I am a a porn director for penthouse ask me anything!

Are there really hot locals in my area that would like to meet me?

haha I'd like to think so.

Can you please tell your colleagues to stop doing that camera shot where all you see is the dude's asshole and balls slapping against whoever they are fucking? Thanks.

Undercrown I hear your prayers. When I edit the films I avoid showing the dudes asshole like wildfire. Alas it is a big company with many editors......Small victories

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Guys we have gotten an absolute kick out of this thread....I feel the need to address this in the podcast.

when was the first time you sucked dick for coke?

lol, Cancun 1998... but it was Spring Break after all

So I think I speak for everyone when I ask if dudes actually last that long all the time or if there's some editing that goes into it (meaning the guy will finish, clean up, then you keep shooting but splice it in before the "finale")? You always hear that guys in porn set unrealistic expectations for us normal guys with normal wieners that last a normal amount of time in bed with our normal wives/girlfriends/sleeves of our favorite jackets.

Great question and I feel we can devote a whole podcast to this subject. But generally the guys I feel have the "hardest" job (no pun intended, sorry bad joke) but yeah they pretty much have to have wiener control. When I as a director say, okay this is your last position, I need 3 minutes then "POP" (industry lingo) whenever you want. I expect him to cum where I tell him after I have my footage. But there's been accidents, popping too early. We just work around it. But overall don't feel too bad about setting unrealistic expectations. These guys do it for a living and condition their bodies for just that.

That's big league, right there. Thanks and looking forward to the podcast!

You got it, plus any further questions you might have we will try and address them either here or on the podcast coming up

Just read through all your comments but I'm still not 100% sure. Are you going to be doing a podcast or something?

We'll be doing a youtube show starting next wednesday on the penthouse youtube channel. http://goo.gl/Cq2kqa

We will be redirecting many of our redditors questions at our first guest chanel preston.

Do you still get erections? Or is it normal to you now?

Great question. I would love if a major university did a study on that exact question. Sadly it does effect your tolerance to the female body, being straight after all, I've had naked models in front of me and seriously forgot they were naked when I asked them to go to set. They usually respond, "Should I get dress". But I do get erections but it takes a model doing cartwheels now, haha

Do you ever get free sex because of your job?

Never... Penthouse is pretty corporate and has no tolerance for such activity. But I've heard otherwise on other companies. But me personally, never

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lol, Hypothetically wink wink never but I have gone on to have some pretty awesome dreams from shooting earlier that day, ( i know boring answer but I never hooked up but believe me, we all (meaning the crew) have our favorite wish list, but never hooked up. But we tend to be boring guys off set compared to the guys porn stars date, haha

where is the other end of that first round bracket? sorry but it makes it hard for me to breath while looking for the second bracket.

SAUDI FAT OGRE, if i could give points for best name I'd throw em your way. I'm sorry about that one. I'd fix it but it's kinda our thing now. B

How do you feel about porn fans that get all their porn for free online? (IE. everybody.)

lol, nature of the beast. Look at the Music industry, people can easily get music for free but they had to find themselves being able to adapt and change to a ever changing consumer market. Porn is like that, yes you can get free porn, its no secret, but I feel porn has opened up other related fields: Cam Shows, Stripper appearances, custom videos. Which is like the music industry. YOu can see more music artists on the road because they can't rely on just song downloads, so now they have to branch out to: merchandise, licensing, festival appearances etc etc

Porn and Music are both similar in that battle: Yes its Free, but here are other options and better... blah blah blah, haha hope I answer your question

Who is the most famous pornstar you've shot?

Heather Vandeven that i've actually shot, I've been on set when sasha grey was doing a shoot, she was my favorite

I've never turned on a pornstar as much as I have with Sasha. It's not one thing in particular, I think I just got tired of her screaming schtick. It comes across as practiced and fake to me after seeing women who seem both vocal and genuine about it -- Faye Reagan, Nicole Rae, and Michelle Moist come to mind.

However the rule applies for all porn: different strokes for different folks.

I have good memories of shooting Faye Reagan, but I haven't seen her in awhile.

I'd have to say Sasha Grey.

How much coke gets done on set?

None ever that I experience, but I've heard from other companies that that could happen. But it's pretty professional, if we suspect someone is using, we have to tell that person to go home or reschedule. But personally, its better if everyone's clean, it makes for a better shooting day.

