Matt Lambert, Rebecca More, and Sean Ford on the DIY evolution of porn

Over the last few years, the porn industry has changed immeasurably, and no clearer has this been made than during the pandemic. Subscription-based cam sites like OnlyFans and Just For Fans have skyrocketed in popularity over the last year, democratising the industry and giving creators complete autonomy over their work.

In response to this influx of DIY content, produced both by amateurs and professionals at home during the pandemic, Berlin’s Porn Film Festival is introducing a new category to its line-up: Sex Tape. Created in collaboration with Vitium – the studio launched by filmmaker and photographer Matt Lambert and producer Jannis Birsner – the category will celebrate first-time filmmakers, and self-shot films by boundary-pushing creators.

The submissions will be judged by the Cock Destroyers’ Rebecca More, porn actor Sean Ford, writer and comedian Jordan Firstman, artist Juliana Huxtable, and adult performers Max Konnor and Billy Vega.

In honour of the category’s creation, Dazed brought Matt Lambert, Rebecca More, and Sean Ford together in conversation to talk about the evolution of the industry, and how their roles as porn stars and relationships to their audiences have changed over the years.

Below, the trio reflect on the evolving celebration of porn stars, question the relevance of studios, and ruminate on what still needs to improve in the industry.

Matt Lambert: How did you both get your starts in the porn industry?

Rebecca More: My first shoot was with a director called Tanya Hyde, whose work is very dark and fetish-y, which is a little bit like the stuff I’m filming myself now. I was lucky that I knew somebody who knew her, and we were (both) like, ‘Let’s be porn stars. Let’s pursue this’. People say that you should stage out your performance, but I went straight in. My first scene was anal. I was like, ‘I want to be known as the hardcore bitch’. I loved it! For me, (Tanya) is the best at art for our straight world. She really inspired me and the movies I’m creating now.

Sean Ford: I also jumped right into it. I was in Little Rock, Arkansas, just working a service job at a restaurant and going to the gay club every weekend, running around in my little underwear and being a slut. And one of my friends was like, ‘You’re such a slut. Why don’t you just try to get paid for it?’ It’s something I’d never really considered, but yeah, as sort of a joke I tried to get in touch with Helix Studios, and they got back to me. Before I knew it, my life (went through) a whirlwind change.

Matt Lambert: What creative things are you both doing at the moment?

Rebecca More: I’m doing a lot more talking to the camera; I don’t necessarily have a lot of sex on camera (at the moment). When I first started, it was, ‘Alright, they want to see me getting fucked as hard as possible’. But as my career has grown, I’ve been able to fuck people without even taking my clothes off – like more of a mental thing online. Now I can do a lot less and gain a lot more, and not be burned out and jaded. I can plan my sex scenes better, and be more involved in the scene rather than trying to just pump out content.

Matt Lambert: Do you think that’s because people have a relationship with you as a character now?

Rebecca More: Yeah. Most of my fans now want to get really personal with me and look after me. Obviously I have those fans who want to see me get completely pounded all the time, but now I’ve got more of a relationship with my fans as well. When I started, (people saw me as) this far away porn star, but now they can really connect with me. And I think that’s been great.

Matt Lambert: Sean, do you think there’s been an evolution to seeing you more as a person than a butt?

Sean Ford: Yeah, and it’s not just an evolution of perception, there’s also an evolution of how I’ve grown into myself and grown comfortable presenting myself inside and outside of porn. You do, as a porn star, have an image, and people project whatever they want onto that – whether or not it’s true to who you actually are. But over time you get more comfortable presenting who you really are, in and out of porn, and inside the context of sexuality in general. I mean, we do still play characters, that’s the nature of it, but you learn to play a more interesting character.

Matt Lambert: I feel like there’s much more appreciation and respect for adult performers as icons now. I wanted to get your thoughts on porn stars being pop stars?

Sean Ford: It’s crazy how fast it’s moved, even in the five years I’ve been in the industry. As far as the democratisation of porn, more people have access to doing porn if they want to, and there has been such an increase of acceptance and even celebration in some ways. But it’s not a full throated celebration of porn stars. It’s still a very private communication between people; a private celebration.

“There has been such an increase of acceptance. But it’s not a full throated celebration of porn stars. It’s still a very private communication between people; a private celebration” – Sean Ford

Matt Lambert: Two years ago when the puppy Snapchat filter was a big thing, it felt like there were so many more twinkie puppies. What are some sexual trends at the moment?

Sean Ford: I’ve seen a lot more people requesting piss; they want to see piss, they want to get pissed on. People celebrating sweat and armpits. When I first started out, it would be like, ‘We want to see your hole, we want to see your dick, jerk off for us’. But now it’s much more (that people want) an exploration of the body.

Rebecca More: Feet have never been so popular!

Sean Ford: That’s very true. Love feet.

Rebecca More: Cosplay! Everybody’s sexualising all these animes. Loads of outfits. People are getting more creative with that stuff.

