Dave Naz, Paul Thomas Featured in L.A. Weekly's People Issue

LOS ANGELES — Vivid-Alt director Dave Naz and Vivid director Paul Thomas were featured in L.A. Weekly's People Issue, an annual compilation of profiles of Los Angelinos of note.

Naz's profile focuses on his work as an erotic photographer, having been featured in Taboo, Barely Legal and Leg Show magazines. His artier pictures are featured in gallery shows and a series of his own photography books.

Naz learned about the adult industry as New York erotic photographer Richard Kern's assistant, and Naz's unretouched photos feature models in their most raw form.

"The photos sometimes come out better when models are a little uncomfortable," Naz told reporter Jonathan Gold. "I can't explain it, but I am happiest when a feeling of uneasiness comes through in the work."

Thomas emphasized his passion for creating story-driven porn shot on film, giving it a texture that's "closest to dreams," rather than videotape that "looks as though it were recorded on surveillance tape."

Thanks to Vivid's high budget, Thomas is able to turn his mainstream-quality ideas into reality.

"People want some story with their eroticism," Thomas told reporter Steven Mikulan. "If you can make them believe in the characters and their conflicts, it heightens the inevitable sex in the screenplay."

Thomas also told of his "ambivalent outlook" toward screen sex, saying he even has trouble watching extended sex scenes because too much length makes the sex "gratuitous."

Thomas said he is dedicated to making his films stand out among the sea of low-quality, gonzo-style porn, setting a positive example for what porn offers the public that no mainstream Hollywood studio could ever hope to accomplish.

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