Vivid Entertainment

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Vivid Entertainment Group is the world's largest adult film producer,^[1] featuring a popular catalog of VHS and DVD titles and Internet content.^[2]

Vivid specializes in high-production-value movies, filmed in exotic locations and shot with professional lighting and quality cinematography. Vivid also produces gay porn movies under the names "Vivid Man" and "Vivid Video".

1 Vivid Girls
2 Vivid and Alt-Porn
3 Vivid Ed
4 Policies and production values
5 Licensing Program
6 Legal Controversy
7 See also
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Vivid Girls

The company is best known for its "Vivid Girls". These women make their names in other companies productions, then move to Vivid once they have become well known.^{[citation needed]} The Vivid Girls are retained on exclusive contracts much like those of bygone days of the Hollywood studio system. They command a higher salary than do free-agent performers and produce only a handful of films per year (in 2004, Jenna Jameson told an interviewer "you probably have more shags than I do - I only film a couple of scenes three or four times a year").

[edit] Vivid and Alt-Porn

In February 2006 Vivid made its first foray into Alt porn with the signing of Director Eon McKai and the formation of the Vivid-Alt imprint ^[3]. Vivid-Alt in turn hired erotic photographers— Dave Naz and Octavio "Winkytiki" Arizala^[4] to direct features for the imprint.

The first film directed by Eon McKai under that imprint "Girls Lie"^[4] was nominated for a 2007 AVN Award under the Best Director Non-Feature ^[5]. There were a total 13 nominations for various Vivid-Alt imprint releases.

[edit] Vivid Ed

In March 2007 Vivid signed award-winning author, columnist, editor, and sex educator Tristan Taormino [1] ^[6] to head up the Vivid Ed imprint whose line has produced several how-to DVD sex guides including "The Expert Guide To Anal Sex", "The Expert Guide to Oral Sex, Part 1: Cunnilingus", "The Expert Guide to Oral Sex, Part 2: Fellatio" and "The Expert Guide to the G-Spot." On April 4, 2008 Vivid Ed's two oral sex instructional titles and director Tristan Taormino received an Emma Award from the Feminist Porn Awards in Toronto, Canada. ^[7]

[edit] Policies and production values

In the past, Vivid has had a strict policy mandating condom use (see below), and the sexual activities shown are generally "milder" than those of Vivid's competitors. Scenes of bondage are rare and particularly mild. Vivid did not follow the path taken by much of the rest of the U.S. porn industry in the late 1990s toward more explicit and extreme activities. Intercourse almost always involves a heterosexual couple. These policies are intended to appeal to a wide, mainstream market (including women and heterosexual couples) that may not rent or buy pornographic movies frequently.

Vivid produces relatively few titles per year, and each film is aggressively advertised and promoted. This is different from many other San Fernando Valley production companies, who routinely film, edit and release a two-hour title in less than a week, spending relatively little on advertising or promotion.^{[citation needed]} According to Forbes Magazine Vivid produces 60 films per year and its annual revenue is $100 million USD.^[8] The same estimate was given by Business Week in June 2006.^[9] However, Vivid also aggressively repackages its original material in compilations which are relatively inexpensive to produce.

Its titles are sold to the rental market and direct to consumers through its online mail-order site. Vivid also distributes the films to cable and satellite channels and offers its Internet subscribers full access to hundreds of titles. Steve Hirsch and David James, who together started the company in 1984, control Vivid.

In February 2006 it was reported that Vivid had terminated their condom-only policy and would let performers decide whether to use condoms or not. Main competitor Wicked Pictures retained their condom-only policy.^[10] Director Chi Chi LaRue left Vivid due to this change.^[11] Allegations recently came to light of unsanitary health conditions on Vivid sets and of Vivid's apparent disregard for the health and safety of its performers. ^[12]

Vivid also runs several websites, including websites featuring its "Vivid Girls." These websites prominently promote the "Vivid Girls" and their various films. The site also allows users to view scenes from various Vivid productions, as well as much internet-only content.

[edit] Licensing Program

In 2005 famed Glass sex toy company Phallix joined Vivid in an exclusive deal resulting in the creation of the Vivid Vixen Series of Glass dildos. Top Vivid starlets such as Briana Banks, Mercedez and Savanah were among the many starlets to receive their own signature glass toy. Currently in 2007 Phallix was the sex toy of choice in the Vivid feature Where the Boys Aren't 18 Featuring Tera Patrick, Briana Banks and a host of other starlets together in one film. Also, in 2007 Schecter Guitars releases a limited line of Vivid Guitars.^[13] Vivid also attempted the launch of "Vivid Comix," a series of adult graphic novels featuring Vivid Girl performers. The first such issue was actually produced with the likeness of a Vivid Girl whose permission had not been obtained for this use, and when the permission was denied, the issue was changed and a different Vivid Girl was substituted.^[12]

[edit] Legal Controversy

On December 6, 2007, Vivid Entertainment filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against PornoTube. ^[14]. The lawsuit^[15] alleges that the YouTube-like site profits from the illegal posting of Vivid's copyrighted films, and failed to comply with the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act, a federal age-verification and record-keeping law that applies to the adult film industry.