Bedroom Eyes

It was another hot weekend here in San Francisco, with the Dore Alley Street Fair stealing the show! Several thousand half-naked men decked out in leather paraded up and down a short stretch of Folsom Street in one of the city's best annual events. The fair is different now from what it used to be--mainly because a huge condo complex was built on the big empty parking lot that used to hold most of the booths and food at the fair. I could only stay for a short time because I had to head to the office and finish editing my big movie for Fall, Bedroom Eyes.

Bedroom Eyes is a great flick---I think it is my best work since Arabesque. It is just over 3 1/2 hours long and features 14 incredible men who give stunning performances. You can always tell when you have a winning movie right after the rough cut.

This films was shot over about four months, so the editing process was the first opportunity I had to really see what the movie was going to look like as a whole. I will have a lot more to say about Bedroom Eyes as the release date gets closer (August 25--it will be the first major movie of the Fall Porn Season).

I thought, however, that I would stick up some photos to give you guys a sneak peak at what is going to be one of the year's top films.

Gayvn's

I just had a phone call from the editors at AVN magazine telling me that the GayVN awards show is moving to San Francisco for next year. They announced that it will be held in the Castro Theatre--which means it is literally in my back yard! I live right behind the old, 1920s landmark theatre--when I look out my back bedroom window I see it. Sometimes, late at night when the wind is quiet, I can hear the old Wurletzer Organ playing to the audience. The move to San Francisco is great news for the industry! And I love the idea of walking, instead of flying, to the awards show! Maybe with it so close to home I will have better luck! Last year we took home several GayVNs for Arabesque and Passport to Paradise, but I really thought that the scene between Francois Sagat and Huessein deserved the award for best sex scene.

The move of the GayVns to San Francisco is also a recognition that the power center of the industry has moved north to the Bay Area, leaving the straight side of the biz down in Los Angeles. Major studios such as Raging Stallon, Pistol Media, Falcon, Colt, Titan and Hot House are all located in San Francisco, as is Gay.com (the owner of Specialty publications) and Naked Sword, the on-line super power. Several other studios such as Factory Video, Treasure Island, Pantheon Productions, Shot Gun, and Spunk Video round out the video companies that call northern California home. Recently, Studio 2000 announced that they are moving to San Francisco--this because the new owners live up here. With one outstanding exception that I prefer not to mention, all of these studios cooperate with each other and are instrumental in making the Bay Area the center of the Gay Porn World. Ok Chi Chi--its time for you to join the migration!!!

This week, for the first time ever, a team of FBI agents conducted a surprise inspection of a company to check out 2257 record keeping practices. For those of you who have not heard, the 2257 laws require that producers keep detailed records on every model they film, ostensibly to demonstrate that all models are over 18 years of age. Although the proof of age requirement makes good sense, the law as written makes compliance almost impossible. Here at Raging Stallion we have worked very hard to keep good and accurate records--they occupy over 5 full sized file cabinets and are sorted and cross-referenced according to each actor's legal name, porn name, and the movies in which they appear. We are in good shape, but I still wonder why a studio who films guys who are clearly over 30 years old must go to all this effort to prove that no model is under 18......

I have to run--I am finishing up the final edit on my big movie for September--Bedroom Eyes. Wait until you guys see this one! It may be better than Arabesque!

Chris

Ben Leon Interview

Hey Guys,

I had a chance to sit down with Ben Leon, my camera man and one of the new RSS directors. Ben and I co-directed Manifesto earlier this year. This weekend we are releasing the first movie that he directed an his own. It is a Manuel Torres feature film entitled Manhattan! We sent Ben to New York to film this major new release. What follows is a short interview with Ben about this new film.

Enjoy!

Chris Ward


Chris: Where did you come up with the idea of shooting a movie about New York?

Ben: I had been thinking about directing my own movie for a while, pretty much ever since I picked up the camera. One of our biggest stars, Manuel Torres, has been tearing up the New York scene for years and we wanted to create a movie that built on all his New York exposure. The project was a good trial run for my directing skills. As Manuel Torres says in the movie "If you can't do it in New York, you're not going to be able to do it in the world."

