Award Winning Erotic Filmmaker: Ms. Naughty
A pioneer and top creator in the field of feminist pornography, Ms. Naughty is a winner of multiple Feminist Porn Awards and was named an Indie Porn Icon in 2017. This amazing lady is also, as I can attest, a fantastic promoter and supporter of other female creators in the business. Long renowned as a writer, critic and webmistress in the feminist adult industry, she is now the owner and director at the amazing Bright Desire films–a revolutionary indie/couples studio poised to celebrate a decade in the business.
The Feminist Sexpert is proud to profile a premiere Feminist Pornographer: Ms. Naughty!
Feminist Sexpert: First I would like to say, Bravo! I loved my visit to Bright Desire and loved all of the clips, with Tease and Linger ranking among my favorites. As with other films of yours that I’ve seen, the clips were sensual, poetic and not at all vulgar. I felt naughty but not dirty after watching. Is this the formula that you strive to achieve with every scene?
Ms. Naughty: I’ve always wanted to portray sex in a positive way. I find that a lot of porn has a really negative vibe to it. When you watch it, you’re left feeling uneasy or maybe “mentally turned off”. So I’ve made an effort to avoid that. I want to show people sharing intimacy, interacting in positive, joyful ways. In my films people don’t “do” sex to each other in a competitive or negative way, they *have* sex together. It’s about a shared experience. Even in situations with power play, there’s respect for everyone. Nobody has to be the loser in my films. I’m big on showing consent and communication before and during sex.
And it’s really important to show a less serious side – the laughter, the mistakes, the less-than-glamourous moments. Because that’s what sex is like. It’s supposed to be fun.
Feminist Sexpert: You’ve worn so many hats in the adult industry–reviewer, webmistress, writer, filmmaker. What first drew you to the industry, and what inspired you to make your own adult films?
Ms. Naughty: I was originally writing articles for an Australian women’s porn magazine and found my way into the online industry in 2000. I’ve always been interested in sex from a feminist perspective and this has informed everything I’ve done over the last 21 years. I always wanted to show female pleasure and show a woman’s perspective of sexuality. This was almost non-existent when I started out. Over the years I’ve expanded my philosophy and learned from others which is why I’ve included a more diverse range of perspectives and people in my porn. But as a straight cis woman I’ve always been keen on making a space online for women like me. We’re still ignored or misunderstood by the industry.
When I started out, I was working with photos and erotic fiction. I started making my own films in 2009 because the internet had moved into video and it was time to move with it. Being in Australia meant it was a lot harder to get started in this area, otherwise I would have done it sooner. It was a steep learning curve for me. I took a weekend filmmaking course, got some tips from a friend in the industry and just went from there. I was very much making it up as I went along. It’s only ever been me and my husband doing the work. We’re very low-budget, very DIY. I’m pretty proud to have won so many awards, given that we’re not a major production company.
Feminist Sexpert: I recently shared my column with you about the need for more beefcake porn for women–and in your films, you cast gorgeous, sensitive actors like Ryan James and Parker Marx. What criteria do you look for in your male stars, and do you strive to spotlight or highlight the male form in your scenes?
Ms. Naughty: It’s always tricky casting male performers because of the “penis problem”. You usually need guys who are able to be erect and comfortable in a room with other people and cameras. It’s not easy – and kudos to every guy who does it. Not every scene I’ve done has required it, of course, but it is something you have to be aware of. Beyond that, I like to work with male performers who are in tune with my feminist philosophy. I want to know they’re on board with what we’re doing. I’ve received thousands of emails from men who are just keen to turn up and fuck. But I need male performers who are more enlightened and open to ideas. It also helps if they can act… but there’s ways of setting up scenes where that’s not vital.
I’ve shot a lot of real-life couples and usually I make sure the female partner is totally on board and comfortable with the shoot before I go ahead. She calls the shots. So in those cases, I’m not choosing the male partner according to how they look. It’s all about the couple and their needs.
In terms of shooting, I like to give equal camera time to the male and female form. Too often porn will cut the guy’s head out of the frame and focus only on the woman. I won’t do that. I want to show the audience what he’s feeling as well. And when I’ve shot films that do focus on the male form, I take a holistic approach. It’s not just about his cock. It’s about his face, his muscles, the tiny movements of his toes, everything. I’ve shot male solo masturbation films with voiceovers because I want to both admire their body and also get an idea of who they are, even as we’re watching a very intimate moment.
Trinity, a Bright Desire film
Feminist Sexpert: From my interactions with you over the years, you are always one of the most approachable and helpful adult industry professionals, particularly in support of other women. And if anything, I would like to see more networking and support among female content creators and performers. What are your thoughts?
Ms. Naughty: When I started out in 2000 there was a group of female webmasters who were very supportive of newcomers and we all promoted each others’ sites. I was so very grateful for that and I’ve tried to pay it forward. I’ve always felt that we’re better off supporting each other, even though we may be commercially competing. The industry is still male dominated and still caters to men so it’s useful for women, nb and queer producers and performers to network and communicate. We can collectively make a bigger space for ourselves by helping each other out. And also, our perspectives are all different, we all have something new or interesting to offer. The more choices women producers and performers offer, the better it serves the audience.
Spider Woman, a Bright Desire Film
Feminist Sexpert: Bright Desire will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. What does the future hold for this amazing studio?
Ms. Naughty: Covid has put a dampener on production for a lot of the adult industry and we haven’t been able to make new films for a while. I’m hoping to change that in the future, once we can reliably travel (although the vaccine rollout here in Australia is a disaster so who knows when that will be). In the meantime I’ve been featuring the work of other producers whose films fit with the vibe of Bright Desire. I’m also looking at taking amateur couples self-filmed submissions sometime in 2021. Everyone has an amazing camera in their pocket now and this means we can see many more perspectives and ideas and sexualities.
