Sid Knox is marking his 30th year in the industry. Asked what he enjoys most about his work, the prolific producer/director says it’s the process of creating something with like-minded people.
“I like directing because there’s a good rhythm to it,” he reflects. “Plus, I like building stuff. It’s fun to work with other people and know that there’s a goal in mind.”
Knox especially enjoys shooting with friends, like Charles Dera and Seth Gamble.
“They’re always fun to hang with for the day,” he says. “Obviously, I want to shoot cool stuff — but I also want to have a good time doing it.”
“Shooting new people is always kind of scary,” Knox admits. “You don’t know what kind of baggage they’re bringing on set. So I try to stick to shooting my guy friends. And I have a long list of women I love working with.”
On a typical shoot day, Knox tries to get to set early — usually around 8:30 a.m. For bigger productions, he’s likely to be there for 10-12 hours; gonzo productions usually take only half as long.
Either way, he says, he aims for efficiency so that both he and his crew can have time to live their lives.
“I’m a family man more than anything,” says Knox, who has logged thousands of frequent flyer miles traveling between Los Angeles and his home in Utah, where he tries to spend as much time as possible.
“I’ve got the greatest wife on the planet,” he declares. “She lets me go and play and be around naked people, and still lets me come home at night. She’s extremely supportive — and very successful herself, working in a different industry.”
The couple has raised three boys together. Family camping trips are a favorite activity, though Knox will occasionally miss out on family events due to the demands of his job.
“I think my youngest is getting the brunt of it, unfortunately, because I’m working a little bit more now than I have in the last few years,” he says. “But I try to balance it when I’m home and spend as much time with him as possible.”
“He doesn’t know what I do, obviously, because he’s too young,” Knox adds. “But I think my work ethic is a good example for him. Like, ‘All right, this is what you’re supposed to do: go work and bring home the bacon.’”
These days, that mostly means directing for Elegant Angel, though Knox can periodically also be found operating a camera for Brazzers or shooting models such as Alexis Lee.
“I just started working with her,” he says. “She’s pretty cool, so I’m excited about that quite a bit.”
Among recent projects, Knox is especially proud of “Breakthrough,” the Elegant Angel feature he shot earlier this year.
“I was really happy with how it turned out, especially given the budget and time frame that we had,” he recalls. “I thought that we did a really good job. We knocked that one out in a very short period of time, and the actors were great, especially Jason Sarcinelli. He was the lead, and he really stood out.”
Seth Gamble also appears in the film.
“I’ve worked with him in the past, but on that movie, we built a really good friendship,” says Knox. “We’ve talked a lot of shop since then.”
“We had a really good crew,” Knox adds. “I don’t think I’m crazy on set, but I know what I want, and they put up with me. I’m like, ‘Here’s what we’re doing today; it’s a lot of work.’ And they’re like, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Knox’s appreciation for cast and crew extends to making sure they are well fed, something that he feels strongly about.
“Everyone works harder when they’ve got a full belly,” Knox explains. “The days of offering half-sized water bottles and telling people to bring their own lube and snacks are over. I mean, we’re not bringing in lobster, but we try.”
Knox has also been keeping busy lately by shooting oil scenes.
“We put down a big plastic tarp and throw a rug on top of it, and we throw in about 15 to 16 bottles of baby oil — the large ones — and we just let people go to town,” he says. “They’re a lot of fun to shoot, and the talent has a blast. I mean, there’s no cinematic value to it whatsoever, but people love it.”
After three decades in the business, Knox describes the central challenge of directing as a matter of balance. The goal, he says, is to stay creative without losing sight of the goal: “To make a good jerk-off movie without getting too artsy-fartsy.”
Knox says he sometimes worries that adult filmmakers have lost touch with the audience and are instead making movies for other people in the industry.
“I want to make sure the fans like my movies,” he says simply. “I think it’s a good goal.”
That being said, Knox admits that he hopes to work soon on something that has “a little substance to it.”
“That’s what motivates me these days,” he muses. “I read and write a lot of three- or four-page dialogue sets, since those are the bulk of what we do. But I’d like to do something a bit more interesting than ‘The guy shows up and rings the doorbell.’ Because honestly, my favorite part of the process is the writing.”
Knox says he’s excited to see more story-based porn being made these days.
“I think that’s something that some of us older guys like,” he reflects. “The industry went straight gonzo at one point, and gonzo is always a blast, but I like the direction it’s going now.”
Once again, Knox notes, it’s ultimately about balance.
“It means we can be a little creative while still being perverts at the same time,” he laughs.
Knox confides that he has a few promising feature ideas of his own that he’s excited about — including one outside the industry: a mainstream horror movie.
“I really want to make a good slasher film,” he says. “I’ve got a buddy who I went to school with, who works in film and commercials on the East Coast, and we’ve been talking a lot. I think we’ve got a good idea, and we’re going to try to get it made in the next couple of years. We just need to get some money together.”
His take on the genre is tinged with nostalgia.
“Horror movies aren’t really slasher movies these days,” he observes. “I’m turning 50 soon, and the horror films we had when I was younger are nothing like the ones today. My 13-year-old laughs at some of them now.”
As fate has it, Knox speaks to XBIZ on Halloween, with John Carpenter’s 1978 classic “Halloween” playing in the background. He’s giving out Snickers bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups this year.
“I don’t screw around,” he says.
When it comes to current industry trends, Knox again takes a characteristically balanced view.
“OnlyFans kind of kills production sometimes, but it’s great for the talent, and I’m glad they’re all making money on that end,” he notes.
He says he’s also seen some high-quality AI porn.
“It’s crazy,” he marvels. “Just the other day, I was watching an AI performer, and I didn’t even realize it. She was so hot that I was like, ‘Who’s your agent?’ I totally got duped. But I think the majority still want that human factor in their sex. The fact that it’s an actual girl is the thing that gets them off. AI can’t offer that, no matter how nice it looks.”
His advice for aspiring adult filmmakers: “Learn your craft. There are so many people trying to get into the business these days, and they’re just getting better and better every single day. It’s becoming very competitive — which is great because I think it makes everyone’s work better.”
“The industry continues to adapt and evolve,” he concludes. “I’m just grateful to have already put one kid through college with the money I made from porn. I’m thankful I’m still around.”
