Olivia Fyre and Laz Fyre are partners in the House Of Fyre. The couple are not just partners and performers, but are also married to one another. The House Of Fyre initially gained its reputation from filming taboo content, where they continue to be one of the finest studios in the increasingly crowded genre. But as you’ll see from the interview, the House Of Fyre is not content to rest on its laurels… and they are constantly coming up with new ideas and new genres to tap into.
Throughout all this change (including a major change in scenery from Seattle to Las Vegas), their hallmark quality and enthusiasm have remained constants. Olivia and Laz aren’t just talented pornographers and performers; they are thoughtful individuals with an amazing sense of humor both about themselves and their industry. Whether you’re a die-hard Fyre lover, or you’ve yet to discover their wonderful world, you are bound to fall for the two of them when you read this interview.
Jeffton: This is Jeffton Banks with HotMovies. I’m here with Lady Olivia Fyre and Laz Fyre of the House of Fyre. And are we in your new digs in Las Vegas right now?
Olivia: Yeah, yeah, we’re in one of the living rooms.
Laz: This is our little cubby area, where we get to be normal people. The porn stuff is on the other side of the house.
O: This is a little bit porny as well.
J: A little bit, yeah, yeah, you guys can definitely film there. I could see that.
L: There’s a leather couch, so there you go.
J: Nothing to stain, easy to clean. So what exactly prompted the move? You guys were in Seattle before right? Was it to be closer to the rest of the industry?
L: That, and probably just sick of it being kinda cold. It seems like the past couple of years, the weather in Seattle has been kind of like it’s been getting colder and colder for some reason. Plus we found a really cool place to shoot for a good price. Real estate up in Seattle is insane… But yeah, being closer to the talent. There’s some people in Vegas we want to shoot. That’ll be cool. Maybe we will shoot them a lot, who knows? Yeah, just like a bundle of reasons. But we are gonna miss Seattle.
O: It’s easier to fly people from LA to here. There’s very few studios in Seattle, so it would be more convenient for performers here, too.
J: That makes sense. How do you feel that having originally shot in Seattle affected your filming? It’s not exactly a hub of adult industry. How do you feel that affected your method of filming or your procedure?
O: We were definitely isolated from the industry as a whole, I think. I think it’s had its advantages and drawbacks being that we had to learn a lot as far as procedures go, but I think some of the benefits were that we probably didn’t feel the same kind of pressure to do what other companies were doing. We were so removed from it. Not completely aware of all of that.
L: Yeah, I think being that far away from hub of the industry was actually a very good thing for us, ’cause we didn’t feel any kind of pressure to follow any norms as far as the kind of content that we’re producing. But like what Olivia said, we learned from the performers that came to work with us. The ones that we flew up from LA, most of them were really helpful about educating us and teaching us about procedures on the big sets that are in LA.
O: Yeah, we asked a lot of questions. We’re really interested, not that we feel like we need to do everything in the same way. Our uniqueness is good for us in a lot of ways. But we were just curious… We would ask questions during the shoot. Usually after the shoot. You know, “Do you have any feedback for us? Honestly, what are your feelings? Was there anything that wasn’t provided for you on set that you would have liked to have had on set?” Things like that. We learned a lot about what kind of supplies to get for the ladies, and the kind of food to have, and all that.
L: I think it might even affect the performances of some of the people that we work with who’d never been to Seattle. Because they’re coming out of LA, where they’re used to how things are done a certain way all the time. It’s show up and do a shoot and they do the thing that they always do. And in Seattle, it was a completely different kind of experience for them, and I think it might’ve affected some of their performances. Maybe freed them up. It’s like being taken out of your comfort zone. Sometimes we would even take them downtown or take them on a hike or whatever, and it would just be a really cool experience outside or off set even.
J: Oh, very cool. So being cultural ambassadors to your city a little bit.
L: The Emerald City, we were the… the Lollipop Guild [laughs].
J: Yeah, as far as I’m aware, it was just you guys, and then I think some of the ATKingdom and Rodney Moore stuff was filmed up there. I think that you guys are like porn pioneers.
L: Yeah, that’s not too many up there. There’s a few. It’s a lot of fetish…
O: Mostly fetish but there’s also a couple other… I don’t know what you’d call them. [laughs] I’m not sure what’s inoffensive because everything everybody has their own labels. But there are mainstream studios
that are there, and there are fetish/BDSM studios.
J: Alright, so speaking of which, how is it that you would explain your own studio and the offerings that you have on HotMovies? I wanna hear it from your own mouths.
L: How we would explain our own offerings?
J: Yeah, like your content. If you were just talking to a stranger, that was open, right? A fan of HotMovies or a member of HotMovies that isn’t familiar with your content. How is it that you would explain yourself to them?
O: I think right now it’s still mostly taboo. I don’t know what I’m allowed to say. [smiles]
J: You’re allowed to say taboo. I believe we use ‘family’ as the category.
