Page 56 - AVN February 2016

EXIT INTERVIEW | | By Brady Jansen
To the Last Man
After 20 years in the industry, Chris Ward gets ready to say au revoir
when Ward helped bring Hot House to the AEBN family—
four years after he did the same with Falcon Studios).
“What I will miss most is the daily interaction with my
Falcon family. These are my best friends. I hope to keep in
touch with them outside of business. What I will not miss
is constantly playing defense. Porn is in decline and rather
how to direct and manage shoots. I could empathize with the actors
and I always strived to make our sets as comfortable as possible. As
I used to say all the time, screaming and fighting does not help the
hard-ons!”
As a director, Ward’s best memories include filming the final
shootout for To the Last Man, and he has very fond memories of
than building and growing, I have been maintaining the
status quo, playing defense against a world that prefers
Arabesque. “Grunts was a fantastic shoot as well—perhaps the high
point of my career. Of course I have to say that my overall favorite
free porn. It’s a tough day-to-day battle. We have done
thing about directing, and my career in general, was working with
well holding our own, and even growing some, but it’s
so many wonderful people, in front of and behind the camera. I
exhausting after many years of it.”
could not have had my career without the strong support of so many
Ward’s first directorial effort was The Hole Punch in 1997
talented friends.”
for Hot House’s Club Inferno line. He would leave the
As a businessman, Ward cites his ability to stay honest and nice as
studio two years later to found Raging Stallion Studios
his strength.
along with J.D. Slater and Kent Taylor.
“I think I was always a fair boss, and a friendly one. I have raised
“At first I just wanted to make quality porn, but later I
my voice only five or 10 times in my whole career. My management
For Chris Ward, the thoughts first
came to enjoy the business side of things, especially back
style changed over time—at first I was a super controlling freak, but
started entering his mind a few years
in the Golden Age when we took Raging Stallion from a
eventually I turned into a manager that gave a very talented crew as
ago. At that time, he decided that
minor company into one of the largest. That was fun—it
much leeway as they wanted.
when he had accumulated enough
was like conquering the world!” recalls Ward.
Ward continues, “At one point, I remember coming to the
savings to live an enjoyable life in
“I had a great mentor in Steven Scarborough, and I
conclusion that Steve Cruz and Tony Dimarco could make movies as
retirement, he would do it. Mission
have to thank my first cinematographer, Lester Moore,
good as—or even better than—me. So why not sit back and let them
accomplished—a lot sooner than
for teaching me how to shoot porn. J.D. Slater was a huge
do it? I guess I made myself obsolete because my team became so
many in the industry were hoping
influence—he was the one who convinced me to launch
good!”
for.
“I have been very lucky over the
years in our industry, and I achieved
my financial goals sooner than I
These are my best friends. I hope to keep in touch with them
had planned. Also, I have made my
statement in gay erotica—and, I
think, made it well. It’s time for a
”What I will miss most is the daily interaction with my Falcon family.
outside of business.
—Chris Ward, retiring president of Falcon Studios Group
new generation to take over. I have
Raging Stallion in the first place. Kent Taylor, my VP and
Will Ward still watch porn? “I suppose. I got into porn because
our main photographer, was also very influential in those
I was a huge fan of porn. I think, however, that I need to get some
early years. I have also brought lots of people into the
distance—certainly from my own company. There are ways to do
been in the industry now for 20
years, so it is difficult to leave it. I
enjoy working in porn and I enjoy
the people I work with. They are my
family.”
Ward announced his retirement
late last year, and will now work in
just an advisory role through the
spring before leaving Falcon Studios
Group and parent company AEBN,
which he will remain a co-owner
of (but will not be involved in the
day-to-day business for). Fellow co-
owner Tim Valenti will take over as
president of Falcon Studios Group.
“I am 55 years old—and lucky to
industry. One thing I liked doing was training cameramen
and directors from scratch. I launched the careers of some
of the top directors today.”
While at Raging Stallion, Ward helmed a bevy of hits
and award winners, including Grunts, To the Last Man,
Arabesque and Raiders of the Lost Arse. After Falcon Studios
merged with Raging Stallion, he also helmed the sixth
entry in the industry’s most iconic series: The Other Side of
Aspen.
“If I have any legacy at all, I think it will be to have
helped bring tattoos and chest hair into the mainstream.
That was what Raging Stallion was all about,” he says.
“There are many moments that stick out—from my
first porn shoot as an actor, to winning multiple awards
things, and I don’t want to be looking from the outside at decisions
that I don’t agree with. I need to let the new leadership do its own
thing without my getting stirred up—or without them having to
think about what I think.”
Ward plans to relax for a few months, then spend some more time
relaxing in Europe—he rented a small castle in the Loire Valley for a
month in late spring.
“I am hoping the transition will be very easy and very enjoyable.
But I worry about getting bored,” he says. “Many people do not know
that I have a Ph.D. in history and archaeology. I published several
books before I got into porn. I plan to take up writing again—I have a
few novels banging about in my head that I want to put to paper.”
Ward plans to split his time between San Francisco and France,
enjoying time with his partner (Mo Duran), his cats and his wine.
GAYVN
be retiring at that age. I figured if I
want to do something else with my
life, I had better get started now,”
Ward says. “I would not like to start a
new company at age 65!”
Ward entered the business in
1996 as an actor and director for
Hot House, working under mentor
Steven Scarborough (who announced
his retirement almost two years ago,
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for best director. I remember sweeping several GAYVN
Awards shows—winning so much that I think Raging
Stallion helped to damage the show. After we swept just
about every award three years in a row, other studios quit
supporting the GAYVNs, and they stopped being held.”
As a performer (“That is so distant now”), Ward
enjoyed showing off—but says since he came into porn
late in life, he had a very short career in front of the
camera.
“Being an actor, however, gave me a good perspective on
“I love Europe, especially rural France. I enjoy the food, the wine
and the history. Waking up in the beautiful countryside, having fresh
croissants for breakfast, a cassoulet for lunch and some wine in the
evening, walks in the forest,” he says. “Second, I love San Francisco,
especially my neighborhood, Alamo Square. I enjoy the food, the
wine and the history. Waking up in the most beautiful city, having
fresh sourdough bread for breakfast, some Asian food for lunch and
some wine in the evening, walks in the neighborhoods. Third, I love
Mo! Waking up next to him, having breakfast with him, having lunch
with him, having wine with him…I have a lucky life.”