Sean Ford: It really takes the escapism of sexual fantasy to another level when you’re dressing up. And you need escapism now more than ever.

Matt Lambert: To me, you’re absolutely both porn stars. But do you feel like the perception of that role is different than it used to be?

Sean Ford: It was a journey to accept myself as a porn star. I wasn’t really comfortable with (the title), but if everyone’s calling you a porn star, you’re a porn star. The emphasis is on star, and stars can do whatever they want. Once you realise that you’re not limited to porn, you can do whatever you set your mind to, because you’re a star.

Matt Lambert: Yeah, and I guess part of that star thing is just completely saying ‘fuck off’ to any notions of shame that want to creep in.

Sean Ford: You’ve got to go balls deep.

Rebecca More: I set out to be a porn star and I want to be a porn star, but I’m not going to be a porn star until I die, obviously. I’m just going to end that and go on and do something else, because that’s growth. That’s natural.

Matt Lambert: What in the industry is in desperate need of change?

Sean Ford: My focus would be on paying people better. The pay disparity between Black and white performers and trans and cis performers is still so crazy to me. That’s part of the reason I’ve been so disenchanted with studio porn. But that’s something that’s reflected in the new creator mindset of the industry, which is OnlyFans and stuff. People are taking charge of their own content because they’ve been so under-paid by the studios, especially if they’re a person of colour or they’re trans. That’s been a little ray of hope. I’ve always fantasised about studio performers unionising, but I think it’s just going to come down to them creating content with each other and collaborating in a more calm, erotic way. I don’t think a fair credit for work can really exist inside the studio system. 

“If these big companies are smart, they will take (the idea of OnlyFans) and create something much better” – Rebecca More

Matt Lambert: Is the porn industry as we know it relevant anymore? What is the next step for the way that content exists? It feels like we’re in a state of change right now.

Rebecca More: You hit the nail on the head (by saying) state of change. I do feel that the big companies are still relevant. The bigger ones understand that they’ve got this competition of people earning, and so they’re willing to pay now. It’s nice sometimes to just go into a studio thing because they still have strong fans that you can potentially steal. Not in a bad way, it’s like networking. (Fans will be like), ‘I bet they’ve got an OnlyFans’, and they’ll come find you. If these big companies are smart, they will take (the idea of OnlyFans) and create something much better.

Sean Ford: Competition is supposed to make things better. And like you said, Rebecca, OnlyFans is great but also they do the bare minimum. They’re basically just giving the interface and a server to put your things on. It gives you a lot of freedom, but it could be miles more advanced.

Matt Lambert: The interesting thing about studios is like, if you just want to watch someone cum or fuck or whatever, then you can access a better, more authentic version of that (on cam sites) than the studio could ever give you. Studios have to step up and go really niche or start experimenting to create entertainment.

Sean Ford: It’s moving so fast. It’s impossible to know exactly what’s happening with the industry, but I think in an ideal world, it will remain creator driven. The power will remain with the performers. The studios will have a role, but I think it’ll become more of a creative direction role.

Matt Lambert: So, you’re on the jury of the Porn Film Festival, and the theme of the category is ‘sex tape’. So, do you have any favourite sex tapes you’ve seen or made?

Rebecca More: I’ve never seen any celebrity sex tapes, but I do love a sex tape. There’s something almost amateur (about) making sex tapes. I love the word ‘sex tape’. I think when you put ‘sex tape’, people are like, ‘Oh God, I must watch this’.

Matt Lambert: OK so last thing, what kind of porn are you watching at the moment?

Sean Ford: I honestly don’t really watch porn if I want to get off. I sort of just go back into my messages. 

Rebecca More: I get you. We’re very privileged probably that we both get a lot of private submissions, so to speak. I tend to go for stuff that’s like my personal life. It’s funny, I only shot porn recently, and the guy I was working with – I love him to bits – he was like, ‘I’m gonna go off now and look at my phone’. I was like, ‘OK’, and he was like, ‘I’ve got to speak to my girlfriend to get myself hard’. I fucking loved it! You know, really on a porn shoot, you should be into each other, right? It’s like, let’s try and have a connection. But it’s not like that.

Matt Lambert: Yeah, during the Pleasure Park thing, it was a five-person orgy, and everyone was just looking in their DMs and jerking off to 15-second clips. But your partner becomes new and exciting in that moment too, right? Because you’re just taking a break from each other for a moment so you can keep the spark. Cool, I feel like this is more than enough to represent a conversation about the state of X-rated content in 2021.

Sean Ford: We’ve covered everything. So comprehensive!

Submissions for the Porn Film Festival Berlin’s Sex Tape category close on May 25. Films should be between three and ten minutes, and created in 2020 or 2021. The winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize of $500 (£429), as well as access and mentorship from the Vitium team on their next X-rated film project. You can apply by emailing office@pornfilmfestivalberlin.de