I also thought
providing a certain amount of nostalgia
was a good third element for the films.
What reaction have you received
from consumers or retailers in the
United States?
We had really good sales, which was
pretty exciting. I didn’t know how
people would react to the content with
all of the Aussie-centric references, but it
seems the sales speak for themselves.
Is Chloe B. the only performer from
Momentum 1 who appears in the
second movie?
Chloe B. is in all four films—she’s the
porno glue. She’s awesome!
Momentum 1 features a scene
performed by a real-life couple.
Have you cast other couples in the
sequels?
No, Kara and Devon are the only couple
in the series and of course they are
amazing together, but in general it’s
important to me that the people doing
the sex scenes do have chemistry and
have at least met or hung out before.
There is nothing worse than watching
two people who are clearly not into each
other have sex.
Would you describe your characters
as fluid in their sexual orientation?
Is that true of most of your work?
Yes, definitely. Not all, but most of the
people I work with are very open and
fluid on the sexual spectrum—that is
not to say it’s a free for all. Boundaries,
safety and comfort are paramount, so we
exercise a great deal of communication
to make sure everyone is completely
okay before, during and after shoots.
(Michelle Flynn interview continued on page 90)
50 | AVN.com | 9.15