Are porn fans too demanding ?

Author	Post
Hardz Member Hell on Earth 877 Posts 6/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 12:51PM Asmodeus wrote here that porn is taken for granted. Do you think that we ask too much from porn producers/directors ? Personally I think people who live in countries where porn is freely available to rent @ just a few $$ feel they can overlook things like poor dvd encoding, missing scenes and false advertising, because, "hey it's only a couple of bucks, right ?" Fans around the world who don't have the freedom to rent spend up to $20/$30 per dvd and should have every right to get what they expect. In my opinion it's fans who demand the best from porn companies that push producers to release a quality product. A good example of fan pressure can be seen in the recent Anabolic dvd releases'. Here was a company who went from releasing bare bones dvds' to quality, fully loaded discs after taking suggestions from fans. I'm extremely proud of Anabolic's latest releases' and hope they keep on listening. My advise to fans is to shout out and you will be heard! [Link]
Ramsey Senior Member Trina Michaels fan 10332 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 1:46PM Do you think that we ask too much from porn producers/directors ? Click to expand I don't think so. These actors/producers/directors only have a job because of us fans so I think we have the right to speak out and I think it's a shame that sometimes we're being flamed for it. [Link]
sanchez_1960 Member 582 Posts 2/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 1:58PM yep i agree with Ramsey. Also, That thread made me very angry, I now have no respect for Michael Stefano and therefore will not buy any of the movies in the future. [Link]
Brandon Iron BrandonIron.com 3832 Posts 3/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 2:16PM Not that this will change anything, but can you imagine how frustrating it must be to put a lot of stuff on a DVD and later on find that the extra footage caused the movie to look worse because it was encoded at a lower bit rate? What should have been Michael's best release (and in many respects it still is) suffered because he tried to do too much. Everyone at Platinum X Pictures wants to put out high quality product. We all try very hard to please an increasingly demanding audience. If we can meet or exceed your expectations, that makes us feel great. When we let you down, we let ourselves down. Hopefully, there will be many more opportunities for us to prove our commitment to critics, fans, and ourselves. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated. [Link]
Ramsey Senior Member Trina Michaels fan 10332 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 2:16PM Stefano is not the only one who can't handle criticism from pornfans. That's the great thing about guys like Steve Holmes, Skeeter Kerkove and Brandon Iron for example, they take criticism very well and they show a lot of respect for us fans and that's why they get a lot of respect back. [Link]