O: There’s fauxcest. [laughs] Yeah, there’s a lot of that right now… which we actually are currently not really producing a lot of that. But mostly on HotMovies, I think it’s still the taboo, fauxcest content.
L: So it’s early stuff, everything on there.
O: I think right now it’s mostly 2016 and 2017. We started to post some stuff from 2018. So you’re gonna start seeing more of the non-taboo stuff that we’re doing, ’cause we don’t hire for that anymore. If we do it, it’s just the two of us now and, everything we hire for is not [taboo]…
J: Okay, and what’s the reasoning behind that?
L: Oooh. There’s some good reasons. I think one of the main reasons for us is that aside from just the two of us, unless it’s a custom or something… we’re not doing a lot of taboos, because although we got our start in taboo and we’re really grateful for that, it seems like it’s rather saturated right now. It’s a category that’s very saturated in this industry, and it seems like we just can’t make the same money that we used to on it. We don’t place any judgment on it, but it’s just not really the money-maker any more and so…
O: And so many different sites are starting to ban it now because the processors and it’s a little harder to get around. We wanna make sure we’re compliant with everything and so we’re just trying to get our content… we’re always looking toward the future. While there are still a lot of sites that’ll accept it, we’re watching censorship in action and we’re anticipating that we’ll see more and more of that in the future. And so we plan the type of content that we’re going to shoot, we keep an eye toward that, for the future, and what is going to be censored next, if that makes sense.
J: Totally. So you feel that the boom isn’t just going to bust because of over-saturation, but because of external pressures. That legislate away from that content because of the rules.
O: Yeah, and I think that for a long time companies are still gonna produce “step” content, but for our customer base, I have found that those are two different fetishes. And so while I’m watching a lot of companies only produce “step” content to be in line with the processors and all the requirements, it’s an entirely different fetish to my customer base than the fauxcest content is. So to just make a fauxcest scene and slap “step” on it is not really fulfilling their fantasies in the way that they’re used to us fulfilling it.
J: Okay, and what is it exactly that drew you to that line of filmmaking in the first place?
L: To taboo?
J: Yes.
L: Some mommy issues, and… [laughs] No. I think really what it was… You think about it, I think you [Olivia] tried to do a couple of solo clips. As I understand it, it was a few solo clips where you probably didn’t see face or anything, and you said some really taboo, naughty, fauxcest-y type stuff and it sold well. And that whole time I was hankering to start doing some sex things [laughs]. And so, what a perfect marriage there. Taboo and sex, right? Our first sex scene [together] was filmed January 1st, 2015. And it was a taboo scene. And it wasn’t very good.
O: It wasn’t very good. [smiles]
L: I played the son, but I was actually on camera. So I’m 40-something at the time. That’s no big deal. I could be your [Olivia’s] son, right? So anyway, it looked completely silly, but it sold. Did really well. And that’s basically how we decide what we’re gonna shoot. If it makes a bunch of money? We’re gonna make more of it.
O: Yeah, we actually started with customs. So back in the day when I started it was 2012 when I started making solo content. And yes, I wasn’t showing my face. I didn’t do any nudity the first couple of years and I got a lot of custom requests for mostly step content. And then I started getting requests for regular taboo content, not step. And then we were like, “Hey. Let’s try some sex scenes. What do we do? What’s selling well for us in my solo content?” So we progressed to the sex scenes in 2015. And then 2016 was our first scene that we shot with a hired performer which was also taboo.
L: And I quickly learned to do POV. [laughs]
O: Yeah, I think there’s only one non-POV with you as the son.
L: Yeah, I could pass for a teen. [shakes his head no]
J: Did it ever feel bizarre, considering the fact that you guys are a couple that you were portraying Olivia’s son?
L: Nah. It’s laughable if anything. It’s just, I don’t know, I don’t mean to belittle a fetish, but I just thought it was hilarious. By the time 2017 came around I had, what, seven different aunts to impregnate?
O: Something like that!
L: It’s like constantly “step” mom, and Aunt Syren, Aunt Mallory, Aunt Dee, Aunt Raquel. And they all need to get pregnant, so…
J: Wow. That’s a big family.
O: Yeah. It’s a big family. And we’d have one person do a cameo in another person’s scene. We’d have one aunt do a cameo in another aunt’s scene. And we had performers reference the other performers. So yeah, that was a lot of aunts.
L: We kind of joke a lot of the time, because it’s funny. And it’s ludicrous. And that’s part of what’s hot about it. We did one called Sex Ed With Religious Mom. And we had this one line where I take my penis out, she says, “Cheese and crackers, you have a big penis!” Say it! Say it for everybody. [to Olivia]
J: That’s my favorite line! [laughs]
O: [laughs] Cheese and crackers, you have a big penis!
L: [laughs] Have you heard the line?
