profile

Executive Seat: Richard Arnold — Purely Professional

Who do you call when you want to take your already successful adult franchise to the next level? Who has the brains, the brawn and the right names in the Rolodex to give you global reach for exploiting existing opportunities, not to mention creating new ones?

If you’re Peter North, you call Richard Arnold at Pure Play Media. Arnold’s Toronto-based firm began representing the veteran performer’s Northpole Enterprises in adult broadcast and DVD channels in March of this year. The new partnership exploded off the starting line with Northpole’s all-HD “HumpHer 2 BumpHer” series, shot exclusively in limousines, as well as “Peter North’s POV Vol. 23” and “Deep Throat This Vol. 42.”

Pure Play Media has offices and operations in Toronto, Montreal and Chatsworth. Arnold, CEO and cofounder, oversees things from his Ontario HQ, where XBIZ caught up with him on a typically busy late-June afternoon.

XBIZ: What’s the history of Pure Play Media?
ARNOLD: I entered the video distribution business in Canada back in 1986, working for a guy distributing mainstream B movies. When he had financial issues I started my first company with three people. I’d buy closeouts and resell them, which meant VHS tapes back then.

XBIZ: So you started mainstream and went to adult?
ARNOLD: Along with the other stuff we began distributing some adult, but it really took off in 1991 when the rules changed for adult material in Canada. Prior to that it was only soft stuff, but [that year] it became a little looser, letting us do X or XX movies. The whole adult market opened up, but we learned very quickly that to succeed in Canada we couldn’t rely on one product line, there are too few people. In a country bigger than the U.S. we have a population a tenth of the U.S.. We figured out that, to do a good job, we had to rep noncompeting lines.

XBIZ: The Pure Play Media name has been connected with Private forever, it seems.
ARNOLD: Early on I was distributing for Private. In fact, we started with film no.10 of theirs, real early. We developed a good relationship, so in 1999 they approached me after they went public and said, “We don’t like our U.S. distribution. Can you go to California and open an office for us?” I first thought it would be too much work, but we talked more and I decided to do it. I worked like crazy, negotiated deals, and staffed the office — it was a great learning experience. We stuck with Private for a couple of years. We both had ideas to expand, but different ideas, so in 2002 we split.

XBIZ: This led to the “new, improved” Pure Play Media, right?
ARNOLD: It was 2003 when we got the new model going, and the first deals were with Michael Ninn, Score and Seymour Butts — a real strong start. Over time we added and subtracted lines, always sticking to the model. It’s tougher to do now, but we are very discerning about who we rep. Sure, I’ve turned down a few deals I’ve kicked myself over, but the model works and we stay true to the people we represent. It’s all about relationships.

XBIZ: Times are tough. How are you managing?
ARNOLD: The sad part about the business today is there is not a massive amount of good news. But we’re battling through.

XBIZ: How many people can pack themselves into a bandwagon before it breaks an axle? We’re talking parodies here.
ARNOLD: If you do them well, like anything else they’ll work. Jeff Mullen (president of parody leaders Sitcums.com and X-Play) has got a great formula, but it’s not a mystery and it’s the same for every genre — commitment to quality and hard work. The folks that will be in this business in a year or two are the ones who do good original content.

XBIZ: Yanks and Canucks — are we that different, really?
ARNOLD: Canadians and Americans are very similar. We eat just as shitty as you, we’re a little more liberal, and maybe it’s a stroke of luck but we didn’t get nailed as bad in this recession. The key difference in doing business in Canada is that we have government-run approval agencies for all movies. It’s a pain in the butt and expensive, but at the end of the day I don’t have to worry about legal liability.

XBIZ: You sound just like any other business person. Business is business, right?
ARNOLD: It all comes down to hard work. You cannot work in this industry now if you don’t know that. If you want to make a quick buck, you’re done before you start. John Stagliano, Jules Jordan, Steve Hirsch — all the successful guys are out there putting in long, long hours. I’m keeping things going on all fronts, being available to people and working hard, too. It’s not as daunting as it used to be, but there’s always a lot of hard work to be done.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Free Agent Auteur: Casey Calvert Expands Her Directing Horizon

Now, having brought that highly-awarded polyamory trilogy to a close, Calvert is concluding the exclusive Lust Cinema directing chapter of her career and charting a new course out into open creative waters as a free agent.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Collaboration Done Differently: Adult Time Discusses Ambassador Program

Since the launch of Adult Time in 2019, award-winning director and chief creative officer Bree Mills has actively explored collaborative opportunities with members of the performer community, seeking out talent whose values align with the company’s and who appreciate the type of content Mills creates for the multibrand platform.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

WIA Profile: Siouxsie Q.

Siouxsie Q has long been a committed artist and organizer. This dual path has garnered her significant recognition for both her creative works and her advocacy. Yet one thing that stands clear in Q’s story is that her motivation transcends mere acclaim.

Women In Adult ·
trends

The Art of Performance: Top Stars Share Current Strategies for Success

While many studio performers are also creators, harnessing the booming indie content and streaming market, only a select few creators also do studio shoots.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Sinful XXX Brings Dreamy Erotica to Life With Business Finesse

As the creative brains behind Sinful XXX, director and producer Roma Amor is primarily responsible for bringing the brand’s signature style of erotica to life. It is a role for which he is well prepared, having worked as a freelance art photographer and video maker since 1996.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Anna Claire Clouds Reflects on Triumphs, Career Ambitions

Born and raised in a small town near Nashville, Tennessee, Southern belle Anna Claire Clouds grew up surrounded by nature. She spent most of her time enjoying the rippling waters of the lake, exploring the greenery of the woods and living that country life.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Lauren Phillips Flips the 'Switch' for New Adult Time Series

Veteran performer and cam model Lauren Phillips is no stranger to moviemaking. Well before she began sharpening her directorial instincts, as a prolific performer she worked alongside Gamma Entertainment's award-winning teams to bring their various studio brands to life.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Mazee the GOAT Shoots for the Stars With 'Amazing Films'

In 2016, three years before he entered the adult industry, Mazee the G.O.A.T. was a male stripper on the East Coast. Living in New York made it easy for him to pick up work at private parties and events around the tri-state area.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Queenie Sateen Reflects on Rising Stardom, Making Music

When Queenie Sateen reached adulthood, she moved to New York City to attend the Parsons School of Design, while making music and stripping in her free time.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Skye Blue Talks Fashion, Performing & Being an Authentic Creator

After moving to New York City to attend fashion school, Skye Blue was snatched up by a modeling agency — but when the agency discovered she was camming at night to help pay the bills, she was promptly dropped for violating her contract’s “morality clause.”

Alejandro Freixes ·
Show More