sanchez_1960 Member 582 Posts 2/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 2:58PM Brandon Iron wrote: Not that this will change anything, but can you imagine how frustrating it must be to put a lot of stuff on a DVD and later on find that the extra footage caused the movie to look worse because it was encoded at a lower bit rate? What should have been Michael's best release (and in many respects it still is) suffered because he tried to do too much. Everyone at Platinum X Pictures wants to put out high quality product. We all try very hard to please an increasingly demanding audience. If we can meet or exceed your expectations, that makes us feel great. When we let you down, we let ourselves down. Hopefully, there will be many more opportunities for us to prove our commitment to critics, fans, and ourselves. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated. Click to expand Thats what I call a nice professional reply. Anyway, on the DVD bitrate side I dont tend to agree (excuse me if I go too far). Full Anal Access is 127 minutes according to Adult DVD Empire, now I'm not sure how long those extras are but I doubt they'd take up a full Dual Layered DVD. If regular movie companies can fit T2 and Minority Report (2.5 hours) onto a single dual layer dvd with Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS and a commentary track, not to mention a few more things and still have a great picture, then i'm sure full anal access could manage it just fine. You should ask Evil Angel who they get to author their DVD's cause their has the same if not more content and still have a great picture. Edited by - sanchez_1960 on 8/2/2003 2:57:52 PM Edited by - sanchez_1960 on 8/2/2003 2:58:23 PM [Link]
Michael Stefano New Member 3 Posts 4/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:17PM Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a great weekend. I just want to say sorry for my actions with my response to HARDZ. I put so much effort into my movies...you have no idea. I probably put more care in my movies than anything else in my life, so when I hear things like HARDZ said, it really drove me crazy. I respect everyone's opinion. I guess I take things a little too personal, especially when my heart and soul goes into something. Like Al Pacino said in The Godfather #3, "Never act on something when your angry because it affects your judgement", and this is very true! All I want to do is make good stroke movies for all of you. Please don't take anything I said as offensive. I was only upset and, as you know, when you're upset you do stupid things. Please e-mail your addresses to michaelstefano@platinumxpictures.com and I will send you any PXP movie of your choice for free as a way to apologize. I hope you can understand where I am coming from. Also, let me just explain to everyone a little bit about how production works for us so you have a better understanding of what we go through just to get a movie out on time. First the movie is shot and that can take weeks depending on schedules. Then once the movie is shot, the box is picked and of course you are going to pick the best shots for your box, which I do. This can take a while also depending on how quick the box guy can get it done. Then the box goes to the printers for printing and that takes time depending on how many jobs the printer has ahead of you. Now the editing starts and most editors are very busy with a lot of different projects, so I will sometimes edit one scene at a time. I can't just edit the movie in two days. A big thing for me in my movies is the quality(lighting,camera angles,etc..) so if there are parts that don't look good to me, I cut it out because I only want to give you the best of the best. Unfortunately, there may be times when the bad parts are the pictures you see on the back of the box and they are not in the movie. There is nothing I can do becuase the box is already being printed. I don't do this nor will I ever do this to mislead people to buy my movies. I just happens sometimes. Also, as far as the quality of the dvd goes, the more you put on a disc the more you affect your quality. I tried to put too many things because I want all of you to get your money's worth and instead it bites me in the ass. I am going to put less "behind the scenes" in my movies from now on because the quality of the main movie is far more important to me than the extra footage. All in all it is a very difficult and frustrating task to get vhs/dvd out together. Now that I have said this, I hope we can have a better understanding of each other's opinions and attitudes towards things. In conclusion, WE ARE ONLY HUMAN! I hope to hear from you all and I want to fill that UPS truck full of free dvd's. I wish you all well and keep the faith! MICHAEL STEFANO P.S. Please visit www.platinumxpictures.com to choose any current release. [Link]
Flash Golden Age Classic 11018 Posts 5/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:30PM Brandon Iron wrote: Not that this will change anything, but can you imagine how frustrating it must be to put a lot of stuff on a DVD and later on find that the extra footage caused the movie to look worse because it was encoded at a lower bit rate? What should have been Michael's best release (and in many respects it still is) suffered because he tried to do too much. Click to expand I don't judge a new company or a company new to DVD as hard as a company that has been producing DVD's for years. As long as you learn from your mistakes and work not to repeat them in the future. Many companies make mistakes at first and this isn't limited to just adult film companies, look at some of the early releases from A&E (Arts & Entertainment -- not Adam & Eve), Artisan, Warner, etc. They are messed up as well, several volumes of which have been remastered since to fix errors in the original versions. When I see a problem with a new company I'll offer what I intend as constructive criticism in hopes that someone from the company reads it and makes an effort to fix it. It's only after the company has been working on DVD's for a while and continuously make the same mistakes that I start coming down hard on them. VCX for example has been making some of the same mistakes for years and every time it seems that they have fixed the problem, they release another disc plagued with the same problems again. I think that it's great when a new company tries to come out with ambitious releases at first as that seems to be an indication that they will end up with great quality discs. And every company is allowed some mistakes as the years go on. Look at Wicked's discs, in my opinion, they make some of the best discs out there but even they mess one up every now and again. We are all just human. Hardz wrote: Do you think that we ask too much from porn producers/directors ? Click to expand Sometimes yes, sometimes no. As far as poor encoding, false advertising and the like, no as long as after offering the criticism viewers allow the company a little time to fix the issue. And as long as the wording isn't condescending as a comment that is more of an attack is bound to only elicit distemper from the other party. As far as personal preference, yes I think we do ask too much. I think when people watch a film they should remember that their opinion and preferences aren't the only correct stance. Way too many times I see studios, directors etc put down because their product just isn't too the liking of a viewer. I know as a reviewer, I'm criticizing products due to my preferences, but that is what in essence a review is and I also don't hold the dislike of one film or series to everything produced by a studio, director, etc. I enter into each film anew even if I haven't ever liked anything from that studio in the past. And if I see too many from one studio that I don't like, I realize that studio isn't for me, but that doesn't mean that it isn't right for anyone else. Others will like their product and dislike what I enjoy. In short, before people post I think they should look at what they are about to offer the world and make sure that if it is criticism ensure that it has been done in a constructive way. But I don't think that viewers should stop being critical of products as if no outside comments are given, the studios, directors, etc won't have that feedback to apply to future releases. And if something greatly upsets you, take some time before posting so you don't end up just flaming someone or something as that never helps anyone. This post isn't directed towards any one party or any single posts or comments that I have read but instead is from the cumulation of posts that I have read during my time here and from other sites, both mainstream and adult. [Link]
DenverDon Benevolent Firmly Embedded in Depravity 5914 Posts 7/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:33PM Michael Stefano, Keep working at it, you'll get it, and thanks for the response. DenverDon [Link]
Ramsey Senior Member Trina Michaels fan 10332 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:34PM This post is pretty cool from you Michael and I'm glad to see you're not such a bad guy after all :-) [Link]
Brandon Iron BrandonIron.com 3832 Posts 3/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:37PM Hi Sanchez_1960, Thanks for the feedback. Regarding the extras for FULL ANAL ACCESS, Michael included a complete extra double penetration scene, 30 minutes of photo shoot coverage, 30 minutes behind the scenes, photo gallery, cumshot recap, and director's biography. The extras clocked in at 1 hour 35 minutes, making this behemouth a whopping, scale-busting 4 hours. It could not be encoded on DVD-9 and had to be done at a lower quality. The good intentions did more harm than good! What Hardz and many others may not know is that this was Platinum X Pictures most expensive project to date. The fact that the effort is not reflected in the final product is more frustrating than can be put into words. Again, your help in improving our product is appreciated. [Link]
Flash Golden Age Classic 11018 Posts 5/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:40PM sanchez_1960 wrote: If regular movie companies can fit T2 and Minority Report (2.5 hours) onto a single dual layer dvd with Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS and a commentary track, not to mention a few more things and still have a great picture, then i'm sure full anal access could manage it just fine. You should ask Evil Angel who they get to author their DVD's cause their has the same if not more content and still have a great picture. Click to expand My version of T2 (Ultimate Edition release) is not on a single dual layer disc (DVD-9), it's on a DVD-18 a single dual sided, dual layered disc which is the equivalent of two DVD-9 discs. I don't own it but if my memory serves correct, Minority Report was on two DVD-9's, one for the film and another for the extras. And if I'm not mistaken, mainstream companies have access to better DVD production companies than adult companies. [Link]
Gabriel Nine Senior Member Firecracker 1273 Posts 8/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:58PM In short, I don't think fans are too demanding. While I personally feel that these are great times for a lot of really enjoyable movies, I think it's perfectly right that people come forward and make constructive criticism. Clearly a lot of fans among more casual buyers/viewers are still having to suffer substandard products. There are a couple of things making a difference. First, the fact that guys like Brandon and Michael actually are in control of their own product and care about how it comes out, rather than answering to a guy who sits in an office smoking cigars and doling out a budget, expecting movies to be made for as little cash as possible. The other is that many producers can now be in touch with the fans via forums like this and actually pay attention to their views. I can understand Michael being angry, but at least he can see now that people care about the movies they buy. I can only hope more producers and directors take the time to listen, even if I hope they make the movies that they want to see. [Link]
Flash Golden Age Classic 11018 Posts 5/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:02PM Thanks for the apology Michael, it takes a big person to stand up and admit they made a mistake in haste. [Link]
SyberScott Senior Member 1462 Posts 1/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:05PM Keep up the good work at PXP Mike & Brandon! "Best to Forgive than Forget"... [Link]

