NL- I have seen and read the e-mails that Derek talks about below.
Star Wars – An Agent writes back Part 2, – The Sequel – (Not The Press ReleaseXXX)
Op/Ed by Derek Hay
Wow – Mr Mullen – you have drawn me out into public territory – that almost never happens and I am well aware that I am fighting on your battlefield. Sometimes one has to fight for what is right in the court of public opinion – once in ten years may be too much for me – but there you go – you have succeeded.
May I say I feel alone and naked – like David against Goliath but I shall arm my slingshot and you best cover your eyes.
Where does one begin, – well let’s start at the beginning and simply respond to each of Mr Mullen’s charges,
Firstly – it was his Blogging on a well known gossip industry site that caught my attention and that I considered both unjust and most self serving. He had asked me if he could cast one of our better known actresses in a role in Not Charlie’s Angels for which she was available and for which he was quoted a standard rate for this actress almost identical to that for which she had appeared for Hustler on a 3 day feature – I Dream of Jeanie just a week before. Mr Mullen rejected this rate, declined to hire the actress and went on to publicly criticize myself and my agency for not agreeing to low ball her down to the price point he wanted. He continues to do so and ponders whether I even offered her the role. It is none of his business. I am her registered licensed agent and she hires me to act on her behalf with her trust in my professionalism and experience to decide and negotiate in her best interest for her career advancement.
How pompous and inflated of Mr Mullen to assume in early March that his movie is destined already to be the movie of the year? What I wonder does Wicked, Digital, et al, think of that? How ironic also, that this very same actress in question is now in Miami in a first time production for a large TV studio – (discretion prevents me saying more as I am not sure how much they wish to be publicly known,) – for which she is earning a significant modeling / acting fee. One that would cause Mr Mullen’s finest press release pen to disgorge great blobs of ink all over his copy paper, if he were to learn it’s actual figure. Though now I fear this causes me to digress too far.
Nonetheless, there is not a doubt in my mind that – this actress fully supports my decision to place her there, and not with Mr Mullen’s movie. Again, career advancement.
None of these issues relate to the general economic turndown with which our industry has been affected alongside every other. That is a red herring tossed out by Mr Mullen to confuse the issue. Modeling rates have been affected by this turndown in our industry – but what we are discussing here is not the hiring of actresses that may carry significantly higher rates above the norm but those that are reasonably standard. Mr Mullen’s budgets do not allow even for these. – oh no – they are always as previously stated 10% – 20% below this.
And as previously stated this has always been the case. From their first beginnings through all their success (and awards) almost never has a budget come out of that studio that allows the actresses to be paid their normal going rate. He even has the audacity to cite two of LADirect Models brightest stars as thankful to have appeared in his movies. Hum bug.
He hires Kagney Linn Karter when she was the girl of the moment – the new girl of the year already, and believe me we had to work hard to get an agreeable rate for her for that, and Tori Black the same. Whist every other studio recognizes these two outstanding models for the quality they bring, Mr Mullen believes they should be thanking him for casting them, and that he was responsible for their awards at the end of the year. Good god man, – how delusional can you be? They are two of the most deserving, hard working and popular models in the business today and that’s why you wanted them, and that’s why they won awards not because you put Kagney in one movie. She gave you the star power that you needed to help make the title a success. Not the other way round.
And here’s the sting in the tail of that scenario – folks – here’s the dirty little secret behind all of this. You hire Kagney Linn Karter, or Tori Black, or Teagan Presley or Eva Angelina to be the star of your movie and you pay them their rate – or close to their rate anyway – it’s still a toughly negotiated deal, and then you impress upon the younger newer starlets that you have these bigger name girls in the movie and use that as the ammunition to convince them, “ well if these stars are in the movie, then it’s good for you and you should be too and you’ll be missing out if you don’t etc etc. “ – so work for us for less.
And let’s look at something else while we’re at it. I was fortunate to be in a movie that won lots of awards, both for the movie itself and for several of its individual performances, in fact I was fortunate to win an award myself, but I shall not trumpet that, – it starred Jesse Jane, Belladonna, Jenna Haze, Katsuni, Riley Steel, and many others, – it was called Pirates 2 and it was made by Digital Playground. And I can tell you something about that movie, – to the best of my knowledge, not a single actress / actor was beaten down on their talent rate despite the incredible cost of that movie. And that movie had a record breaking amount of publicity and won a slew of awards, and it was fully expected that it would, but do you think it ever crossed the minds of those producers to suggest to their cast that they might work for less than was reasonable for the roles asked of them, because of either of those things – well – I can tell you they did not.
No doubt there are many more examples, but I can state that Mr Mullen is alone in this industry in his belief that posting the names of his cast in a barrage of press releases warrants a reduction in the talent fee from them.
