Q. Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into this business.
A. Well, I worked in conventional, mainstream media production for some years where I carved out a fairly successful and lucrative career. Along the way, I picked up video editing and production experience and of course a fair amount of time working on Internet media. I had been a casual consumer of pornography. I say casual because most of the stuff that was available just didn't appeal to me. Especially the most recent material. I was ready to take a break from my career for a bit and I looked around for something to do on my own. I saw a niche that wasn't being quite filled, so I put together a little team and here we are.
Q. What didn't you like about the state of adult-entertainment and how is POV Central different?
A. For me and I think many other consumers, pornography that is shot in a non-POV way is not what we are looking for. In the old days, virtually all material was shot in third-person. With the gonzo revolution, in which the presence of the cameraman was acknowledged, combined with the advent of small, high-quality video gear that can be easily held in the hand, POV suddenly became much more feasible. And increasingly popular.
However, new developments arose that made much of the new POV material unappealing to consumers of my ilk. First, the overemphasis of the cameraman's presence. That technique, for some of us, spoils the fantasy that it's us in there taking part in the scene. Second, the tone adopted in much of the new gonzo material emphasized shame, rough sex, choking and other elements that we do not find erotic. I'm not criticizing people who like that material, it's just that each of us is wired to respond to erotic materials in a different way. And presenting sex as an extreme sport just doesn't work on some of us.
You know how sometimes when you critique something, people react by saying "Well, that's fine, but what have you done?" So I took up the challenge myself to create a genre of POV that strips away those elements. The idea is to create a virtual-sex experience where there is nothing between the consumer and the model, or at least as little as possible. I am trying to create a niche I call "boutique porn" or even "minimalist porn." I don't see a need to describe my product in lurid language that makes a lot of people cringe. Engaging in fantasy sex can be for mature adults, too. Pornography doesn't need to be juvenile.
But I don't want to define POV Central merely by what it is not. There are definite themes and elements that are common to all the material I produce. We definitely go for a softer, slower, less hectic approach. We work with models that are gorgeous in the conventional, traditional sense. The same with the costumes. I like the classics. Flight attendants, nurses, fishnets, black stockings, garter belts, high-heel shoes, sexualized versions of uniforms -- you get the picture. I try to keep the settings as minimal possible. You will also see camera techniques designed to enhance the sensation of being personally immersed in the experience. The movies are ideally viewed through a virtual-reality visor, although that technology is not quite ready for mass mainstream consumption yet. But a monitor works just fine, too.
Q. Do you have any influences or sources of inspiration for your work?
A. You know, in preparation for this project, I reviewed a wide body of POV and virtual-sex material. Although I can't say I know of anyone else doing it in the quite the same fashion as POV Central, there are some directors who certainly impressed me and from whose material I feel I have learned from. There was a series of blowjob movies called "Shut Up and Blow Me" that were doing a lot of POV/virtual sex before the terms had come into widespread use. I believe that series consistently won many well-deserved awards in the industry. Mike John, of POV Pervert fame, does great work and his personality is genuinely likeable in the POV movies he makes. Oh, and Rodney Moore, who has the distinction of being a leading pioneer in not one, but two genres of adult-entertainment: the pro-am style and POV. Although those two directors' styles differ from me in that they are highly dependent on injecting their personalities into the product, I admire what they've done and studied their work closely before embarking on this project.
Q. I have to ask about a specific convention in pornography: the cumshot.
A.Yes, it's a very basic and more or less immutable part of the porn experience. And it's also a way for directors to distinguish themselves, deciding how they will handle it. For me, I prefer the more naturalistic approach of allowing the orgasm to occur spontaneously within the sex act, rather than depicting a male masturbating himself to completion. Again, it's part of my overall effort to create an immersive, virtual-sex experience. So in my films you will always see the cumshot occur as a result of the female models' actions, typically the "cum-in-mouth" option. We'll see about shooting some "creampie" films in the future, meaning ejaculation inside the vagina.
Q. What sort of reaction have you gotten to your films?
A. So far, it's been overwhelmingly positive. I've gotten emails from customers who've told me how happy they are that I am producing content in this style, echoing some of the same things I've just said about other POV content that is available elsewhere.
Q. Tell us about working with Veronika Simon.
A. She might possibly be a personification of all that is feminine in this existence, Plato's "form" in the flesh. Yeah, I know that is probably a little too philosophical when we are talking about pornography, but she is an amazing personality. Very radiant, ethereal even, in person and of course the camera loves her -- I like to think that we captured those qualities in her POV Central movie. But you know, we've worked with some other such goddesses, so to speak, each of whom shines in their own individual way. Daria Glower, for example, exudes a more worldy, intensely material sensuality that can turn any man into "a man of the world," make him feel like he's James Bond. You want to run off on some exotic, international, intrigue-filled adventure with her. Jennifer Stone has that Hollywood-star look about her. I think everyone knows who I am talking about and I think we can agree that Jennifer Stone is the sexier one. Julie Silver is the classic blonde Czech bombshell, with a perfect face and body that you can't stop looking at.
Q. You are doing something different with the costumes also.
A. Yes, early on, I received a request about a costume one of our models had worn in a shoot. I realized we had an opportunity to let our customers own a little piece of porn history by offering the costumes used by the models for sale. Most of the costumes have been autographed by the models, making the connection just that much more personal if you buy a costume.