tricia_devereaux Evil Angel DVD Patience is a virtue, but who wants to be virtuous? 4283 Posts 4/00	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:28PM Michael - glad to see your second post. Yes, I know how frustrating it can be to work really hard on something and then it still ends up being messed up. Brandon - shame on you... You should know from working with me at EA for over a year that you can't put 4 hours of video on a DVD-9 and expect it to come out looking remotely good. sanchez - just so you know, when you see 5.1 audio or audio commentary tracks on a movie, they take almost no space GB-wise on the DVD at all. It's video that eats up space like crazy. Oh, and Michael - I wanted to say that if you realize in editing that a shot you thought you could use isn't good enough for the main movie, but you KNOW that it was on the boxcover, take it from someone who has made the mistake without realizing it before: at the VERY least, use the footage as a bonus extra on the DVD. Maybe try to color-correct it or do some creative editing to fix it well enough to use. The fans definitely notice if there's something on the box that isn't in the movie. There will be times that you will accidentally have something on the box but not in the movie, but like I said, if you realize it before the end of editing, do what you can to SOMEHOW get it on the DVD. [Link]
ObiBong Senior Member 1162 Posts 12/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:52PM Well I'm glad to see Michael sincerely apologize. I hope everything's cool now, and it's good to see him around here along with all the other fine Platinum X folk. I have mixed feelings about the free DVDs, though... I kind of don't think we should all jump in and take advantage of his very generous offer. On the other hand, shit yeah I want Euro Girls Never Say No 2. I think it's a great gesture for him toward Hardz, but I'd feel a bit guilty piggybacking onto that. Of course, if no one else is going to be shy about it, I could be persuaded otherwise... Edited by - obibong on 8/2/2003 4:52:40 PM [Link]
Wally Senior Member 1821 Posts 8/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:52PM Hardz wrote: Asmodeus wrote here that porn is taken for granted. Do you think that we ask too much from porn producers/directors ? Personally I think people who live in countries where porn is freely available to rent @ just a few $$ feel they can overlook things like poor dvd encoding, missing scenes and false advertising, because, "hey it's only a couple of bucks, right ?" Fans around the world who don't have the freedom to rent spend up to $20/$30 per dvd and should have every right to get what they expect. In my opinion it's fans who demand the best from porn companies that push producers to release a quality product. Click to expand Although I don't always agree with you. I totally agree with your philosophy when watching porn. ...If somebody calls you a whiner because you are quick to point out something wrong in the video you just saw. Chances are it is a slavering fan boy that is just happy with seeing naked chicks in the video and can't wait to kiss up everytime opportunity they have. ...Think about it, at least you waited to see the fucking video to say something about it. Some times slavering fan boys characterize their favorite video as instant "clasic" or as a 5 stars video, even thou the damn video haven't been released yet!? ..A lot of credibility have those people, eh? ..<<Hey, Billy, your video is the greatest shit ever made, your video kick ass Sir, man your video rules!! ..by the way Billy, when will be released?>> [Link]
timotei Member UK 271 Posts 4/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 5:46PM Can any of the producers-editors reading this thread (e.g. Tricia) tell us whether it works out too expensive to do double disc sets for some of their premium titles. Instead of trying to cram too much on a single DVD-9 disc, leading to the kind of quality problems that started all this, is it just about doable to have a 2 disc set instead? For example, Ass Collector was a great set containing a huge amount of footage that could never have been squeezed onto a single disc without ruining the quality. But are those sets too expensive to produce and manufacture overall? Regarding too-demanding fans - I don't think so. It's just that we have a good amount of open discussion on sites like this, in which producers, directors and stars actually take the time to read and participate. I'm sure that mainstream audiences would be more vocal in their opinions if they though anyone in some kind of power was actually listening! I do think that perhaps some of the comments from fans on this forum could be a little more tactful, and less openly confrontational though. If you don't like a film, or the picture quality is below par, then just say that - rather than calling a film "crap" or slagging off the director. As Michael Stefano's comments show, these guys do work hard and most are not deliberately trying to rip anyone off. [Link]
john milton New Member Germany 1 Posts 8/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 5:49PM Just to cheer that poor hardworking Mr. Stefano up a bit: I recently watched "Ultimate Asses" and I have to say that it had by far the best BTS I have seen so far. I really love it to see some of the personality of the women. I also find it amusing to see the beautiful Jewel D'Nyle in a sloppy training suit. I love it when you can sense the way the women would be in real life, and not just observe some obedient dolls. I also have to say that I love the other films by Michael Stefano that I know. As one of the few directors he shoots a lot of beautiful ebony ladies and he has often the girls use big toys by themselves, even with ATM. Keep using those big toys in solo anal scenes and keep up the good work (and a good amount of extras - photoshoots are not as important, though) Milton (who watches way too much porn and fucks way too few women) [Link]
sanchez_1960 Member 582 Posts 2/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:06PM Michael Stefano - Good man for that reply. Flash - Yes I know they are 2 disc and double sided DVD’s. I only mentioned the extras on the first disc of each movie!!! At the end of the day, yes Hollywood does have access to the best DVD Authoring houses. Tricia - Yep I know the video takes up most of the space, personally I consider those sound elements I mentioned to be a lot too. The movies I mentioned carry all three audio tracks so if you take the DTS Half Bit Rate at 768kbits /s , Dolby Digital 5.1 448kbits/s and a commentary track of 228 kbits/s, that makes a total of 1444kbits/s. Adding that up depending on the length of the movie still makes an awful lot of space. Therefore making the examples I used justified Having worked with MPEG II compression in my old job and briefly understanding it, I know it can handle high quality pictures at low bit rates but it tends to be vary depending on content and quality of authoring equipment. Also, I believe interlaced sources generally require a higher rate too. Oh and in relation to this topic, maybe we are too demanding but without demand or competition things never improve do they. Edited by - sanchez_1960 on 8/2/2003 6:13:04 PM [Link]
Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:14PM Flash wrote: My version of T2 (Ultimate Edition release) is not on a single dual layer disc (DVD-9), it's on a DVD-18 a single dual sided, dual layered disc which is the equivalent of two DVD-9 discs. Click to expand DVD-18's are very expensive to make and very few companies can make them. There were so many problems in making the T2 discs, that they had to also make packages containing 2 DVD-9's because they couldn't get enough DVD-18's made. [Link]
Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:18PM ObiBong wrote: I have mixed feelings about the free DVDs, though... I kind of don't think we should all jump in and take advantage of his very generous offer. On the other hand, shit yeah I want Euro Girls Never Say No 2. Click to expand I was thinking the same thing. I neither bought nor rented Full Anal Access, so the problems didn't affect me. Therefore, I have no reason to request a free disc. I would hope that others will use the same logic. [Link]
Flash Golden Age Classic 11018 Posts 5/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:33PM Bill wrote: ObiBong wrote: I have mixed feelings about the free DVDs, though... I kind of don't think we should all jump in and take advantage of his very generous offer. On the other hand, shit yeah I want Euro Girls Never Say No 2. Click to expand I was thinking the same thing. I neither bought nor rented Full Anal Access, so the problems didn't affect me. Therefore, I have no reason to request a free disc. I would hope that others will use the same logic. Click to expand Same here. It's nice of them to compensate those who were affected, something very rare these days. Edited by - flash on 8/2/2003 6:41:56 PM [Link]
tricia_devereaux Evil Angel DVD Patience is a virtue, but who wants to be virtuous? 4283 Posts 4/00	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 7:10PM timotei- It's a matter of opinion mostly what should be considered a premium title and also what amount of money would be worth doing a double disc set. Including quality authoring, dvd-production, and quality replication of a DVD-9 (dual-layer DVD) with the price difference for a 2-disc case instead of a 1-disc case, the extra disc could cost between $3 - $4 or even $5 extra. We're willing to absorb some of that cost on our own to make a better DVD presentation for our special movies (Ass Collector, like you mentioned), but there's a limit as to how many movies even warrant that kind of treatment. With blue-laser technology coming up in the not-so-distant future, we will be able to put a lot more info on the discs. [Link]

skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 7:29PM Flash wrote: Bill wrote: ObiBong wrote: I have mixed feelings about the free DVDs, though... I kind of don't think we should all jump in and take advantage of his very generous offer. On the other hand, shit yeah I want Euro Girls Never Say No 2. Click to expand I think the intent of the offer was to make amends to any ADT posters who Michael felt he may have offended by going ballistic the first time around. A good faith gesture. The idea, I suspect, is to show anyone dubious after reading the posts, that PXP makes quality stuff. At least, that's how I read it. skronker, Somewhere thinking ... "Selena Silver in Fresh New Faces ... Yum!" [Link]
Bucho Member 44 Posts 8/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 7:29PM Hi all! Long time lurker first time poster. I'd like say I though that Full Anal Acces was a damn near perfect movie. The only drawback was the digital artifacts. I kinda sad that Michaels going to cut back on the extras. I'm a big fan of dvd extras. I don't know how much this helps with the bitrates but to all the adult film companies out you guys should ditch the photo galleries/slide shows. After watching a movie a bunch still shots seem boring. Hey Michael. PLEASE KEEP the photo shoots with girls on the discs I really dig them. [Link]
BigFerret creampie scientist Searching for blonde and red bush 1985 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 8:12PM Welcome Bucho! I suppose it may be a bit too demanding that I want to see anal creampies eaten by one girl from another ass. [Link]
focusyn Member Australia 54 Posts 10/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 9:11PM ObiBong wrote: Well I'm glad to see Michael sincerely apologize. I hope everything's cool now, and it's good to see him around here along with all the other fine Platinum X folk. Click to expand Definately. We all lose our temper at other people every now and then, but honestly do we all apologize? I like the fact that Platinum X is making an effort in these forums to keep us informed and involved. With a few exceptions, not that many of the other studios go that far or even listen. [Link]
Gonzophile Member Southeast USA 53 Posts 7/03	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 9:14PM Thanks to Mr. Stefano for attempting to make things right. Gotta say that the initial negative comments did affect a purchase of ours last night. Instead of Teens Revealed, we bought another studio's title. Now we can stick with Stefano. [Link]
BIGmike B-I-G-m-i-k-e 2335 Posts 3/01	Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 9:23PM Are porn fans too demanding ? My advise to fans is to shout out and you will be heard! Me, not no more, I can't even watch porn no more, too much shit, too much not good, too much so-so, and some pretty great stuff as well, that I've seen, but I can not bring myself to watch it anymore. I am on the verge of saying I hate porn, oh well. Oh, yeah, hell-O Michael Stefano, welcome to the forums, it was a pleasure meating you in Vegas, over at RLD's booth. - - - B-I-G-m-i-k-e, over & out! - - - [Link]
MLyons Senior Member 1617 Posts 8/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 12:12AM Welcome to the forum Bucho! Hope to see you around more regularly! Mike L. [Link]
futureofporn Member 658 Posts 1/03	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 1:15AM I think most people in the industry probably do their best to make the best product they can. However, its not like they dont have budgets and deadlines. The demand to put the product out can be far greater than the demand to put out a DVD that is as good if not better than a DVD put out by Universal or Miramax, only those companies have a lot more money and a lot more people working for them. If you dont like the quality, then maybe you shouldnt even bother buying movies. Not everything is going to be up to par, but you can either do something about it, like write to the companies, or grin and bear it. I choose to grin and bear it. [Link]
Mike Quasar Zero Tolerance Reluctant pornographer 1765 Posts 7/01	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 1:52AM There are a great many companies out there who truly don't give a damn about the quality of anything they release. The "new breed" of company however, and this includes Platinum X, RLD, DVSX, and of course Zero Tolerance, we know that we don't have an endless catalogue of features and comps going back to the late eighties to fall back on. Our stuff needs to be good NOW. Some titles may be better than others but it's doubtful that you'll buy anything from any of these companies and feel cheated. The occasional fuck up happens however. The important thing to remember is that we all know that the consumer can take us from driving a BMW to public transit in a nanosecond and that any egregious flaw in any given disc is likely an isolated incident. Just my two cents of course. Quaze [Link]
wetmartini Member Windy City 221 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 2:35AM Mike Quasar wrote: There are a great many companies out there who truly don't give a damn about the quality of anything they release. The "new breed" of company however, and this includes Platinum X, RLD, DVSX, and of course Zero Tolerance, we know that we don't have an endless catalogue of features and comps going back to the late eighties to fall back on. Our stuff needs to be good NOW. Click to expand funny, those are the exact companies (along with Evil Angel, Anabolic and Digital Sin) whose products i search regularly. didn't even realize it until now that you all have similar business practices and philosophies. i guess it's paying off. [Link]