Finally on this particular item – let us review Mr Mullen’s own words, – “Sometimes it is not always about making the most money each day. Ask anybody standing on that stage when Flight Attendants won the Best Comedy award in Las Vegas if they would trade that experience for $300 or even $500? Or anybody from Not the Cosbys XXX to trade that moment for a few hundred bucks. .. Ask Derek if that has any value? “
Well – as we know X-Play has enjoyed considerable success over the years and I do not discount nor discredit the hard work and dedication that has achieved that – but to say it’s not always about making the most money each day, should better read – its never about making the most money any day.” Because never – despite all the success and the expensive sets and the awards, have they ever decided to pay talent simply the going rate for whomever they may choose to cast. Never. Without fail no matter the level of star it is always less than the agent or the model values herself and most definitely less than is the norm from other studios.
Here are a few other items for readers to consider, in no particular order>
1. Jeff Mullen did recently bring a model to LADirect for which I am grateful and for which I informed him that I wished to pay him the standard $500 referral fee. He had already at that time posted the Blog criticizing me for failing to provide him the actress at $300—below her regular rate – so I wrote to him and reassured him that I would be sending him that fee, despite this – but that perhaps he might be inclined to spend $300 of his $500, on this actress so that she could appear in his movie. Mr Mullen accepted the $500 but declined the offer to part with the $300 for the actress in question. : ( E –mail attached for verification of veracity.)
2. During his piece Mr Mullen mentions the name of one of LADirect’s biggest stars – I shall not mention her name, (though she read my response to his Blog and agreed with every word of it,) for I don’t know if she would thank me for identifying her here. Nonetheless, a while back, this big star took some time out and had a child and her return to the industry was much anticipated. Just prior to her readiness to begin work again – Mr Mullen proposed an offer to her that he would handle her press at a fee of $4,000 per month and that rather than actually pay him this princely sum she could work it off by shooting free scenes for him.
$4,000 dollars per month! – when the norm for press officers is between $750 and $1,000 per month. Thus, we are led to believe that Mr Mullen is the Messiah of the press releases and worth his weight in gold in that regard and you should absolutely pay him a colossal fee for that – should you choose to hire him – but none of the female film actresses that actually make these movies worth buying and attractive to the consumer, are worth the same.
3. Direct Models was asked and we sent I think at least ten models to cast for Not Charlie’s Angelsxxx. In fact so dedicated was our effort in not only sending models but sending models who were really castable in these fairly specific roles that both Jeff and Scott thanked us for our effort. Some other agencies had sent models with English accents and other unsuitable talent – (obviously the Angels are American) and they appreciated our effort. However, how many models do you think they actually cast from Direct – that is correct, none. Well one – but again – she was offered $300 less and we declined as well known documented by now,
I think Bree Olsen was already cast before casting began to be honest and since this is an Adam and Eve movie that is most understandable and she’s a phenomenal talent.
4 . Initially Mr Mullen wrote a derisory Blog about me and my agency for falling to agree to hire to him a very well recognized actress for less than her usual rate – to which I replied and posted that reply on LADirect News. Then he had the affront to offer one of our actresses $500 for a B/G scene causing me to send out that same reply through our talent E-mail data base. And he is upset about that? Mr Mullen would now like to tell me what and when I can communicate with our own talent? Holy Smokes, there are some rules in adult I was not aware of. I am not supposed to keep informed our own talent about matters that acutely affect their daily working lives. I think not Mr Mullen – I shall communicate with them when and wherever I please.
And let’s move on to this offer of $500 for a B/G scene, that was the catalyst for me to send this out to our talent in a sort of, enough is enough – this has to stop, reaction.
Now the whistle is blown on this derisory offer – Mr Mullen would have us believe the following:
Under no circumstances could he afford the additional $300 for the very well recognized and popular ‘star’ that he wished to have in the movie. This, even after I reassured him that despite his nasty Blog he would still be receiving from us his $500 referral fee for the model he recently brought to us.
But out of the kindness of his heart for this cute little blond who he holds in great affection, like some sort of Florence Nightingale – he created a special slot for her, adding a girl to a B/G scene to make it B/G/G and for that he can afford to pay her $500.
Amazing – yes indeed reader s- amazing, because it is complete and utter BS.
The girl in question – was beside herself insulted that she had been offered $500. Her usual rate is twice that, which is fairly standard. How do you think it feels to be offered half your rate?
5. At the fear of boring you dear readers – because posts such as this from me – are rare indeed, I shall mention just a few more items.
We have a junior agent here who has been helping us out recently because one of our senior agents has suffered some ill health and mistakenly he booked one of our well known male stars to Jeff for NotCharlies AngelsXXX for $100 less than his usual rate. When first I saw it, I thought he had been persuaded by Jeff to do this – but upon investigation discovered this was not the case and it was a simple mistake on the junior agent’s part. Of course after reflecting on the irony of this occurring under the present circumstances, I communicated to Jeff that we would honor the lower rate as it was our error, – and Jeff wished to book the same actor for a second day on the movie which we booked at his usual rate. Thus we begin to see how truly insignificant it is – this $300 that he refused to pay the star – he first wished to cast in the movie. He has already made back $100 by our error as well as $500 for his model referral yet cannot afford the $300 for the ‘star’.
6. Let me tell you how this whole system works typically – Jeff and Scott call up and say we’re doing this parody that parody whatever it might be and can you send these actresses to cast.
