Well folks, ENF video number two is in the...digital folder (I guess we don't use film cans anymore). If you follow my newsletter then it is not a surprise to you that this past week I worked with the amazingly talented BDSM model and author Ariel Anderssen. Ariel has been in the adult industry for 20 years, coming from a strict religious upbringing that she has since talked about in her autobiography Playing to Lose. Much of her content focuses on themes related to bondage and spanking videos. Her catalog is huge so it's worth it to check out her website. Where we crossed paths was of course, ENF. She has shot quite a few ENF videos, one of which I reviewed in this month's newsletter. I would consider her one of the top ENF performers in the industry and that definitely showed when we met up to film Embarrassment is Forever, a parody on the James Bond Films.
I think I first saw Ariel's work maybe in 2017 or earlier. I never in a million year would have believed to ever be in the room directing her in my own video. I was so appreciative of her willingness to work with someone new to the industry and make my silly idea come to life. This was my first time shooting in a different location where I did not have weeks to prepare my shots in advance. I was also coming from work and so in general, I was coming into this shoot a bit more stressed and nervous than I already was feeling working with a well-known professional in the industry. Case in point, I almost had a panic moment when my camera microphone wasn't working, only to realize I plugged it into the headphone
jack.
My nervousness did not last because Ariel was so pleasant and kind to work with.The hours flew by because in between shooting takes, we had a lovely time chatting about various topics, one thing we both enjoyed was talking about the industry and the psychology of kinks and why people enjoy various ones. Naturally, that is a topic I could talk endlessly about. I think that helped build a positive energy while we shot and also helped me feel calm and composed, making sure I could take my time with shooting so as not to feel rushed.
Watching Ariel's performances in ENF is a great experience. As I've discussed previously, it is easy to see performers who are comfortable with acting in an exposed and embarrassed story and those who seem less comfortable. This is especially the case when acting in a solo video where they have very little, if any, dialogue to react to. Often times it is on the performer to find ways to act throughout the whole clip, finding a pace that isn't rushed but also stay present in character to make a funny/sexy exposed and embarrassed story. Ariel demonstrates this excellently. You can pick any of her videos and know that she will deliver a stunning performance because she is fully in character and improvises for a long stretch of time. This is a skill that not many folks have and so when she was game to work with me, I had the exact script in mind, literally able to hear her voice speak lines as I was writing it.
Seeing Ariel perform in person is a whole other experience that I cannot put into words. Because I was so focused on getting the shot and also giving her direction to help explain what I was looking for, I didn't get to appreciate until editing just how good of an actor she is. It is so hard editing because I love all of the takes we did and it makes it very hard to choose one. I was floored at her ability to deliver two long takes without any hesitation or need to stop to be fed a line, she did it seamlessly. Although I had a script, I don't require actors to memorize anything because I want to give them as much flexibility to speak. Sometimes, I think this might may make folks feel uncertain of where to take the scene but Ariel did so well, adding ideas/dialogue that told a fun, hilarious exposed and embarrassed story. My training in acting is a few classes in high school and then 11 years of standup comedy, so you can probably tell from my poor attempt at a British accent that acting is not in my future. However, when I would say a line or make a gesture in response to what Ariel acted, she would use that to make the scene work. While I enjoyed working with Devious Skunk and coaching her through what ENF is and how to act, it was so fucking cool to watch a professional like Ariel act without really any need from my end for specific direction on how to act embarrassed. I've seen how good her work is and I trusted her instincts and skill in making the character Agent 34 come to life. She did not disappoint.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the film also called for some rope ;). Ariel has made some self-bondage videos and being that I was new, I let her know she was welcome to do the rope tie herself as it can require a lot of trust to have someone you might not know well tie you up. To my surprise and gratitude, she was okay letting me do the tie and I think I had the biggest starstruck/fan moment of my life as I did the tying. It was not a tie that was complex or high risk (there is lower risk and higher risk when it comes to rope but with rope there will always be some risk), but I felt so appreciative of her generosity in trusting me to tie her up for the shot we needed. What I like about kink, the skill in communicating boundaries and needs, exploring vulnerable states of emotion so we can come out feeling better about ourselves, and having fun, were all things I got to experience shooting with Ariel. We each made jokes throughout the whole shoot, shared our own mutual backgrounds and upbringings, and learned from each other. I felt like I gained so much wisdom from listening to Ariel talk about her experience in the industry and also just working with her as director to actor. I will hold this memory as one of the highlights of my life, not just professionally, but personally as well because I am so glad I got to share space with her.
As I write this blog before uploading Embarrassment is Forever, I got an adrenaline rush listening to the public domain music play right before she stepped on screen for the introduction. There are some great embarrassed and exposed moments in here and so please check it out and watch Ariel's amazing work. If you are someone who pays for custom videos to be made, I can say without hesitation that hiring Ariel is worth your time and money. Also be sure to follow her as she will be promoting her next book!
