Jacky St. James: The Taylor Swift of Porn

Director Jacky St. James has more in common with her favorite blonde pop star than a tall, willowy frame, impish good looks and a rigid sense of discipline. She’s also one of the most commercially successful artists her industry has ever seen.   

Jacky St. James is an enigma. That might sound like an odd thing to say about one of the porn’s most famously likable and down-to-earth directors, but hear me out. She’s a huge fan of girly-girl rom-coms yet dismisses the film Titanic as banal. She displays boundless enthusiasm for intellectual analysis, yet “intellectuals” top her list of pet peeves. She’s a self-described people-person but is largely reclusive and solitary when she’s not working. She loves the adult industry and feels at home among porn stars, yet she abhors “drama” and describes herself as “not outwardly sexy.” You get the idea.

St. James came to the industry in 2011, just as porn was starting to court “the female gaze” and open its doors to women writers and directors. Within a year of penning her first film (New Sensations 2012 hit Dear Abby) St. James became one of the industry’s top screenwriters when the film brought home AVN’s coveted Best Screenplay award. Fast forward a year later, her 2013 directorial debut, Torn, won AVN’s Best Romance Film and Best Actor award, along with Xbiz Best Couples Release, Best Actor, and Best Actress awards. After barely a year in the industry, St. James was well on her way to becoming one of its biggest power players.

Jacky St. James films are at turns romantic, sweet, taboo, funny and smart, with consistently high production values and gorgeous cinematography. Her fans range from college students to single moms and middle-aged couples. In an industry that struggles to find its rightful place in pop culture, Jacky St. James remains its best bet for bridging the gap between porn and mainstream cinema.

NN: First of all, congratulations on your incredible ascent in adult films. In less than a decade you’ve become one of the industry’s most decorated, beloved, and accomplished directors—female or male. What brought you to this industry in the first place, and what did you hope to contribute to the world of adult film?

JSJ: Thank you Nica. That means a lot coming from someone as talented, innovative, and prolific as you. Honestly, I never aspired to work in adult. Right before I got into adult, I was working in corporate America. In my free time I wrote erotic fiction and had even gained a relatively substantial online following on a (now-defunct) blog I’d started. I’ve always gravitated towards adult content in one form or another, so I wasn’t afraid of porn.

I took the leap after I visited an adult set to watch a script I’d written get produced. I was blown away by the openness and professionalism of the environment. I’d spent my life in cubicles and being on a film set was liberating. The fact that “work” can be liberating was one of the driving factors for quitting my mainstream career to pursue one in adult. Knowing that there was a possibility of marrying my love of structure with my love of creativity was the other appeal. Porn allows for both―well, most of the time.

NN: What do you find most challenging about making films here? For me it was the stigma, and the fact that the stigma would attract a lot of people to the industry who weren’t necessarily interested in making an artistic statement, who didn’t really care that much about the work. But there’s also the tight budgets, the lack of locations… 

JSJ: It’s interesting that you mention the stigma. I never thought about stigma when I got into the industry, not the stigma that exists towards pornographers from the outside world, or even the stigma that, as you said, often attracts the wrong people to our business.

For me, the most challenging thing about making films in adult has really been the fear studios have of deviating from “the plan.” You were fortunate with Mile High. You were a creator behind some of the most groundbreaking imprints in our industry—Sweet Sinner, Sweetheart, TransSensual, Icon Male, to name a few. However, most studios are afraid to try something new because of the financial risk involved and, as a result, business models are typically about following trends. If one studio produces something that sells, everyone is suddenly doing it, and when everyone is doing it, everything becomes diluted. After seven years of doing fauxcest regularly, I have to ask, “How many stepmother scenes can one really come up with?” There is a lack of originality when you’ve literally written over 100 stepmother scenes. Fauxcest porn feels like the movie Groundhog Day and my prevailing thought is always, “Jesus Christ, how do I do my 110th stepmother/stepson scene differently?” It becomes a challenge. How do I stay creative when I am not given license to deviate from a particular genre?

NN: I think whenever there’s a hot trend in the porn industry the reaction of the studios is to literally beat it into the ground, just shoot the same thing over and over until it doesn’t sell anymore. Instead of exploring the theme in an interesting way, we kill it with repetition. I mean, the idea of incest is nauseating to me, but I find the fauxcest genre so compelling because I think it’s a clue to what drives our sexuality at the deepest level. Our feelings about love and how to relate to the opposite sex are largely informed by our relationships with our mothers and fathers and siblings. Those are our first intimate relationships and, for better or worse, they shape us. It’s such a rich topic, but I feel like our industry sees nothing but dollar signs and drops the ball artistically. 

