Porn Production Moves to Vegas After Condom Law

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Saw this in the mainstream press today:

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Lee Roy Myers has everything you'd expect to find in the nation's porn capital in Southern California: sets of a classroom, hospital room, locker room and a bedroom, as well as a list of porn stars waiting to perform.

But his plywood universe is not in the San Fernando Valley. It's a few paces away from the glittery casinos of the Las Vegas Strip.

"Las Vegas is a fresh town, and it's where people need the business," said Myers, whose new studio is part of a boom in X-rated production in Sin City sparked by a Los Angeles law requiring male actors to wear condoms.

The rule and potential opportunities in Nevada were the talk of the Adult Entertainment Expo this week. The annual sex industry trade show culminates Saturday with an awards ceremony for adult films.

"It's not really an option to change the way we make our movies, and moving production isn't that hard," said porn purveyor Jules Jordan, who hid out behind nearly naked models at the JulesJordanVideo.com booth.

Jordan warned reporters not to ask him about condoms.

The voter-approved Los Angeles regulation survived a constitutional challenge, but other lawsuits are ongoing, and the industry is still waiting for the first big prophylactic bust.

The number of permits requested to make porn films in Los Angeles County has declined by an estimated 95 percent since the law took effect, according to Film LA, a private nonprofit that issues the licenses. The number of applications fell from about 480 in 2012 to just 24 through the first nine months of 2013.

For Myers, who co-owns Mission Control studios and directs films for WoodRocket.com, the condom police are just the start of his troubles with Los Angeles. The region had also gotten too expensive for him.

With DVD sales continuing to plummet, the bounce provided by the mommy-porn series "Fifty Shades of Grey" wearing off, and no solid business model in sight, producers in this notoriously low-budget industry are looking for new ways to cut costs.

While Los Angeles charges hundreds of dollars for location permits and requires health checks as well, Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, gives out location permits for a nominal fee and does not require health permits.

The warehouses are cheaper, and it's also more affordable to rent out mansions and put actors up in hotels. The hardest part, Myers said, is making sure the stars leave at the end of the shoot.

Myers has also found that Las Vegas, a town already suffused with commercialized sex, is less squeamish about his line of work.

"They're used to it here because they already kind of have it," he said, sitting among rows of child-size desks in his studio's classroom set. "Figuring out how to make these things more cheaply won't include shooting in Los Angeles."

The studio sits in what was once another empty building on blighted Industrial Road behind the town's tourist corridor. Local officials appear content with the arrangement and have no plans to pass additional rules.

"It's a legalized industry and properly regulated, so I don't see it as a problem," said Clark County commissioner Chris Giunchigliani. "I think the city and the county will benefit from any expansion of the film industry. It's economic diversification."

Las Vegas is home to some major porn players, including Brazzers, Bait & Tackle, Corbin Fisher, VCX Ltd. and newcomer Bluebird Film.

Several producers with top porn purveyor Evil Angel are talking about moving to Las Vegas, according to owner John Stagliano, and enough porn stars have settled down in the area to supply all the extras a film could need, if not all the stars.

Derek Hay, owner of adult talent agency LA Direct Models, opened an office here last fall. He estimates that 20 percent of the industry will have moved to Las Vegas by the end of the year.

Some contrarians believe the boom will eventually lead Clark County to adopt the same regulations that are scaring the industry in Los Angeles. This September, the same group that championed the 2012 condom law started a similar campaign in Florida.

For now, concerns about an eventual condom showdown in the desert are not stopping producers from making investments. Myers has several producers coming through his studio this week.

After that, he will turn his attention to repurposing the cave set featured in the high fantasy spoof "Game of Bones" for another pornographic parody, based on The Hobbit.

The star of both films, James Deen, a millennial porn icon who acted alongside Lindsay Lohan in "The Canyons," said moving the industry to Las Vegas is just a band aid.

"The issue with running to Vegas is it doesn't actually fix anything," he said, taking refuge near a stairwell at the convention hall to avoid interruption by a constant stream of fans. "We should explain to the people who put that law in place why it's unnecessary, and appeal it the same way any community would appeal any asinine law."

Stay classy Las Vegas...



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[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

In related news, look who else recently moved to Las Vegas...

LAS VEGAS (December 18, 2013) ? AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) opened its two newest domestic AHF Healthcare Centers with back-to-back dedication ceremonies on Dec. 18 in the Las Vegas area. The facilities will provide client-centered, specialized medical treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Local dignitaries including North Las Vegas City Councilman Isaac Barron and Community Outreach Manager for the City of North Las Vegas Kathi Thomas-Gibson attended the North Las Vegas ribbon cutting. Barron also presented AHF with a proclamation from the city honoring the new facility.

?Despite the tireless efforts of the existing HIV safety net of providers in the area, far too many people living with HIV in Clark County do not have access to the lifesaving care they need. These new healthcare centers will help fill that gap and support the work of organizations like our partner organization, the Nevada AIDS Project,? said Adam Ouderkirk, Senior Director of Program and Business Development for AHF.

?Access to clinical care for people livings with HIV/AIDS, especially those with limited or no insurance, has been challenging in the greater Las Vegas area. Since AHF provides specialized care regardless of ability to pay, these new facilities will greatly increase the number of people who can receive the care to help them live well with this condition.?

?Increased access to HIV testing is the single most important step for turning the tide on HIV in Nevada,? said Michael Weinstein, President of AHF. ?We are excited to remove obstacles for many by providing free testing through mobile testing vans and increased clinical opportunities for people to access free rapid testing.?

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[Barefootsies]

It looks like a case for Diane Duke and 'the mouth of the south' (i.e. Mike South).

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

It looks like a case for Diane Duke and 'the mouth of the south' (i.e. Mike South).

Maybe they can elope there...











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[The Porn Nerd]

What happens in Vegas stays in .... everywhere now, I guess.

[NaughtyRob]

Any companies moving or have moved to Vegas need a hard worker. Contact me.

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Originally Posted by The Porn Nerd

What happens in Vegas stays in .... everywhere now, I guess.

QFT...







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