What does the New Year have in store for the creators and distributors of adult video? Will it be more of what worked for them in 2013? Or will there be new lines and innovations to look forward to? We asked a sampling of studios and producers what they had in store for consumers in 2014 and came up with some intriguing answers.
NEW SENSATIONS
We actually just met on our plans for 2014 a few weeks ago. We should have a few big titles releasing, along with continuing a few of the popular series we have created. I can’t say what we are doing just yet, but there are some big projects in the works. -Ryan Thomas, Adam & Eve Pictures
“The plan for New Sensations in 2014,” according to founder and CEO Scott Taylor, “is to continue shooting the very successful lines ‘Tabu Tales,’ ‘The Romance Series’ and ‘The Erotic Stories Collection.’ The plan for Digital Sin is more gangbang, threeways, deep throat and harder-edged material. Our directors continue to improve in all aspects, so I am very excited by what I have already seen coming in the New Year.”
Although there will be some new lines, like “The Cute Little Babysitter,” he continues, “Overall we have so much to work with in existing lines that it will keep us busy just shooting for them. We ended the year with some new concepts like ‘Tabu Tales’ and new gonzo concepts. We try and remain flexible and adapt to the interests of our customers.” Feature-wise, the company is nearing completion on “The Sexual Liberation of Anna Lee,” with Maddy O’Reilly, the next installment in “The Erotic Stories Collection.” Taylor calls it “the best adult script I have ever read. I can’t wait to see the final product. We have other projects planned that we are not able to discuss at this moment. Just know that we will continue to be innovative in our products throughout 2014.”
The “Anna Lee” script is the work of XBIZ 2014 Best Screenplay nominee Jacky St. James, who is also directing. She calls it a story “about a woman navigating her way through her own sexual awakening with the help of some unlikely people.”
St. James is also directing installments of Digital Sin’s “Tabu Tales” which “explores more provocative/taboo relationships within the family unit. It’s a rite of passage for any adult director — working on ‘pseudo-incest’ stories — but what’s great about this line is that we’ve taken it in a different direction than what’s already out there and it’s been doing well both in sales and reviews.”
WICKED PICTURES
Another powerhouse studio, Wicked Pictures, celebrates the exclusive signing of parody ace Axel Braun. In addition to new material they’ll be re-releasing earlier hits from Axel Braun Productions, beginning with his awardwinning “Batman XXX.” Braun’s first movie for Wicked will be “Snow White XXX” with Riley Steele in the title role and Jessica Drake as the Evil Queen. It’s slated for spring release.
Wicked also welcomes superstar and perennial Performer of the Year Asa Akira. The first film under her exclusive contract, “Asa Gets Wicked,” written and directed by Brad Armstrong, will release in early 2014.
As for new lines, Wicked has grabbed Kevin Moore — “the undisputed king of POV” — according to a company spokesman, for “Tease Me POV,” which will find Moore “pushing the envelope” with a fresh, young cast.
Finally, Jonathan Morgan’s “The Masterpiece” will continue the director’s “phoenix-like return to grand form … with a big-budget comedic look at the B-film industry.” The star cast includes Kaylani Lei and James Deen.
HUSTLER VIDEO
2014 marks Hustler’s 40th anniversary, so Hustler Video plans to observe the occasion with a fistful of major releases. In the year’s first quarter they’ll be releasing an impressive list of titles, topped by “This Ain’t Game of Thrones XXX,” directed by multi-awardwinning Axel Braun. “This parody is what big budget is all about,” says creative director Drew Rose.
Also on the parody list are “This Ain’t Boardwalk Empire XXX,” a spoof of the hugely successful HBO series and “This Ain’t Duck Dynasty XXX,” about which Rose comments, “The title really explains itself, but our version has a big twist.”
A couple of non-parody biggies are “White House Orgy” — “a political satire about the Obama administration and what we think goes on behind closed doors” — “Busty Beauties Boats N Hoes” (“Big boobs on the high seas”) and “Hard N Fast” (”Hustler goes into the desert for a fast and sexy motocross film”). Rose concludes, “2014 promises to be a great year filled with the great quality titles our fans have come to expect.”
GIRLFRIENDS FILMS
Girlfriends Films, according to founder and CEO Dan O’Connell, had a very successful 2013 with B. Skow’s boy-girl movies, including “Voila” and “Daddy’s Girls.” They plan to continue that partnership in anticipation of “an even bigger year” in 2014.
Girlfriends, says O’Connell, “will continue to invest heavily in product marketing and brand-building. With our Costco-size warehouse and strong world wide distribution presence, we have taken on distribution of other brands. We are in negotiations with several A-list production companies for additional distribution deals.” They also feel that their new Girlfriends Films Television cable channel will be their fastest growing revenue source in 2014.
