Page 54 - AVN July 2018

FEATURE
(Continued from previous page)
performs as well as directs, at this point in his career he has moved into a new
arena: adult industry mogul. (He’s even moved into the pleasure product market.)
But Jordan still remembers what it took to first carve out his niche as a performer-
director.
“Obviously I’m in a rare position where I get to choose whom to work with
in my own movies,” Jordan said. “When I first started filming/directing
I had to do this by necessity, because I had no male talent to hire on the
East Coast at the time. Fortunately I’m the producer and director, so I can
make every decision.
“It’s nice to be able to have the choice of deciding which girls I’d like to have
sex with, although it can also be frustrating when you’re trying to make sure
that all of what you want is captured, while you are in front of the camera,” he
continued. “I think I’m probably the only one who does stills of the talent, shoots
the ‘intro,’ then passes the camera off to another camera man in order to then
have sex in front of the camera. This can definitely be a challenge to change your
mindset for every step.”
On the surface, it would seem the ultimate goal for any male performer would
be to start his own company, begin directing, book his own talent and perform in
almost every scene. But the reality is, being a shot caller is a skill that requires a
certain mix of talent, drive and determination.
FEATURE | By Sherri L. Shaulis and Sharan Street
James Deen
Though his career dates back to 2004, it wasn’t until 2013 that
James Dean started his own production company. James Deen
Productions was created to provide a platform for Deen’s vision of
entertainment. The studio is constantly evolving and expanding
along with its participants. Deen has created an impressive amount
of award-winning content, including the series James Deen’s Sex Tapes,
I Came On James Deen’s Face and James Deen’s 7 Sins.
Ike Diezel
The majority of his work these days consists of shooting his own
content for various websites, including TeemSkeet.com. He also has
his own channel on Pornhub Premium for which he casts, performs
in and directs the scenes.
Manuel Ferrara
The five-time AVN Male Performer of the Year winner started his
career in France and made his American debut in John Stagliano’s
Fashionistas, despite the fact he barely spoke English. As his English
skills have improved, so has his talent as not only a performer but
also a director. He started calling his own shots as director for Red
Light District Video in 2003 and for Evil Angel in 2006. In 2017 he
signed an exclusive directing contract with Jules Jordan Video.
This page, clockwise
from top left: James Deen
(photo by Steve Prue/
TeamRockStarImages.
com), Ike Diezel (photo
by Rick Garcia), Manuel
Ferrara, Jessy Jones.
Opposite page, top
from left: Keiran Lee,
Lexington Steele.
Middle: Mark Wood,
Toni Ribas, Nacho Vidal.
Bottom: Ryan
Madison, Rocco Siffredi
(photo by Rick Garcia).
Jessy Jones
One of the newest shot callers in the industry, he is the latest addition to
the Evil Angel roster of director/performers, a prestigious claim to fame in
the industry.
54 | AVN.com | 7.18