A few days ago I was invited by the awesome guys at DDF to observe how a VR Adult scene is made. The studio is based in Budapest, but I was lucky enough to be in the area so I was able to make the trip when I was invited.
I arrived before noon to the 2 story high studio. It was impressive. I am quite a connoisseur when it comes to porn and VR porn, and in the studio there were enough props to create about 90 percent of all porn stories I have ever seen. Felt like home a little bit.
I was introduced to the studio and the team by Paul, Director of Marketing and Product owner of DDFNetworkVR, and after a bit of gawking on my part I was introduced to the really charming Mary Kalisy who was getting ready with the makeup.
What really impressed me was the happy atmosphere, with everyone joking and having fun, but at the same time rushing to get things done. Rushed because there was a photo shoot to be done, a VR Shoot and after the regular porn video. I was told that sometimes, depending on many variables a workday can extend to 13 hours. Wow! And we all thought shooting Porn was easy!
Unfortunately I did not attend during the filming. As they wanted to have as few people as possible on the set when the camera is rolling. But I did attend the photo shoot (I was even allowed to shoot some backstage photos, for a friend… 😉 ).
Mary Kalisy is amazing! And I am not talking about just the body. She really comes alive during shooting. You can see she is enjoying it and really likes what she is doing.
And as Paul told me, shooting VR Porn is much more difficult for the performers. The male has to be still, not make any sounds and on many occasions having to stand in a really awkward position to accommodate for the VR camera. And it’s similar for the female, not forgetting to interact with the camera instead of the guy. Luckily Mary was not at her first VR shoot, so she knows very well what to do.
During lunch-break things settled down for a few minutes, giving me an opportunity to ask Paul some questions regarding the VR Porn industry.
How long have you been in the Porn industry?
Wow its going on 7 years now. Actually an Industry I never imagined being in. Long story short I was Producing Music and DJ’ing after leaving a 10 year corporate job, which was amazing, and traveling Europe. I met the team at DDF through a friend, and after helping out with some projects, I was asked by Francois, our Managing Director to help in Developing and Marketing team, which was not existing at the time.
So Paul, you told me before that you were one of the main guys to push for VR at DDF. What was the biggest challenge?
In VR there are various challenges, and as in all Productions when you try to reach a high level, the challenges become greater, but more rewarding as well.
Technically – I would say the rendering of these videos to be crisp and clear is one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced.
Talent is the other Big Challenge. Good, naturally seductive Performers are highly sought after, and not easy to book so regularly.
Providing what consumers want is also another factor, because there are so many varied tastes.
When you are filming VR Porn, what are the main things to keep in mind?
For myself it is specifically, Lighting, Immersion of Performers and Global Excitement within the scene. If I nail those 3 items…I usually get a good scene.
Why do you thing other studios like Brazzers don’t start doing VR Porn?
To be honest I am not sure. I think there Product would do well. Many studios see VR as a FAD, like 3D was. I see it as an incredible new median to consume Erotica.
It’s a vehicle that puts you deeper into the fantasy, and I can only see it improving. Companies like “SexLikeReal” are doing a great job pioneering the way by providing a robust system to consume VR, and once the Gear becomes more affordable, and mainstream snaps it up on a larger scale, I think more consumers will realize that it’s here to stay.
What is next for DDF and VR, any future plans?
Yes! We are testing right now our 5K camera system and Binaural Sound. Lots of Tests before we push out our 1st scene July/August time frame.
Beyond that, Booking Top Notch Performers every chance we get, and setting up some regular series to keep consumers engaged.
After that I went with Paul and some of the team to enjoy the Budapest night life. The clubs are WOW! and I don’t even like clubs.