J: I have! I have! That’s a great video. When people have asked me about your content, or taboo specifically, I’ve pointed them to the Religious Mom video.
O: That used to be our favorite.
L: Yeah. It’s a good one.
O: I drew from some personal experience. Not with the sex stuff! But, you know, with the religious stuff. I had a few lines to draw from there.
J: Cheese and crackers is a legit substitution for Jesus Christ.
O: Yeah. I mean it’s not that we didn’t take the fetish seriously. We view porn as fun, and if you’re not having fun in it, then why do it? So there is a lot of comedy, and sometimes it ruins boners, and other times the guys love it and laugh along with us. We’ll risk the ruined boners.
L: Yeah. Just go watch something else. It’s okay.
O: [laughs]
J: That’s good advice. So given your time with that fetish, what is it… because it sounds a little bit like you guys are on the outside looking in… which is fine as long as you’re enjoying it. But what is it you see the appeal of that fetish being, exactly? I mean, if you were trying to sell somebody that has yet to dip their toes into the taboo stuff, how would you sell it? What is the appeal?
L: It’s naughty. It’s just so naughty. It’s the ultimate thing you’re not supposed to do, sexually. Other than that, there are things we’re not willing to do and we can’t even talk about.
J: Right. [laughs]
L: But sex with family members is just insanely naughty. I don’t know how else to put it.
O: Yeah, you know, I think taboo is a broader umbrella. And I’ve seen this conversation recently as… when I make teacher-student videos, those are taboo as well. They’re just not fauxcest. So I still do make those; they haven’t been banned yet. But I think [in taboo] there’s a lot of power play going on there, too, which I think a lot of people are drawn to. In terms of like, an older person who’s in a position of authority and is oftentimes a caretaker, taking advantage of somebody who is the one they’re supposed to be caring for. And I think a lot of people have a fetish for that. Or maybe they don’t have a fetish for it, but when they watch it they find that it excites them. And I’m not into pretending… I don’t have a fetish for having sex with my son. But what I do enjoy about making the videos is that power exchange. And so I do enjoy corruption a bit [smiles]. Sort of like the corruption of innocence. Not in a forceful sort of way, but like in a “Wow. You’ve never seen this before. You’re so overwhelmed by it, you’re not really sure what you’re supposed to think or do, so I’m going to show you.” [sort of way].
J: Okay. Almost like an education.
O: Yeah, kind of, yeah.
J: That makes sense. If anybody were to give a thoughtful answer, it would be the two of you. So thank you for that.
L: [mouths the words “It’s all her” and points to Olivia, then laughs]
O: [to Laz] Well you were in all the videos, too!
L: [to Olivia] No, I mean your answer was great.
J: It was a combination. You guys make a good team!
O+L: Thank you.
J: What is it like being a porn couple? What do you like about it? Just being together and also filming together.
L: We’re together pretty much all the time. Sometimes I go to the gym by myself. But other than that [to Olivia] you go to the gym with me. We do everything together almost. And I think that in many ways our porn careers as a couple have kept us together. Because back when we started doing adult-related things together, we had to make it work or completely fail. And so started working together, we fought a bunch. Lots of bickering. But the fact that we had to get through petty stuff in order to succeed kind of made it so we were okay with being together all the time.
O: I think normally when you’re in a relationship with somebody you spend so much of your time away from each other that there are things you don’t want to talk about; the problems that you have. It’s easier to say, “Okay. I’m just going to leave and do the things I have to do.” And not deal with it. Things just get swept under the rug. And with us there is very little of that.
L: It’s constant conflict resolution. When there is one.
O: Not that we have problems all the time or anything. [laughs] But we have to deal with the ones that we do have. It can be a little tough because we’re business partners, and so you have to find the balance between being a couple and being business partners. And we find that when business is bleeding too much into our personal lives we have to set boundaries and everything. But I think we have an opportunity to do a lot of boundary-setting and growth that a lot of couples might not have a chance to do because they don’t have to.
L: Yeah. We’re working constantly on not only making the business succeed, but also the marriage succeed. And if the marriage isn’t succeeding the business isn’t going to. We’re constantly evaluating how we’re treating each other and how we run the business and how much time we spend together. Well, not how much time we spend together, but how much time we spend working versus going out and playing… which we are ready to do. We’ve been here a couple weeks now, and we’re ready to get out and go hiking. So hopefully we’ll do that soon.
O: But as far as how it’s affected our business, it has just organically happened over time. We started in one part of the industry and kind of evolved over time as the industry has changed and our needs have changed.
L: I don’t even know where we fit anymore.
O: [laughs] Yeah. I have no idea. We just do what we do.
J: As true pioneers and outsiders do, right? Just doing your own thing, and putting down your mark where you can. That’s awesome. You guys just also 100% sold me on filming content with Mrs. Banks and using that as a way of keeping the marriage alive [laughs]. It sounds like great therapy.
