While current times have shown the adult biz is by no means recession proof, entrepreneurs of all stripes, whether they are talent in front of the camera or talented businesspeople, still see adult as a landscape filled with promise and opportunity.
While the “gold rush” days of the late 1990s and early 2000s might be in the rearview mirror, with enough drive and skill (not to mention quality product), there is always room for creative maneuvering for a slice of pie in the marketplace.
Compiling, and more so, narrowing down our Hot List was a tough task. With so many talented folks plying their trade in the the adult entertainment industry, our goal was to name the ultimate list of movers and shakers that had the industry buzzing in the first half of the year, not to mention who’s creating – and sustaining – buzz as the calendar creeps into 2010.
Directors
Emily Rigby
A Cezar Capone protégé, directrix Rigby arrived on the triple-X scene in late 2008 with the release of “My Personal Panties.” In fact, it was her very own sexy gams on the cover that got plenty of the attention, but the hot footage of solo masturbation sessions inside backed up the cover’s potential. With a keen eye for tease, Rigby relaxes the girls with playful questions and puts them at total ease. Rigby makes her mark with the intimate performances she naturally coaxes out of her talent. It’s that type of skill we want to see more of — not to mention, hopefully Rigby herself in a scene.
We like: “My Personal Panties” and “My Personal Panties 2”
Jenna Haze
Is it any wonder the hottest performer in the biz is now a white hot director? Not to us, it’s not. While Haze has put her singularly sexual stamp on only one title thus far, the scorching hot “Cum-Spoiled Sluts,” it’s no stretch to say that her considerable talent extends to the director’s chair too. With the powerhouse Jules Jordan Video backing Jennaration X Studios’ distribution, Haze is ready to take the gonzo market by storm. Confessing an avowed preference for hardcore sex with all-natural performers, Haze’s second title, an anal-themed release, streets this month. Starting next year Jennaration X plans to release one title per month.
We like: “Cum-Spoiled Sluts”
Josh Stone
With only a handful of titles under his belt, all available through Justin Slayer International, Josh Stone is one of the gonzo arena’s up-and-coming directors. Kicking off his exclusive deal with JSI, Stone debuted the amateur-reality series “South Beach Cruisin’” in late 2008 and has expanded his offerings with the legal teen line “So Fresh So Teen.” Stone shows a keen eye for showcasing the female form, not to mention hot sex, after entering the porn biz through a female performer that connected him with Slayer. The timing was right when JSI formed and Slayer offered the North Carolina native a distribution deal. The Miami-based Stone also has showcased his versatility with the two part, high-end interracial feature “Law and Lust.”
We like: “South Beach Cruisin’ 2,” “Law and Lust” and “Confessions Over Cocktales”
Lee Roy Myers
A complete unknown before this year, Lee Roy Myers has taken the porn parody formula and updated it. With a genre popularized by reimagined classic sitcoms like “The Brady Bunch” and “The Partridge Family,” Myers has taken the parody and brought it into current primetime with the release of “Scrubs: A XXX Parody” and “The Office: A XXX Parody,” for New Sensations. Both efforts were light, funny and faithful adaptations of the source material. The press shy Myers also wrote the scripts to both movies. With blue movie adaptations of NBC’s “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “30 Rock” on the docket, Myers will keep his momentum going strong for the rest of the year.
We like: “The Office: A XXX Parody” and “Scrubs: A XXX Parody”
Sam No
While not technically “new,” Sam No has been burning up the scene with high-end gonzo through Elegant Angel. Formerly known as rough sex enthusiast Mason through her work with Platinum X (“Riot Sluts”) and Elegant (“Lady Fellatio 2” and “Mason’s Dirty TriXXX”), the re-christened Sam No has developed all killer and no filler lines for Patrick Collins’ enterprise. Her desire to empower female sexuality through raw and real sex is her hallmark; it’s clear that her performers are not acting or faking it for the cameras. Her recent work is some of the best footage ever to come out of Elegant Angel — and that’s truly saying something.
We like: “Alexis Texas Is Buttwoman,” “Annette Schwarz Is Slutwoman 2,” “Curvy Girls,” “Massive Asses 4” and “Slave Dolls 3”
Companies
Bluebird Films
Funded by Londoner Paul Chaplin, Bluebird Films (England’s biggest adult studio) exploded onto the U.S. market in 2009 with a new facility in the heart of Porn Valley and the ambition of duplicating its across-the-pond success in the States. Bluebird already boasts an impressive 300 volume high-definition library and with four sound stages worldwide, an extensive wardrobe inventory, contract stars and a state-of-the-art post-production facility that delivers its content across a wide variety of platforms, we’re pegging England’s hottest import to be an American favorite.
Celluloid Addiction
Combining the forces of VCX’s David Sutton and Strip Las Vegas magazine’s Scott Santos with the directorial talent of Michael Ninn has put Celluloid Addiction on the map. After his acrimonious split with Spearmint Rhino who bought Ninn’s company Ninn Worx and its content library, Celluloid Addiction, formed late last year, represents a fresh start for the auteur. With the solo-masturbation series “Solamente” and the stark, seductive imagery of all-girl line “Nymphetamine,” Ninn has found a renewed vigor for adult moviemaking. “The new production team brought such positive energy and enthusiasm to the set, that it inspired me and allowed me to transcend to a creative place as a filmmaker that I didn’t think existed in my soul any longer,” Ninn said.
Grey Art
Though it has yet to release its first title, we’re pegging Grey Art, formed in May, as a hot newcomer chiefly because of its founder and co-owner Sasha Grey. With the mainstream press thoroughly fascinated by the wunderkind Grey, you can expect to hear lots more about the company as it gears up to release Grey’s directorial debut this summer. The self professed “fuck junkie,” also the title of her debut release, Grey picked the perfect time to launch her company when her popularity is at its zenith. It seems everyone has wanted a piece of Sasha since her debut scene, and at only 21, her star will burn even brighter as a director. We’re excited to see how her unique vision and artist’s sensibility translate to the blue screen.