Follow up question: have you ever had a girl breakdown and have to quit halfway through filming?

YES YES YES: Ranging from Boyfriend drama, Secretly got drunk behind our back and went into rage, one model accused everyone of stealing her phone, it was in her purse... Its always a colorful days but a model freaking out is rare but it does happen

How long have you been in the industry?

Do you feel that Penthouse had adapted quickly enough to the ways the internet has changed how we consume porn?

At Penthouse = 7 Years

Great question on adaption, currently Penthouse is the leading producer of 3D porn, as far as 3D relevance, that's for another day I suppose. But porn is ever changing and its hard to keep up by we try our hardest to adapt.

The fact you are embracing youtube is definitely a good sign.

What sort of impact has piracy had on your industry?

Big impact. It effects everyone's business model. Where I'm sure DVD's were the primary source of income. Now its: Website membership, licensing, branding, etc etc...

Have you accidentally been ejaculated on?

The camera I've maned has been squirted on by the female talent but I've never been hit personally. Never by the male talent

Haha, I can imagine that. Did it get on the lens?

Yes, on the lens, haha

I bet y'all have rain gear and clear filters on squirt shoots now.

Actually there are rain jackets for the cameras we use, haha

I've always wondered, is there ever a guy who just can't cum when the money shot scene comes? I feel like I wouldn't be able to on command with so much pressure.

Unfortunately yes. Now I'm going to reveal some porn secrets but oh well: When that happens you either 1.) call "cut" and have him jack off until he's ready 2.) politely ask the female co-star to "help him get his edge (lingo for nut, pop, etc) which she will politely go over and ask what he like: His nipples licked, tickle his balls, maybe she bends over and he licks her butthole (which I've all seen) and wait for him to cum, which he will then inform the crew he's 2 minutes away and lastly 3.) FAKE POP it in her mouth our pussy with a fake semen concoction, which thank god I never had to do. Hope that answers your question

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Put it in a tube and squirt it in her mouth or vagina

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its all in the EDITING... Say you start with a wide shot, CUT, (insert fake cum) then begin with a close up... EDITING EDITING EDITING... its all done in Post (Lingo for Post Production)

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I currently don't have a daughter. But if I did, I would rather have her be a doctor or a lawyer like every parents dreams. But no one sets out to be a air conditioning repair man, or a pool cleaner, but I know some pretty cool air condition repair guys and some awesome pool cleaners. I guess what I'm saying is "Of course not, I don't even think porn stars started out dreaming of being a porn star" But I respect your question.

How does the whole process for scouting a location work? How much does it usually cost?

There's websites dedicated to just porn locations. It ranges from homes in the Hollywood Hills to a Loft in Downtown L.A. Which brings in another topic of revenue for people who rent out there homes. Porn essentially is paying some people's mortgages, haha. But it could range from $1200 to $1800 for 8 hours. But that comes with conditions, no illegal activity, bring your own bedding, clean up afterwards, etc etc

A lot cheaper than I suspected....especially for a company like Penthouse. Couldn't you just rent the house for "recreation" or pretend you're on vacation to get lower rate?

It's better to go through a location rental company and have them deal with insurance, neighbors, etc etc... thanks for the question and hopefully you can catch our podcast next week for the Brendan and The Bear on youtube Penthouse World

You can use my place for free if I get to watch. Leave the sheets...

haha, deal. (okay maybe not, but thanks)

What do your parents/friends think about your career, and have you been shunned by any of them?

Friends think its awesome and my cousins feel the same way. I haven't ask my 60 year aunt how she feels what I do, because I could pretty much gage what her feelings will be. But Friends and Family under 40 generally think its cool

How did you get into the business?

Starting shooting music videos. That work dried up once the record industry went down. Tried working freelance on different projects and a classmate that I went to film school with told me about Penthouse and offered me a job. You be surprise how many film school superstars started out by editing and shooting porn. I won't name names but I personally worked with 2 guys that went on have their movies premiere at Sundance.

You're being chased through the streets of Los Angeles by a pack of angry polar bears. You don't know why they are there, but you know why they are angry. They will eventually catch up to you, but before you do, you have a choice to make. There is a subway station 30 feet to your left and a limping homeless man 30 feet to your right. in front of you is an alley that appears to end with no exit. Which direction do you choose?

mate that's a hard one. i didn't know they travelled in packs but I guess that's the hand I've been dealt. I'll just wait for the doctor to show up.

