Van Styles Interview December/2004
INTERIVEW: VAN STYLES
9/5/05 UPDATE:
I understand you have recently left Hustler?
Yeah my contract expired on August. 31st 2005.
Why did you leave?
Well, from the time I signed on I went through 4 different bosses and the company just seemed to go from one direction to another. It wasn’t the same from when I first signed on, although it definitely was an honor working under the Hustler name.
What are your plans now?
To keep making great gonzo movies. People who are into my stuff will definitely be in store for something really cool in the forthcoming months.
How many more movies do they have to release?
Hustler has about 4 more titles to release…. they are Barely Legal Corrupted 4, Ass Appeal 3, Young Latin Ass 2 and Hustlers Cream Pie Honeys.
ORIGINAL INTERVIEW:
Let’s talk about your background. Where are you from?
New York.
And how did you end up in California?
My family moved out here when I was twelve. I started skateboarding and got into porn.
The two things California is good for, skateboarding and porn. What kind of porn were you into?
I was too young then so I pretty much watched whatever I could steal from my older brother.
Have you been able to shoot any of the girls you watched back then?
No. They are all long gone.
Do prefer to shoot new girls or veterans?
I prefer to shoot girls who are in touch with their sexuality. I can shoot a new girl who is in touch with herself and who gives me a great scene.
Have you run into any veteran girls who think they know how to do it better than the director?
Not at all. I shot Tiffany Mynx a couple of time and she was just great. She came in and was confident in herself and gave me a great scene.
Have you had any problems shooting new girls?
Not really. The only problem with new girls is that sometimes they can be a little shy and intimidated. They don’t always know how to react with the camera for the people watching.
Do you show a girl your scenes to give them an idea of what you want?
No. I just coach them as I go. I try to emphasize to people that they should get off and enjoy themselves.
You shot Tiffany Mynx in “Take it Black 2” with Mandingo. It was an amazing scene. Was that the first time she had worked with him?
It was the first time she had ever met him.
So that reaction shot was totally real?
Exactly. That was one of the most fun scenes I’ve ever shot. It was classic because of how much fun she had and how much she enjoyed him.
Would you shoot her again?
I would definitely shoot her again.
She is probably the only one who was around back when you were borrowing porn from your brother.
Probably. She is exactly what a porn star should be. Nothing against the new girls, but as far back as I can remember Tiffany has been giving great scenes.
Have you shot any girls who surprised you?
Nadia Styles. When I met her in person she was so mellow. You wouldn’t think that she is going to start gagging herself on a dick.
One of your new lines for Hustler is Barely Legal: Corrupted. How many have been shot?
Two are out already and the third should be coming out any day.
That is a different line from Hustler’s Barely Legal franchise.
Yes it is. The original series has the girls reading letters and doing a little story. These are more straight up, hard gonzo scenes.
You also have a Barely Legal: Boot camp movie.
That’s another spin off that I’ve done.
You told me earlier that you were into feet and you have shot a lot of ass oriented stuff. If you had to choose one, feet or ass which would it be?
Ass, hands down.
Your work often gets to compared to Jules Jordan’s. How does that make you feel?
It is a big compliment. When I was working at Video Team before I met Jules I saw “Heavy Metal” and saw how he shot, the girls he picked and everything he did. That is the kind of porn I like. I have great respect for Jules and if anyone compares my stuff to his then it is a great compliment.
Since his stuff is so popular it is natural that directors will be influenced by it and that cheap imitators will rip it off. At what point does the comparison go from being a compliment to being an insult?
As long as people aren’t saying that I’m ripping him off then it’s a compliment.
If someone were to say that you were the “next Jules Jordan” is that a compliment?
Of course it is. A lot of people want to be great directors and he is certainly that. At the same time I am just shooting what I like to see. I like the way he shoots his movies just like he liked the way John Stagliano shot his movies.
What would you like to do next?
I don’t know that I really want to give away.
Let me rephrase the question. Looking back at your early stuff, what do you think you’ve improved on the most?
My camerawork has improved tremendously. I still people in reviews commenting about on my lighting, but I think that has also changed for the better. I have also gotten better at getting great scenes from performers.
What do you think you would like to improve on in the future?
I just want to keep getting better and try some new things.
Would you be interested in shooting features?
It would depend on the project, but I would be interested yes.
Do you think it is possible to shoot a feature with great sex scenes?
Of course it is.
Back at Video team you produced and consulted on the Skate Trixxx movies.
I came up with the locations and scenarios.
If anyone hasn’t seen those movies they are cool gonzo flicks with some great skateboarding action. Would you like to revisit that theme?
Maybe down the road I would do that. What I have learned is that people who watch porn care about the sex. You can have all the skateboarding and car chases you want, but if your sex isn’t good then the movie isn’t good.
You are very busy at Hustler with “Young Latin Ass”, “Barely Legal: Corrupted” and the other movies.
I’ve been very busy and I’ve got more “Take it Black” and “Ass Appeal” movies.
Do you have a web site?
I do, but it hasn’t been updated in a while.
Where can people check you out on the web?
The best place is www.adultdvdtalk.com.
You must get a lot of feedback there?
I do. It’s great to get to hear what people want.
What do people want?
I get a lot of requests to shoot a particular girl. Everyone has a favorite.
What is the most common criticism of your work?
Lighting. Sometimes you have to sacrifice lighting in gonzo to get the good sex. I believe that the less you get in the way the better performance you can get.
Who else is directing with you at Hustler?
David Aaron Clark, Thomas Zupko, Andre Madness and Axel Braun just did a shoot for them.
Are you familiar with their work?
Yes.
What do you think of them? Let’s put you on the spot.
Zupko’s got an off the wall personality and it shows in his projects. You can tell the he won’t settle for anything less than his best.
What about Andre?
I’ve seen a lot of his stuff. He does great vignette set ups and hot sex.
You and David were working at Video Team at the same time. What do you think of his work?
David’s very artistic. He has his own way of shooting and the end product may not be for everyone, but it’s great.
If you didn’t like one of these guys would you tell me?
Actually I would, but I really like them.
So you still watch a lot of porn?
I try to watch what I can to see the new girls.
Is there anyone you really like?
Definitely Jules and I like a lot of Joey’s stuff.
Is there anything that is popular right now that you just don’t get?
I don’t get all the titles that are coming out these days. Everything is really redundant. Fuck Holes That Ooze Cum. They are just so hard core and generic sounding. I don’t know why people feel the need to go that route. Does it have to be Fucked Asses Dripping with STDs.
Is there anyone you really want to shoot, but haven’t?
Adrianna Sage is at the top of my list. She is beautiful and gives a great scene. Jenna Haze would be great if she decides to do hard core boy/girl again.
We’re all rooting for that. I’ll give you a choice. Jenna Haze can come back and shoot for everyone but you or she can stay away. Which do you choose?
She shoots for everyone but me? Wow. I would still want her to come back because I know that some people would shoot great stuff with her and I would want to see that.
The porn fan in you overrides the director ego in you?
To see Jenna do boy/girl again? You bet.
If someone was going to watch one of your movies, which one would you suggest?
I would recommend Take It Black 2 or Azz Fest 5.
Is there anything else you want to cover?
Not really. I want to thank everyone who takes the time to watch my movies. I want to thank Christian for bringing me into the business. Thanks to Jules and a big thank you to my editor.
That’s about it then, thank you for the time.
