Whether you’re a director or an actor, the porn industry can be just as difficult to break into as the mainstream Hollywood entertainment industry. In fact, there's very little difference between the two. Both require a crew with producers, make-up artists, editors, casting directors, and so on. I recently spoke with some of the industry’s top actors and directors in order to get a look behind the scenes of this fascinating industry.

Several months ago I visited the set of Ass Cruisin’, a Jet Set Men release. I knew there would be a lot of people milling about, but I had no idea how many people would actually be in the room watching the action unfold. Jet Set Exclusive and MTV reality star Aaron James kept walking past me naked with a hard-on, without a care in the world. When it came time for the money shot, Rocco (who shoots his load all over Aaron James’ ass in one of the scenes) asked the camera guy where he was supposed to lay down his load — and when it came time to deliver, Rocco hit it right on the mark like an F-1 fighter.

It was impressive to see how professional everyone was about their jobs (there was even a girl on the set!), but my biggest surprise was how relaxed everyone was. I caught up with former porn star (and director of Ass Cruisin’ and On Fire!) Chris Steele and asked what he did when his models were nervous. “I will talk to them very intimately. I will massage their shoulders and press on their chests where, I know from experience, they are feeling the pressure. I remind them that we know they’re not robots, and that they can’t just get it up and keep it hard forever or take an ass pounding all day. I tell them that my job is to make them look their best. Then I tell them to think about sex and to forget about all the people and the lights. Because in reality there is absolutely nothing erotic about filming porn. You have to put everything that is surrounding you out of your mind and just focus on fucking or getting fucked by the hot guy or guys you’re working with. I tell them to think dirty and to be sexual.”

Throughout the entire scene Aaron James remained hard. If it went flaccid during an extended break, it would only take him a few seconds to get himself rock hard again. If that's not talent, I don't know what is. Having sex and climaxing when you’re aroused is one thing, but doing it on cue in front of an expectant room is a completely different ball game. I was curious to know how these guys prepared themselves for a shoot, so I asked Raging Stallion's 2008 Man of the Year Steve Cruz what he does. “It depends on the role,” he replied. “For a big movie,  I'll work my ass off at the gym and try to clear my head so that the film is my singular focus. I take my work very seriously. I might change my look. For Link: The Evolution I grew a fu man chu [mustache]. For Grunts I got a crew cut and shaved my beard. I try to give each film something special.” Multi-award-winning film star Ricky Sinz encountered some difficulties early in his career due to all of his tattoos, but now they've become an asset. He explained, “I hit the gym, stop having sex for at least a week prior, and get as much rest as possible.” Although most of the guys we spoke with described similar routines, Bel Ami model Luke Hamill tries not to psyche himself out too much. “I don’t have any talismans that I carry for shooting, nor do I do rituals [beforehand] to make sure they will go well. Shooting is in the head, and therefore I just try to pretend it's another normal day.”

One thing that made me smile when I was on the set was the sight of a huge plastic case stuffed full of white briefs and socks, enema kits, towels, condoms, and every type of lube imaginable. Everything you could ever possibly need for a porn shoot was in there, except for the most important thing — the actor’s performance. I asked star-maker and porn legend Chi Chi LaRue what kind of process was involved in casting her films and she said, “I usually get to know them first, of course — through emails and with them sending me photographs. I’ve learned and developed a knack for being able to read someone’s personality from a photograph. It’s very strange, I know, and don’t ask me to explain how.  But it’s just something I’ve picked up. You also talk to them on the phone and get to know their likes and dislikes, and what they’re into and not into. And so that’s been one of my fortes — casting movies and putting together people who I know will work well together. I’ve had some mishaps, but not many.”

Mishaps will occur even to the most seasoned directors. Lucas Entertainment mogul Michael Lucas gave us the low-down on one of his more problematic shoots. “If there is no chemistry between models, it's miserable for both the models and the crew. I'd rather call it off, like I did in Auditions 25: Fired on the Set when I had to fire a model. My cameraman kept filming and I put it in the film.”

Chris Steele dispelled the commonly held misconception that drugs are a normal part of the porn world. On one particular shoot, one of the models decided to channel Leonardo DiCaprio by howling, “I’m the king of the world!” — while fucking another guy in the ass. “I had to stop the scene when we realized he was not only rolling but that he also reeked of Jack Daniels. It was a three-way, so I just had him cum and sent him home. Then I finished up the scene with the other two boys and apologized to them. Contrary to popular belief, the guys do not drink or take drugs while filming porn. If they do, they get sent home.”