How does the "talent" act offstage? Is it a pretty cool place to hang out, or is everyone just in and out for scenes?

Talent offstage are pretty chill and professional. They come in first for hair and make up and usually hang out. Believe me when I say Porn is a SMALL WORLD and we get to build relationships with a lot of the girls that come in. Sometimes its like family but overall its great hang out but surround by the urgency of getting and setting up for the next shot

Thank you for the thorough proof images.

Thanks

I second the question about erections...do you just think of oh, I dont know...Margret Thatcher naked on a cold day>? or is it just one of those things that people don't notice...?

Desensitized I guess. Being on set is a stressful atmosphere, you're more worried about getting that camera angel correct as oppose to hitting on the naked girl. But hopefully you can see and hear our podcast when it debuts on our youtube channel next week.

Calling the girls 'camera angels' isn't considered hitting on them?

lol sorry typo "angle"

What is the worst freak out or flip out by a model on set you've ever witnessed?

Here's my favorite. I'll try and be as short as possible and not bore you with the details:

-Model comes in asking when she will get paid -Tells everyone she's going to jail because she killed someone drunk driving a month earlier -Gets drunk behind our back in the girls bathroom -Attacks cameraman on live web show -Then quickly passes out (snoring) touching herself -Call her agent -Agent picks her up -Never saw her in porn again after that

But that was the most extreme in 7 years of porn. Generally not even remotely like that and that was a exception to the rule

Did she make it onto Efukt? I feel like I've seen this video...

No, we would never release our content presented in that form. Just not our style. If it's showing the model is a shitty way, we edit it out. Trying to keep it classy here at Penthouse, haha. But I must admit I have seen a but of crazy videos on that site.

When you watch porn outside of work do you constantly critique it or just enjoy it?

I must admit I do critique it but I try to enjoy it.

Do you prefer the naked female body now after being in the industry or some lingerie tease? How have your tastes for intimate relations changed?

Personally I prefer lingerie, I like a little left to my imagination.

Film student here. Offer any internships?

Advice: Check craigslist in L.A. I'm sure they pop up. Currently none at Penthouse at the time

What do you think of all the ridiculous restrictions trying to be passed in Cali on pornographic actors?

personally I don't agree with it one bit, but it's a political issue left to others for debate, we will adapt to law changes.

How has your work as a director affected your views on pornography and sex?

A great deal, being raised Catholic and a (cough cough) former alter boy (don't worry, never got touched) its change my view on porno and sex in the sense that EVERYONE does it. Okay, Almost everyone does it and you shouldn't be ashamed of it. The internet exist because of porn I feel sometimes, but as long as everyone participating in whatever crazy kinky shit your getting into willingly, that should be your right. But if you feel dirty about it, then maybe get another hobby

Are the girls normally genuinely turned on? Or is it mostly fake?

"turned on" is somewhat subjective. But the sex is definitely 100% real

so fake

haha, well shit, if you have to fuck upwards to 10 guys a month, they are not all going to be super horny and turned on. But that dick is definitely going into that vagina, that sure ain't no CGI effect, haha. But I've seen male and female co-stars fucking off camera in the corner because they are genuinely into it. So its totally subjective upon the talent

How did you get into the industry?

By chance, I touched on it earlier. Got connected with another Film School friend of mine who was in porn.

Tisch?

No. School out here in L.A.

How many of the actors/actresses you shoot have plastic surgery? is it a common thing? is there a stigma against it? or are you not told that stuff?

Our talent varies as much as peoples personal taste. We try to cater to as many markets as possible. A good percentage of them have had breast enlargements but there are a lot of girls that haven't had any work done at all.

What is the weirdest thing that has happened on set?

The cops showed up once. It was pretty funny when they realized the noise complaint was from a porn shoot. They just smiled and told us to try and keep it down. It was a Pool Scene.

has it had a positive or negative effect on you?

Porn has had an overall positive effect. Meeting different people and having a job that has a creative side is a bonus. Stay tuned out podcast debuting next week on our youtube channel for Penthouse World

How do normal people get started in getting a job like that? (Assuming there isn't an inside connection you have) I assume there isn't a "Careers" menu on the site, haha.

Normal people like myself start from the bottom typically: first you become an assistant editor, then an editor, then a script writer, then a production assistant, then a camera operator, then finally a writer/director. Well that's at least how I did it.

