Artistic quality is not a buzzword I’ve heard from many of the producers I’ve worked with, and it hits me that even though Logan’s films are always on trend, they also have a deeper level to them and tons of visual appeal. “Are you one of those people that misses old-school feature films?”
“Yes. And no. It’s frustrating that anyone with a handheld can make a porno now. There are so many shitty homemade sex scenes, how can a regular Joe Schmo find anything with quality?
“But gonzo isn’t completely terrible,” he says, referring to the style of filming that puts the cinematographer in the production. “There are so many good things about it. The camera angles, the intimacy, the spontaneity—all of those are qualities that have advanced the industry and made it more accessible to the average Internet subscriber. So, what’s missing from today’s porn that should be brought back? Not the production costs. Or the bad acting. Storylines? John Stagliano insists that his films, even though they’re gonzo style, have a story. And they do, but they’re like the movies from the past. The plots are weak and unbelievable, and yes, I know they’re supposed to be fantasies, but tell me, do you know anyone whose fantasy is Debbie Does Dallas?”
He pauses just long enough for me to shake my head. “Exactly. So we need to keep the camera techniques, the intimate filming quality, and the tight budget, and then get better actors and plots.”
I’m transfixed as he talks about this thing he’s obviously so passionate about, and while I’m hanging on every word, I’m also somewhere outside of myself, watching this man who is so nerdy and sexy and nothing at all like the “typical” porn star. He doesn’t even have the look of the traditional film leads. He’s toned but slim, not at all beefy like Rocco Siffredi or Bruce Venture, or hyper-masculine like Manuel Ferrara. Logan’s clean-cut and tattoo-free with his endearingly boyish (and handsome) face, and maybe that’s why he’s such a force right now—because he’s fresh and different and real.
Well, that, and also, he’s a giver.
It strikes me that of everything there is to be attracted to about Logan, this is his sexiest part—this part of him I’m seeing now. This part of him that cares about his work beyond the sex. This part of him that isn’t just physicality, but also emotion and heart.
“Then would you rather that more of the work you do is scripted?” I ask. The movies Logan produces already walk the line between improvised and plotted out. While the scenes themselves seem to be organic, they always begin with a monologue that he writes himself. It’s another original aspect of his work.
“Hiring a good scriptwriter costs too much, so that’s not the way to go. But reality TV has proven stories can be interesting when not scripted.”
“But those situations aren’t really ‘real.’” I wonder if this is strange first date conversation. I’ve never gone out with someone else in the business, so my experience is narrow. “Those reality shows are all staged. Encouraged.”
He sits forward, eager. “Right! The producers put together characters with whatever chemistry they’re going after because they know that, based simply on psychology and human behavior, the ‘actors’ will react to each other in a way that’s entertaining to watch.”
He leans back in his chair again. “I mean, look at The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. People go crazy over watching men and women ‘fall for each other’ in real time.” He uses air quotes as he says fall for each other suggesting he believes, as I do, that very little that happens on reality shows is genuine. “Imagine if we could capture that essence.”
I squint my eyes as I follow his line of thought. “Then you’re suggesting porn do The Bachelor?”
“Not a game show. But, yeah. A camera following a man and a woman over a series of dates. The sexual activity would be encouraged to progress at a natural pace and would be completely open door. Explicit. Hot. But it all happens organically, and if feelings develop between them, even better.”
“That’s actually a brilliant idea.” I’ve never spent much time thinking about where porn could or should go, but hearing Logan talk about it is really inspiring. “It’s cutting edge and yet right in line with where the trends are heading.”
“That’s what I think.” He meets my eyes, and I have to concentrate to not squirm in my chair. His gaze is so hot and intense and demanding. It’s as if he wants something from me, and if I knew what it was, I have a feeling I’d hand it over without a second thought.
“So what do you say?” he asks after a beat.
“What do I say about—wait.” Everything starts to click into place. “Are you actually proposing this project?”
“Yeah.”
“To me?”
“Yes. I am.”
Then this isn’t a date.
And the conversation wasn’t candid and real; it was the preamble to this proposal.
I’m stunned. And speechless. Mostly because I’m disappointed.
But then he says, “I’m asking you if you’d like to be part of a revolution that takes the industry by storm,” and I can’t be quite as disappointed as I was because, even though this isn’t a date, it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to move into the het world. To make more money. To do more work with Logan.