And so we do, and what happens is the ones that they really like, they sit them down and regale them with tales of press releases and awards, and standing on the stage with them and parties, and so on, and how marketing is so important etc etc and convince the young adult film star that she should work for them for less than she normally does. Then they phone us and say – we’d like to book this model and we already spoke to her and she has agreed that instead of $X amount of dollars that everyone else pays her, she will work for us for $Y amount of dollars which is less, and sometimes significantly less.
And we will say no.
And they will reply – well she really wants to do it and it should be up to her and not you – you’re only her agent and we have already convinced her that she should, because she loves our marketing and parties and – etc etc, etc –
So now – we won’t send models to cast at their office because we know that they will do this – we will only have them meet models at our office or if we send an agent to go with them, because negotiating rates is the agents job, that is the whole reason that actresses employ an agent in the first place just as we employ doctors to make us healthy and attorneys to take care of our legal problems.
Here’s the bottom line:
LADIrect Models is a shop – just like any other shop, and what we sell is actors and actresses specialized in the field of acting in the adult entertainment industry. Jeff and Scott want to purchase at our shop but they don’t like our prices. So they do everything they can to get our products for less, using a these unscrupulous methods to do so.
I buy a cup of tea every morning at StarBucks on my way to work. Recently they raised the price of my cup of tea from $1.65 to $1.95. Why? Did the price of hot water suddenly go up? No. Crrazy right? But if I don’t want to pay $1.95 I can go to 7 – 11 where the tea is much cheaper. It’s up to me. But you know what I don’t do? I don’t stand in StarBucks and argue with them about the price of their tea, I don’t berate them about why they should sell me tea for less. I either buy from them or I can choose not to. Why should it be any different in the adult business? Why is it the agents fault or the models fault that the rates that the models want for their work is higher than X – Play wishes to pay? It isn’t of course – and therein lies why there is a serious issue with X-Play.
There are now twelve licensed talent agents in Los Angeles, that’s right twelve (12). So if Jeff and Scott don’t like the prices that the talent at LADirect command, then they can go and shop elsewhere. But you know what – they want the talent at LADirect because it is good solid professional talent and names that will sell movies, and that’s why they want them,. Well then pay the actresses what they are worth – no one’s asking for any more than their normal scene rates, we haven’t even asked for more for your incredible long days, just pay our talent what is fair in the market place.
And i would imagine that every actress whether LADirect or not in an X-Play movie is now asking herself – am I getting my normal rate for this movie or not – or was I persuaded to work for less because of ‘press releases’? And every other actress is looking around the cast wondering who’s working for scale and who’s working for cheap?
In conclusion – let me also say that I respect Jeff and Scott a great deal for their dedication to their craft and their success, – I think Jeff may now regret that he posted that nasty little blog as this has blown bigger than he could ever have imagined.
But if talent is now more aware of how hard agents work and why we do and say the things we do, which is all for their best interest, then something good may have come of this,
We cannot be models – they cannot be agents, together we work best in cohesion for their careers.
This will be my last public post on this subject – I hope you enjoyed it – come back in ten years for my next one,
Peace Jeff – I hope you make a great movie.
Regards – Derek Hay – Owner – LADirect Models.
(NL- Jeff if you wish to respond please send me an email and I will post it.)
As a producer/director of films that make no claim to be “blockbusters-in-the-making” but who nonetheless pays models their standard rate, I don’t understand Mr. Mullen’s argument. To assert that models should work for your studio at a rate below what they charge other producers is not only bad manners but bad form. We’re all affected by the recession, Mr. Mullen — not just you and your studio — but that doesn’t give you the right to expect people to work for less than what they feel they deserve, and indeed can earn elsewhere.
Instead of griping about what you can’t afford and expecting others to accommodate your budget limitations, perhaps you should hold an open casting call looking for new talent to fill the roles in your movie. Unknowns may be more flexible about pay rates, and since you feel that the movie itself is what will sell, not the talent who performs in it, ANY face on the boxcover should do the trick!
Or, in the alternative, perhaps you should approach models who have not hired a powerful, savvy agent to protect their interests and weed out those who might try to make them work for less than they rightfully command.
As a former performer, I find it distasteful that any producer should try to convince talent to work at a reduced rate. Performing is demanding work, and it takes quite a bit of it these days to stand out from the crowd. The girls (and guys) who have attained star status deserve to get their rate, and not be nickle-and-dimed.
With all due respect Mr. Mullen, I’m not sure you should have taken this one public. But the very best of luck with your movie, and with finding the right cast.
Nica Noelle
Is something going on at X-Play to make Jeff act like this?
Tara, also, did Jeff Mullen hinted he might be quitting porn recently?
Something must going on?
BTW, did anyone noticed Sandra Bullock Oscar speech about mothers accepting their stepchildren no matter were they come from, while her husband looked approvingly?
I saw that as a Janine reference too. Not only to her movie.
Somebody just called me and told me about this recent post as I am working on finishing Not Married with Children XXX 2 in the edit bay so I checked it out. No, I am actually glad that I posted our story from our point of view no matter how much it gets a tad bit distorted or even if people think I have lost my mind. I haven’t. I stand by my conviction that X-Play will pay only what we know fits our budget and our movies will continue to get made and be of the best quality possible. There is nothing else going on in between the lines and I have no other agenda and am very excited about our Not Charlie’s Angels XXX movie which begins shooting on the 18th.