sanchez_1960 Member 582 Posts 2/03	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 4:43AM Yea I think two discs would be totally pointless on most if not all titles. Now I might have changed my opinion, but at the end of the day, people should be thankful for the quality of presentation. Come on, did we really ever get anything on VHS tapes? Now we're spoilt with excellent pictures, clear sound and a whole bunch of extras, and yet we still want more. Point is: we're never satisfied Blue laser is a promising technology, but unfortunately it will take us years to change over. The DVDForum hasn't even finalized a standard yet. Not to mention the fact that consumers need to be persuaded that DVD is not good enough. On top of that a 27GB HD-DVD might sound a lot, but when you stick HD video on it, the space is eaten up yet again. [Link]
Hardz Member Hell on Earth 877 Posts 6/01	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 5:13AM BigMike wrote hell-O Michael Stefano, welcome to the forums, it was a pleasure *meating* you in Vegas, over at RLD's booth. Click to expand As for Michael Stefano, I feel his passion and at least he made an attempt at 'damage control', but you know the old saying (probably not in Godfather #3), "much truth is said in anger". Apart from the failures I pointed out, Full Anal Access is damn good (if it was shite, I would not have bothered posting). The Ashley Blue scene is fantastic. As for the missing DP, I'd point out that it's not just on the box cover but also shown during the opening scenes and should have been removed during editing. As for the free dvd ......no thanks. [Link]
Ramsey Senior Member Trina Michaels fan 10332 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 5:38AM I have no reason to request a free disc. I would hope that others will use the same logic Click to expand I agree, I don't think we should take advantage of the situation, in return Platinum X can give us a lot of Katja Kassin scenes when she goes back to the US in November and I'm counting on Brandon to shoot a volume of Ten Little Piggies with her! ;-) [Link]
Tom Byron Evolution Erotica 344 Posts 9/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 7:55AM timotei wrote: Can any of the producers-editors reading this thread (e.g. Tricia) tell us whether it works out too expensive to do double disc sets for some of their premium titles. Instead of trying to cram too much on a single DVD-9 disc, leading to the kind of quality problems that started all this, is it just about doable to have a 2 disc set instead? Click to expand Not only is it "doable", at my new company Evolution Erotica EVERY release is a DUAL disc DVD! No problem with quality issues whatsoever! Side note: As someone who worked with Michael (Looch) for years, his acrimonious reply to Hardz was completely out of character for him. He is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, not to mention one of the hardest working,most dedicated persons I've ever known. Don't take it personal, Hardz, he must have been having a bad day. [Link]
sanchez_1960 Member 582 Posts 2/03	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 8:18AM oh man, more movies? I got even more annoyed when I went over to your site and looked at the box covers to find they look top quality, which is bad news for me since i have to up my monthly budget on titles :'( [Link]
Ramsey Senior Member Trina Michaels fan 10332 Posts 10/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 9:04AM I think it's great that Tom started his own company instead of becoming just another director for Dion. This way Tom is in control of everything himself and he can built his own empire and of course the more (good)) companies the better because of the competition. It would be very bad for us fans if one company had a monopoly position. [Link]
Ishamael1 Member New Zealand 81 Posts 12/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 9:28AM I think a lot of porns appeal is voyueristically (OT:is that a real word?) living your fantasy. In that regard it is my belief that producers of porn should do everything they can to make us, the consumer able to live that fantasy. Having said that, I think most porn producers do do everything that they can to achieve this. PXP, RLD, DVSX and all of the major newcomers to the market have drastically improved the quality of their DVD releases by comparison to the incumbent competition (With a few exceptions obviously e.g. EA). I don't believe it is possible for producers to satisfy everyone with every release. As someone already mentioned a lot of it comes down to personal preference. Having said that, I do find that most of these companies are putting out a line for just about every genre, and even creating genres in porn. If this is not doing everything they can to satisfy us, what is? So having said all that, it seems to me that consumers are not too demanding. Consumer demand is what has driven these companies to go to these lengths in order to satisfy the consumers, and improved product is a good thing. I do have a suggestion... many mainstream movies now release a bonus disk with their releases, when a company has produced a high budget release, could this not be an option for throwing in the extras? I mention this because Brandon earlier mentioned that Full Anal Access was PXP's highest budget movie to date, and this would seem to address the problem. Personally I would be quite happy to keep extras to a few trailer, photo set and short behind the scenes on most disks with bigger budget releases having more extras on them. It also would seem logical that producers could use this as a selling point to re-coup some of the additional expenses of the shoot. I don't know what the costs involved with putting and extra disk in are though so feel free to flog my suggestion if its not viable. Also.. personally I am not a fan of double sided or dual layered disks. I know from experience that double sided disks wear and tear a lot more than single sided because you have to be doubly careful when looking after them and I have heard various reports of dual layered disks having problems with durability. Finally, well done to Michael Stefano for the apology, it takes a big man to admit when hes gone off the deep end and I am exactly the same about my work being critisised (albeit a much less satisfying occupation lol) and have had to go down that same apology road before. [Link]
nudity Deactivated User 168 Posts 9/02	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 9:52AM >Are porn fans too demanding ? No. >My advise to fans is to shout out and you will be heard! I am skeptical about this. I don't think any of my posts (e.g. about fisting, double anal, girl-girl interaction) has had even the slightest influence on porn policy. [Link]
Janitor Retired Porno movies, sexy videos, xxx. Adult DVD Talk at your service. 6409 Posts 11/99	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 9:58AM "Are porn fans too demanding?" Sometimes. "My advise to fans is to shout out and you will be heard!" My advise is to critique the things that really matter and to do so in a respectful way so producers are inclined to listen. [Link]
Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 6:15PM sanchez_1960 wrote: Come on, did we really ever get anything on VHS tapes? Click to expand No. That's the reason that very few of us ever purchased VHS tapes. VHS is good for rental, no more. People are buying DVD's. We have the right to expect more than from VHS. [Link]
Max Booty Member New Orleans 484 Posts 6/03	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 7:23PM I just want to follow up on Michael Stefano. I bought Full Anal Access and had the same video problems people have mentioned. Rather than post something here, for all I knew at the time I could just had a bad disc, I wrote Michael directly. He responded quickly & nicely. For my trouble I recieved 2 autographed copies of Full Anal Access 3 days later via UPS. Granted the disc still has some video problems, although not nearly to the extent of the first disc...I do think I got a bad one first time out but he was a pleasure to deal with and I thank him for taking the time he did. To get on topic. Porn fans are no more demanding than any other group of fans. I just think the forums to discus our likes & dislikes are more limited because of percieved social values so we over compensate in both directions. Max Booty "With little power comes little responsibility." [Link]
BIGmike B-I-G-m-i-k-e 2335 Posts 3/01	Posted - Aug 3 2003 : 8:02PM Fucking typos, hate them so much, and I am usually good at catching 'em, but thanks for pointing it out Hardz. I still can, with almost clear certainty, say that I hate porn. Sucks really. But in the long run, cheaper on my behalf. So I can no longer say I am porn fan, or a fan of blowing money to see <insert name here> get drilled by <insert name here>, and possibly, <insert name here>, <insert name here>, <insert name here>, <insert name here>, <insert name here>, and so forth. - - - B-I-G-m-i-k-e, over & out! - - - [Link]
Walter Burns Legendary Quoter IAFD, supporters of beastiality. Just say no. 7564 Posts 11/02	Posted - Aug 4 2003 : 9:16PM Hardz wrote: Do you think that we ask too much from porn producers/directors ? Click to expand Yes. The opposite is also true. We ask too little from porn producers/directors. And the real problem is that porn producers/directors ask too little from us, the fans. skronker said: "I'm so not into closeup views of the male ass." [Link]
Hardware All-Star Member Your other left 14595 Posts 3/02	Posted - Aug 4 2003 : 10:35PM I do not think porn fans are too demanding, but neither do I think we speak with one voice. I, for one, am not so much interested in 'fully loaded' DVD's as I am in the movie itself. While I can appreciate editors making use of the features inherent in a digital medium to offer me different methods of exploring the movie, this is no substitute for the quality of the ouvre. Given a limited budget, I would much rather the dollars be directed towards optimizing lighting and set design than towards a sugar coating for the DVD. In other words, I would much rather the director demand quality than quantity. @Walter, I don't know that the porn producers ask too little of us as much as they're too afraid to step out of the river and explore the streams. [Link]
skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02	Posted - Aug 4 2003 : 11:25PM Hardware wrote: I do not think porn fans are too demanding, but neither do I think we speak with one voice. I, for one, am not so much interested in 'fully loaded' DVD's as I am in the movie itself. While I can appreciate editors making use of the features inherent in a digital medium to offer me different methods of exploring the movie, this is no substitute for the quality of the ouvre. Given a limited budget, I would much rather the dollars be directed towards optimizing lighting and set design than towards a sugar coating for the DVD. In other words, I would much rather the director demand quality than quantity. Click to expand I agree on the quality front -- and it's interesting that in the (quite excellent, enlightening and downright funny at times) bonus/behind-the-scenes segment on "Fresh New Faces," there's a whole bit where Brandon and Stefano are discussing the tungtsen lighting, and trying out different effects, while lovely Selena Silver awaits the Iron Man's grand wazoo, And this I found both encouraging -- the PXP folks want scenes to look sharp -- and pretty damn hilarious (a sexy young girl awaits, fully juiced, but first ... gotta get the lighting right!). I really appreciate that. And I really like it when Evil Angel spends a little extra so "Back 2 Evil" can have a couple of darkly-lit scenes with a "Fashionistas" feel. But I also like to see more included on DVDs. Not over the top crazy, but previews are fun and so is behind the scenes, and any decent leftover footage (though I would just as soon have a longer scene/director's cut version). I don't care much for photo galleries. It's easy enough to do frame-grabs with my DVD player if I want to keep an image for whatever reason., I also know that I buy DVDs from a very narrow selection of companies: PXP, RLD, Evil Angel. I have a Zero Tolerance or DVSX here or there, but find that my budget is used up pretty quickly just grabbing the immediate-gratification titles from those three companies. (And more from Anabolic if they keep the new ones coming on DVD). But, so far, I've found that those 3 companies make the most and the best use of DVD as a format with unique potential. And those are 3 companies that pay a lot of attention to what fans say. (So do ZT and DVSX, near as I can tell. I just don't have that much experience with their titles). I think porn fans want what any fans want: As much as freakin' possible as inexpensively as possible as quickly as possible as good as possible. Not all fans agree with each other about what that means, but in a free-market economy there are plenty of choices. Let a thousand flowers bloom. [Link]
Cyberchicken Member 900 Posts 4/02	Posted - Aug 5 2003 : 12:07AM The internet has given every fetish it's own niche. As a stroker I want to see cum swallowing, while others might prefer cream pies. I despise cream pies and won't buy a dvd that includes them. I'm sure there are people who hate cum swallowing and avoid the very movies that I specifically look for. No single movie can please everyone. A movie will always focus on a few kinks to the exclusion of others. There's simply not enough time in a two hour movie to cover everything. CC [Link]