Girlfriends will continue to release its signature line. “Women Seeking Women,” adult’s most awarded lesbian series, now up to Vol. 100, at the rate of one a month. As for new material, says O’Connell, “I have a new lesbian series that I hope to kick off in the spring. This is a project that will have a strong storyline, a lot of kink, and is a project that I’m completely passionate about. I can’t wait to shoot it.”
VIVID ENTERTAINMENT
At Vivid Entertainment, says founder and cochairman Steven Hirsch, “We’re excited about 2014, as it will be a year of both expansion and integration for the Vivid brand. As we continue to produce the high-quality content that has made us famous, we are developing new marketing programs that leverage our content through all of our businesses. These include Vivid TV, Vivid Radio, Vivid.com, Vivid Cam and Vivid-licensed gentlemen’s clubs (in North Carolina, Miami, Los Angeles and New York City), all carefully integrated with our multi-level distribution systems.”
ELEGANT ANGEL
Elegant Angel, under new management, has big plans for the new year. “Our goal in 2014,” says general manager Jim Crawford, “is to surpass the level of quality and originality Elegant Angel is already known for through its established lines and the launch of new series. Our directors — Asa Akira, Toni Ribas, Mime Freak, and now Carlos Dee — have come into their own creatively and we’re excited for consumers and fans to experience their visions. There are, of course, new business ventures and projects on the horizon of which we can’t speak of at this moment, but we look forward to making those announcements soon.”
Carlos Dee, Elegant’s award-winning cinematographer, has been shooting for the studio off and on but will now be a featured director. Titles to look for from the studio in the near future include “Performers of the Year 2014” — the champs are Remy LaCroix, Maddy O’Reilly, Bonnie Rotten, Skin Diamond, Riley Reid — “Best New Starlets,” “It’s a MILF Thing 7” and a new line, “Anal Freak.”
DIGITAL PLAYGROUND
Digital Playground, says Jeanette Li, marketing and PR coordinator, “was going through a trial period of revelation in 2013. Now that we have the knowledge, the new equipment, and new directorial debuts from Jakodema, Keiran Lee, and Francois Frizat, we hope to revolutionize the industry and aspire others to follow. Get ready for 2014, because Digital Playground will be revealing hot new developments sure to shake things up.”
X-PLAY
Jeff Mullen, co-owner of X-Play, the super-successful parody creators, sees some changes in store for 2014. “I love this business,” he says, “and I really enjoy every aspect of being in the adult entertainment industry, but for me, I am looking forward to new horizons and new challenges outside of adult in 2014, and I will find the time to move in those directions.
“With that said, XPlay will continue to remain quite visible in 2014 with some interesting projects with Adam & Eve Pictures and Hustler and possibly with a huge company that we have yet to work with.
“There really is not a lot more that co-owner Scott David and I can accomplish with where the industry is today. To me doing good business is one of the most exciting things a guy can do, but this industry is quite complicated now so the other goals in my life are looking quite attractive to me. My life will definitely change a bit this year but I guarantee you that X-Play will still have a few more mega-projects in 2014.”
ADAM & EVE PICTURES
Ryan Thomas, Adam & Eve Pictures’ head of sales and marketing, says, “We actually just met on our plans for 2014 a few weeks ago. We should have a few big titles releasing, along with continuing a few of the popular series we have created. I can’t say what we are doing just yet, but there are some big projects in the works.”
ADULT SOURCE MEDIA
The New Year will see couples studio ASM producing more romance titles under the Intimate Encounters banner — high-end all-sex and vignette releases. Previous titles include ‘Oasis,” “Chance Encounters,” “Desire.” The most recent release is “Summer Lovers.” The films are directed J&W Crawford — “shot by a couple for couples.”
Says co-owner Wendy Crawford, “Our Intimate Encounters line really took off last year, and we’re excited to keep it going. The series is a fresh approach to the romance genre, and has struck a chord with both couples and fans of highend features … and we’re just getting started.”
WOODROCKET.COM
Now working out of Las Vegas and heading into its second year, WoodRocket.com and maverick director Lee Roy Myers also look forward to a big 2014. “We’ve got new parodies planned for release every month, including new installments of our hits ‘SpongeKnob SquareNuts,’ ‘Porks & Recreation,’ and ‘Game of Bones.’
“We’re releasing a lot of new, original, adult comedy web series, including shows hosted by Stoya and Dana DeArmond, plus we’re bringing back our hit shows like ‘James Deen Loves Food’ and ‘Naked in Public.’ We’re getting ready to launch our new WoodRocket Podcast Network and WoodRocket merchandise line. And I just opened a 10,000 sqaure-foot studio space in Las Vegas to rent out for productions.”
From all corners of the adult video world then, it’s looking to be a creative and prosperous 2014.
