The recent allegations of on-set abuse made by Leigh Raven and Riley Nixon underline the importance of adult studios and directors establishing, following and enforcing on-set protocols regarding the primacy of performer consent and control.
Addressing the requirements and details of a scene before filming begins is a good start – but it is only the start. The nature of the work adult performers do is fundamentally different from other occupations, as it requires a special degree of making themselves vulnerable, physically, psychologically and emotionally. As such, in some ways we must treat the agreements entered into by adult performers differently from other contracts, as well.
Regardless of what a performer has agreed to do in a scene before the filming begins, they must be provided with the absolute final say during the shoot with respect to calling for a pause, delay or cessation of filming. This must include the absolute and unquestioned right to back out of any sex acts or scenarios previously agreed to by the performer, regardless of how inconvenient or problematic this may be for the director or crew shooting the scene.
Setting the parameters of an adult content shoot is not like the negotiation of other employment contracts. For one thing, in other employment contexts, employees and contractors generally are not signing off on the notion of pushing their sexual boundaries. Other types of employees and contractors are not consenting to being penetrated – or spanked, choked and spat upon, as is often the case in scenes involving rough sex.
In some cases, particularly when performers are engaging in certain sex acts for the first time, they may not know how far they’ve agreed to push their boundaries until after the sex act in question has begun.
In any event, even with an experienced performer who has done the same sex act many times before, it may turn out they’re not comfortable with what the scene at hand calls for after all, once filming has started. Maybe they’re not comfortable with the on-screen partner(s) they’re working with that day, or perhaps their body just isn’t up to the physical demands of the scene. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter why a performer has changed their mind – all that matters is the fact they have changed their mind.
Once a performer’s desire to stop has been made clear, it is incumbent upon the director and others in charge of the shoot to stop the action immediately and tend to the wellbeing of the performer(s).
For all the reasons listed above, directors and producers should not treat or view a performer’s change in heart along these lines as they would a breach of a contract in another context.
While the most important reason for studios, directors and producers of adult content to adopt a policy that gives performers the final say and full control over their own performance is that it’s the right and ethical thing to do, there’s an important public relations component to consider, as well.
Outside the adult industry – especially now, in the context of the ongoing #MeToo movement – there are many critics who contend that adult content is akin to sexual assault or depict nothing less than documented sexual abuse. If we’re to combat this misguided and unfair notion as an industry, it’s crucial we’re able to look ourselves in the mirror (and look our customers in the face) and honestly say: “Everything you see here was done by the book.”
Performers are the most important people in this industry. Without them, without the work they do day after day, there is no adult entertainment. We can make no movies without them, we have no products without them and we have no customers without the effort performers put into their work. It is way past time for every studio, producer and director to acknowledge this basic fact and conduct their shoots accordingly.
While we firmly believe most adult filmmakers do conduct themselves ethically and responsibly, this is an area in which the industry must strive for a “zero defects” standard. It may not be possible to assure every scene from every filmmaker is produced to such a high standard, but this must be our goal. And as we work towards this goal, we must support our performers every step of the way, making it clear to them we have their best interests in mind, even when – especially when – their needs may conflict with our bottom line.
Read more essays on this topic by adult entertainment film performers, directors and producers at Ethical.porn.