Author

Post

Hardz
Member

Hell on Earth
877 Posts
6/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 12:51PM

Asmodeus wrote here that porn is taken for granted.

Do you think that we ask too much from porn producers/directors ?

Personally I think people who live in countries where porn is freely available to rent @ just a few $$ feel they can overlook things like poor dvd encoding, missing scenes and false advertising, because, "hey it's only a couple of bucks, right ?"

Fans around the world who don't have the freedom to rent spend up to $20/$30 per dvd and should have every right to get what they expect.

In my opinion it's fans who demand the best from porn companies that push producers to release a quality product.

A good example of fan pressure can be seen in the recent Anabolic dvd releases'.
Here was a company who went from releasing bare bones dvds' to quality, fully loaded discs after taking suggestions from fans.
I'm extremely proud of Anabolic's latest releases' and hope they keep on listening.

My advise to fans is to shout out and you will be heard!

[Link]

Ramsey
Senior Member

Trina Michaels fan
10332 Posts
10/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 1:46PM

I don't think so. These actors/producers/directors only have a job because of us fans so I think we have the right to speak out and I think it's a shame that sometimes we're being flamed for it.

[Link]

sanchez_1960
Member

582 Posts
2/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 1:58PM

yep i agree with Ramsey. Also, That thread made me very angry, I now have no respect for Michael Stefano and therefore will not buy any of the movies in the future.

[Link]

Brandon Iron
BrandonIron.com

3832 Posts
3/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 2:16PM

Not that this will change anything, but can you imagine how frustrating it must be to put a lot of stuff on a DVD and later on find that the extra footage caused the movie to look worse because it was encoded at a lower bit rate?
What should have been Michael's best release (and in many respects it still is) suffered because he tried to do too much.
Everyone at Platinum X Pictures wants to put out high quality product. We all try very hard to please an increasingly demanding audience.
If we can meet or exceed your expectations, that makes us feel great. When we let you down, we let ourselves down.
Hopefully, there will be many more opportunities for us to prove our commitment to critics, fans, and ourselves.
Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.

[Link]

Ramsey
Senior Member

Trina Michaels fan
10332 Posts
10/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 2:16PM

Stefano is not the only one who can't handle criticism from pornfans.

That's the great thing about guys like Steve Holmes, Skeeter Kerkove and Brandon Iron for example, they take criticism very well and they show a lot of respect for us fans and that's why they get a lot of respect back.

[Link]

sanchez_1960
Member

582 Posts
2/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 2:58PM

Brandon Iron wrote:
Not that this will change anything, but can you imagine how frustrating it must be to put a lot of stuff on a DVD and later on find that the extra footage caused the movie to look worse because it was encoded at a lower bit rate?
What should have been Michael's best release (and in many respects it still is) suffered because he tried to do too much.
Everyone at Platinum X Pictures wants to put out high quality product. We all try very hard to please an increasingly demanding audience.
If we can meet or exceed your expectations, that makes us feel great. When we let you down, we let ourselves down.
Hopefully, there will be many more opportunities for us to prove our commitment to critics, fans, and ourselves.
Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
Click to expand

Thats what I call a nice professional reply. Anyway, on the DVD bitrate side I dont tend to agree (excuse me if I go too far). Full Anal Access is 127 minutes according to Adult DVD Empire, now I'm not sure how long those extras are but I doubt they'd take up a full Dual Layered DVD.

If regular movie companies can fit T2 and Minority Report (2.5 hours) onto a single dual layer dvd with Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS and a commentary track, not to mention a few more things and still have a great picture, then i'm sure full anal access could manage it just fine. You should ask Evil Angel who they get to author their DVD's cause their has the same if not more content and still have a great picture.

Edited by - sanchez_1960 on 8/2/2003 2:57:52 PM

Edited by - sanchez_1960 on 8/2/2003 2:58:23 PM

[Link]

Michael Stefano
New Member

3 Posts
4/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:17PM

Hello everyone,
I hope you are all having a great weekend. I just want to say sorry for my actions with my response to HARDZ. I put so much effort into my movies...you have no idea. I probably put more care in my movies than anything else in my life, so when I hear things like HARDZ said, it really drove me crazy. I respect everyone's opinion. I guess I take things a little too personal, especially when my heart and soul goes into something. Like Al Pacino said in The Godfather #3, "Never act on something when your angry because it affects your judgement", and this is very true! All I want to do is make good stroke movies for all of you.
Please don't take anything I said as offensive. I was only upset and, as you know, when you're upset you do stupid things. Please e-mail your addresses to michaelstefano@platinumxpictures.com and I will send you any PXP movie of your choice for free as a way to apologize. I hope you can understand where I am coming from.
Also, let me just explain to everyone a little bit about how production works for us so you have a better understanding of what we go through just to get a movie out on time. First the movie is shot and that can take weeks depending on schedules. Then once the movie is shot, the box is picked and of course you are going to pick the best shots for your box, which I do. This can take a while also depending on how quick the box guy can get it done. Then the box goes to the printers for printing and that takes time depending on how many jobs the printer has ahead of you. Now the editing starts and most editors are very busy with a lot of different projects, so I will sometimes edit one scene at a time. I can't just edit the movie in two days. A big thing for me in my movies is the quality(lighting,camera angles,etc..) so if there are parts that don't look good to me, I cut it out because I only want to give you the best of the best. Unfortunately, there may be times when the bad parts are the pictures you see on the back of the box and they are not in the movie. There is nothing I can do becuase the box is already being printed. I don't do this nor will I ever do this to mislead people to buy my movies. I just happens sometimes. Also, as far as the quality of the dvd goes, the more you put on a disc the more you affect your quality. I tried to put too many things because I want all of you to get your money's worth and instead it bites me in the ass. I am going to put less "behind the scenes" in my movies from now on because the quality of the main movie is far more important to me than the extra footage. All in all it is a very difficult and frustrating task to get vhs/dvd out together. Now that I have said this, I hope we can have a better understanding of each other's opinions and attitudes towards things. In conclusion, WE ARE ONLY HUMAN! I hope to hear from you all and I want to fill that UPS truck full of free dvd's. I wish you all well and keep the faith!

