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Music plays vital role for porn maven Stagliano
Updated: 2007-01-27 14:06 NEW YORK (Billboard) - For producer/director John Stagliano, the music in porn films is as important as the in-your-face action on the screen. He stays on the cutting edge by using current original music in feature films, and by working directly with music supervisors.
His film "The Fashionistas," released in 2002, took home 11 Adult Video News Awards including best DVD. Earlier this month, "Fashionistas Safado" was awarded three tropies, including best group sex scene, at the annual AVN Awards ceremony in Las Vegas. "Safado: Berlin" is due later this year. Stagliano -- known affectionately as "Buttman" in honor of his obsession with the derriere -- releases his films via his company Evil Angel, which he formed in the early '80s. These days Evil Angel has production deals with some of pornland's biggest director/producers, including John Leslie, Rocco Siffredi, Joey Silvera, Christoph Clark and Nacho Vidal. In each production deal, the respective director/producer retains ownership of his content, while Evil Angel's sales department handles all sales. When not shooting or editing a film, Stagliano can be found in Las Vegas, where his live show, the 2-year-old "John Stagliano's Fashionistas," is in the process of migrating from the Krave nightclub to the Empire Ballroom. Stagliano is also in talks with a "well-known nightclub in a casino to create a sensual live show mixed with video." Throughout the porn mogul's business empire music is a powerful force. BILLBOARD: WHAT HAS MOST SURPRISED YOU ABOUT PRODUCING A SHOW IN LAS VEGAS? Stagliano: The amount of marketing that must go into a show and dealing with the competition of other shows on the Strip. I thought if the show got good reviews and it was successful, I could at least break even. But I'm losing a lot of money on the show each week. Still, it's been a sobering experience. I was thinking that I was on top of the world after my film "The Fashionistas" did very well. And then the Vegas dance show (based on the movie) opened to good reviews. But the reality of the situation is that this is a much more difficult way to make money. BILLBOARD: IN THE SHOW YOU USE THE MUSIC OF MANY KNOWN ACTS, INCLUDING TOOL, LED ZEPPELIN, THE CRYSTAL METHOD AND LORDS OF ACID. HOW DIFFICULT -- OR NOT -- WAS IT NAVIGATING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO LICENSE THIS MATERIAL? Stagliano: I'm not sure that it's 100% legal, but there are over 20 shows in Las Vegas that use music by mainstream artists, and, from what I can tell, the hotels, casinos and nightclubs pay a blanket license to ASCAP and BMI that should cover such fees. Of course, a good lawyer for one of these artists could say, "You're charging admission for this show and even though you're doing it in a venue that's paid for this license, the spirit of that law was not meant to apply to this." It's possible I'd have to close the show because of that. While it might be a gray area (in music licensing), the show would never have been built if I didn't think it was legal to do. BILLBOARD: THESE DAYS, ARTISTS LIKE MATMOS, TOMMY SUNSHINE AND OTHERS ARE WORKING WITH DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS TO FEATURE THEIR ORIGINAL MUSIC IN PORNOS. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? Stagliano: Porno has gained a lot more respect over the years. Each subsequent generation has been exposed to more pornographic images. It's become more acceptable, which I suspect will continue for a while. Besides, these artists lending their music are very likely fans of pornography. BILLBOARD: HOW IMPORTANT IS MUSIC IN A PORNO? Stagliano: In my new film "Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge," I put more music into it because it was conceived as a feature. I worked on the music for nearly a year with Douglas Mariah, who lives in Vegas. We scored the music to the scenes. In features, music can be important to the storytelling. This is why I did the "Fashionistas" dance show in Vegas. I love music. I love dance. This is what motivates me. The art I want to create is an integration of visuals and music. The music must be right or it destroys the scene. |