Chris: A lot of these scenes were shot on rooftops, were you worried about shooting where someone could see you?

Ben: Everytime we shoot in a public or semi-public situation I am afraid of getting caught. I also have to be concerned about the models feeling comfortable. Even many of the indoor scenes for Manhattan were shot in somewhat risky situations, ie shooting in front of huge windows across from a major construction sight. At one point during the shoot we did stop and move inside after a model saw a man standing on his porch watching.

Here's a hilarious story from Mr. Pam about shooting on her roof and in front of her huge windows.

Amazing story I had to share....

For the past 3 days Raging Stallion Studios has been shooting 'Manhattan' in my loft. They shot 3 really hot scenes with 2 yummy men inside by the window and on the roof (go ben & kent!).

This evening the doorbell rang, it was my neighbor in the back a few houses over. We have chatted maybe twice. I answered the door downstairs, the 51 year old gay man starts telling me that he just had a huge operation, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer
with really low survival rate, he has to have all this stuff on his cheeks, neck and armpits removed but he said...

"If I die tomorrow, I would have died a happy man because of watching all that has been going on in your loft the past few days." He said the hot boys having sex made him feel happy again... passionate... alive!

awwwww! yay! go porn! (he said all the other neighbors loved it too...doh!)

As much as it seems the world may be against us, its times like this where I know all our hard work is really making a difference in so many people lives.

Keep going everyone!

big hugs...
mr. PAM

Chris: Do you have your own directing style?

Ben: I am a product of the Raging Stallion team and specifically have learned about making high quality porn from you. On top of that, my own porn consuming habits include lots of lower end straight porn with tons of camera movement and a looser editing style with action at its core. Manhattan has given me the chance to take the skills that I have gained from Raging Stallion and combine it with a bit of my own aesthetic.

Manhattan is all shot in daylight using natural light as much as possible. The models are encouraged to have a good time, let me know any needs/desires they may have and to fuck and suck and fuck until I have what I need. I tried for a slightly more everyday kind of feel, catching glimpses of people hanging out, drinking beer, watching TV, riding the subway etc.

Chris: How did you end up working in porn?

Ben: The first time I walked into Raging Stallion Studios I walked in as an art director for an indy film, "Vanilla." (you can find it at www.tlavideo.com, At the time I was working on indy film projects and taking any work I could find. I met Kent Taylor and offered my services as a PA. Four months later I was offered a full time job working on sets, setting lights and handing out lube and condoms. I had never worked around sex before but obviously I liked it. One day I mentioned that I had learned editing in college and was interested in camera work. One thing led to another and here I am.

Ben Leon's Manhattan

We are having a heat wave here in California--too hot to do anything, Fortunately, we were not shooting this weekend. Our sound stages are on the top floor of our office building, so it really heats up when the weather is hot. Add to that ten or twenty thousand watts of lights and you get a real broiler!

We released Ben Leon's Manhattan on Friday--its a great movie (coming in at 3 hours long!) that Ben shot in New York. It is his first time out on his own as a director (he has helped me direct for the past year, most notably in Manifesto where we shared credit). Manhattan, however, is the first full-on Ben Leon movie. He set out to make a high quality picture that had a very different feel from the regular RSS stuff. He cast younger, urban--even more thugish--guys. Manuel Torres leads the picture and is on the box cover.

My thoughts on this movie are pretty strong--I think it is one of the best movies of the year! The quality of the project, from start to finish, is first rate, and Ben really blasts onto the scene as a stand-out director. He will become one of our industry's leaders very quickly.

Thank goodness he is my employee!!!!

Tony DaVinci

I just got back from a day long video shoot on the Russian River in Northern California's beautiful wine district. Ben Leon (my camera man), Kent Taylor (my photographer), and Michael Brandon (who you all know!) and I headed up on highway 101 during the morning to shoot a solo scene starring one of the hottest new men to hit the biz this year. His name is Tony DaVinci.

