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| Candida Royalle |
Thanks to strong political beliefs
and a healthy sense of self, the initial obstacles
were never intimidating. She was able to put together
a business plan and outline the market she wanted
to tap into - women and couples - and was soon
able to find investors. The key piece to the puzzle:
finding a distributor. As any indie film maker
on Avenue C knows, making the movie is a piece
of cake compared to finding distribution. Fortunately
Royalle’s reputation as a bankable actress
that could be depended upon opened doors for her
in other areas of the industry.
Although doors opened, deals
were a bit tricky to close. “There was a
lot of patronizing at first, a lot of patting me
on the head and saying ‘Nice idea Candida,
but this is a boy’s club.’ That just
got me fired up even more!” It seems she
was faced with the same lack of vision that plagues
the entertainment industry, adult or otherwise.
Of course perseverance and spoon-feeding can, and
do, pay off. Candida and Femme are perfect cases
in point.
Fast forward to present day.
A hallmark of Femme’s productions is the
use of real life couples. She stresses that she
really likes for actors to establish some kind
of relationship, even if not real life romance,
because the sense of intimacy is so intensified.
She often invites prospective actors to request
certain co-stars, adding a real life fantasy element
to the production.
Of course the flip side of this
coin is the real life couple that gets into a fight
on the way over to the set or the strangers who
have flown in only to discover they don’t
really like each other. Real life has a way of
seeping in almost every where. “As coldhearted
as this may sound, the bottom line is I am paying
them to look like they are really into each other.
If they really are, great! But even if it is not
their ideal, they are being paid to convince us
they are having a great time.” Make no mistakes:
Ms. Royalle is a movie exec!
By her own admission, Candida
was fortunate to enter the industry as an actress
at the very top echelon. Embarking on her career
in the ‘70s - widely considered the golden
age of Adult films - she was always impressed with
the professionalism she encountered. She recalls
how “un-sleazy” her impression of the
business was. “I worked for directors who
really saw it as an artistic challenge and really
had fun with it.” She continues, “I
did run into directors that tried to take advantage
of talent and did fit the sleazy bill. But in Hollywood
or Madison Avenue it’s all who you work for
and how smart you are and really paying attention
to who you should work for and whose office you
should walk out of immediately.” Good advice
for any industry.
She is pragmatic when asked about
the backlash the adult industry received at one
point from feminists. She points out that for years
the industry was literally and figuratively carried
on the backs of women while virtually ignoring
their sexuality. “Of course there will always
be those who are against it (erotica) no matter
what but I think that is largely a thing of the
past. Younger feminists have come to understand
that erotic adult entertainment is not their enemy.”
One of my favorite Candida Royalle
stories of the evening; the time she invited -
and received - an audience from the National Organization
of Women to view one of her early films. Talk about
a tough room! She first showed a “standard” adult
film and then her own. Much to the surprise of
the audience, but not Royalle, the screening won
praise all around! “They came expecting nothing
but ended up having their eyes and minds really
opened!” If Candida Royalle can win over
that crowd, world domination is just a few steps
away. Brava!
For more information
please visit:
www.candidaroyalle.com | www.natural-contours.com
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