Bree Mills, head of production for Gamma Films, is garnering a lot of attention these days.
Just last month, the adult filmmaker, along with co-director Craven Moorehead, launched Gamma Films Group’s latest brand — forbidden erotica site PureTaboo.com.
As a producer, you need to have a vision that you are passionate about. Something you know better than anyone else, that you live and breathe, and that drives every move you make.
The new studio explores a new filmmaking niche for Mills — one that takes a look at inappropriate family relations, compulsions, sexual perversions and the hidden corners of the viewer’s psyche.
With PureTaboo.com in the mix, Gamma Films now produces about 100 scenes each month with Mills in charge. Mills also leads production for the all-girl content website Girlsway.com, sexy massage site FantasyMassage.com and Euro porn brand 21stSextury.com.
Leading four studios and pumping out that much monthly content might seem like an arduous task. But Mills takes things in stride, counting heavily on the faith of Gamma’s leadership and her talented cast and crew.
“My own rise in the industry is the direct result of this trust and autonomy, which allows me the freedom to create and dedicate myself fully to our brands,” Mills told XBIZ. “It is also due to the extremely talented people I surround myself with.”
XBIZ recently sat down with Mills to find out how she found the pathway to the top and maintains her creativity in this Q&A interview.
XBIZ: In a relatively short period of time, you’ve captured the industry’s attention and catapulted into a celestial space reserved for just a few directors in the business. How did you rise to the top of adult production for Gamma Films?
Mills: Thank you for such a kind description! I’m very fortunate to have built my career with a company like Gamma — working closely with their leadership for so many years and being trusted to build Gamma Films, our production company.
My own rise in the industry is the direct result of this trust and autonomy, which allows me the freedom to create and dedicate myself fully to our brands. It is also due to the extremely talented people I surround myself with.
A leader is only as good as their team. And Gamma Films has built one of the best rosters of directors, producers, editors, and crew members in the business. Any success I may have is the direct result of the work we do together.
XBIZ: What are the brands and websites you oversee at Gamma?
Mills: Gamma Films produces content for four main brands: Girlsway.com, FantasyMassage.com, PureTaboo.com and 21stSextury.com. Each of these network websites include multiple series and sites that feed into them so, overall, we produce approximately 100 scenes per month.
XBIZ: How does a film production start at Gamma’s various studios? Where do the ideas come from to make them marketable to consumers?
Mills: Each of our brands has a different strategy. Girlsway, for example, is very rooted in crowdsourcing and fan engagement. At least 50 percent of our monthly production for this brand stems from member-submitted scenarios.
PureTaboo, on the other end, is one that I am heavily involved in creatively and I personally write, co-direct and produce all our episodes.
Other brands we run are volume driven, working with multiple producers to create, so the pre-production is more widely spread out. It just depends on the studio and its individual needs.
XBIZ: In your five years producing for Gamma, what does the scorecard look like — how many films have you produced?
Mills: I couldn’t even tell you … thousands, I guess at this point. As the executive producer for all the scenes that flow through our door, my name gets put on a lot of content!
As for feature films, I have written, produced, and co-directed six features for Girlsway (two of which won XBIZ Awards in 2017), one for our former Pretty Dirty line and all the content coming out for PureTaboo.com.
XBIZ: What are the ingredients needed to make sure that productions get done and on-schedule?
Mills: As a producer, you need to have a vision that you are passionate about. Something you know better than anyone else, that you live and breathe, and that drives every move you make.
Your passion is contagious … so if you surround yourself with people who feed off your energy, who will take your vision and make it their own, then you’ve built the best army in the world. But it needs to start with you. Your cast and your crew will respect you if you are clear, consistent, organized and not afraid to involve them in your creative process.
XBIZ: Let’s hear about your newest project, PureTaboo. What kind of storylines are being considered for the brand?
Mills: When it comes to sex, we’re all taught which lines not to cross, which paths to avoid, and which thoughts we should keep to ourselves. But, within all of us, exists a curiosity to explore the darker sides of sex and desire. These are the fantasies we have but rarely see brought to life. And this is what makes PureTaboo different. This is my vision for the project.
I want to take taboo seriously... and each of our episodes tackle aspects of society’s least accepted but most intriguing sexual circumstances: Inappropriate family relations, compulsions, teen virgins, sexual perversions, and the hidden corners of our psyche.
It’s psychologically driven adult content that challenges all the conventions of what porn should and shouldn’t be — from the storylines, to the tone, to the cinematography. It’s my “Law & Order of Porn” with gritty, disturbing stories that you would normally only find lifted out of a crime drama … only we get to include hardcore sex.
Our cast includes the most popular and up-and-coming faces in adult today, challenging themselves to bring you acting and sexual performances the way you have never ever seen them before. I am so incredibly proud of what our cast has been able to push themselves to do and I hope it leaves audiences equally shocked and aroused.
XBIZ: How important is social media for adult entertainment companies in 2017?
Mills: It’s an incredibly important tool on multiple levels. Within our industry, sites like twitter and Instagram play an invaluable role in building brand awareness and connecting people together.
For example, most of my casting decisions are based largely on what I learn from a performer’s social handles … the other scenes they’ve shot, their look, their personalities. Likewise, it’s a way to expose performers to what we do and get them interested in joining our cast.
XBIZ: Where do you spend most of your time — Los Angeles or Montreal?
Mills: I moved to Los Angeles in 2016, and I’ve been here full time ever since!
XBIZ: What’s your favorite quote, and why?
Mills: There are two quotes that I regularly play back in my mind.
“Choose your corner, pick away at it carefully, intensely and to the best of your ability and that way you might change the world” by Charles Eames.
I think of this Eames’ quote whenever I find myself searching for inspiration. The Eames were great creatives, whose designs and artistry touched so many mediums. They are my idols and this quote always reminds me to be persistent, focused and true to my vision.
Whenever I find myself needing courage, I remind myself that “nothing changes until something moves.” I’m not sure who said this originally but it has definitely become my mantra.
XBIZ: What do you like to do when not producing for Gamma?
Mills: When I’m not working, my life is spent with my partner, daughter and our fur babies.
XBIZ: What’s your meal to die for?
Mills: I’ll never say no to sashimi or tacos … so it’s a good thing I moved to Southern California!
Each month, industry news media organization XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.