O: It is kind of like therapy. It’s also interesting because we get to do some experimenting that we might not otherwise do as a monogamous couple. Like outside of shooting we don’t do things with other people, so it’s just been interesting to have like a kind of container—an experimentation container.
J: So is there anything out of bounds as far as the two of you fantasizing about? Or is everything on the table because you guys are filming together, and you’re filming stuff that maybe appeals to you? Because you guys primarily film taboo, or that’s been your focus in the past, is there anything you guys feel is off-limits for either one of you? Or has that freed you two be open with one another?
L: You mean like stuff that we would film versus things we wouldn’t film?
J: Yeah. Stuff that you would not film. Something I think maybe couples, and I think HotMovies fans can relate to this… but maybe there are certain things about their sexual tastes that they might not want to share with their partner. They might feel ashamed to… and I think maybe taboo is one of those things for a lot of people. So is there anything that the royal family of taboo, the House of Fyre finds as something they can’t share with one another?
L: I don’t think so.
O: I mean we talk about everything. But talking about things and filming things are different. I have plenty of things I will not appear on camera doing. He also has a lot of limits as far as what he will not appear on camera doing. And those are more about personal comfort levels, branding, and sometimes ethically there are things that don’t make us feel good about ourselves when we’re doing it. But I think everyone has those limits, whether or not you’re a married couple. Especially when you’re filming it. You’re filming it and showing it to millions of people. So whatever you’re shooting affects your branding and how people perceive you.
L: Yeah. There’s things that I don’t want to do on camera. But they’re not necessarily things I would want to do in my personal life. Like you’ll never see me playing a dad who is aggressively seducing a daughter. I don’t think I’ve ever done that. It’s something where, I don’t judge it, but I’m uncomfortable with it being my face doing it. There’s lots of guys that do it and that’s… sure guys, it’s just acting. But for me, I don’t like it. I don’t want to do that. So I don’t do it. Usually when I play the father we turn it into the daughter seducing me. Because I’m irresistible as a father [smiles].
J: I love that answer. So I was reading in one of the interviews I’d read ahead of time that you guys met through friends back in 2002 I believe? Something like that?
O: Something like that.
L: 2001.
O: [to Laz] I kissed you…
L: [to Olivia] I know our first kiss. That was January 26, 2002. But I was looking… I was watching you in 2001.
J: So what can you tell me about your first meeting?
L: Let’s see… I was writing a lot of poetry at the time. And I was making these little poetry booklets. [to Olivia] And I heard that you liked poetry so I gave you one to try and impress you. But it’s all crappy poetry. [laughs] She is educated…
O: I was writing a lot of poetry when I was in college for classes.
L: Collegiate poetry!
O: [smiles] Collegiate poetry. But yeah, he handed me his poetry. [to Laz] And I think you asked me for my number, and I said no, because I was living…
L: [to Olivia] A beeper. It was a beeper. [laughs]
O: I had a pager because I was living with my dad, and whenever a guy would call he would give me shit about it for days. So I said, “No. You can’t have my phone number. But I’ll take your phone number.” So he gave me his like… what was it a LiveJournal or something address? And then his phone number.
L: Diary Land!
O: Diary Land. Ok.
J: Diary Land. I don’t even know that one. LiveJournal, I had a LiveJournal. But yeah. That’s a new one on me. So, sorry to interrupt. You gave her your Diary Land?
L: Yeah. You could put your poetry up there. It was pretty… kind of like MySpace.
O: Yeah. Like MySpace. [to Laz] And then I sent you a comment or email. What was the email?
L: Oh. Well hold on a minute. I have to give some background on that. I was visiting a friend in San Francisco. And I had kind of a girlfriend there who had dumped me. And I was wandering around the city, depressed, listening to the saxophone in the streets in the Financial District in San Francisco. And then I stopped into an internet cafe. Internet cafes are these little places that serve coffee… and you can use money to buy time on their computers. They don’t have them anymore because it’s 2019. Actually, they probably do somewhere. Anyways, I was checking my email. And there was this email from her, no capitalization. And it said [affecting a bratty voice], “So, why were you nervous when you gave me your phone number?” [to Olivia] Because I guess I’d told you I was nervous when I asked you.
O: [to Laz] Because you looked really nervous. [laughs]
L: So I knew I had her on the line. [laughs] I just had to set the hook right.
O: And I was dating someone else at the time. But I broke up with him. So, yeah…
J: I think you made the right choice.
L: She reeled me in.
J: Yeah. There you go. Very cool. Laz, recently you were posting pictures of yourself as a kid, as a teenager, on Twitter. What is it about that that appeals to you? Do you really sort of enjoy fans getting to know where you came from? And how you were as a grunge kid?