Holy crock o’ shit. Where have you people been?! For the past year, rates have been plunging faster than a stockbroker out a Wall Street window on Black Friday. Everybody is open to “negotiation,” from A-listers to escorts. Like this is big news. The vitriol here is so deep, you need chest waders to keep your ass from swampin’.
I’m with Third Axis on this one. Rates have NEVER been set in stone and people have long made concessions to either work with specific performers or on specific projects. Given how many performers are getting far less work these days, well except maybe their escorting jobs that agents so willingly provide at reduced rates, a little negotiation is almost expected when it comes to “high profile” people that are largely shot out (having been in dozens and dozens of productions with the same mopes).
I certainly don’t begrudge Derek for holding out for the rate HE sets for his people any more than I fuss at Mike Quasar for taking a steady check rather than setting out on his own, but a lot of industry people seem to disagree with the sentiments expressed here given the way they do just about anything (or anyone) to get in some of those high profile Sitcums.
rayder help yourself and close you mouth …more you talk shit, more u r getting fucked
Harvey, it is likely he is planning an exit strategy from the industry as sales keep declining. He is not an employee that will keep sucking at the company teat until it closes its production doors, nor does he have the guaranteed income of pimping a large stable of escorts to fans across the globe so when sales get to the point where he can’t make enough profit to stay, I suspect he will land on his feet better than most.
Third Axis and Houstondon are correct. I find Jeff Mullen amusing. His work maybe epic by xxx standards. I find his work just ok. News flash guys and girls. It is not going to get better. As the revenue pool has been thinned out by every wanna be hack that can hit the on button on a digital camera and call them selves a director or producer. I saw this coming around 1999 when the three chip cameras came out. Just like manufactures and distributors have seen the decline and devaluation of product. Now the talent gets to share in that loss of value from over saturation. To bad distributors forgot how to say no. But then again you wouldn’t have such crafted camera work and production values of a bang bus or even brazzers, you know the dot com guys that call “content” a movie… What a joke!
jesus what a couple of clowns. You are paying whores to take loads in the face, not trying to get Meryl Streep attached to a project…
If will Ryder needs to save money he can promise to pay the girl’s rate have them fill out a w-9 and charge them taxes as if they filled out a w-4 and pocket the difference. At the end of the year you send the dumb bitch a 1099 and she never knows what it hit her. No agent has the man power to check up on this as long as they get their fee. The best part is it is totally legit.
***I guess Lukeisback is too afraid to post the Industry Dirtiest Little secret and a scam pulled countless directors in the Industry. Oh well, LA Times is not..
Wow, Derek, that was a well written little piece. As was Jeff’s. I think this whole thing is really hilarious and more than likely a publicity stunt, for which Mr. Mullen is well known for–that’s why he is the King of Spin. As a publicist, my hat goes off to him for his exploits and over-the-top press releases that are highly entertaining.
But, I also know rates are plunging and talent agencies are still charging the same percentages and 2 or 3 of them are still making a killing. The better known girls might be getting less roles and making good rates, while the lesser known ones are really getting screwed (practically no work at sunstantially lower rates, especially BBWs). Hopefully, the economy and people’s spending habits will change, so the rates will go back up, along with DVD sales. The industry definitely needs a shot in the arm.
“Hopefully, the economy and people’s spending habits will change, so the rates will go back up, along with DVD sales.” This is just not going to happen. You can hope all you want. It is over for DVD sales. The business model for what used to be “adult video” stores has now changed to “Adult Boutique.” I will translate this for you fan boys and outsiders that don’t do this for a living. Sales in Brick and mortar stores are primarily lingerie and novelties now. You know vibes, dildos and lube. See you can’t down load those or file share them. The PORN DVD has moved to be an ancillary product now. I know of several big chains and smaller independent retailers the are phasing dvd’s out. This also helps the retailer with zoning laws. I will simplify this for the slow ones here. NO PORN means your store can open any where. Not just areas zoned for smut. See the people who own the retail outlets are business people they don’t care what the widget is, as long as it is legal and they can make money in the long run. For those of you on an emotional save the “porn star” crusade this might hurt your little feelings. But your free to invest your own money and put it where your mouth is and open a store or be a distributor.
In Derek’s defense: opening up a talent agency requires more than just cobbling together a website and making phone calls. In California, a licensed talent agent, such as L.A. Direct, is required to have its agent-talent contract approved by the state. In addition, the talent agent is required to post a $50,000 bond to insure the talent gets paid in the event that the talent agent commits “malpractice.”
If you check out California Labor Code Section 1701 et seq.,
you will see that licensed talent agencies are heavily regulated by the state.
I believe that many of those criticizing Derek are just jealous of how much success he has achieved.
The argument by Mr. Mulen that appearing in his big budget, award winning productions is good for ones carrere is pure baloney. When other companies find out that you worked for less, for a production with a bigger budget than they have, they are not going to pay you more than Mr. Mullen paid .