MICHAEL STEFANO

P.S. Please visit www.platinumxpictures.com to choose any current release.

[Link]

Flash

Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:30PM

I don't judge a new company or a company new to DVD as hard as a company that has been producing DVD's for years. As long as you learn from your mistakes and work not to repeat them in the future. Many companies make mistakes at first and this isn't limited to just adult film companies, look at some of the early releases from A&E (Arts & Entertainment -- not Adam & Eve), Artisan, Warner, etc. They are messed up as well, several volumes of which have been remastered since to fix errors in the original versions. When I see a problem with a new company I'll offer what I intend as constructive criticism in hopes that someone from the company reads it and makes an effort to fix it. It's only after the company has been working on DVD's for a while and continuously make the same mistakes that I start coming down hard on them. VCX for example has been making some of the same mistakes for years and every time it seems that they have fixed the problem, they release another disc plagued with the same problems again. I think that it's great when a new company tries to come out with ambitious releases at first as that seems to be an indication that they will end up with great quality discs. And every company is allowed some mistakes as the years go on. Look at Wicked's discs, in my opinion, they make some of the best discs out there but even they mess one up every now and again. We are all just human.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. As far as poor encoding, false advertising and the like, no as long as after offering the criticism viewers allow the company a little time to fix the issue. And as long as the wording isn't condescending as a comment that is more of an attack is bound to only elicit distemper from the other party. As far as personal preference, yes I think we do ask too much. I think when people watch a film they should remember that their opinion and preferences aren't the only correct stance. Way too many times I see studios, directors etc put down because their product just isn't too the liking of a viewer. I know as a reviewer, I'm criticizing products due to my preferences, but that is what in essence a review is and I also don't hold the dislike of one film or series to everything produced by a studio, director, etc. I enter into each film anew even if I haven't ever liked anything from that studio in the past. And if I see too many from one studio that I don't like, I realize that studio isn't for me, but that doesn't mean that it isn't right for anyone else. Others will like their product and dislike what I enjoy.

In short, before people post I think they should look at what they are about to offer the world and make sure that if it is criticism ensure that it has been done in a constructive way. But I don't think that viewers should stop being critical of products as if no outside comments are given, the studios, directors, etc won't have that feedback to apply to future releases. And if something greatly upsets you, take some time before posting so you don't end up just flaming someone or something as that never helps anyone.

This post isn't directed towards any one party or any single posts or comments that I have read but instead is from the cumulation of posts that I have read during my time here and from other sites, both mainstream and adult.

[Link]

DenverDon
Benevolent

Firmly Embedded in Depravity
5914 Posts
7/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:33PM

Michael Stefano,

Keep working at it, you'll get it, and thanks for the response.

DenverDon

[Link]

Ramsey
Senior Member

Trina Michaels fan
10332 Posts
10/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:34PM

This post is pretty cool from you Michael and I'm glad to see you're not such a bad guy after all :-)

[Link]

Brandon Iron
BrandonIron.com

3832 Posts
3/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:37PM

Hi Sanchez_1960,
Thanks for the feedback.
Regarding the extras for FULL ANAL ACCESS, Michael included a complete extra double penetration scene, 30 minutes of photo shoot coverage, 30 minutes behind the scenes, photo gallery, cumshot recap, and director's biography.
The extras clocked in at 1 hour 35 minutes, making this behemouth a whopping, scale-busting 4 hours.
It could not be encoded on DVD-9 and had to be done at a lower quality. The good intentions did more harm than good!
What Hardz and many others may not know is that this was Platinum X Pictures most expensive project to date.
The fact that the effort is not reflected in the final product is more frustrating than can be put into words.
Again, your help in improving our product is appreciated.

[Link]

Flash

Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:40PM

My version of T2 (Ultimate Edition release) is not on a single dual layer disc (DVD-9), it's on a DVD-18 a single dual sided, dual layered disc which is the equivalent of two DVD-9 discs. I don't own it but if my memory serves correct, Minority Report was on two DVD-9's, one for the film and another for the extras. And if I'm not mistaken, mainstream companies have access to better DVD production companies than adult companies.

[Link]

Gabriel Nine
Senior Member

Firecracker
1273 Posts
8/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 3:58PM

In short, I don't think fans are too demanding. While I personally feel that these are great times for a lot of really enjoyable movies, I think it's perfectly right that people come forward and make constructive criticism. Clearly a lot of fans among more casual buyers/viewers are still having to suffer substandard products.

There are a couple of things making a difference.
First, the fact that guys like Brandon and Michael actually are in control of their own product and care about how it comes out, rather than answering to a guy who sits in an office smoking cigars and doling out a budget, expecting movies to be made for as little cash as possible.

The other is that many producers can now be in touch with the fans via forums like this and actually pay attention to their views. I can understand Michael being angry, but at least he can see now that people care about the movies they buy. I can only hope more producers and directors take the time to listen, even if I hope they make the movies that they want to see.

[Link]

Flash

Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:02PM

Thanks for the apology Michael, it takes a big person to stand up and admit they made a mistake in haste.

[Link]

SyberScott
Senior Member

1462 Posts
1/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:05PM

Keep up the good work at PXP Mike & Brandon!

"Best to Forgive than Forget"...

[Link]

tricia_devereaux
Evil Angel DVD

Patience is a virtue, but who wants to be virtuous?
4283 Posts
4/00

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:28PM

Michael - glad to see your second post. Yes, I know how frustrating it can be to work really hard on something and then it still ends up being messed up.

Brandon - shame on you... You should know from working with me at EA for over a year that you can't put 4 hours of video on a DVD-9 and expect it to come out looking remotely good.

sanchez - just so you know, when you see 5.1 audio or audio commentary tracks on a movie, they take almost no space GB-wise on the DVD at all. It's video that eats up space like crazy.

Oh, and Michael - I wanted to say that if you realize in editing that a shot you thought you could use isn't good enough for the main movie, but you KNOW that it was on the boxcover, take it from someone who has made the mistake without realizing it before: at the VERY least, use the footage as a bonus extra on the DVD. Maybe try to color-correct it or do some creative editing to fix it well enough to use. The fans definitely notice if there's something on the box that isn't in the movie. There will be times that you will accidentally have something on the box but not in the movie, but like I said, if you realize it before the end of editing, do what you can to SOMEHOW get it on the DVD.

[Link]

ObiBong
Senior Member

1162 Posts
12/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:52PM

Well I'm glad to see Michael sincerely apologize. I hope everything's cool now, and it's good to see him around here along with all the other fine Platinum X folk.

I have mixed feelings about the free DVDs, though... I kind of don't think we should all jump in and take advantage of his very generous offer. On the other hand, shit yeah I want Euro Girls Never Say No 2.