Gotcha. Though, how would someone become an assistant editor? Where would you even apply for something like that? Question stays the same with any porn company. I'm asking for, err... A friend.

Honestly, Craigslist is your best bet. You just have to look for the secret words in the job description. When you see an ad for an video editor that states: "Must be comfortable with adult related content." That equals, "Hey we shoot porn, care to edit vaginas"

Thanks for this AMA!

What do you think as technology develops will be the next "big thing" in porn?

Edit: developed to develops

Penthouse is still keeping on pursuing the advancement of 3D within porn and generally, the next "big thing" in porn: who knows, interactive porn. it's being discussed.

Brendan is currently working on a interactive porn app for Penthouse

Interactive? How so?

Top secret, just kidding. The app superimposes the girls image over your live feed, aka skype, facetime, but would you like us to address this further for our podcast... We will be more than happy to go further in explaining the idea and process

Penthouse is still around? I thought the magazine had stopped publishing.

Penthouse is still around. Just saw some at my local 7-Eleven :)

What does your family think about you guys being in porn? Are you going to tell your children, assuming you have any?

As far as me (aka Gerry) I try and hide it as much as possible to my Mother, but the rest of my family think its pretty cool.

As far as Brendan: Everyone knows Everyone loves it

Do you have certain things you HAVE to shoot set out at the start of the day? Not just a shot list, but are you provided with any kind of brief from higher up of "This video must contain x, y for z number minutes", or is it all down to you?

We definitely have a set agenda. Its almost down to a science: "Okay 4 more minutes of softcore" "Let's build up to their first kiss within the first 4 minutes", things like that. And strips have a formula. Basically almost everything has a formula... kind of, haha. Sorry. hopefully I answered your question.

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1 - for the most part it is their fulltime job. A lot of them have their own enterprises on the side (clothing lines, perfumes etc)

2 - for me (Brendan) My wife knew from the first date we went on that I worked in porn. I'd say her first reaction was hysterical laughter then a barrage of questions.

What's something in Krafty that we would find interesting? And are there vegan porn stars?

"Krafty" not sure what that means but I'll try and answer to the best I can. So before we order lunch, we always ask talent and crew if they have any dietary restrictions and we accommodate and diets: vegan, gluten, etc etc

What inspired you to get into film making?

Probably seeing movies when I was young and learning what a director was and a cinematographer was. I first went into Photography in High School and then College but later changed it to Film. But grabbing the family video recorder and shooting homemade movies with my friends probably sparked that interest.

Is most "amateur" porn actually staged, because it seems to me that it is?

it depends. There is proper amateur which is you and the mrs making a home movie together, then there is amateur couples that get hired simply because they are amateur....sort of a one hit deal though in my opinion

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Yes, mostly due to me editing my own content that I direct

Have you ever shot non-porn features or content? Do people co-mingle between the two worlds? What did you think of Boogie Nights and 8MM? How long does it take for the stigma, if any, to wear off? What percentage of people you work with have no shame / are just doing a job / enjoy it for what it is / just ended up there? Does Hollywood blacklist you (or) what is their attitude?

Long list of questions but here goes: Have I shot non-porn? Yes (music videos, commercials) Co-mingle between the two worlds? Yes but mostly secretively. We've had celebrities visit our sets but I wouldn't feel comfortable mentioning names. Boogie Nights? Paul Thomas Anderson is a genius Stigma? Look, Kim Kardashian has a sex tape, Miley Cyrus is shoving her camel toe on MTV. Porn is becoming less and less Taboo Percentage? Not Sure Hollywood Blacklist? Maybe, depends on your angle and project. Diablo Cody who wrote JUNO was a stripper. Kim Kardashian & Pamela Anderson have sex tapes, A-List celebrities have leaked photos, Lars Von Trier has a movie out that has real sex with A-List actors like Shia Labouf. I'm sure there is a Hollywood blacklist for some but if you approach it genuinely from your experience, then you are who you are.

If you weren't in the porn industry what would you see yourself doing, would other occupations not live up to the excitement of the industry?

I've had many gigs outside of porn that I loved. I could easily see myself working in a more mainstream field but the porn industry is a lot of fun.

When you're at a bar and someone asks you what do you do, do you tell them you get accidentally squirted on by female talent or do you say "I do movies"

hahaha that's a funny visual. I love the expression I get when I tell people I work in porn. Everyone I've spoken to about it has been extremely interested. There's been some fun conversations for sure

what is your all time favorite video....

