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New Sensations – Adult Movie Production LA

By on August 21, 2019

I started New Sensations in 1993 based on a concept I had to shoot new girls. I called it Video Virgins. The series was an AVN winner for Best Pro-Am Series. I learned to shoot, edit, light and take pictures based on doing that series. Since then I also started Digital Sin after I left Digital Playground. I created the Virtual Sex Series which was the first interactive DVD product. I signed Peter North to do a series called North Pole. I “discovered” Nic Andrews who would go on to win multiple AVN Awards for his movies. I “discovered” current Evil Angel director Johnni Darkko, who was my cameraman that I handed a video camera to and had him finish a scene. Jeff Mullen was my PR guy and would go on to be a highly credited director. I “discovered” Greg Lansky and Mike Adriano when they came to a booth we had at a European Convention. I gave Nacho Vidal his first series called Killer Pussy. Jackie St. James is another award-winning director we discovered in a writing contest. Eddie Powell is the secret weapon that started as an editor here. Paul Woodcrest was a PA. New Sensations was one of the first studios to work with Manuel Ferrara and Shane Diesel. Contract girls were Jewel DeNyle, Carmen Luvana, Ashlynn Brooke, Chloe Jones.

That is just some of the people involved in New Sensations. We have also had great success with parodies by Lee Roy Meyers who had not directed before NS. There some great behind the scenes folks as well. I created The Romance Series which was the first XXX-rated love story series. I wrote The Flintstones and Scooby-Do parodies. I directed under the name Tyrone Shuz for years because I thought it was funny. I didn’t need credit which is why I didn’t put my name on so many products. There came a time that other people took credit for my work at Digital Playground so I put a name on what I did. In the Video Virgins days I went by I Diddit. I directed for many years. Now I just come up with ideas.

What movie brands/ genres are you carrying and how are tastes evolving?
We are currently focusing on Hotwife movies. This is the fastest growing kink in the Swinges/Alternative Lifestyle. It is built on the concept of cuckolding without any humiliation. Not necessarily a new concept but also not widely available. We are also shooting a series called In The Room where the viewer feels like he/she is there with the performers. They engage the viewer directly. It is a new version of POV. We continue to release fauxcest movies which are based in step-relationships. Our catalog is pretty vast and includes many different genres from Romance to Bondage.

Genres continue to evolve but have a tendency to be hot for a while and then move to something else. There are the staples like MILF, Big Boob, Anal, etc. I think the key is to so something nobody is really doing. That may mean doing it better than anyone else or doing it first and doing it well.

I can imagine that everything has its life span. Beautiful women will always be the driving force. But it is also great sex. It should be/feel real. What makes sex scenes cool for me is when the performers are really into each other and what they are doing. I am not sure the VR is quite there yet. I think it can be eventually. If you could, one day see, touch and feel a VR environment and person, it would be amazing. It may also be the end of social interaction and dangerous.

I don’t know certain subcultures that are becoming more prominent and if I did I may be very shocked. But as far as more mainstream product I am not surprised by much. We tend to follow guidelines.

How and to what countries are you selling to?
We still sell DVDs to Europe and Australia but license the broadcast rights to many more countries. DVD is not what it once was, so we offset that by our membership sites, VOD and broadcast. Our movies are often edited and sold to the major mainstream cable company Showtime.

How do you promote New Sensations?
NS is well known to our customers. We are working diligently to promote ourselves in the on-line community where we are not known nearly as well. Some big companies were born on the web and we got a bit complacent being so prominent in more traditional markets. We have maintained a membership site for many years but it is well past time to sounds the trumpets even further. We plan to be more aggressive in marketing via social media and web ads in the coming years.

What percentage of your product do you think is sold as a DVD vs streaming or other digital media channels? How has this evolved?
Approximately 25% of our revenue is generated in DVD sales. VOD is doing well and the membership site are increasing. This is quite a bit different than years ago when it was closer to 80-90 in DVD. Consumers are raised on the web and porn is often free. We need to keep raising our bar to stay a company that people are willing to spend their money on. The model of giving it away to gather the eyes that you can advertise to has been very lucrative for some. We hope to attract a worldwide market so we can charge less per consumer but the mass audience makes up for it. Netflix is doing a great job of that as well as many others.

How has the technology evolved since when you started?
It went from VHS/Beta to DVD (there was a moment of CD-ROM which is where Digital Playground was born). 3-D porn had a moment. Now we are seeing some VR. I usually jump on new technology, but I am personally not feeling it just yet. Maybe I am old school, but it seems like a fad. But once it reaches its potential – look out! It is where I got the idea to make the Virtual Sex and eventually the My Plaything series. It was a vignette that I saw on the Playboy channel. Plug in and get off.