If the biggest budget, award winning companies only pay 500 for a scene, why sould the lower budget companies pay any more? The exact opposite is true. Working for less will only lead to being offered less in the future.
Justice:
I don’t know where you’re getting the $10,000 figure from. I got the $50,000 figure from Labor Code Section 1700.15: “A talent agency shall also deposit with the Labor Commissioner, prior to the issuance or renewal of a license, a surety bond in the penal sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).”
I also don’t know where you got the idea that an agent must communicate all offers to talent. Part of the agent-talent relationship, as Derek pointed out, is that the agent is responsible for developing talent’s careers. In developing said careers, knowing which jobs to turn down is just as important as knowing which jobs to accept.
Furthermore, you seem to believe that escorting, in and of itself, is illegal. Unfortunately, that belief is incorrect. What happens between “two competent, consenting adults” after they pay a third-party to introduce them to each other, is between them. (Yes, this argument has proven to be effective.)
I really don’t understand the point you’re trying to make. Are you trying to say Derek intentionally tries to run the careers of talent he represents into the ground? Are you trying to say they are forced to take jobs they don’t want to?
Justice:
Let me clarify what I’m saying re escorting.
Solicitation of prostitution is illegal.
However, operation of an “introduction agency,” i.e., escort agency, *is* legal. For example, see Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 103.107(a): ” ‘ESCORT BUREAU’ means any business, agency or person who, for a fee, commission, hire, reward or profit, furnishes or offers to furnish names of persons, or who introduces, furnishes or arranges for persons who may accompany other persons to or about social affairs, entertainments or places of amusement, or who may consort with others about any place of public resort or within any private quarters.”
Escort agents get busted for not being licensed and for not paying taxes. Unless the escort agent blatantly advertises that they are selling sex (offering “full service” does not meet that threshold), they are nearly impossible to prosecute.
As for Derek looking out more for himself rather than for his talent, I can agree with that to an extent. However, that conflict of interest is inherent all relationships where trust is put in a “professional.” E.g., do you really think an attorney billing by the hour has an incentive to work as efficiently as possible?
Hi Justice:
Thank you for the complement. I’m not sure if I could be considered “in the business.” I’m more of an auxiliary part of “the business.”
Oh, and just so there’s no misunderstanding: If I come across as attacking you or your ideas personally, that is not my intention! I just write with passion. 🙂
I’ve never heard of a talent agent being held liable for failing to communicate an offer to the talent. I *have* heard of a talent agent being held liable for failing to communicate THE RECEIPT OF MONEY to the talent, however.
Now, if the talent agent LIES to the talent, that’s a whole ‘nother issue.
I’ve appeared before those in charge regarding an application for an escort agency license. They acknowledge that it’s nearly impossible, and a complete waste of resources, to prosecute escorting/prostitution cases. When a client tenders the escort a “donation” for the escort’s time, and the escort coincidentally starts feeling sexually attracted to the client, it’s hard to establish that prostitution was being solicited (that whole “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” thing). It’s even harder to establish that the escort agency was complicit in the transaction, i.e., to prove that the escort agency booked the arrangement for the purpose of prostitution.
Thoughts?
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/LAB/1/d2/6/4/3/s1700.35
There are SO many things wrong with this argument, and in these comments, that it’s funny.
Bottom line – escorting/prostitution is ILLEGAL in the US with the exception of (I believe) Carson City, NV.
I don’t care how you want to “tip toe” around the definition of “escorting” or how sophisticated agents want to deem it – as an escort you can easily get arrested and most likely your agent won’t help you out if that happens.
I think “Justice” may be correct in many pornstars who are currently escorting being “busted” in the near future. I think this is a strong probability primarily due to the escort market currently being oversaturated in Los Angeles and authorities taking notice. It IS rather odd to see so many pornstars and agencies openly advertising on eros, cityvibe and the like.
I think in this particular situation, Hey simply is looking at the amount of money the talent he reps can make daily opposed to how much the talent will make working with Xplay.
When you work with Xplay, you’re required to be on set for an extensive amount of hours for a couple of weeks. I suppose this in Hey’s eyes takes the talent out of commission for too long (at this point in time at least, of which I’m sure he’s not earning as much per talent as he did say, 5 years ago), so it effects his daily profit margin being that he can most likely book the same talent with lesser known studios or for “private” shoots.
Now Hey NOT booking his talent in an Xplay movie isn’t a smart move in my book. Why? Well I’d think that as one of the more successful talent agents in the business, you’d want your talent roster to have as many award winning movie credits under their belt as possible.
I recently noticed that LA Direct signed Jenny Hendrix who has appeared in quite a few Xplay titles – I think Hey would be doing Jenny a huge disservice not to notify her of any upcomming opportunities with a studio that she appears to have had a close relationship with AND who greatly has assisted in her rising popularity.
I’ve noticed that LA Direct has recently signed Tanner Mayes as well – considering that Tanner hasn’t been in too many features if any (to my knowledge) I think an Xplay flick would be a perfect gateway for her into the world of features. I don’t understand how Hey wouldn’t be able to see this point and why he wouldn’t at LEAST pass along the offer details to that particular performer.
