LOS ANGELES — Known in Internet circles as the "Hookup Hotshot," Bryan Gozzling is a rising talent and producer who has crafted a uniquely stylized rendition of social media hookup culture with pornographic flair.
Gozzling spent the last 10 years living in the San Francisco Bay Area and first started HookupHotshot.com in Oakland, back in spring of 2014. He drew inspiration from other filmmakers, including legendary Evil Angel founder John Stagliano, as well as Rocco Siffredi and Jonni Darkko.
Capitalizing on the popularity of dating apps like OkCupid, Tinder, AdultFriendFinder, Ashley Madison and more, Gozzling says he built a track record of picking up girls and having sex with them on camera, which evolved into his singular brand of Millenial-fueled romance and male-dominant hardcore content.
After joining Evil Angel's distinguished roster of award-winning directors, Bryan Gozzling debuted "Facefuck Friend Request," which recently earned an XBIZ Editor's Choice.
XBIZ talked with Gozzling to find out about his creative vision and aspirations for the future.
XBIZ: What inspired you to start shooting porn?
Gozzling: Well, I always dreamed about what it would be like to shoot porn. I always felt very in tune with women and sex. I'm an artist and I always looked at really good porn as art. I have always been very intense and dominant in my sex life and treated my own sexual performances as pieces of art as well. I realized that I could make a business from my art by shooting porn so I went for it.
XBIZ: Considering how many hats you’ve worn to get your website up and running, from performing on camera to hiring talent and marketing your brand, which of these roles proved most challenging and which have you enjoyed the most?
Gozzling: Definitely the production and post-production components of my job are the most demanding and challenging. It is very, very difficult to organize and produce a scene and editing it is even more demanding both physically and mentally. I have definitely put my blood, sweat and tears into HookupHotshot.com. The most enjoyable part is creating the brand and product. I love designing, crafting a wardrobe and choosing outfits, posing the girls for photos, the whole process of presenting my vision is very rewarding.
XBIZ: In your view, how has the advent of Internet hookup culture impacted consumer demand for more authentically made amateur porn?
Gozzling: I'm not sure if it has increased demand for more amateur porn, but I do think Internet hookup culture has made porn more "normal" and acceptable, especially to young adults. A lot of young people in the Internet and social media worlds are very sex and porn-positive. They see it very differently than previous generations and are much less likely to feel shame or stigma about porn.
XBIZ: Given the sheer ubiquity of online porn, how do you distinguish your content stylistically from what’s already out there?
Gozzling: I come from outside the industry and I have a very strong creative vision. I look at porn today and I feel like there is a big empty space in the middle. My stuff is always authentic, carefully crafted, extreme, nasty, fast, colorful and stylish, thoughtful, cute and pretty. It's reliable. Everything that goes on the camera is what is in my head. So as long as I'm in control of things, it will always be strong content.
XBIZ: Tell us about your industry persona… does it reflect your real-life personality?
Gozzling: My industry persona is kind of like my real life persona through a prism. In other words, it somewhat reflects my real self, but not totally. In the last few years I have had a lotttt of success with getting laid on social media and dating sites and apps. I feel like I tapped into something. I started to understand how a lot of women felt about hooking up through social media.
XBIZ: When Evil Angel first approached you to join their roster of award-winning directors, what was your reaction?
Gozzling: I was extremely excited and energized to hear that Evil Angel was interested in my stuff. I have been a fan my entire life and it's still kind of surreal to have the opportunity to be an Evil Angel director.
XBIZ: What can you tell us about your mutual goals for this collaboration?
Gozzling: The only mutual goal I can speak to is to produce and distribute as much porn as possible, haha.
XBIZ: What do you hope to achieve, personally and professionally?
Gozzling: My personal and professional lives are pretty intertwined right now. I hope to achieve as much success as I possibly can. I'm shooting for the stars and I am going to see how far I can go with my vision.
XBIZ: Do you plan to diversify beyond the “Hookup Hotshot” motif?
Gozzling: Right now I am just focusing on Hookup Hotshot but I see a long porn career in my future and have a lot of other ideas.
XBIZ: Any current projects you’d like to highlight?
Gozzling: No, at the moment I am focusing solely on Hookup Hotshot. I have some other plans in the works as far as exclusive content for the site, but nothing concrete yet. I will keep you posted on that.
XBIZ: How do you see your career evolving in the coming years?
Gozzling: I see myself learning and developing a lot. I want to perfect my craft as much as I can and I love to learn and improve on my work. I won't stop until I'm satisfied and I'm rarely satisfied when it comes to my work. I want to reach my full potential as a performer and a director.