L: Yeah. I want them to know how cool I used to be. [laughs]
J: As if you’re not right now…
L: When I was doing that we were actually sorting through everything that we owned, trying to get rid of stuff before the move. So we had this thing called photo albums. Like these books and you can put photos in them? And after about twenty years you have like seven thousand of them. And they take up all kinds of room, and they’re super heavy. So we started going through all of our photo albums, and pulling them out and deciding which ones we wanted to keep. And, you know, because I’m a little thirsty for attention sometimes I wanted people to see how cute I was with long hair. How I used to be in a rock band. See? I’m cool! I’m cool! Porn guys, and all that. I wanted them to see that I was cool when I was young. I even have holes in my pants again, see?
J: The 90s are back in. Grunge is king again. I’m wearing my flannels and everything.
L: Yeah. I’m growing my hair out. It’s gonna be great.
J: Looks good. So are we gonna see any young Olivia photos anytime soon?
O: I did post one. My graduation photo, on Instagram. It’s really, really weird. And I thought I was such a badass. And when I look back at my photos I look like I was about 12. It’s really weird.
L: She’s like Princess Leia. She is a badass. That scene, in I think it was The Empire Strikes Back where all the people are gathered… the pilots are all standing in a circle and little Princess Leia is in the middle, bossing them all around, telling them what their going to be doing? That’s her [points to Olivia]. She gets things done. [to Olivia] You are a badass. You were one then, and you are one now.
O: That’s the only one I posted recently.
L: [to Olivia] You should do more.
O: Yeah.
L: [to Olivia] You’ve got some cute ones from when you were four years old.
O: Oh my god. Yeah, I don’t know if I want those comments. I have to consider all the comments I’m going to be getting. I can hear in my head when I tweet something like the six different ways people are going to respond inappropriately. So I have to plan ahead for that sometimes. [laughs] So I was like, “Okay, I’m 18 in this photo. At least I was 18, even if I looked 12.” Guys seem to like it when I post the old photos.
L: [to Olivia] You really didn’t look much different. That’s the thing. Your hair was curlier.
O: My hair is naturally curly, so it’s really curly in the photo.
J: Are we ever going to see a return to the curly hair for you?
O: I have been contemplating it, yeah. It’s pretty curly. It looks like a perm.
J: Speaking of a return… you mentioned [off camera] that you’re not working in front of the camera as much these days. What has that been like with the transitioning? Did you just lose some of the joy from performing?
O: I think it was a combination of a lot of things. I won’t do like submissive roles or a lot of like girlfriend-experience type roles on camera. I prefer dominant roles or the taboo roles even aside from fauxcest. And as we kind of slimmed down that type of content, there’s fewer opportunities for me to be on camera. Less that I can really feel comfortable filming. And also our customer base has changed over time, as we started hiring performers. And, you know, they want what they want. It’s not that they don’t want to see me, but they want to see other people as well. So I put out a scene with me, what, every two or three months now? And as far as performing with other people, I’ve put in my time doing the dual role as director and performer. And when we were doing POV threesomes, which is mostly what we were doing when I was in scenes, he [Laz] had to be a cameraman and a performer. And I had to direct the other performer: the line prompts, making sure the lighting was okay, and also focus on the camera. It just got to a point where I don’t feel I was giving my best performance some of the time. So it was time to step back and enable and empower other people to give their best performance.
J: Okay, so as far as the performers go, you’re bringing more people in… are there any performers you’d love to work with that you haven’t shot yet? Or anybody we can look forward to in the future?
L: Well we have people booked, but I never tell anybody who it is until it actually happens.
O: We’re a little superstitious about that.
L: A little superstitious. There’s plenty of people I’d love to work with, but I don’t want to show my hand. [laughs]
J: That’s fair. So I guess the answer is, “Wait and see.” Right? Just see it on HotMovies.
O: Yeah.
L: We do hire… certain people we hire back quite a bit. We’ve obviously seen tons of Mallory Sierra. There’s lots of Kenzie Madison who… actually, she’s in her first year right now. And Laney Grey, who just got started.
O: We’ve filmed with her a couple times.
L: Yeah. She had nothing out there and then I was like, “We’ve got to book her as much as possible.” [laughs] Because everybody’s going to love her. And now she has the top scene on our site; so we’re really excited about her. Lots of people. Lots of great performers.
O: We have several shoots booked alread in the new space that we’re excited for.
L: Yes, and some of them will be familiar faces.
J: Alright!
O: That’s about all we can say.
J: I like a couple that keeps their hand close to their chest. Let’s see here… Oh! The Performer Roundup! I think HotMovies fans that follow the Spotlight would want to hear about this… but Laz, you are the performer that really ran with the dream orgy cast prompt for our Performer Roundup. I think at one point you pinned the blame on cannabis, but it was really an inspiring answer. I think everyone really got a lot of mileage out of that.
L: I thought of more names after it was done, too.
