This afternoon, while Gene Ross was interviewing Oren, of Black Sheep Productions, I phone-interviewed Nero, of White Ram Productions, a new adult company that--like Oren of Black Sheep Productions--also began shooting this past weekend. The interviews are so similar, they've led me to believe that an exciting, new breed of like-minded pornographers are coming onto the scene. (Note: if you go to Gene Ross' site and read his August 12, 2002, interview with Oren, I think you'll think so too.)

Nero: I'm trying to start up a new video company. We shot over the weekend. It was an all-girl, reality-based feature somewhere between highly stylized gonzo and a documentary-type thing.

jimmyd: You've certainly covered all your bases there: feature, gonzo, stylized, reality, documentary. Could you explain your definition of those terms for our readers?

Nero: Basically it's real people having real orgasms. We shoot it like a feature, only gonzo style, which of course a lot of people do. But then we add this highly stylized element to it which you've never seen before, and then some documentary stuff to really put it outside the box.

jimmyD: Box?

Nero: Yeah, you know. Like outside of the way people do shit.

jimmyD: Oh. That box--the shitbox.

Nero: Yeah.

jimmyD: And in what way do you highly stylize the feature and gonzo elements?

Nero: With a lot of style. You know, really, really high style. That's why we call it 'highly stylized.' Then it's got this documentary thing happening as well. So it's somewhere between a reality feature and a reality documentary and a reality gonzo kind of thing, with style...lots of style!

jimmyD: Sounds like your breaking new ground.

Nero: I've watched a lot of porn and I'm not sure I've ever seen real people having real orgasms. Maybe I've seen real people. And maybe I've seen real orgasms. But I don't think I've ever seen them together. For the first shoot, as yet untitled, we had all new girls- four who have never been shot before.

jimmyD: Wow. Never been shot before!

Nero: Well, that's according to them.

jimmyD: I'm sure it's true. It's always been my experience that girls who have sex for money with strangers in front of more strangers holding cameras hold truth sacred and inviolate.

Nero: They have done a little bit of webcam but this is the first time for a video.

jimmyD: Big, big difference. Apples and oranges.

Nero: That's what I think too. Anyway, throughout the process I kind of determined what I wanted and what I didn't want. I definitely don't want to use girls that are already established in the industry. I don't want to go through any agencies or anything like that. I'd rather find them organically.

jimmyd: Organically? You mean like in the produce section of Whole Foods Markets?

Nero: Well, not exactly. Oh, that was joke. Heheheh. But really, there seems to be plenty of them out there. We found these girls through acquaintances. And basically we're going to be doing a series. So I guess we'll be needing more aquaintences. Some will have more in the cast. I do have people lined up for future shoots where we have girls and a guy; couples- people who already have rapport with one another sexually.

jimmyD: Couples who have rapport? You mean like married couples or going steady couples?

Nero: Sort of like that.

Jimmyd: In other words, you're also lining up people who have already 'hooked up' to hook up in front of your camera--organically, in a highly stylized feature documentary, real orgasm sort of way.

Nero: Yeah, I like the way you said that.

jimmyD: And you want to get away from the typical porn mentality.

Nero: Exactly.

jimmyD: Who directed?

Nero: I did.

jimmyD: First time for something like this?

Nero: At least on a professional level.

jimmyD: You've directed on an unprofessional level before?

Nero: Sort of. Some stuff in my trailer with my ex-girlfriend and my Daddy's old polaroid camera.

jimmyD: How did it feel to now be directing professionally?

Nero: It felt really right. We had some people on the set who had been doing it for awhile as well and at the end of the day everybody was just feeling really good about it.

jimmyD: Sort of like a group post-orgasmic bliss kind of thing?

Nero: Sort of.

jimmyd: Did everyone lean back and light up a cigarette?

Nero: Huh? Oh, another joke.

jimmyD: Sorry.

Nero: It's ok. Anway, we felt we had something hot and intense and beautiful. It wasn't manufactured in that I had to yell at someone to fake their best orgasms.

jimmyD: I've had to do that many times.

Nero: Really?

jimmyD: Oh yeah. All the time. I'm forever on sets screaming: "For crying out loud! Can someone please fake their best fucking orgasm? I'm trying to make a movie here!!!!!!"

Nero: I always kinda thought that's what guys like you do.

jimmyD: All of us except Tom Zupko.