Muffia
An offshoot imprint of Reality Kings, Muffia first caught our attention when we set our eyes on busty amateur babe Molly whose site is run by the online content producer and affiliate program. After hooking up for DVD distribution with Antigua Pictures, Muffia has released a comedic send-up of the classic sci-fi TV show titled “Star Trix” and the first volume of “Molly’s Life” starring the Orange County, Calif. native. Other upcoming series includes “My Sexy Life” (featuring content taken from Phoenix Marie’s official site), “Footville,” “It’s Real,” “Kristin’s Life” and “King Dong.” With Internet reality porn on DVD enjoying immense popularity, we’re banking on Muffia to become a household name in the brick-and-mortar arena from jump street.
skinworXXX
This new adult studio sure knows how to create buzz. Kicking off the company with a major announcement at the XBIZ Awards with a contest for the upcoming “Sun Goddess: Jamaica,” skinworXXX hasn’t let up since. In short succession the company announced that it signed performers Teagan Presley and Eva Angelina to exclusive performing and producing deals, with Angelina performing her first scenes post-pregnancy for the new outfit. In its debut release, “Sun Goddess: Malibu,” company director Joshua evokes an “Island Fever” feel with lush settings, cinematography and plenty of hot sex from an A-list cast. With a distribution deal firmly in place with Adam & Eve, the company recently wrapped production on Angelina’s comeback vehicle, “Deviance,” which has the star performing in her first anal interracial scene, a DP scene and an all-girl foursome. This is a studio on the rise.
Sweet Sinner
Launched as a sister company to all-girl studio Sweetheart Video by parent Mile High Media, Sweet Sinner aims to bring a passionate, sensual element to boy-girl porn. Already on the map with its debut release, “The Stepmother,” for featuring former Wicked Girl Stephanie Swift in a rare non-condom boy-girl scene, Sweet Sinner’s touchstone of intimately real sex has drawn high praise from the fans, reviewers and performers like Nina Hartley, Alan Stafford and Swift. With a renewed emphasis on “real” couplings away from the gonzo arena, the soap opera storylines of Sweet Sinner brings a fresh appeal to a stale market.
Stars
Alyssa Hall
A true girl-next-door cheerleader type, Alyssa Hall is the girl you wanted to seduce but always knew was too hot for you. The petite California native has been burning up the gonzo circuit for adult’s leading companies including Vouyer Media (“Who’s That Girl 8”), X-Play (“Not Three’s Company XXX”), Jennaration X (“Cum-Spoiled Sluts”) and New Sensations (“Schoolgirl POV 4”). Alyssa joined the industry in the second half of last year and began her career working mostly for Internet companies before moving into the DVD arena.
Codi Carmichael
We’re totally smitten over Baltimore, Md.-native Codi Carmichael. Effortlessly negotiating the waters of shooting porn for Internet companies, Codi has arrived on the Porn Valley scene in a big way. She’s proven herself to be a versatile performer and adroit actress, appearing New Sensations’ “The Office: A XXX Parody” and Hustler Video’s “This Ain’t Happy Days XXX” and “This Ain’t Star Trek XXX.” We hope to see a lot more of this cornfed cutie in 2009.
Kagney Linn Karter
This blond bombshell exploded right out of the gate onto the triple-X scene since first appearing late last year. The playful sex kitten has lit up the pornosphere with her all-American good looks and vigorous sexual appetite. Karter has expressed the desire to become a big star and is well on her way having worked for many of the top companies including Elegant Angel, New Sensations, Wicked Pictures and Brazzers. We can’t wait to see her play Peg Bundy in the XPlay parody “Not Married With Children XXX.”
Kiara Diane
This leggy beauty is simply stunning. If the phrase “too pretty for porn” actually made sense, we’d apply it to Kiara. While she’s only appeared in a handful of titles for the likes of Adam & Eve, Digital Playground and Digital Sin, Kiara is in-demand. To date, she’s appeared in more Internet work than on DVD, but we’ll take her perfect body and face any way we can get it.
Madelyn Marie
The up-and-coming starlet Madelyn Marie has a truly unique look. The exotic, leggy stunner is a newcomer to the triple-X biz and is seeking to make her mark in 2009. Madelyn jumped out of the gate this year with scalding hot boy-girl scenes in Zero Tolerance’s “Doll House 5,” Digital Playground’s “Jack’s Leg Show 4” and Manuel Ferrara’s “Fucked On Sight 6.”
Sadie West
The smoldering sexuality of New Sensations contract babe Sadie West is immediately evident from watching her scenes. A truly intense and in-the-moment sexual being, West is one of the best new performers to hit the scene in quite a while. Her body oozes perfection from her perky and full natural tits to her exquisitely curved backside, West truly gives her all in every scene — her performances are mesmerizing. This SoCal babe is one to watch in 2009 and beyond.
Tanner Mayes
Talk about a criminally cute newbie! This 20-year-old already has a huge fan base among those who like young-looking legal teens and it’s easy to see why. A stunning fresh face, slim body, tiny tits and round rump complete the picture. While she may look fresh-scrubbed her sexuality is mature as evidenced for her first Internet scenes for Bang Bros, Amateur Allure and Hundies. Tanner has proven to be quite the hot commodity in the DVD arena scoring box cover honors for “Farm Fresh” (3rd Degree), “SWAT: Sex With a Teenager 4” (Vouyer Media) and “Teens Take It Big” (Lethal Hardcore).