The horror stories about "porn stars gone wild" are the exception and not the rule in the gay adult industry. Most of the guys we spoke to were extremely professional and very serious about their careers. Tommy Lima, a model for Alexander Pictures, also works as a personal trainer. He explained that gaining experience in the industry and conveying that growth to the audience was an important goal for him. I asked the Bath House Exxxtasy star to tell me about his favorite on-screen activity and got a very interesting response. “I love to kiss. It’s the spark that initiates things to come.” Not all the guys were as romantically inclined as Argentinean native Tommy Lima, however. Ben Andrews of Lucas Entertainment (who recently had his dick immortalized in a life-sized dildo) admitted that cumming was his favorite part of sex, both on and off the screen. The funniest response I got was from Steve Cruz, who told me that, “For better or worse, I love the acting. Even though no one likes the acting in porn movies [Laughs] it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Afterwards I like to sit around and make fun of my acting attempts.”

Since most of us have fantasized about porn stars at one point or another, I asked the guys if there was anyone in the business who they wanted to work with. Ricky Sinz mentioned the late Al Parker, saying he would have done anything and everything that Al wanted. Ben Andrews admitted to having a big crush on Francois Sagat, but it was Paul Pratt — a Helix model since 2007 — who gave the most detailed answer. “I'd like to do a gang bang scene with a bunch of hot men. I'm not picky here, but maybe with Matthew Rush and Jeremy Penn included in the lineup. We would all fuck outside, in an alley or a parking lot. I'd give Jeremy Penn a facial (or he would swallow) while he was cumming all over Matthew Rush’s ass.”

Since I asked the porn stars whom they admired or wanted to work with, it only seemed fair to ask some of the directors the same thing. Michael Lucas gave us a candid response, saying, “I admire John Rutherford at Colt, plus Keith Webb and Bruce Cam of Titan and Chi Chi LaRue — who’s worked for everyone and now co-owns her own studio, Rascal. All of them are incredibly dedicated and it's impossible not to respect them. Their stand on safe sex practices is incredibly admirable, especially when you realize that all of them could make more money, except that they don't want to sacrifice their principles. There are also some new studios that have the potential to make it to the top, and the best example that comes to mind is Black Scorpion, whose high quality films are sometimes overlooked and not credited enough.”

Michael Lucas brought up the issue that has been polarizing the industry, the debate over whether or not to condone barebacking videos. In the last ten years, barebacking has been the breakout genre and Treasure Island Media is now the world's fastest growing gay porn studio. VOD companies also report that barebacking titles are some of their most lucrative. This year former Falcon exclusive Josh Weston will be making the switch to condom-free sex in SX Video’s Bareback Power Bottoms. Weston’s high profile in the industry reignited the debate over whether or not it is irresponsible to make these types of films —  or if it's a decision that should be left up to the performers and directors. One of the challenging facets of this debate is the fact that there are lots of passionate people who see it as a black and white issue, when in fact there are large grey areas. Ironically, bareback videos have inadvertently re-ignited public awareness of this issue. Regardless of your views, most will agree that it's an important dialogue for the industry to be engaging in.

I asked the models I spoke with if there was anything — excluding barebacking — that they absolutely would not do for a film. Steve Cruz provided another humorous response when he described the one line he wouldn't cross. “I’m not pee shy.  However, that other thing... Forget about it. You’ll never see me do that on film. I won’t even do that in front of a lover. I lock the bathroom door.” Alex Orioli, a model whowas discovered on the street by a Bel Ami talent scout, said that watersports and S&M might both be a little too much for him. But he admitted that working in the industry had caused him to discover things about himself that he wouldn't have known otherwise.

Pornography has always been a good barometer of each era's social clime. From the first photographs to VHS tapes and now the Internet, porn will always keep evolving and adapting to meet the demands of consumers. Most people in the industry agree that the Internet will continue to have an enormous impact on the business of porn — a fact that’s a little hard to admit for Chi Chi LaRue, who doesn’t consider himself to be the most computer savvy person on the planet. Don’t worry, though, because Chi Chi has always been a survivor and told me, “I’m like Cher. I’ll always be around. This is what I do. This is my life — and I don’t see myself going to work at Payless Shoes anytime soon!”