Now Xplay isn’t totally in the right – I do feel that studios , especially right now , should pay a talent’s rate – especially if the talent is required to be on set for an extensive amount of hours for days at a time.
Talent right now is struggling. I know many young women who are talents that can barely pay their rent each month so for porn to continue with QUALITY talent, the powers that be in porn need to take care of the talent.
One more point that I want to end with, is that Xplay isn’t blowing smoke up your ass when they say you’ll receive a lot of attention from being in their flicks. I personally saw a HUGE surge in traffic to my website since playing “Claire” in Not the Cosbys XXX #1 and #2. That traffic to my site which I own and operate translated into dollars for me.
I think that Hey, might want to consider that last point being that he owns and operates the websites of many of the talents he reps.
Talents, might want to consider this last point as well and not allow your agent or manager to own and operate your website being that you may never receive your appropriate cut of the earnings generated from your site – many of those earnings being directly attributed to you have being cast in an Xplay or other award winning studio’s movie.
Simple solution here: LA direct simply needs to properly develop and market their talent’s websites (possibly with Xplay’s computer department’s help) to make up for (many times over) the lower rate of which Xplay is willing to pay for La Direct’s talent.
I decided to discuss this today on my daily BlogTV broadcast of Monica At Home.
MonicaFoster:
If you’re going to ignore the fact that many municipalities regulate escorting rather than outright forbid it, then I guess you can say “escorting is illegal.”
Respectfully, do you seriously believe law enforcement hasn’t been aware of the ads appearing near the back of LAWeekly and similar publications? The government doesn’t have unlimited resources. It’s not going to vigorously prosecute, for example, a case where a jury could reasonably find that an escort’s client didn’t know what a BBBJ was. (How many readers *here* know what that is? First person to answer wins a prize–from Cindi.) 🙂
As for Derek not directing the talent he represents toward “award winning movies”: That’s not necessarily a bad thing for the talent. I’m sure many of the talent he represents are solely interested in the short-term money and could care less about achieving stardom. In that case, it makes sense that Derek would steer them toward jobs that make them the most money for the least amount of work. Certainly you would agree.
Mark Spiegler:
Notice that key word: “knowingly.”
Yes i believe derek is a racist. So you were told 2000 for a private with audrey? I was told 1500. I hope you are right when you say justice will be served to derek and la direct.
justice,
When you say “standard fee” do you mean for a b/g scene?
Justice — Full Service is exactly what it sounds like. You get it all within limits.
NiceGirl — BBBJ is escort slang for ‘bareback blowjob’. No need to give me a silly plastic trophy.
As for the central core of this, it seems that both are in the wrong. It’s wrong for Mullen (or any producer for that matter) to constantly try and lowball talent. Everyone is hurting now, so it’s sort of douchy to try and say that being in your movies, even if they are ‘award winners’, is the end all to be all for a girl’s adult career. You should use the level of talent you can afford. Period. End of story. There’s SO MANY girls entering Porn Valley each and every day. If Mullen, or any other producer for that matter, thinks their influence is so tremendous, it stands to reason they can turn most ANY reasonable attractive girl into Porn’s Next Big Thing. Therefore, they shouldn’t be trying to get Today’s Porn It Girl at a discount.
Likewise, it’s wrong for Hay (or any agent for that matter) to not entertain ALL offers for his clients. If a girl needs the work, let her take the paycut. If she doesn’t need to take discounted jobs, good for her (as she must also be able to walk, chew gum, suck cock and balance her check book at the same time). Yet for Hay, or any other agent in Porn Valley, to dismiss offers during these economically perilous times for everyone, is just idiotic. Again, it’s one thing if Female Talent X told her agent in advance if she gets offers below her rate, to just forget about calling her. Who knows if that’s the case in this particular situation — yet at the end of the day, if the agent isn’t doing their job, then a girl needs to leave them for someone who is.
As for privates/escorting, allegedly there are those out there who will just hire a girl for a POV shoot for their so-called website. Since we are all adults, it seems to me if an agent wants to entertain these types of bullshit jobs and a girl actually goes through with said bullshit shoot, then they’re free to do so.
I say let the chips fall where they will on Porn’s Dirty Little Secret circa 2010. As another poster pointed out, there’s simply not enough resources for law enforcement to go after each and every girl in porn hooking on the side. Granted, Bitoni is a bit of a name and would serve as a warning shot across the bow if she had to do a perp walk into the downtown lockup. Yet it’s not as if arresting Nici Braun did much good toward getting porn girls to stop escorting on the side. Tiger Woods’ alleged activities with Playmates and Porn Girls shows that you get rid of one powerful madam and there’s plenty more to take their place!
Justice, thanks…but we’re not on the same page with this.
The crux of my argument is that, yes — each side (producer/agent) are free to negotiate until the cows come home. Yet they do so knowing what cards the other person has. The Agent knows that putting his girls into decent to better than average to award-winning movies is a plus (and will lead to her being able to ask for more money, which leads to a bigger cut for him — unless there’s a set commission rate I’m not aware of — but if not, he still benefits, as he’ll get more clients based on the positive experiences of his current clients). Likewise, the Producer knows if he pays the money, he’ll get access to the top girls (who in turn, will likely lead to his movies selling more units and in turn, he can constantly use the top girls instead of having to go to the B and C listers whom the public isn’t all that interested in watching fuck on camera). Granted it can become a vicious cycle — you use lame girls, and you’re going to quickly get stuck doing lower budget movies (to the point, you can ONLY get those girls and if you do manage to afford a Big Star’s rates, you’ll have to cut back on the number of releases you can budget for the year). So it can be a dicey proposition to use talent above your production budget before you can truly afford to.
