# Ask the (Not So) Amateur Porn Director **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805 "2012-08-08T00:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/21 "2012-08-08T01:43:52Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’m guessing that’s going to be a no, but I would think a link to your wiki page that I just ran across wouldn’t be a problem (especially if it’s in your profile instead of your sig). The wiki page has the link to your official website. > Wait, is your website your name dot com, because that doesn’t appear to be all that NSFW except for a few lightly clad girls running down the side…wait, I see it, it’s probably the link underneath them. Maybe you could have someone add that to the wiki page and be good to go. I’m not sure the mods would be cool with _that_ website on in your sig. [Clicks on it] Yeah, no, explicit porn has always been banned, even with the two click rule. But I think, either linking to wiki and/or adjusting the wiki page so [SB.com](http://SB.com) is your official website would be ok. Would wiki let you use that as your official website? I don’t know their rules on that. > Does that make sense or am I rambling? I would only put the mikesouth website in the sig, no others ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/22 "2012-08-08T01:50:30Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > I think the ones who watch it project themselves into the scene and to some degree make the performer a surrogate same as the guys do. (the guys project onto the male performer which explains why they don’t want to see they guys face, it reminds them that it isnt them.) Having said that, how much of a guys looks do you take into consideration when casting males? Some porn directors/casting agents clearly don’t worry about that (or have different tastes then I). For me, if the guy is what I consider unattractive, I’ll find something else. There’s soooo much (free) porn on the internet, I have no reason to see a hot girl with a sweaty overweight redneck looking guy when I can just go to the next video and see a hot girl and a hot guy getting it on. Yeah yeah yeah, I know how that sounds, but you know what I mean. If I’m pretending to be him for the next few minutes, I might as well pretend to be some hot guy. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/23 "2012-08-08T01:51:13Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > Now a question for you guys…Im new here so what is the ettiquette on sigs…am I allowed to put my NSFW site in my sig Only if it’s labeled as NSFW. **twickster** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/24 "2012-08-08T01:53:03Z")
\*\*What was the best (as in quality film making) porn film you’ve ever seen? \*\* Call me old school but “The Opening of Misty Beethoven” is the one that stands out to me as the all time best, as far as porn as art goes I think that one nailed it. Very little porn is anything I would call art. **Ever seen a porn comedy that actually made you laugh?** Several actually…Wicked Pictures “Camp Cuddly Pines” was a laugh a minute but that was largely because I was watching and reviewing it with my then girlfriend who provided running commentary that turned into a hilarious review. **Working with any porn star, past or present, what would be your ultimate cast?** As far as male actors go Jamie Gillis was a damn good actor but a bit long in the tooth for porn these days Randy Spears is a decent actor and performer most of todays guys are what we call “meat puppets” As for females Melissa Hill was incredible I worked with her and we were good friends for many years and she could slip in and out of characters better than any girl in porn I have ever known. My friend Kayden Kross is fair but she has a ways to go to become what I would call good. Stormy Daniels can act passably as can Ron Jeremy (no sex roles for him though…much as I love the guy) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/25 "2012-08-08T01:53:40Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > I would only put the mikesouth website in the sig, no others Nevermind, I see Twix already answered. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/26 "2012-08-08T01:54:51Z")
Porn from the late 70’s and early to mid 80’s seemed to have so much build up, tension and storyline. Is that compleatly lost in the industry? Several years ago I tried to watch some higher production porn and found it totally unthrilling. Does anyone try to recapture the golden age? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/27 "2012-08-08T01:55:01Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > Now a question for you guys…Im new here so what is the ettiquette on sigs…am I allowed to put my NSFW site in my sig > > I wouldnt put the hardcore sites there just my blog that isnt a pay site but does have some r rated ads on it NSFW sites have a two-click rule: you can’t link directly to a NSFW Web site, but you can link to a site that links to a site that is NSFW. So if it takes two or more clicks to get to the NSFW content, it’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/28 "2012-08-08T01:57:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > There’s **soooo much (free) porn on the internet**, I have no reason to see a hot girl with a sweaty overweight redneck looking guy when I can just go to the next video and see a hot girl and a hot guy getting it on. How do you deal with that? ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/29 "2012-08-08T01:59:25Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Having said that, how much of a guys looks do you take into consideration when casting males? Some porn directors/casting agents clearly don’t worry about that (or have different tastes then I). For me, if the guy is what I consider unattractive, I’ll find something else. There’s soooo much (free) porn on the internet, I have no reason to see a hot girl with a sweaty overweight redneck looking guy when I can just go to the next video and see a hot girl and a hot guy getting it on. Yeah yeah yeah, I know how that sounds, but you know what I mean. If I’m pretending to be him for the next few minutes, I might as well pretend to be some hot guy. More than you think…My experience is that if a guy is too good looking or too ugly he is out, if he is a stereotype he is out. I stay away from muscle guys, long hairs and effeminate looking guys opting for average. the reason being is that when the guy is watching the video he is projecting himself onto that guy and he has to be able to do so. if he thinks oh thats typical she is like every other stripper, only dates long hairs, pretty boys, gym rats (take your pick) the I am not doing it right, ditto if the guy is too ugly thats why I opt for average guys who keep their mouths shut and realize it isn’t about them. This is something I think porn valley never quite got. ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/30 "2012-08-08T02:00:41Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > How do you deal with that? I shoot niche content…real amateurs, bukkake…things that aren’t so easy to get its basically vertical markets you dont try to appeal to everyone find your market and service it ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/31 "2012-08-08T02:01:42Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Only if it’s labeled as NSFW. > > **twickster** , moderator TY ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/32 "2012-08-08T02:09:48Z")
**Porn from the late 70’s and early to mid 80’s seemed to have so much build up, tension and storyline. Is that compleatly lost in the industry?** In a word yes, back in the seventies almost everyone making porn had a background in film, now days almost nobody does, so storylines, character arcs and plot points suffer on the rare occasions when they even exist. **Several years ago I tried to watch some higher production porn and found it totally unthrilling. Does anyone try to recapture the golden age?** They try but mostly they can’t because erotic storytelling is an art that is lost on porn in this day and age, it’s become more like reality TV Im interested to see how they handle making 50 shades of grey into a movie…It could be the first really successful mainstream foray into porn. I remember watching 9 1/2 Weeks years ago and thinking why can’t WE do something like that with hardcore in it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/33 "2012-08-08T02:25:54Z")
With the Los Angeles City Council having recently mandated condom use on all porn shoots, do you anticipate the Atlanta area beginning to supplant the SFV as the porn capital? ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/34 "2012-08-08T02:41:17Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > With the Los Angeles City Council having recently mandated condom use on all porn shoots, do you anticipate the Atlanta area beginning to supplant the SFV as the porn capital? Not a chance Georgia would be hostile to porn valley types. I basically am left alone because I play by the rules they told me to here. I do see shooting becoming more de-centralized but that is happening anyway, High end porn production willl remain in Porn Valley for the foreseeable future, nobody else wants them. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/35 "2012-08-08T02:43:23Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > Im interested to see how they handle making 50 shades of grey into a movie…It could be the first really successful mainstream foray into porn. > > I remember watching 9 1/2 Weeks years ago and thinking why can’t WE do something like that with hardcore in it. I haven’t read 50 Shades and have no idea what it’s about but I’ve certainly heard quite a bit about it. I also haven’t seen 9 1/2 weeks so I can’t comment on that. Having said that, you might be interested in [Shortbus](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367027/). It’s a gay movie (is that the right term), it’s really good, in fact, I would probably put it in my top 50 or 100 movies, maybe higher, (I think I’ve watched it 2 or three times and I rarely watch movies more then once), but it is essentially (gay) porn with a plot. It should be noted that it’s a ‘mainstream’ movie. Well, it’s indie, but it’s not technically a porn film even though there is a lot of unsimulated, graphic, penetrative, oral and anal (home and hetero) sex as well as masturbation. Still a really good movie though. ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/36 "2012-08-08T02:48:30Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I haven’t read 50 Shades and have no idea what it’s about but I’ve certainly heard quite a bit about it. I also haven’t seen 9 1/2 weeks so I can’t comment on that. Having said that, you might be interested in [Shortbus](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367027/). It’s a gay movie (is that the right term), it’s really good, in fact, I would probably put it in my top 50 or 100 movies, maybe higher, (I think I’ve watched it 2 or three times and I rarely watch movies more then once), but it is essentially (gay) porn with a plot. It should be noted that it’s a ‘mainstream’ movie. Well, it’s indie, but it’s not technically a porn film even though there is a lot of unsimulated, graphic, penetrative, oral and anal (home and hetero) sex as well as masturbation. > Still a really good movie though. Actually I saw “Shortbus” and you are right it is a good movie but it really isn’t mainstream in the way I think of mainstream, 9 1/2 Weeks was mainstream 50 Shades really isnt a very good book(s) but it isa hit and it will almost certainly be a movie and Angelina Jolie has already expressed an interest in playing the female lead. It could be a 9 1/2 Weeks with hardcore it’ll be interesting to see if they choose to take that route though I seriously doubt they will. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/37 "2012-08-08T02:57:52Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > I remember watching 9 1/2 Weeks years ago and thinking why can’t WE do something like that with hardcore in it. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle. Any attempt to bring plot and care into porn takes a lot of effort and money, and you need to guarantee a return for that effort. But as today’s audiences were not brought up on quality acting, and instead just want to hurry to the money shot and then flip to the next one, the paying customer has no time for your efforts, you don’t get the return, therefore they aren’t worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/38 "2012-08-08T03:24:21Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > Actually I saw “Shortbus” and you are right it is a good movie but it really isn’t mainstream in the way I think of mainstream, 9 1/2 Weeks was mainstream 50 Shades really isnt a very good book(s) but it isa hit and it will almost certainly be a movie and Angelina Jolie has already expressed an interest in playing the female lead. It could be a 9 1/2 Weeks with hardcore it’ll be interesting to see if they choose to take that route though I seriously doubt they will. I just meant it was ‘mainstream’ as opposed to feature length porn like Pirates, which, while I haven’t seen, I understand was an attempt at a high production value, porn with a plot, movie style adult film. But anyways, it’s as mainstream as, say, Hedwig and the Angry Inch or Rocky Horror Picture Show. Call it Campy or Cult or B or Indie, but, well, I just meant it wasn’t porn in the traditional sense of the word. I remember watching an interview with someone or other about that [Pirates] and heard something interesting. There’s something like 30 versions of that floating around. There’s the ‘normal’ one released in the US. There’s a softcore version for regular (late night) cable another version for premium channels and then all kinds of other versions for other countries depending on what their laws require. For example, one country requires (IIRC) sex and violence to be separated by a specific amount of time, so in that country the movie had to be recut to satisfy those laws. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/39 "2012-08-08T03:24:49Z")
Fascinating thread; thanks Mike! I see on your blog your first link is to Gram Ponante’s site. I’m not in the industry, but “Gram” is actually a good friend. Super nice guy, and a great writer. How badly are the “hub” porn sites hurting the industry? ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805/40 "2012-08-08T03:37:55Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I just meant it was ‘mainstream’ as opposed to feature length porn like Pirates, which, while I haven’t seen, I understand was an attempt at a high production value, porn with a plot, movie style adult film. > But anyways, it’s as mainstream as, say, Hedwig and the Angry Inch or Rocky Horror Picture Show. Call it Campy or Cult or B or Indie, but, well, I just meant it wasn’t porn in the traditional sense of the word. > > I remember watching an interview with someone or other about that [Pirates] and heard something interesting. There’s something like 30 versions of that floating around. There’s the ‘normal’ one released in the US. There’s a softcore version for regular (late night) cable another version for premium channels and then all kinds of other versions for other countries depending on what their laws require. For example, one country requires (IIRC) sex and violence to be separated by a specific amount of time, so in that country the movie had to be recut to satisfy those laws. That is correct Digital Playground sunk a ton of money into that movie franchise and for the record I was Jesse Jane’s date to the premiere of the first one and Kayden Kross’s date to the premiere of the second one. While I applaud the production values they attained the acting was less than memorable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-not-so-amateur-porn-director/630805.md?page=3)