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“It’s been really interesting being able to able to curate my own style of directing. I feel like I’m finally growing as a director.”
Avery tells AVN that at times “it’s been very nerve wracking” but that goes with the territory.
“There’s been a lot of eyes on me, especially directing for such a huge company like Adult Time. And there aren’t too many VR directors who were previously performers,” Black continues.
“Also there aren’t any female VR directors that were performers as well, so I think because of that I have a lot to offer from the talent perspective.”
Black says the VR community has expanded along with the advancements in technology, such as the new Apple Vision Pro headset.
“There is so much potential in VR,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed shooting VR myself as a performer. And not to toot my own horn, but I’ve gotten pretty decent reviews from fans and directors.”
She likens the female performer’s perspective in a VR scene to “being at the optometrist and gynecologist at the same time.”
“You don’t exactly see the face of who you’re having sex with. You just have two giant lenses in front of you,” she explains.
Her partner Oliver Davis is one of porn’s top VR performers and a go-to guy for Seagal.
“I see him only on the weekends; we’re only married during the weekends,” Avery jokes. “He’s a full-time VR performer during the week.
“I’ve been a PA on sets where he’s been a VR performer. So from the very beginning I feel like I have a good perspective of the male performer’s point of view as well. I’m getting a lot of feedback every single day from the male perspective. I think the combination of our information is really ideal.”
Avery started directing in October, but first began calling shots on her own in late February. At press time had shot almost 20 scenes for Up Close VR.
She has lost count of the number of VR scenes she’s performed in since 2019.
“I understand that a lot of performers don’t like shooting VR. There is a lot of technical setup and stop and go,” she says. “It’s a lot for whoever is in front of the camera.
“So when I keep my days shorter I think it really helps the talent. I know most girls at the end of the day are really proud of the scene because they know the chemistry has translated and the setup is very minimal. So the days go by a lot faster and you see the actual enjoyment of the talent because they don’t have to keep stopping and going.”
Black says some female performers charge more for VR scenes or simply say no to the bookings. “My goal as a director is to make it actually an enjoyable experience,” she adds. “I’m really happy when girls come off my set and they say it was such a good VR day.”
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