JSJ: Absolutely. I’ll be honest. When I was in college, I used to make my boyfriend role play with fauxcest with me. He played my “brother.” And now, twenty some years later, when I reflect on that I ask myself, “Why was that so arousing to me then?” I likely viewed brothers as protectors and growing up, I never had that protector influence. I faced a lot of bullying in high school and so fantasizing about a male figure that could go and “beat up the bad guys” was appealing to me. Also, the forbidden aspect is universally appealing. What’s off-limits is so often what we find sexy. Whether it’s an attraction to our friend’s spouse, our boss, our teacher, whatever. Secrets are inherently sexy. You touched on this so much with your Sweet Sinner imprint. Sadly, most studios don’t really care about the motivation or even the quality of story because at the end of the day, most studios are driven by clicks and search terms. You can use the word MILF and it gets hits, even if the exploration of that fetish isn’t present in the scene. Imagine how much better everything would be if it wasn’t about checking off a box and about really delving into what makes those things psychologically appealing to people?

NN: What do you find you spend most of your time on as a director, when it comes to instructing the actors? Is it the dialogue? The sex? How much do you direct the sex scenes?

JSJ: The dialogue, and here is why: for me, believing the story is critical to the sex feeling real and being rewarding. As a creator, I want to believe the relationships. I want palpable tension. I want the interactions to be so believable that when the sex happens the payoff is worth it. That to me is where the beauty of pornography lies…in the tension-building and in the set up. Now, that’s not to say, “let’s ignore the sex” because you can’t do that. After all, we’re selling sex. But, if no time is spent on developing the tension and the storyline, then there won’t be a decent payoff―at least not in my opinion. The storyline informs so much of what happens in the sex, so let’s do justice to the story; otherwise, it’s just gonzo to me. Payoff to me is everything, which is probably why I absolutely hated Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

As far as directing sex, I think it’s important that my involvement doesn’t make it feel clinical. I have conversations with the talent beforehand to set the stage of what is expected and required. I make recommendations on how the scene should play out, things to remember, things to say and not say, things that make sense for the characters, etc. During the sex, I try only to get involved if the scene isn’t going in the direction required, but I try not to do even that. I try to make sure everyone understands and is on the same page from the get-go.

NN: So why did you hate Waiting for Godot? You know one of my favorite things is making you explain why you hate things!

JSJ: Ha! I read Beckett’s play when I was in college. My perspective was likely very different then, but I just remember hoping that in the end the lead characters would finally do something, and they didn’t. That was Beckett’s entire point, but it didn’t make for the most compelling story for me. I just kept waiting for something to happen and the point is, something doesn’t always have to…and I don’t like that!

You know what’s really strange? As I say this, I do think about the brilliance of the ending now. How it makes total sense. I mean, the last words belong to a stage direction: “They Don’t Move.” The whole time they’re like, “Let’s go. We should go somewhere,” and they never move. It’s kind of brilliant. Ok. Wait, can I change my mind mid-question? I mean, look―I would never count that among one of the greatest plays I’ve read because my first impression was to hate it, but literary and cinematic interest have so much to do with where we are in life. At nineteen I wanted something more. At my current age, I can appreciate that oftentimes there isn’t anything more; but I still want progress, dammit! And let’s be honest, would Godot still hold up in theatres today? I mean, really? I’m going to google it now to see if it’s playing anywhere…

Seriously? It played in LA back in May. It’s playing Off-Broadway in 2020. I stand corrected.

NN: In the time since you’ve come to the adult film industry, we’ve seen the rise of “feminist porn” or “ethical porn” as it’s come to be known. Do you feel these are legitimate terms? Buzz words? What does it mean to you in practical terms and how, if at all, has it affected the way you work?

JSJ: We live in a world where everything is clickbait. Everything is a hashtag for the world to latch onto. Did you know that in Hollywood sometimes people are cast now based on the size of their Instagram following as opposed to their merit as an actor? That is the world we’ve devolved into. So, the rise of feminist porn and ethical porn as buzz words makes sense. Are they legitimate? I’ll put it to you this way―am I a feminist? Fuck yes. Am I an ethical person? Also, fuck yes. But these are things I was before I worked in porn. Does it work to my advantage that who I am is a series of buzz words? Absolutely.

In practical terms, ethical porn is porn that is done on a safe, clean set where the performers are aware ahead of time (and have consented to ahead of time) not just who they are working with but the content they are shooting. They have been given the opportunity to read the script and approve the talent. Ethical porn is ensuring the safety of everyone, behind the camera and in front of it. It is ensuring that sheets are cleaned, furniture disinfected, and talent is healthy before the scene is shot. It is making sure that the actors are not kept on set longer than a reasonable amount of time and that they feel comfortable to voice their opinions at any given time. It is about ensuring that everyone is paid when promised and that meals, snacks, food, and water are provided. It is about ensuring that condoms and lube are available in the event that someone requests using them. It is about so very many things that I cannot possibly list them all here.

Now all these things seem so basic and obvious but sadly they are not to some producers and directors.