J: Oh, okay. Would you care to share?
L: All I can think of [now] is Emily Lynn. That’s who I’d throw in there. Anywhere. Yeah. That’s all I can think of.
J: So I had to ask you, what is it about Herschel Savage and Gandhi playing chess in the background that gets you going?
L: Did I say anything else about Herschel Savage in there?
J: No. Just him playing chess with Gandhi.
L: Okay, alright. Herschel Savage and Gandhi. There is a correlation for me. I love Gandhi. About ten years ago I went through a thing where I was obsessed with Gandhi and was reading about him and reading his literature as well. And I just really like Gandhi. I find him to be an inspiration. And last June at Exxxotica, which was our first time going to an industry event other than the PornHub Awards, we went there—and Herschel Savage was there. And he was just hanging out and so I went up to him and introduced myself. I got one of his photos and he autographed it, and I just thought it was really cool to be able to meet him. I was kind of surprised. It seemed like people in the industry… they don’t know him. Which is insane to me! He’s one of the pioneers. I mean, he was in Debbie Does Dallas for god’s sake! He was in the film that defined the genesis of this industry. So I was really excited by that. And because people don’t really know how important he’s been to this industry, I got to hang out with him like the whole time. And he kept up with me after Exxxotica for a couple of weeks. And he was helping me; I asked him if there were any meditation practices that he would ever recommend because as a male talent I assume most of us meditate? I don’t know. I have to! But he actually had some ideas and he shared them with me and I was working on them, so yeah. So you can sort of see how Gandhi [laughs] and Herschel Savage… because of meditation. I don’t know.
J: Yeah. There’s a relation there. So are you meditating in the scene, or before a scene, or after a scene?
L: Well I just try to have a daily practice. I don’t meditate specifically before scenes. Some scenes feel like meditation. But no, just a daily practice. I try to do it. Sometimes I miss it; we’re busy people. But I do find it has helped me to stay even-keeled.
J: So speaking of, I guess you’d call it “new age” …
L: Yeah. I’ll call it new age. I’ve got crystals. I listen to Enya…
O: [doubling over laughing]
L: Yeah. Oh yeah. I’m obnoxious. [laughs]
J: Anybody that’s familiar with your guys’ content is familiar with your very unique tattoo, Laz. That’s a life rune, if I’m not mistaken, right? The elksedge?
L: Well, it is a rune. It’s a Nordic rune. It’s specifically called a futhark rune. And the name of the rune is algiz. When I got it, I was 18 years old, and I thought it meant protection and “male.” And it was cool. And all of my friends were getting tattoos. Peer pressure. So I got this tattoo right here [points to just above his crotch]. I was going to get another tattoo [points to the small of his back] on my back, but I never did it. And it was just the black at first. And it just means, as far as I know, protection and “male”… and since then I’ve heard a lot of other meanings for it. I don’t know. It’s just the tattoo I had. So I guess there’s some people in the Aryan Nation that use it, like the swastika? But I have no interest in any of that racist crap. It was solely just about protection and being a boy. [laughs]
J: Thank you for the clarification. There’s a lot of performers that have other occult tattoos or mystical tattoos that got co-opted at one point. They [Nazis] co-opted so much.
O: Like the swastika.
J: Let me see if I had any other questions for you. What are your plans for the future?
O: We plan on shooting a lot of really awesome porn. This place that we have we’re super excited about. It’s going to have a totally different look to it. I mean, we’re still the same people, but the content we’re shooting is going to look way different than our other place that we had before.
L: More big butts with oil on it. More big butts. More oil. It’s going to be all the butts. All the oil.
O: All sorts of butts.
L: Yeah. Not just big butts. So there are a few things that we can mention that may not make a lot of sense to HotMovies viewers right now, but it will. There’s a series called Big Butts And Beyond. I don’t know if we have any. We might have a couple on HotMovies. There should be. We should get them up there!
O: They’re coming soon.
L: So Big Butts and Beyond is a big butts series, obviously, that we did. And there are maybe like one or two more we’re putting out, but it is going to be replaced by a new series filmed here in Las Vegas in our new palace [laughs] and it’s going to be called Best Butts. It’s based off a different [big box store] chain and we’re going to include all kinds of butts. Not just big butts. Just the best! Not all good butts are huge; some of them are tiny and some are medium… but some of them are huge.
J: Oh I agree. They come in all shapes and sizes and we have to appreciate them all.
