The event, which also was a benefit for the Downtown Women’s Center, was attended by more than 100 of L.A.’s alternative hipster crowd.
“We had so many girls coming out of the woodwork that wanted to do scenes, so we’re doing the people that want to do their first scene thing,” McKai told XBIZ. “‘Cause if you’re doing a feature, you don’t necessarily want that to be their first scene, in a feature. So we traveled, promoting Vivid Alt, and Dana is in [the video] and she’s talking to all these girls."
“I’m really excited about ‘Role-Modeling,’” DeArmond told XBIZ, as she stood shivering outside in the brisk winter weather, away from the loud, pulsating mix of indie guitar rock being played by the DJ.
“This can be a difficult business to break into, so the idea started with me wanting to help these performers and break in the right way. It was interesting to see them, because they’d come in all excited and then a couple of them really went back and forth before they finally did it. So, we’ll se what happens; where they decide to go with it,” DeArmond said.
Both McKai and DeArmond traveled to Baltimore, where a couple of the movie’s newbie performers hailed from. DeArmond laughed, saying that she and McKai got tossed off one of Baltimore’s morning radio shows, when she made a reference to “doing it in the back door.”
McKai pointed out that Baltimore is the home of one of the earliest alt porn sites, SuperCult.com, and also the hometown of indie filmmaker John Waters.
“John Waters is heavy,” McKai said. “A guy at Music Plus gave me a copy of ‘Multiple Maniacs’ and sent me home to watch it, and it changed my life. You go, these are really freaky people, they’re really living it.”
"Role Modeling" features the adventures of amateurs Apple McCall, Rory Tonic, Andy San Dimas Casper Vice and Johnny Utah. Professional performers Daniel, Alec Knight, Sascha and Jordan Ash also make an appearance.
DeArmond explained that the amateur performers had varied reactions to being on their first production for a big company, though several of them had shot online content and done other modeling.
“I think for Andy San Dimas, she went from being a big fish in a small pond, to coming to L.A. and being in the big ocean, you know?” DeArmond said. “And Casper I can’t get a hold of. He changed his cellphone number — so Casper, if you’re out there…”
Partygoers were asked to bring canned food and donations to the venue, which featured a live stage that doubled as a half-pipe for skaters. Band Sons and Lovers rocked out a set of neo-psychedelic blues-inspired tunes, complete with congas and mandolin. A big red peace sign on the wall next to various art works completed the scene.
Other adult personalities on hand to celebrate with DeArmond included newbie performer Coco Velvett (not a star of “Role-Modeling”), performer Alex Gonz, fetish photographer and adult director Dave Naz, Vivid Alt director Vena Virago and her husband Trevor, and Vivid Sales Manager David Peskin.
For sales information on “Dana DeArmond’s Role-Modeling,” call Peskin at (866) 466-6969, ext. 108, or email davep@pulsedistribution.com.
