RokkanStoned
Member
I came across this topic yesterday on YouTube and spent the time watching Leigh Raven and Riley Nixon present the horrible experience they had shooting with talent Rico Strong and director "Just Dave". It's really heartbreaking and I recommend you listen through it all to get a grasp of it and to share it. Both Raven and Nixon are pretty tough women who dare talk about this in such a open manner.
Now, I'm not intending to make this thread to rail at Rico Strong and Just Dave, because while I think depending on what the footage turned over to the police shows there might be legit case for breaking consent in the form of the agreement made beforehand, there's a deeper issue that might make this more than just about that. The thing I'm going to talk about is also the safety and communication aspect of adult video shoots as presented in the video.
In the video there are aspects that muddy thing, not as in not making the victim a victim, but in showing the weaknesses of the systems that are supposed to guarantee safety during shoots.
I find it fair to mention that Rico Strong himself and Just Dave disputed it and has turned over footage to the police apparently. Of course, it might just be the production company and the specific actor and that's that. But this is an issue where there is possible that there are more reasons to look into to prevent situations like this, if one presumes it can be systematic problems with how adult videos production can work at times and how people can end up situations like this. These are things that are possible to deal with, in terms of regulation done by the industry itself, in terms of ensuring that contracts need to be specific, in terms of legislation, more information and counsel given to talent in the adult video industry.
I'm always sympathetic towards people working within adult video, because I feel that it's an industry that has its right to exist due to choice over your own body, but by its nature needs to prevent predatory behavior and ensuring that everything happens in a formal manner, with consent and with good guidelines and rules. It also shouldn't be an issue where it needs to be one side of the political spectrum against the other, ensuring freedom of your own body - where the fetus argument can't even be used - should be a bipartisan support for ensuring that it happens with the utmost safety.
Sorry, if this thread isn't as well structured, but it's not a field I'm knowledgeable with and yet I felt it was important to bring it forward.
So, what do you think? What can be done to make shooting adult videos a more safe work environment? Solutions within the industry itself? Legislation? Other?
NB! I would prefer if people could be civil and show respect by watching/listening to the whole video, as it's a sensitive subject.
Now, I'm not intending to make this thread to rail at Rico Strong and Just Dave, because while I think depending on what the footage turned over to the police shows there might be legit case for breaking consent in the form of the agreement made beforehand, there's a deeper issue that might make this more than just about that. The thing I'm going to talk about is also the safety and communication aspect of adult video shoots as presented in the video.
In the video there are aspects that muddy thing, not as in not making the victim a victim, but in showing the weaknesses of the systems that are supposed to guarantee safety during shoots.
- The consent system of before shooting filming and after shooting filming does have its flaws. If feeling pressured, it might lead adult video actress/actor to pretend things were ok. More so in itself it might used under duress. In the mentioned incident this shows and it's coupled by another element:
- Fear of bad rumours spreading for stopping a shoot. This is also mentioned in the video, which is clearly a more industry-wide problem. The financial dependency is a strong factor here, as well as the nature of the productions. There's also:
- The fear of violent reaction. I do feel that Leigh Raven due to the shoot not being like she felt it was communicated perhaps felt a fear which lead her to fear for her safety if she stopped things. Then again in the context given by mrs. Raven in the video, it sort of gets harder to know what to say about it when she bases it on mr. Strong not having his "time/money wasted". It still shows an important point and it's one that'll be uncomfortable because it targets men, as having 3-4 men at the shoot with just her there made her feel unsafe.
- Contracts and the more vague aspect of the consent talk. As said in the video, details seem to be gone through during the consent talk, in which by what I surmise from mrs. Raven's details, that its oral nature makes it less clear about the degree of which actions will happen and where borders are. A huge weakness, that when coupled with one of the other factors, can easily lead to a really bad experience.
- Call-in work. It seems substituting on relatively short time leaves things more chaotic and uncertain. It's in those moments that extra care should be taken by the production company.
- Small productions and new production companies/shoots. I have no idea about more detailed aspect of shooting of adult videos, so in that I can't give a good representation for now, but I might go through some literature if I have the time and add here later. The less established and the less controlled aspect would to me signalize at least a big danger for experiences like this happening.
- There's also some things to say in regards to locations. In which they provide safety and a sense of safety and security to the adult video actors/actresses.
I find it fair to mention that Rico Strong himself and Just Dave disputed it and has turned over footage to the police apparently. Of course, it might just be the production company and the specific actor and that's that. But this is an issue where there is possible that there are more reasons to look into to prevent situations like this, if one presumes it can be systematic problems with how adult videos production can work at times and how people can end up situations like this. These are things that are possible to deal with, in terms of regulation done by the industry itself, in terms of ensuring that contracts need to be specific, in terms of legislation, more information and counsel given to talent in the adult video industry.
I'm always sympathetic towards people working within adult video, because I feel that it's an industry that has its right to exist due to choice over your own body, but by its nature needs to prevent predatory behavior and ensuring that everything happens in a formal manner, with consent and with good guidelines and rules. It also shouldn't be an issue where it needs to be one side of the political spectrum against the other, ensuring freedom of your own body - where the fetus argument can't even be used - should be a bipartisan support for ensuring that it happens with the utmost safety.
Sorry, if this thread isn't as well structured, but it's not a field I'm knowledgeable with and yet I felt it was important to bring it forward.
So, what do you think? What can be done to make shooting adult videos a more safe work environment? Solutions within the industry itself? Legislation? Other?
NB! I would prefer if people could be civil and show respect by watching/listening to the whole video, as it's a sensitive subject.
Last edited: