I can also totally agree with just about all of your points.

I have heard some people say they like the off-camera direction and think it's "hot", but I think it's inappropriate... a well-edited and well-shot video can effectively cut the stage direction out of the final product, and particularly if the director has a creepy, gravelly voice, it definitely doesn't help the mood :)

As for the fake fucking, the issue isn't finding bottoms... actually, for us at least, probably 70% of our guys are versatile, and the rest are pretty evenly split between tops and bottoms. The issue is usually more related to the model's "equipment problems." It's more difficult than you might imagine for guys to get and keep erections long enough to get started on a good fuck scene, particularly when you're working with models that haven't been on camera before.

We've not had to fake any fuck scenes in our videos, but sometimes that's come at the cost of a scene that should have taken 90 minutes to film taking 4 or 5 hours while the models "worked themselves up to it." Ditto the bottom being hard... a lot of bottoms love bottoming, but just don't get hard while doing so.

Of course, in a well edited video, you'll never know that the 7 minutes of fucking took 5 hours to get, or the guy took 2 hours to deliver a cumshot... but that's just the nature of the work.

We treat our models really well and so they are almost always genuinely enjoying themselves while the video is being shot, and that makes it a lot easier... but even the best model will have bad days... or somebody wandered into the scene accidentally and ruined the mood for a few minutes... or something else happened that interrupted the flow. But usually the models are troopers and want to do a good job, and we end up getting a great scene.

I also strongly agree with the idea of having lots of facial closeups, and constant cuts between the closeup fucking shots and a farther back shot where you can see the faces of the models. We've consistently received comments that people like our editing specifically because we *do* aim for that, and it's beyond me why so many studios don't get that.

Showing the prep for penetration is definitely desirable, but not always possible. Sometimes, it takes the model forever to get to a place where he is hard enough to penetrate, so he has to go for it when he gets there... so sometimes, at least, when you see an abrupt cut, it's less that the director wanted it that way and more that the nature of the scene and the models sort of required that.

Finding the combination of cute models who are comfortable doing porn, who can reliably get it up, who are reasonably easy to work with, and who aren't flaky is not as easy as you might think. We're lucky enough to have a good network of scouts and a lot of models who refer their friends, but that's come after a lot of effort building up those connections.

And we do like both plots and interviews, and use both. If we do a plot, we try to make it at least *somewhat* plausible and have it last more than 12.25 seconds and genuinely add to the excitement of the scene. Otherwise, as you said, what's the point? Again, part of the issue is that many porn models are terrible actors... but we try to have fun with it and make it something that the audience will enjoy.

I do think you're on the money as far as scrotum and asshole shots... and that's a comment we've heard before and are working to address in the newer shoots we do.

We love getting comments and suggestions such as these, and I hope that the info above is helpful. We'd love to hear any other thoughts or suggestions that people have.

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1. Jumping right into the action – there should be good close up face shots before they lock lips. We want to know what we are dealing with before the scene starts.

2. Who’s Who- Many scenes cut right from a 69 or kissing into several minutes of close up camera work on the cock pounding the ass. It isn’t until after that that the camera comes back and we see who is getting it and who is giving it. Like any movie it is frustrating to not know what is going on.

3. Show the penetration and preparation- It shouldn’t go right from blowjobs to pounding away. You don’t have to show the entire process but a few seconds of lubbing up and a few seconds of insertion would go along way.

4. Fake Sounds- Don’t overdub the moaning and the groaning tell the actors you want them to do it when they are doing it or get better microphones. Nothing like hearing and “ohhh Yeahhh” when no ones mouth has moved.

Good job on the above. Another thing I hate is to see someone truly cute or handsome paired with someone unattractive--ugh! A lot of directors don't seem to have a clue as to what to do with a good-looking guy. They treat him like he's just another run of the mill actor in their flic. If he looks good, put the camera on him!

Another turn on for many viewers which is often neglected is actual affection during sex. I just saw a scene with Danny Sommers and Hal Rockland in one of the endless Aspen movies, and Hal Rockland kisses Danny on the mouth, face and body as he's having sex with him. That made for one hot scene!

To get back to your points, it's very frustrating for the viewer to see a rapid cut from the oral or foreplay to full sex in action. Viewers want to see the some foreplay, fingering, lubing up, even sometimes putting on the condom, and they want to see the actual penetration.
Another thing viewers like and often don't get are good closeup shots of withdrawal and re-entry. That's a turn on, and a lot of directors don't get it!

That's it for now, but I'll probably think of a few more pet peeves at some point. EV

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