L: Right! Other new things… we have a new series coming, that I’m actually going to let her [Olivia] say more about because she’s more intelligent. But I had the idea of having a series called Sex Twerker. Like “Sex Worker” but Sex Twerker. And what we can say about that so far is that we’re hiring models to be a sex worker who would like to express their feelings about sex work and how it has impacted their lives. The positive aspects, and also the things they would like to see change about the perception of sex work in our culture. And so they get to have a monologue about that, and then we fuck. [laughs]
O: I think you explained it. [to Laz]
L: Did I get it? [to Olivia]
O: I think you got it. [to Laz] It’ll look different. We’re going to have each scene in the series look different, rather than be quite so formulaic as some of our other series have been. Like Sensual Suite, Arched, Big Butts and Beyond: those are all formulaic scenes where we might switch up the positions but they’re generally the same positions and the same formula and the same intro and the same actions. But Sex Twerker, I think we’re going to focus more on the individuality of the performer. Not everyone is, I don’t want to say that they’re not good at a certain thing, but there are things about the performer that we want to highlight. That’s sort of a reflection of what we’ve been doing in our most recent content, I think. Recognizing a performer’s individuality and their assets, and really playing those up. Trying to allow a more authentic performance. Recognizing and utilizing a performer’s personalities and talents and assets. And letting them shine. We’ve heard feedback that sometimes porn can be very pigeonhole-y, and also it can strip performers of some of their individuality… if something is too formulaic. So we’re trying to get away from some of that and allow some more authenticity in our scenes.
L: Yeah. I think that’s gonna be a great one. And we’ve only filmed one so far. We also started doing a morning sex series. With the sun coming through the window and looking like beautiful… well, morning sex.
O: And it’s always shot in the morning! [laughs]
L: And it’s always shot super early in the morning. Because to get in the sunrise, we’re starting at like…
O: …6:30 or 7:30.
L: Now as far as HotMovies is concerned, fans can start looking forward to seeing Picked Up & Fucked. We’ve got ten of those that I think we filmed?
O: Again, Big Butts and Beyond, which is one of our most popular series.
L: And more Sensual Suite. And you’re eventually going to start seeing a series we filmed called Arched, and it features all women who are really good at arching their backs and having that nice swoop. You know, ass in the air? It’s a nicer way of saying “ass in the air, face on the ground.” That’s basically what it is. I find it magical. So we did a whole series on it where we focus on having sex in positions where they are in that arch as much as possible. And lots of oil, as always. I’m a bit of an oil freak. So you guys can start looking forward to seeing that.
O: And that’s kind of a combination of like… well, we can’t really speak to the tone of what that series is. I mean, it’s kind of like Sensual Suite: it’s zen. It’s also performer-directed in the intensity department. Like how he [Laz] vibes with the particular performer. So it might be a little more on the rough side, or it might be a little more on the sensual side… it just depends on how they are.
L: Right. So maybe a performer is really into rough sex, or we just have that particular chemistry, we go with it. But ultimately we’re looking in Arched for the more…
O: …More sensual.
L: Well, really, more just for that back thing. I’m not going to be fish-hooking anyone in it. But I don’t really do that anyway.
J: No fish-hooking. Got it. Now I remember us talking a little before the interview about performer empowerment. It sounds like this new series you’re working on is catering to the strengths of the performer, and their personality. But you also talked about how consent plays a big role in terms of your beliefs, your procedures. How do you feel that adds to the performance itself? Do you want to talk a little bit about your procedure when it comes to consent and all that good stuff?
L: We have a whole thing that we do. And she [Olivia] makes it happen. I’m just the talent for the shoot. I’m just ready to shoot, so she makes it happen.
O: Yeah. When we first started filming we weren’t really familiar with the process of having a consent discussion. But we did have, from the very beginning, a little sort of pow-wow or whatever you want to call it. About the scene, where it was like, “Is there anything you don’t want to do? Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?” And that kind of thing. But I started realizing while watching peoples’ discussions on Twitter, that there were a lot of performers who were uncomfortable with a lack of a consent discussion. A lot of times [in other companies’ shoots] it wasn’t happening at all on sets. And then sometimes it would happen, but they didn’t feel it was formalized enough. By formalized I don’t mean grilling somebody. But I decided to go ahead and start researching consent checklists. And I discovered one and downloaded it, and found that it didn’t really meet our needs for scenes. So I just went ahead and changed it. And that’s what we use now for all of our shoots. And if we have a performer for more than one day they get to do one each day. I’ve had pretty much anyone we’ve had for more than one day say, “I need to do this again.” It’s like, do you feel the same today as you did yesterday? You did scenes yesterday, how are you feeling? Do you want to lighten it up? Do you want to do anything differently? You’re allowed to change your mind.
L: Right. You have a right to change your mind.
O: It’s a new day. Is there anything you want to do differently?
J: That’s a really good point.