I think it's a great gesture for him toward Hardz, but I'd feel a bit guilty piggybacking onto that. Of course, if no one else is going to be shy about it, I could be persuaded otherwise...

Edited by - obibong on 8/2/2003 4:52:40 PM

[Link]

Wally
Senior Member

1821 Posts
8/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 4:52PM

Although I don't always agree with you. I totally agree with your philosophy when watching porn. ...If somebody calls you a whiner because you are quick to point out something wrong in the video you just saw. Chances are it is a slavering fan boy that is just happy with seeing naked chicks in the video and can't wait to kiss up everytime opportunity they have. ...Think about it, at least you waited to see the fucking video to say something about it. Some times slavering fan boys characterize their favorite video as instant "clasic" or as a 5 stars video, even thou the damn video haven't been released yet!? ..A lot of credibility have those people, eh? ..<<Hey, Billy, your video is the greatest shit ever made, your video kick ass Sir, man your video rules!! ..by the way Billy, when will be released?>>

[Link]

timotei
Member

UK
271 Posts
4/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 5:46PM

Can any of the producers-editors reading this thread (e.g. Tricia) tell us whether it works out too expensive to do double disc sets for some of their premium titles. Instead of trying to cram too much on a single DVD-9 disc, leading to the kind of quality problems that started all this, is it just about doable to have a 2 disc set instead?

For example, Ass Collector was a great set containing a huge amount of footage that could never have been squeezed onto a single disc without ruining the quality. But are those sets too expensive to produce and manufacture overall?

Regarding too-demanding fans - I don't think so. It's just that we have a good amount of open discussion on sites like this, in which producers, directors and stars actually take the time to read and participate. I'm sure that mainstream audiences would be more vocal in their opinions if they though anyone in some kind of power was actually listening!

I do think that perhaps some of the comments from fans on this forum could be a little more tactful, and less openly confrontational though. If you don't like a film, or the picture quality is below par, then just say that - rather than calling a film "crap" or slagging off the director. As Michael Stefano's comments show, these guys do work hard and most are not deliberately trying to rip anyone off.

[Link]

john milton
New Member

Germany
1 Posts
8/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 5:49PM

Just to cheer that poor hardworking Mr. Stefano up a bit:
I recently watched "Ultimate Asses" and I have to say that it had by far the best BTS I have seen so far. I really love it to see some of the personality of the women. I also find it amusing to see the beautiful Jewel D'Nyle in a sloppy training suit. I love it when you can sense the way the women would be in real life, and not just observe some obedient dolls.
I also have to say that I love the other films by Michael Stefano that I know. As one of the few directors he shoots a lot of beautiful ebony ladies and he has often the girls use big toys by themselves, even with ATM. Keep using those big toys in solo anal scenes and keep up the good work (and a good amount of extras - photoshoots are not as important, though)

Milton
(who watches way too much porn and fucks way too few women)

[Link]

sanchez_1960
Member

582 Posts
2/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:06PM

Michael Stefano - Good man for that reply.

Flash - Yes I know they are 2 disc and double sided DVD’s. I only mentioned the extras on the first disc of each movie!!! At the end of the day, yes Hollywood does have access to the best DVD Authoring houses.

Tricia - Yep I know the video takes up most of the space, personally I consider those sound elements I mentioned to be a lot too. The movies I mentioned carry all three audio tracks so if you take the DTS Half Bit Rate at 768kbits /s , Dolby Digital 5.1 448kbits/s and a commentary track of 228 kbits/s, that makes a total of 1444kbits/s. Adding that up depending on the length of the movie still makes an awful lot of space. Therefore making the examples I used justified

Having worked with MPEG II compression in my old job and briefly understanding it, I know it can handle high quality pictures at low bit rates but it tends to be vary depending on content and quality of authoring equipment. Also, I believe interlaced sources generally require a higher rate too.

Oh and in relation to this topic, maybe we are too demanding but without demand or competition things never improve do they.

Edited by - sanchez_1960 on 8/2/2003 6:13:04 PM

[Link]

Bill

All-Star Member

5334 Posts
6/00

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:14PM

DVD-18's are very expensive to make and very few companies can make them. There were so many problems in making the T2 discs, that they had to also make packages containing 2 DVD-9's because they couldn't get enough DVD-18's made.

[Link]

Bill

All-Star Member

5334 Posts
6/00

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:18PM

I was thinking the same thing. I neither bought nor rented Full Anal Access, so the problems didn't affect me. Therefore, I have no reason to request a free disc. I would hope that others will use the same logic.

[Link]

Flash

Golden Age Classic

11018 Posts
5/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 6:33PM

Same here. It's nice of them to compensate those who were affected, something very rare these days.

Edited by - flash on 8/2/2003 6:41:56 PM

[Link]

tricia_devereaux
Evil Angel DVD

Patience is a virtue, but who wants to be virtuous?
4283 Posts
4/00

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 7:10PM

timotei-
It's a matter of opinion mostly what should be considered a premium title and also what amount of money would be worth doing a double disc set.

Including quality authoring, dvd-production, and quality replication of a DVD-9 (dual-layer DVD) with the price difference for a 2-disc case instead of a 1-disc case, the extra disc could cost between $3 - $4 or even $5 extra. We're willing to absorb some of that cost on our own to make a better DVD presentation for our special movies (Ass Collector, like you mentioned), but there's a limit as to how many movies even warrant that kind of treatment.

With blue-laser technology coming up in the not-so-distant future, we will be able to put a lot more info on the discs.

[Link]

skronker
Notable Legendary Icon

Scopophiliac
9780 Posts
9/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 7:29PM

Bucho
Member

44 Posts
8/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 7:29PM

Hi all! Long time lurker first time poster. I'd like say I though that Full Anal Acces was a damn near perfect movie. The only drawback was the digital artifacts. I kinda sad that Michaels going to cut back on the extras. I'm a big fan of dvd extras. I don't know how much this helps with the bitrates but to all the adult film companies out you guys should ditch the photo galleries/slide shows. After watching a movie a bunch still shots seem boring.

Hey Michael. PLEASE KEEP the photo shoots with girls on the discs I really dig them.

[Link]

BigFerret
creampie scientist

Searching for blonde and red bush
1985 Posts
10/02

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 8:12PM

Welcome Bucho!
I suppose it may be a bit too demanding that I want to see anal creampies eaten by one girl from another ass.

[Link]

focusyn
Member

Australia
54 Posts
10/01

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 9:11PM

Definately. We all lose our temper at other people every now and then, but honestly do we all apologize? I like the fact that Platinum X is making an effort in these forums to keep us informed and involved. With a few exceptions, not that many of the other studios go that far or even listen.

[Link]

Gonzophile
Member

Southeast USA
53 Posts
7/03

Posted - Aug 2 2003 : 9:14PM

Thanks to Mr. Stefano for attempting to make things right. Gotta say that the initial negative comments did affect a purchase of ours last night. Instead of Teens Revealed, we bought another studio's title. Now we can stick with Stefano.