Tony has one of the best bodies I have ever seen--check out the photos and you will see immediately what I am talking about! He works out long and hard on a daily basis with the goal of sculpting himself into a perfect specimen. Of Italian heritage, Tony comes complete with a thick head of beautiful black hair. And what a face! Could he be even hotter than Francois Sagat????

Tony is new to the industry--he has done some physique modeling (I hope he gets a cover of Men's Fitness one day--he certainly look the type), but this is his first major erotic adventure. He is starting slowly--doing a solo
scene for RSS is his way of putting his feet in the water. Tony is represented by David Forest, that Hollywood super-agent that everyone loves to hate--but you have to hand it to David, he has really out done himself by bringing Tony DaVinci to the porn scene.

Tony, a delightful guy, always has a big, broad smile that invites conversation (this is what makes him popular with his fans on the dance circuit--he does male stripping and loves it). Tony is going to be a major star--kind of like Mark Dalton or Zeb Atlas. Watch for the release of his first video later this year!

What is RSS doing filming solos? Well, we decided to produce a top-quality solo DVD and see how it does in the market. Solo movies have a huge fan base (even though many guys into hardcore features do not like them). Solos give us a chance to shoot guys who are willing to perform naked, but not in a full-on porn scene. Back when I worked at the Stock Exchange in my earlier career, many of the Equities traders did nude modeling and their high-powered Wall Street bosses didn't seem to mind. If they had shot hardcore gay porn, however, I suspect that they might have had problems. Nude modeling--even solos with cum shots--have become so widespread that many men who will not do porn are eager to show off their amazing bodies. Tony DaVinci is one of these men--lets see what we can get him to do next!!

Happy Wanking!

Chris Ward

Interview with Jake Deckard

1. Why did you decide to do porn? When did you start?

You know, I damn near passed out the first time I saw my own asshole with a hand mirror...I thought I would just build on that level of excitement. I've been working naked in one way or another since I was in my early 20's.

2. What is the non-porn part of your life like?

Like a gay train wreck, but without the meth. I keep the changing things,hoping that I'll find what I'm looking for.

3. You are originally from Florida, but you have lived in New York for many years. What do you like about New York?

What do you not like? I love the fast pace, I hate that the cabbies are always trying to kill me on my motorcycle!

4. Rumor has it that you are moving to San Francisco... do you have any announcement to make?

Yep, this August me and my man are packing a van and heading west. We'll be paying our way by belly-dancing on street corners like gypsies. Hopefully we'll arrive before the trip to Hawaii!

5. Give us some porn stories! What is it like working with Raging Stallion?

So far it's been fast, easy and sleazy...just the way I like it. The sex is a bit more head on with RS, no endless hours on B-roll that's never gonna be used or even watched. I've had 2 great co-stars that worked out really well, and we were able to really go at it, and give the directors what they needed full-throttle!

6. You just filmed with Tamas Eszterhazy and with Blake Nolan. Tell us about these shoots?

I really nailed Tamas. Hard, loud and mean. The JD Slater shoot was great because Nolan is such a big ol' lug of a man, and because I couldn't find the cameras anywhere or JD anywhere. It was like we were there doing ourthing by ourselves.

7. What do you get out of porn, other than the huge salaries, of course? How is it rewarding? In other words, why do you do it?

A huge ego and bad case blue-balls. I've spent last 10 years working in a dark room one on one with massage clients, so I've had to develop a whole new set of social skills to engage the kind of people that are in the porn world. Why do it? Everyone has a bent root, this satisfies mine (for now anyway).

8. What do you look for in a costar? How do you tell ahead of time if the chemistry will work?

I really demand engagement from a co-star...I'm not talking BFF, but at least some level of camaraderie. Generally, if someone deals with their insecurities by being an asshole, it's not gonna work. That being said, I haven't run across a single person in a scene that I didn't enjoy working with.