Nero: He doesn't need to, huh?

jimmyD: He's evolved beyond needing to do stuff like that.

Nero: Anyway, I'd like to direct the future titles as well. All of life's experience culminated in this and it just felt right.

jimmyD: You mean the sum total of your life's experiences brought you to that precise moment in time when you were able to direct a highly-stylized, feature gonzo porn with documentary elements using brand new fresh talent having real orgasms without any one screaming for fake ones?

Nero: Yep.

jimmyD. Groovy, baby.

Nero: That's what I said.

jimmyD: Groovy baby?

Nero: No, the other thing you said.

jimmyD: About the sum total of your life and the stuff about what you did with fresh people without any screaming?

Nero. Yeah.

jimmyD: Oh.

Nero: I'm definitely confident that I can make something that's hot, that's good and will get other people off. It wasn't contrived in that I was searching inside my brain to find more ways to push the envelope.

JimmyD: Do you often search inside your brain for stuff?

Nero: Only when I have to.

jimmyD: And in this case you didn't have to.

Nero. Nope.

jimmyD: Why not do you think?

Nero: I don't know. I think all the ways to push the envelope have been pursued and been done. All I can go by is what would get me off and what I'm not seeing and what I want to see.

jimmyD: What are you not seeing and what do you want to see?

Nero: I'm not seeing people really enjoy themselves. When I watch a modern porn, I see a girl and there's emptiness in her eyes.

jimmyD: I hate when I see that too. You must be a very empathetic person like me.

Nero: I like to think I am.

jimmyD: It's a rare quality for a pornographer.

Nero: Yeah, well, maybe it's time for a new breed of pornographer!

jimmyD: A kinder, gentler pornographer?

Nero: No. I was thinking more like a pornographer who knows the difference between what's real and what's bullshit. I don't want to see girls just fucking, but they're only thinking of the paycheck.

jimmyD: That kills me too. They should be fucking for something more nobler than money!

Nero: Yeah.

jimmyD: But, like what?

Nero: I don't know. But this money thing really pisses me off. I hate it when they're eyes are all empty and shit, and I hate it when they're thinking of money. I'm not doing this for money, why should they?

jimmyD: You're not doing this for money?

Nero: Well, I am and I'm not.

jimmyD: Oh. That's way different.

Nero: I think so too.

jimmyD: Even if they're doing it for money, they should act like they're not.

Nero: Exactly!

jimmyD: And they should free their minds and fill their eyes so they can have really real orgasms!

Nero: That's what I'm saying.

jimmyD: But I don't know how to accomplish that.

Nero: Me neither.

jimmyD: Hmmmmmmm....

Nero: You know, especially through the Nineties, and into this generation there was such an influx of boring ass shit. And then that seemed to morph into something more exciting but along the lines of pushing the envelope- how much farther, how much bigger, how much wider can we spread her ass. Then that ceased to be sexual in my eyes.

jimmyD: You evolved.

Nero: I did.

jimmyD: And porn evolved.

Nero: It did and then it devolved.

jimmyD: Into what?

Nero: I don't know.

jimmyD: Dude, I gotta tell you: I'm not sure what you're talking about, but it's heavy, man. It's really fucking heavy.

Nero: I know. And even though I do know, thanks for saying so, anyway.

jimmyD: Just the plain-ass truth, bro. So, what are you looking at as a release date.

Nero: About a month from now. I want to get a few more in the can and be ahead of my schedule.

jimmyD: You're already ahead of your time, you might as well be ahead of schedule.

Nero: Huh? Oh, Hehehehe. You're good with those jokes. Ahead of my time...ahead of schedule. Anyway, we're likely to shoot one every two weeks. We want to promote the company in a different way, maybe screen the first feature at an independent movie house for a midnight showing.

jimmyD: How will a midnight screening at an independent movie house here in L.A. help market your video nationally?

Nero: It's a really cool thing to do. Cool stuff always helps more cool stuff to happen. It's like a karmic thing. Serendipity or some shit. My ex-girlfriend was really into that new-age crap. Anyway, we'll do something like that.

jimmyD: Something cool?

Nero: Something very cool. I have a cool band as well so we're probably going to score the thing ourselves, edit it nicely and see what happens. This is something I've always wanted to do.

jimmyD: Cool.

Nero: Yeah, I know.

jimmyD: Yeah.

Nero: Yeah.






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