LOS ANGELES — 4K video technology is changing the face of the adult entertainment industry, with forward looking producers profiting from this latest boost in visual quality.
For example, last year’s move toward 4K video cameras and support equipment was a major investment for Kelly Madison Media owners Kelly Madison and Ryan Madison, but the team reports that this effort is now paying off for the husband-and-wife duo, as sales of their company’s 4K movies are growing fast.
“It’s all about the quality. To be able to take a $20,000 camera and lens and be able to shoot video that looks like a Hollywood movie is epic,” Ryan Madison explains. “The draw to it was that we could create a product that was visibly appealing to our audience and give us a way to be more creative and really allow us to express ourselves visually.”
Kelly Madison Media adopted 4K in late 2014, releasing its first title in that format, PornFidelity’s “Whiteroom 5,” in February. Kelly Madison’s 4K movies can be viewed in full resolution on the firm’s websites: PornFidelity.com, TeenFidelity.com and KellyMadison.com.
“We’ve definitely noticed a spike in the online streaming and downloads of our 4K movies,” Ryan says. “Consumers are eager to see the difference, and the response has been exceptionally positive.”
Also known as Ultra High Definition, 4K is the latest advance in video recording, offering four times as many pixels as Full HD. While Full HD TV offers more than 2 million pixels, 4K Ultra HD offers a robust 8.3 million pixels, translating into an incredible resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels.
While the new 4K technology is marketed to consumers as Ultra Hi-Def, actual Ultra HD has a slightly lower resolution than 4K — with 4096 x 2160 for 4K and 3840 x 2160 for Ultra HD — according to TechRadar.com’s Scott Alexander. The number of pixels jammed into every square inch of the screen (the device’s pixel density), is the key to this technology is its quality.
Ryan is quick to note that 4K is a radical change from previous generations of video technology, and that fans watching Kelly Madison Media’s releases will see the sharp contrast between the studio’s offerings and others that have not yet upgraded to 4K. He also notes that just having a 4K image size itself does not necessarily mean improved quality, as there are other factors involved.
“You can get a 4K GoPro, but when you use a good 4K camera, the other bells and whistles of the camera give you such a rich product,” Ryan says. “The more data you can capture, the more options you have creatively.”
Those options extend beyond the production sphere to the consumer space as well, with 4K Ultra HD TV sets slowly becoming more affordable, with a 39-inch Seiki brand Ultra HD starting at $340 at Wal-Mart, while Vizio’s M-Series Ultra HD Smart TV with a 43-inch screen starts at $600.
“I’m excited now that manufacturers are producing more 4K display options and for a cheaper price, so more consumers will have the ability to view 4K and the demand for 4K video will increase,” Ryan says. “4K will be commonplace once infrastructure can handle the load. 1080 will eventually be like the 4:3 format and look dated.”
Ryan’s partner, Kelly Madison, sees 4K as a boon to both adult content producers and consumers alike.
“We’re seeing a positive shift in brand awareness and buying patterns from customers thanks to the 4K Ultra Hi-Def,” said Kelly Madison. “Fans just love the look, feel, and content of our movies, and the response we’re getting now is really phenomenal.”
Among the 4K movies released by Kelly Madison Media’s PornFidelity and TeenFidelity labels, are “Whiteroom 5,” “Take the Condom Off,” “Beauty in the Breast,” “Kiss 3,” “Romantic Aggression 2,” “Throw Me Around,” “Young Naturals,” and “Rough Enough.”
All of these titles are distributed by Juicy Entertainment.
“Kelly Madison Media’s movies are shot so well and include some of the hardest content allowable,” said Juicy Entertainment Sales Director Danny Gorman. “It amazes me how Ryan can find the hottest, most beautiful girls in our business and bring out their dirtiest sides. The harder the content that Ryan shoots, the better my sales numbers are.”
“KM Media is and has been my best-selling studio for years,” Gorman added. “As one of the only studios shooting in 4K and with the TVs becoming more affordable, it will make their titles even more desirable and more in demand.”
For wholesale orders, contact Gorman at danny@xxxjuicy.com.
Retail customers seeking to see porn’s new Ultra Hi-Def frontier can inquire about PornFidelity and TeenFidelity titles at their online or brick-and-mortar retailer of choice.