9. What are some of your favorite porn and non-porn titles? Do you like movies in general? I do, Non-porn...I'm the guy in the back of the theater eating a jumbo popcorn, nachos and raisonettes. My name (Deckard) is taken from "BladeRunner", one of my favorites. I watch porn all the time, but my eye is more critical now. I like really gonzo stuff, some Titan, and I've loved RS titles for years. I've started to watch Collin O'Neals website lately, very hot. How does he get some of the guys to take off their clothes?

10. You have a dog-tell us about that!

Yeah, he's a small, quite family member. I love him.

11. What are your future plans? What are your long-term goals both within and outside the industry?

I've got this magazine idea that I'm working on, and I've got a few scripts for videos I've been knocking around. I'm game for anything, as long as I'm paying my bills and having a good time doing it!

Welcome

Hey Guys,

Welcome to my new Blog! This is going to be fun!

As you may know, I am the head of Raging Stallion Studios in San Francisco, which means that I have the very difficult job of filming hundreds of hot men having amazing sex all year long! As a studio head I am also very active in the west coast porn industry--which means that I have lots of insider news and access to what people are talking about. When I decided to start a blog I thought that it would be great to share some of my experiences with all of you. Here are some of the things that I will bring you in future updates:

1. Personal interviews with your favorite stars.
2. Up to the minute updates from my porn sets.
3. Information about upcoming releases.
4. My thoughts on the industry and the events that shape it.
5. Guest commentaries.
6. Photographs and video clips available no where else!
7. An interactive place for you to participate in this blog as well.

So lets get started!


I just met Jake Deckhart. We flew him in from New York for his first shoot with Raging Stallion. Jake had been a top performer over at a rival company, Titan Media. We gave Jake a two-year contract as soon as he had completed his obligations to Titan. I was really looking forward to working with him (I had admired his earlier work very, very much). I was hoping for a good face, a great body, and a hard dick, but I got even more! This man is hot! I have rarely seen a body as beautifully muscled as Jake's and his dick was not just hard--it was rock hard all the time. Jake exudes sex in the best sense of the word, and our first video shoot with him went spectacularly well. We paired him with RSS exclusive Tamas Eszterhazy inone scene, and with RSS / Centurion Pictures exclusive Blake Nolan in another. These scenes are going to appear in the upcoming JD Slater feature, Centurion Muscle 4 : Omega. This photo of Jake is his most recent picture! As you can see, he looks GREAT! Jake is going to do an interview here at this blog in the next few weeks--look for it!

After meeting Jake we decided to cast him in our big South Pacific shoot later this summer. We're meeting up with our Sydney production crew mid-way for the event. This is going to be a huge film entitled Lord of the Jungle. Imagine Arabesque, but in the tropics! I will be writing more about this project later this month.

Some of you may have been hearing on the message boards about my challenge to some other companies to strictly honor each other's model contracts. This is a real sore point with me. We have been having trouble with one company in particular that has been hiring away models who have written and/or oral exclusive contracts with us (in California, oral contracts are binding, by the way). When a studio signs a model to an exclusive contract it represents a long-term investment in that model. Boxcover choices, magazine covers, and top level casting decisions are all made to enhance the public profile of exclusive models. When a model breaks his contract, significant investment of time and energy is lost. Our industry has a long tradition of honoring other Studios' exclusive contracts, so it is unfortunate that some companies are dragging the industry to a new low.

Meanwhile, Collin O'Neal just stopped by the office, so I have to wind this up pretty fast. He is here to celebrate the release of his first DVD (Collin O.Neal's London). He shot this in England and featured some of the hottest European men we have ever seen. Edu Boxer and Jean Franco are his co-stars, but the two that really caught my eye were Milan Gamiani and Ryan Garcia. Collin really delivers a powerfuck to Milan in my favorite scene. Collin really knows how to use his cock! Ryan, with his two star tattoos on his thighs, is one of the hottest new guys around--a great top with a fantastic energy. (BTW, we are taking Collin and Ryan to Hawaii!).

Gotta Run now, but stay tuned for more!

Chris Ward