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Meanwhile it will be the first time Darkko has zeroed in on Natasha Nice for a star showcase— which has long been one of his specialties.
“Natasha has a huge, rock-solid fanbase that loves everything she does,” he says. “She’s such a professional and I really love having days with her.”
Darkko says Nice’s showcase will have four scenes with several heavy-packing studs. At the time of this interview she had already shot a DP with Rob Piper and Richard Mann that included double anal.
With showcases, Darkko says the importance of when to schedule the scenes cannot be understated.
“I like to spread it out over time because you don’t ever like the female talent to feel rushed or wear themselves out,” he reasons. “If you did a showcase in a week you probably wouldn’t get as good of an outcome with the energy. They need time between big scenes.
“And I don’t shoot pretty girls [still photos] on those days; I don’t shoot teases. I just want them to come in and do what they do.”
That talent-first strategy is one of many reasons why Darkko has long been regarded as a performers’ director.
“These are stars and you have to let them shine,” he continues. “You can’t tell Adriana Chechik what she’s going to do, you’ve gotta let that horse ride. Sometimes a stallion can’t be fucking saddled, let it buck. That kind of freedom allows people to be themselves.
“Let people do what they do best.”
Darkko worked as a professional photographer in Chicago, honing his craft during long shooting days for large advertising companies as well as extensive lingerie catalog work. He moved to LA in the late 90s and began building his reputation as a stills photographer on adult sets before stepping up to direct for New Sensations/Digital Sin in 2003 with series such as Anal Trainer and Girl Crazy.
“I was be-bopping around for Sin City, New Sensations and JM Productions and I was basically learning everything that people were doing,” Darkko says. “And then [New Sensations owner] Scott Taylor gave me the opportunity to really let it loose.”
Darkko developed his slick hardcore style by combining his advanced technical knowhow with his own personal kinks.
“It kind of happened right away, taking what I knew from shooting girls in lingerie and all the techniques I learned from being a studio photographer,” he says.
After helming twentysomething titles for NSDS, he caught Stagliano’s attention and by early 2004 had landed a deal with the vaunted Evil Empire.
“It all happened so fast, it was crazy when I look back at that,” Darkko says.
Since then through his Darkko Productions label he has produced at least one or two movies a month for the past two decades, adapting and thriving in the changing conditions along the way. “I’m constantly following the technology so I’m able to give my fans better and better visuals,”
the director adds. “That’s been the cornerstone.”
As he looks ahead, he says the finish line is starting to come into focus.
“I don’t think I want to be shooting porn in my 70s, rocking up with walker,” Jonni jokes. “All the
years I’ve been doing this have been challenging. It’s hard on my back, it’s hard on my body. It’s a lot of work. I think I’ve got five to six years left and who knows where the business is gonna be by then. It’s been a crazy run and I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve been able to do and the success I’ve had.”
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