$ b4 E, u+ c/ A/ { Q- U7 iCalifornia's adult movie business is under pressure - internet piracy and the economic downturn have slashed revenues, while state regulators seem set to win their long battle to make actors wear condoms. 8 L3 |' T) d' m+ y2 \2 h$ r( K ) U* S3 J5 u1 W. k- H& u4 q# LLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. " c7 u. l* K5 N8 R5 _3 O7 K 7 t9 U. C5 r1 Z NI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 9 @, z6 k* z& B: ] D' p# J9 I$ N8 G' f5 H( ?3 c0 f5 G- F
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.0 V, N! P" r& j3 l+ L( A
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The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.. Y2 a+ G! G! K/ V T& Q- p0 E. L
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Performers in body-hugging Star Trek outfits, some with prosthetic noses to resemble aliens, wandered around looking slightly bored as a weary crew worried over lighting arrangements. " ?, n+ v. k1 E0 `, o, M) ^2 L& K) s+ v6 c% o- D) C
This morning was devoted to dialogue, I was told, although - as Sam, the film's artistically minded writer-director, explained to me with clear regret - there was not too much of that to be had. 4 ^9 k& F& R4 A. ^ & @9 K3 L3 D3 G' }2 g4 @' bOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.& {% w3 B5 ]3 Q# c8 \) {) I
6 N' H9 P: Y" }5 m8 Q! a* W9 l7 jFantasy / {/ J; }1 ?9 _/ `1 J) z+ r7 S0 a1 y! r. E
The demands of porn may not allow Sam to be the groundbreaking film-maker he clearly aspires to be, but at least there are films to be made.$ v; q' o3 m7 V
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. . x, n: Q N0 D' G8 h' S4 C0 b* `6 b6 ]3 t& {" }+ J
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. ( W; c9 o1 h8 C) G$ b: D* K- n( U4 c; f8 o5 m- R! q# L7 t
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.% _+ @$ ` _0 g( [3 b' w+ u! d# F
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And the economic downturn does not help.& T- S4 v I Y, f$ U; Q2 Q
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. * V W3 i ^" c, a& S % |4 f% t! r; R9 M# s: d8 ]The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. , l4 u" e. b4 z4 S9 M' |: |4 X1 i; Z, z6 C7 c% I# R
For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms./ I* c6 _% r3 U5 m- ?! N( `
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.: |( W! b# z$ @& o2 r
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But the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say." h2 F" P3 E: ?; J
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1 d2 ]/ Q; p/ w9 b; y3 wBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. " r. w/ B" }" {9 Y; |1 [# V$ n7 ^/ `6 s8 Z7 C' k+ u- O
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years./ \. [- |- S7 z6 P( e& {; H/ ]0 F
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 1 V+ ], f, S( M" Y% T; A7 }7 N- i1 B
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" * t% Q4 T8 K0 ~$ T$ [ 7 p* E/ ~+ H. r, g, T; VHer packed schedule today involved a couple of lines, then a four-hour sex scene. Then a costume fitting on Tuesday and she was off to have her monthly health test after that.* |, t( V1 k1 n8 q, x( f
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Each day would be 15 hours long. & M" s5 V. v' ?9 t" U8 U5 G6 i% _ 2 ]& H' i( q6 x0 K"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.1 @; Z# F' d+ K8 Q6 X) z' f
; m9 G6 N) h1 V. H) V"You get used to it," she smiled. % [! \$ P0 L+ @& T, |- X/ H( ]9 \" K, D* P3 C
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 9 T* K( j# j. ~" W7 T- I+ B. H " J; a! Q( n1 w; H: \& x M8 i( o"Well, just chlamydia a couple of times, gonorrhoea - nothing much. Anyway, we test each month so, when you're diagnosed, you just take your medication and you're good to go. No problem." $ u3 ]. C# d' I : f* X# S' X( |6 A5 {( x" oThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.$ |/ }& E7 v1 u" i j+ |# P
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Expensive lawsuits' j4 d# t0 y& z. \5 |4 C
L. P4 w$ o" E) J2 J. r: F% tIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.5 G& Y' c- ^- v, B& X" M2 V! T
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A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.# L# x! M$ |" F9 x j. L
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It had taken a Supreme Court battle back in the 1980s to make porn legal in California in the first place, formally distinguishing it from common-or-garden prostitution.3 T7 A- P" D0 O( i; N( m1 G2 O" s
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Now, many I met spoke of the right not to wear condoms as a key aspect of their constitutional right to free speech, as set out by the Founding Fathers.' L1 h% a8 R' G" n
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"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"" a) u6 Z4 w2 ~/ e9 M! ~
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.6 i; v2 Z+ Q A7 z c* q$ i
, j. I% G( |3 C' `, {& vBut then I also struggled to picture hordes of Star Trek fans queuing up to see Captain Jean-Luc Picard going hard-core with the crew of the Star Trek Enterprise. So what did I know?/ B1 w- J9 _' ~0 ^5 D
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The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.* U# n) L$ r0 G% g5 ?
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It seems likely that porn will eventually lose its battle against the California regulators, not least because - as well as state penalties - the industry could be about to face some very expensive lawsuits brought by former performers. / l4 ~5 ^2 ]; ^; l. d7 q) I& ~" S! h2 d4 P6 K5 a% I! C6 s5 P
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. * S: `/ Z. V7 d! s, ~/ G$ a' L# S# U3 O. T2 |, N( @7 V
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. $ r1 P# R1 Y! L0 n+ E+ R% h+ Z& h
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.; _; w& O& P8 z5 }. B# ~2 B
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I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 1 `" f1 V4 _4 Q4 _; w, i1 \; k) ^ U# w! B , u! `9 E( G- N p
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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