Page 20 - AVN April 2017

WHO’S WHO
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Rikki Braun follows in big footsteps
be able to entice, entertain and excite on more
levels than just with the pure depiction of a sexual
act, and if there’s anything that I aspire to in the
future, it’s to try and rise above that. And to not
fuck up the family name, of course.”
in an industry first, 24-year-old Rikki Braun, son of Axel, is
about to make his debut as the third-generation Braun to
MY FATHER HAS TAUGHT ME THE
call the shots behind a triple-X camera. That directorial bow,
a feature titled Exposed, stars Wicked Pictures contract girl
Asa Akira and is out now.
IMPORTANCE OF STORYBOARDING, PREPARATION, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND HAVING A CLEAR VISION OF
Born and raised in Italy, Rikki made the move five years
ago to Los Angeles, where he earned a BFA in filmmaking
from the New York Film Academy. During that time, he
SSOME FAMILIES HAVE adult moviemaking in their genes. And
became progressively interested in the adult industry and
WHAT YOU WANT
started working with his father, first as a PA, then as a
videographer, assistant director and video editor on several
projects.
“He’s a very talented kid,” Axel Braun said. “He’s smart,
creative and as obsessed with details as I am, and he
definitely knows what he wants. I spent the two days of
production for Exposed on set with him, and I am very proud
of the way he handled it. He was fully in control, he got the
performances he needed out of the actors, and the footage
looks amazing. Of course we wrapped at 5 a.m. on day two,
but he wouldn’t be my son if he didn’t have a 20-hour day
on his first movie.”
Rikki’s grandfather, Lasse Braun, who was honored with
AVN’s Reuben Sturman Award in 2013 and passed away in
February 2015, was a porn pioneer who started producing,
directing and distributing adult movies in Europe in 1961.
Axel Braun followed in his footsteps in 1990, also at the age
of 24, and went on to become one of the most awarded porn
directors in history.
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure, and two pairs of very
big shoes to fill,” Rikki said. “At the same time, I am well
aware that most people don’t get the opportunity to direct a
MILESTONES | By Peter Warren
feature for the biggest company in the business as their first
movie, so of course I am super thankful to Steve Orenstein,
my dad, and everybody at Wicked Pictures for allowing me
to do that. Having Asa as the lead was simply a dream come
true, and although I’ve known her for years and always
loved her work, she absolutely exceeded my expectations
and turned in a magnificent performance.”
Written by Axel Braun, Exposed is the story of Tanya
(Akira), a photojournalist who will stop at nothing
to get the perfect shot. Her specialty is breaking into
movie set dressing rooms and snapping pictures of stars
getting undressed, but when she goes too far she ends up
unconvering more than she wished.
“I loved the script,” Akira offered, “so I
immediately knew I wanted to do it. I’d been on a few
sets where Rikki was helping his father, and it was
obvious right away that he had a vast understanding
and passion for film; I had a feeling it would only
be a matter of time before his directorial debut in
the family business. I was so happy to find out I was
chosen as the lead. Honestly, though, I would be
jealous if he had gone with someone else. Like his
father, Rikki is devilishly charming, and also like his
father, the shoot lasted no less than 20 hours. It was
worth it though, and I would have stayed another 20
to get some of the amazing shots he captured. I can’t
wait to see the final product!”
Aside from Akira, Exposed also stars Katrina Jade,
Abella Danger, Jessa Rhodes, Valentina Nappi, Seth
Gamble, Jessy Jones, Tommy Gunn, Small Hands and
Isiah Maxwell.
Asked to describe his directorial style, Rikki Braun
told AVN, “I like using a saturated color palette, and
I like moving the camera as much as possible. My
father has taught me the importance of storyboarding,
preparation, attention to detail, and having a clear
vision of what you want ... and especially what you
don’t want. I’m still developing my own style, and of
course because I’ve been working with my dad for
years and because we share very similar filmmaking
sensibility I’m sure there are plenty of ‘Axel Braun
shots’ in my first movie.”
He continued, “The mainstream directors that I
admire are so many ... Cuaron, Truffaut, Bertolucci,
Carpenter, Kubrick are just a few of the names that
come to mind. I think that adult filmmaking should
20 | AVN.com | 4.17
Clockwise from top left, director Rikki Braun; Valentina Nappi, Jessy Jones
and Abella Danger in Exposed; Asa Akira, star of Exposed.