Porn wise I'm assuming: I still have fond memories of getting a Christy Canyons porn when I was young and she did it for me. But if your asking my all time favorite video, it changes every week, lol.

Not quite sure how to word this..Do actors (probably more likely females) ever get emotional or have freak outs, while shooting? I watch a lot of porn but I would never actually have the guts to do it, do any actors ever have mid-scene regrets over what they are doing or sudden modesty issues?

We've had very few freak outs on set. Most of the talent that walk through the door are very professional but there was the time I addressed in a previous comment with a previous actress who had Boyfriend drama on set.

Hey you two, I have more of a mindset question.

Working in the industry, do you find you can still enjoy porn for how 14 year old you did? I often find that working in a particular industry makes me either concentrate too much on the small things (pun) or lose interest completely.

that's a good question. I was discussing that one with Gerry earlier on. For me personally I remember sneaking into my old mans room and stealing his magazines (penthouse black ironically)

Since working in the industry I have found myself not watching it at home...probably because I'm not getting paid to do it lol.

Also the hunt for porn when i was a young teen was a lot more fun than typing into google 'big tit asian threesome'. Kids have got it too easy these days!

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Yes. We get a stack of Penthouse Magazine for anyone to grab every time a new issue comes out.

Will Penthouse be doing 4k porn? Any plans already?

Just discussion phase at the moment. Nothing as of yet

What is your breakfast I have to ask

Blueberry Bagel, no cream cheese

What about eggs?

Maybe on the podcast we debut next week I'll answer this mystery, haha

You mentioned going to craigslist for starting out doing behind the scenes stuff, but where would one go from there? Lets say you do enough craigslist based films to where your name gets passed around among amateur directors/pornstars to where they request you for the film. How do you move out of amateur porn if not by accident? Do you send some of your work to porn companies or just hope your work gets stumbled upon by a big time producer?

under the tv/film/video section of the jobs tab. if you type in adult to the search bar you would more than likely see a post if it's up.

I doubt big time companies look for behind the scenes people on craigslist, unless they do...I don't know. But my question was more specifically where do you go to possibly get into a big time company once you've broken into the industry doing amateur work

I got my job starting from craigslist (brendan) so they do hire from there,not all the time, but they definitely do post there. if you have the credentials to match the job you'll get the call.

Have your standards heightened or lowered at all since seeing all the porn actresses every day?

My standards pretty much stayed the same. But sometimes your taste are subject to the right casting for the script

How do I get this job?

I got my job here of a craigslist posting for an editor. A lot of people come through because they know someone but just as many from online.

have you ever jacked off on the job?

haha me personally no, but I'm sure it happens

How can I work for Penthouse!?

see previous answer ;)

My husband wants to get into the business, any advice on how to get started?

what aspect of the industry does he want to be in?

Does Penthouse employ any female directors/camerawomen? Are they regarded any differently than men for being in that profession?

The president that runs the company is a woman, she used to direct films here also. There are a lot of females that work on set and with the talent. It's a very diverse work force that's for sure

Silly question from me: So porn isnt real, they arent really enjoying the sex or even HAVING it, its just to get the footage out etc etc. So, in an orgy porn, when the camera focuses on one couple or like a certain side, does the action just die down everywhere else with a few moans here and there?

Do anybody actually keep going at it after the shoot has ended? Or real backstage sex etc? Or are all backstage sex staged anyways?

DoubledCashew asked that question earlier but I have seen actors and actresses continue to go at off set when we stop rolling.

Whats the grossest thing you've had occur on set?

seeing how it's 2am here I'll have gerry answer that one for you tomorrow - brendan

Richard Dawkins will be doing an AMA tomorrow. He is one of the leading public intellects in the world today. How does it make you feel that just because you are involved in porn you will get more upvotes?

Not sure, but I encourage any fans of Richard Dawkins to write into his AMA tomorrow. Sounds like a rad dude

Richard likes porn.

Even better, haha

Was the whole point of this AMA to shamelessly plug the YouTube channel?

Yes, shameless plugs but by way of answering as much of your questions as possible, haha. Give us a break midlip, haha. There's a reason your favorite show has commercials every 8 minutes and youtube has ads before every video. Sorry, but next time we wil set another AMA for no apparent reason if you wish.