What are some of your best selling titles?
My Plaything Series, Dark Angels 1-2, Groupie Love (G-Unit), The Submission of Emma Marx Series, The Office XXX, Romance Series, Tales From The Edge Series, Tales From The Heart Series and many more. We are doing very well with the Hotwife movies which is why we are focusing on the genre.
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Favourite performers?
Ashlynn Brooke, Jenna Jameson. I probably sound old saying that. Riley Reid is amazing. Tera Patrick, sounding old again.

How has the global market in terms of DVD distribution and retail sales evolved?
DVD is slowing down. Many companies are gone now. It is still big enough to be a significant portion of the sales for a retail establishment and it is up us as content providers to keep the demand as strong as possible. We are swimming against the stream but it is still very viable.

Are there any country specific trends globally or are some countries more receptive to certain genres over others?
More things are acceptable in Europe than in the US but generally I have not noticed a trend towards anything unique to a region. But maybe it is because we don’t make fringe products. Those Germans and what hell is going on in Japan?

What can you tell us about the production of a movie?
We have a fulltime talent coordinator who sees new girls and interviews them. She is also the one who gets locations and coordinates pay and so forth.

The process begins at conception of the movie. Does it need a script and to what length? Who is best for the roles? Do they need to come in for a reading? Do we know they can pull of what we need? What is the scope of the production?

A movie can be shot in a week. Depending on the scope it can take a week to edit or over a month for features. The director is often the camera man and the photographer. For bigger projects the roles are separated. I have directors on staff, so they understand the needs of the company for any given project. I think they are among the best in the industry.

How have the rights and conditions for male vs female actors evolved over the years?
There are still the stand outs like Abella Danger, Lana Rhodes, etc. There are many more that come and go. Pay has risen for top male talent but has somewhat leveled for most female performers. Bear in mind that this rate 3-5 times higher than it was when I started…and we sell less. The success of the internet companies keeps it high.
What legal and compliance issues are there to deal with in regard to production and filming?
Nothing new. We just need to maintain proper identification and releases. We are required to keep a clear record for any of our scenes.

Have you or associated individuals been discriminated against due to your association with pornography?
I live in a world of discrimination. Bank loans are very difficult. There are several services which don’t want an association with adult. I am used to it. I have many people that judged me based on what I do. That was never more prevalent than when my kids went to a private school. That’s ok, there are many people that are intrigued or simply not phased. When those people find out what I do then they share some very interesting details about their lives. I think there is an ease to discuss stuff that others might judge them. I won’t judge anyone if they aren’t hurting others. I am also not easily shocked but please don’t try. I’ve seen some things I wish I had not. Hurt me more than it hurt them I’m sure.

Court cases and has America evolved in regard to viewing/consuming pornography?
I have not been to court. I have been sued multiple times by patent trolls or money grabbing lawyers. I have business lawyers on speed dial. Essentially you can become a target the more you are known. Fame can be good and bad. I don’t generally do interviews because I don’t crave fame in any way, unless I was a rock star! I am still in lawsuits today.

America has the internet to satiate all of its perversities. It seems pretty unregulated. We are so tame by comparison of what is available on the web. We just tend to find an audience that likes to buy what we are selling. The consumption seems to be very high but it just a matter of where and how it is served.

Every country has its laws. Some have governing boards to approve what can be distributed like Australia. America lets you do what you want until they don’t like it and then they come after you. It’s a weird obscenity law that is state by state and you don’t know if you have violated it until the trial has a verdict. Probably should not sell to Saudi Arabia but the black market must be crazy.

Where do you see the company now and where would you like it to be in 10 years?
The company is doing well and with the moves we are making I would like to be prevalent on the web. I have no idea what 10 years from now looks like, but I like to believe we will be a part of it.

Advice for anyone considering making a commercial adult movie today?
Know your market. It works best if you are a consumer first and understand what makes your movie special and the potential audience. Do/Make what others are not. Make it better. Make it first. Know how/where you are going to sell it. Work hard and work smart. Have an executable plan and realistic expectations. Be different, the same only gets muddy. Read a book called Blue Ocean Strategy to understand the concept of being first or better…or just trust me on this one.

A Synergy interview with Scott Taylor -Founder/CEO New Sensations
www.newsensations.com

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