Yet not every single girl in Porn Valley understands this unique relationship and how it can affect their bank account. The ones who do I suppose, do very well…those that don’t, well you know the score. Again, people should be free to do whatever they want within the limits of the law. This isn’t a dictatorship.
As for Porn Girls who escort, who died and made you Eliot Spitzer!?! The only person I’m dropping a dime on to the Feds, is the crank on a porn message board asking people to ‘turn in’ porn chicks who escort on the side.
Really, who is someone like Audrey Bitoni hurting beyond some rich asshole’s bank account after forking over close to two grand to bang a porn chick who once admitted she has never had an orgasm (on film or in her private life). Stop being such a fucking nosey-nanny and let people live their lives the way they want to.
Derek Gay and escorting? Nice Girl, Dereks knows very well what is going on. So is the police.
“But he should have known this when he was dating her. which is distigusting considering there is ove a 21 year difference in age.”
:D:D:D:D Now you are just trolling.
Derek Hay is a bad person but there’s no doubt that he’s the best pimp in the game. He deserves praise for allowing his girls to make decent money for little work while making porn fans’ dreams come true, not criticism.
1G minimum for sex, what recession? With the same G you could fuck 4 or 5 perfectly fine girls at once, and they probably have the ability to orgasm. Or you could bang the hell out of a single perfectly fine girl for hours.
Regardless, it isn’t prostitution unless an EXPLICIT arrangement is made for sex. It doesn’t matter if you give an escort money and immediately she starts blowing you because as most escort pages read time spent is for companionship only and anything that happens is the result of two consenting adults.
AL:
I think you’re the only one who “gets it.”
Haven’t you guys seen Training Day? “It’s not what you saw. It’s what you can prove.”
And unless the arrangement is pretty clear, e.g., “How much for a blowjob?” it’s very hard to prove solicitation of prostitution.
As for the reviews on TER, etc., I’m sure at least some of those reviews are fake. Can you tell which ones are? Neither can law enforcement.
Definitely a sizable number of those reviews are fabricated by the provider in many cases.
Further to that though is the fact that most people are knowledgeable of all the law enforcement traps that you have to be very stupid to get pinched for prostitution. Besides, states are in the red and using resources for cracking down on prostitution is not practical. If anything, it just proliferates more and more as time goes on.
Really Justice…you have such a small dull life that you spend it reading a porn girl’s Twitter feed and TER reviews?
Also, when did YOU become the judge of what is the correct age spread for a couple?! You better move out of your mother’s basement, so you can see that the world is full of May/September relationships.
As to the validity of any escort review, only a total idiot would spend their hard earned cash on one who allegedly delivers the moon and the stars. While I don’t know Audrey Bitoni, I suspect she probably wouldn’t fuck a stranger unprotected in exchange for a few extra dollars and a test.
TER “I booked for a full service bare back so we went the day before to get checked together. We’re all good and we’re ready to get it on.” and “Getting bare back requires you to be tested first. She was tested as well, and the arrangements were made well in advance before the session started.”
Huh? What medical testing service gives you INSTANT results? What guy who is seeing prostitutes, and has the money to get the ‘best’, is going to go celibate for a few months so his latest ‘paid date’ can rest assured that his test is actually as clean and clear as it states.
Al, do you REALLY think Audrey Bitoni writes like a retard whose been living in his parents’ basement for the past 40 years and finally saved up enough milk money to bang a porn chick “fast with a lot of force…until I hear the sound of skin slapping, thats when you know you’re beating up the pussy.” lol
“now as to what everyone classifies as escorting is defined in many states as prostitution. of course it is prostiution”
And what everyone calls porn here is defined in most states as obscenity.
“Believe law enforecement does not really get restrained by budgetary concerns.”
I do not believe that because it’s obviously bullshit.
“As to Derek fucking bitoni, not so cool when there is an agent client relationship. Check ethics on lawyers, physicians, etc.
Again there is a new sheriff in town that will protect talent,”
Are you gonna protect Sophie Dee against her pim…husband too or are you only against Hay?
“JUSTICE IS THE NAME.”
Great, another nutcase. Just what we need.
“Escorting” is prostituting and they girls call it that because “escorting” is legal. Many girls make porn to get better “escorting” rates. In fact, a girl with another agency (NOT L.A. Direct) got fired for “escorting” so much that she was on the cover of an escort magazine. I have no issue with it–that’s just how these girls make a living. There’s always been rumors that Derek pimps out the girls, but there’s never been any proof. But if he does, I’m sure he’s NOT the only agent doing so.
justice you’re getting your comments confused, I didn’t call you a troll. What is being overlooked is that some men does use escort services to appear at work functions and appear to be in a relationship with an attractive woman. They probably bang them afterwards, but everyone who has had some sort of white collar job has shown up to the christmas party and sees someone you clearly know is not with his “date”
Justice “You need to get a dictionary and education.”
