The Scarlett Letter: Europe vs. Los Angeles

Scarlett Revell is co-owner and co-director, with her partner, Gazzman, of Scarlett Revell Studios. "The Scarlett Letter" is a monthly column about her experience as an American shooting adult movies in Europe. I never expected to become a porn director, but I was always a porn fan. And I think the type of porn I make—elegant women in beautiful lingerie who leave something to the imagination before they take it all off—has a lot to do with the way I became a porn fan. Let's just say that I was at an age when I was still living at home, back in New York, and I had a desktop computer with a 56k modem. I'd be watching the pictures show up so slowly that the anticipation became part of the thrill for me. And I always liked the beautiful girls; I liked seeing what was under that lingerie. And I didn't mind waiting. I had a girlfriend in the industry and went to porn parties in L.A. before I made the trip to London, so I'm familiar with the L.A. porn scene. And we also occasionally come back to the States to shoot. So when people ask if there's a difference between American and European porn talent, I have a good idea. In L.A. the girls are so switched on. Either they're from here and they know the landscape or they travel to L.A. to become porn stars, whatever that means now. But in Europe we often see girls who have never traveled before. They can be very guarded at first. And it seems, at first, that they're only motivated by the money. But for me and [Gazzman], that always changes quickly. Yes, they'll be guarded at first, but they stay with us for a week to shoot the film. That's the way it is with all my movies, including (AVN-nominated) I Am Sex. The walls fall down and we become friends. I probably shouldn'ty say this, but I've gotten my friends into and out of the business. Another difference is that American talent knows to show up at call time, get in makeup, do their scene, collect their check, and get out. The European style is a little more laid back. It's much more of a social occasion. But where porn people are similar, I think, the world over, is that they're brave and maybe a little crazy. It takes a lot of guts to do what they do. And so when I meet a girl who has that fire, I respect her. (I also wonder what her nipples look like!) After a whirlwind trip to Vegas and L.A. last month, where we reconnected with the beautiful Natalia Starr and had the opportunity to meet and film Mackenzie Moss and Jade Kush, stay tuned for some lovely stateside girls to mix with our many Euro beauties on ScarklettRevell.com. For more info on Scarlett's current and upcoming films, visit ScarlettRevell.com.