O: I let them fill it out by themselves. And I go over it with them a little bit, ask them some questions. And then everyone on set, whoever that might be, goes over everyone’s’ checklists together. And if we have two female performers, we have them swap checklists. And I look at it and he [Laz] looks at it. If we’re going to have a camera person, they need to be involved in that. Because I think there’s a lot of times where people feel pressured to say “yes” when they don’t want to. Or they feel reluctant to call cut or say “I need a break,” and so I think it’s really important to even watch facial expressions while filming. And sometimes I’ll even notice someone’s tired or needs to switch things up… and I’m waiting and waiting and they’re not saying anything. So I’m like, “Okay, let’s take a water break.” It’s clear they’re uncomfortable. You know. And I like to tell them [performers], “Even if you are okay with doing something, if it becomes not okay, just speak up.” It’s cool. We just roll with it. If you need a break, say, “I need a break.” If you don’t want to do this, say “I don’t want to do this.” I might be the director, but the performers are the most important people there, and their comfort is the most important thing. And so it’s been interesting to watch people struggle with that, and kind of heartbreaking in a way. To watch how much people struggle with that. And to kind of realize what it must be like to go through that on a regular basis. But we have seen some really cool things, too. We have seen people relax after the consent discussion… like knowing, “Hey. I’m going to be safe here.” And we have seen people who were previously very nervous about making their limits known speak up for themselves. I think it’s really cool; we’re watching this happen across the industry. And I’m just really happy people participate in that. I just think it’s a super important thing that this becomes a trend. Maybe not in the way that we’re doing it. You know, we’re not the end-all, be-all example of everything that’s good and right or anything. But I feel like what we’re doing is good. And I hope that more companies, more producers, will participate and just help performers feel safe.
J: Right. I think the understanding of enthusiastic consent as an organic part of the process… whether it’s in our personal lives or filmed is just… its importance is being made aware to us now in ways that it hadn’t in the past. And it’s a really nice breath of fresh air to hear that you guys are helping to pioneer that.
L: Yeah. There’s a lot of people doing that. It’s such an important thing that shouldn’t be rushed through. For me it’s kind of the core of what’s going to happen in the scene. What is the quality of the scene going to be like? If you can make somebody feel safe, let them know that it’s okay to call cut or say they don’t want to do something, then that’s going to affect the quality of the scene. We don’t want fake stuff. We want people to be happy with what they’re doing. I don’t want anybody… I don’t want to feel unsafe, you know? So I can only imagine what it’s like for a woman on set.
O: And we’re by no means the pioneer. This has been going on in the kink community for a very long time. On kink porn sets, and on a lot of mainstream sets as well. But there just needs to be more of it.
L: Yeah. We make a big deal out of it, though.
O: [laughs]
L: We make a big, stinking deal out of it.
J: That’s good. I’m glad you guys are “stinking” it up.
L: It’s good. It really makes it so much more fun.
O: Yeah. It’s nice when people feel they can be themselves and let go, and know that they’re important. And that their feelings are important, and the ways their bodies feel are important. And that’s really sexy, I feel. I think they give a much better performance, not that that’s the goal. But they tend to give a much better performance when they are seen as humans with wants and needs and limits.
L: Well, it helps empower people and make them feel confident. And the kind of videos that we make look better when the talent is feeling confident. Feeling strong. Feeling sexy. Instead of feeling weak and vulnerable. That’s a different genre. We know we don’t really work with that too much. Women who are feeling very confident, very strong… that’s very sexy.
J: Very cool. So any last thoughts you’d like to share with newcomers, fans, or haters, even?
L: To haters? I would just say, “Get a cheeseburger and a hug. It’s going to be okay. And, you know…”
O: It’s not all that important.
L: Yeah. If you’re hating us, watch something else! There’s so much out there. It’s okay.
O: It’s really easy. You have choices. Nobody’s forcing you.
L: Yeah.
O: But yeah. There’s a lot of really great stuff coming up. We’re gonna bring a lot of new cool, interesting stuff to HotMovies—stuff that you haven’t seen from us before. And it’s going to be quite a change, but I think in a lot of cases it’ll be a very welcome change. And the content is going to look more and more professional as we post it.
L: Hopefully not too professional.
O: No. [chuckles] Wouldn’t want to be too professional.
L: We wouldn’t want to take our [uses air quotes] “amateurish look” away. [laughs] Sorry. Somebody said that to us like 3 years ago and I just haven’t let it go. “Oh, your amateurish look…” “Oh. Thank you! Thank you so much!” [laughs]
J: Straight out of The Player’s Handbook. The backhanded compliment?
O: Oh yeah. We love the amateur look.
L: It’s true. But to our fans…
O: To our fans, thank you for all your support. Keep watching. We are ever-evolving and changing and yeah… you can’t really pin us down. There’s always changes; always new things going on.
L: And [affects a voice] “Hello there.”
O: [same voice] “Hello there.”
L: I said “Hello there” in front of all the Big Butts and they called me out on it. They figured out I was imitating Ben Kenobi. You guys are right! Ben Kenobi.
J: Alright. Sounds good. Thank you both for your time. I really appreciate it.
Watch House of Fyre‘s catalog on HotMovies!
Follow @JefftonB and @HotMovies on Twitter