Please, how about you finish painting that kettle black.
Justice “Justice will make sure justice is served.”
…oh and while you’re at it, stop referring to yourself in the 3rd person and put down the comic book you’re stealing lines from you fucking hack.
Every time you post nonsense, you sound more and more like a disgruntled ‘client’ of Audrey Bitoni. She didn’t give you BBFS like you paid for, or did she make fun of the black socks you refused to take off before you were “beating up the pussy” with your tiny pencil dick?
Thank you Sammy, thank you.
Retard says what?
First off idiot, I didn’t label you a ‘troll’. If you want a definition, I suggest putting said term into an ‘internet search engine’ and have a random 3rd grader read you the results back (as unlike you, they’ll be able to understand what all of those big words mean).
As for my ‘language and actions’, you’re the only one around here determined to be the “new sheriff in town” in regards to policing Porn Valley. Again, who the fuck died and put you charge of the world. If someone wants to be porn talent, prostitute, meter maid, bank teller, Sec. of Defense, whatever…be my guest. Again, unless you’re the LAPD Chief of Police, you better be able to back up your empty threats. Otherwise, you’re just a simian with a keyboard.
I believe this thread is officially crapped.
Justice: Call your local law enforcement agency and share with them everything you know. Good luck! 🙂
Idiot, you need to “delive” the justice/Justice/JUSTICE straight up your own candy ass. And yes, I’m being “mysogynous,” you fucking immigrant, fresh-off-the-boat NYC douche bag. While you’re checking the law books down at the local library, take a stroll into the nearest Homeland Security office and see if you and your family is still on the watch list.
Whores should be the least of your worries.
Holy fuck! It’s D’ong! I shoulda known from the 3rd-grade grammar and spelling; the failed attempts to use dictionary and thesaurus to appear (barely) literate. Are there trailer parks in South America, Donald , and do they have wi-fi?
First Donald fucks them over, and now he wants to keep them safe. Boy, the meth really fucks up a dude’s head, doesn’t it?
Hey Justice, how much would you charge to clean up my living room?
No, dude. He wouldn’t just clean your living room, he’d bring JUSTICE! to your living room.
if Justice is his real name, he’s gotta be black. Black people name their kids after the shit they want i.e Justice, Harmony, Patience etc
Well talk is cheap Justice, unless you’re using Verizon… but thanks.
They’re not paying for sex. They’re paying for the girls’ wit and “companionship”. The sex is free, of course.
Some say marriage is like prostitution, just much more expensive.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained”. – Helen Keller
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever”. – Thomas Jefferson
“The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government”. – George Washington
“See, justice is a joke in this country, and it stinks of its hypocricy”. – H. Rap Brown
Hey Justice:
Can you hold off on bringing justice for like, two more months? I’m still saving up for my session with Ms. Bitoni. $2,000/hr, right?
If you really want to know raise me 1,500 and I’ll “order” her and let you know the deal. I can be your PI justice
I don’t really care what you call me, that is if you were to buy me audrey for an hour lol any escort that is anybody comes to NY regularly, JUSTICE needs a budget to collect evidence
Justice “Tell justice told YA. AGAIN I AM HERE TO CLEAN UP PORN VALLEY ALL FEMALE TALENT CAN NOW FEEL SAFE.”
You’re a little late dumbass, Mariah Miliano has that job all locked up. hahahaha
AL “if Justice is his real name, he’s gotta be black. Black people name their kids after the shit they want i.e Justice, Harmony, Patience etc”
Come’on, what stereotypical nonsense is that?! Even in Porn Valley Harmony is a white chick and ‘Justice’ Young is a white dude!
its a fuckin joke sammy… you’ve never met a black person that has had a name like that… I know a black Harmonie and Patience, male and female respectively and I have met a black guy named justice… Like Justice Clarence Thomas…. no Sammy, that was a joke too
Al, you forgot to follow Sharpton/Jackson’s top ten rules for getting out of racially explosive situations as explained in their bestseller ‘Buying Raci$m’.
After making jokey stereotypical remarks you have to add that most of your friends are black (otherwise expect to be harassed in public until you do pay them off…oops, I mean give a chartable donation to their foundations).
That’s for Anglos Sammy… I don’t have to mind my racial P’s and Q’s.
Say what? Those two jokers haven’t been in LA since the OJ verdict!
You know when a lot of people do shopping? On BLACK Friday
I’m beginning to form the opinion that No Justice = Peace.
The world needs justice, not a jackass who calls himself “Justice”.
Justice, are you the same dude behind the Dirty D situation? If so, what did Dirty D do to piss you off?
Gee whiz, you only said your name thrice! .. and in bold caps only once? We just love to hear you say your alias over and over. It really proves you’re busy working on what you say you’re doing with all the time you spend saying what you’re doing, repeating your name like an infomercial actor on crack.
Oh no. Not her. So different. She only has one group as a target and it’s all centered around what happened to Kelsie.