Do I think all porn is ethical? No. Do I know that all porn I shoot is ethical? Yes. And there is power in producing ethical porn because it sets a certain precedent

The good thing about all those hashtags and buzzwords is that it gets the conversation started. In mainstream you see people actively taking a stand against corporations like Chick Fil-A, Walmart, etc. due to their support of Donald Trump. Wouldn’t it be great if porn consumers took a stand against unethical porn companies? Wouldn’t it be great if performers and crew weren’t blacklisted for speaking out?

NN: It can be a tough call sometimes. I mean, I’ve been criticized for having long days on set, in excess of twelve hours, but the fact is we have a set amount of time we’re given to shoot a film as determined by the budget. If we have to get a feature shot in two days, we’re all going to be working late. It also means that as a director you have to choose your battles. Sometimes you have to make do with a so-so performance because there isn’t enough time to ask for additional takes. I guess I’d always rather work late to get a better result, but I have to remember that not everyone on set feels that way. One of the biggest struggles for me has been accepting that some performers just want to have sex and go home or head off to an escort appointment, that not everyone came here to do dramatic acting, and so I have no right to demand that of them. Since you’re also very focused on the story and the quality of the acting, how do you deal with that issue? When you’re not getting the result you want from a performer, how far do you push it before you resign yourself to just taking whatever you get?

JSJ: I don’t ever resign myself. What I do do, which I think helps, is I have a conversation with everyone before I book them. I say, “Look. This is going to be a super long day and I am going to demand a lot. Are you okay with that? I don’t want you showing up if you aren’t.” I am pretty forthcoming, and I like to set the intentions very clearly before we start so that there are no surprises. Shoot days absolutely exceed twelve hours nowadays because, as you said, we only have two days to create a feature film. And what I think is important for the readers to know is that it’s not just a feature film directors have to worry about. It’s BTS (“behind-the-scenes”) videos, pretty girls, sex stills, box covers, voiceover, dialogue, unloading trucks, wrapping out the locations, managing wardrobe and props, etc. Even on a perfect day where everyone is on time and prepared, it’s hell!

For me, the way to make it a more palatable hell is by being super organized. I never call people before they need to be there. I’m a very good planner. I don’t like my time wasted and I don’t like wasting other people’s time. So, I guestimate how long scenes will take to shoot. I plan it out so that I don’t have actors sitting around while other people are shooting a sex scene. I really do plan very well and I think the talent I hire appreciate that and want to work for me again because―I don’t think a lot of producers care about wasting the talents’ time. I do. That’s how I get the best out of people―by respecting their time.

NN: We’ve both done a lot of fauxcest titles over the years, and I know I’ve gotten called out for that a lot. Many people have a problem with it or want to know how I can in good conscience write some of these movies, which many find disturbing on general principle. How do you respond to that criticism, or do you? Do you ever privately struggle with any of the themes you have to depict in your films?  

JSJ: I have struggled. Back in my earlier days I always toed that line of right and wrong. Today, I always make sure there is no coercion in anything I write―as it pertains to that subject matter. I think what’s more important than the content that is being produced is that it is being produced ethically—there’s that buzz word—that the performers being hired can get behind the fantasy and feel comfortable with it. Fauxcest gets criticized a lot online. People are tired of seeing all the fauxcest scenes and yet they are still being mass produced. Why? Because it sells. If people weren’t consuming it, we wouldn’t be producing it. My responsibility, as a producer and director of fauxcest, is in ensuring that nobody hired feels uncomfortable with the content and the creation of that fantasy. It is a fantasy, after all. Nobody in adult is condoning this behavior in real life. We are not saying “this behavior is right.” Let’s not hold porn morally accountable for the same content mainstream television shows also profit from (Game of Thrones, Bates Motel, etc.). I’m sorry but we must stop holding onto this idea that what we see on screen is anything other than fiction created for entertainment purposes.

NN: I think one of the trickier things for us in porn is that sex is such a psychological and emotional minefield for so many of us. What nauseates you might seem fine to me, and what freaks me out may be your favorite porn to watch. And there’s a tendency to kind of challenge each other on that: “Why are you okay with bukkake scenes, but you’re outraged by lesbian stepsisters?” And the truth is, it doesn’t matter why. We feel how we feel. It’s not about winning an ideological debate, it’s about recognizing that people have different comfort zones and different triggers, and that’s really that. But it also makes it hard to decide exactly where to draw lines.

JSJ: Well you’re correct. The fears a lot of producers have about obscenity laws are exactly what you describe here. It’s all subject to opinion. Someone might one day think “swinging” is obscene and suddenly there goes swinger porn. It’s kind of terrifying when it’s framed that way. Honestly though, what is obscene and what isn’t obscene has less to do with the content and often more to do with the “legitimacy” of the project. Most people, not all, consider content produced by mainstream acceptable because with attached celebrities and big budgets and studios behind that production, there is legitimacy. I don’t think porn will ever have that legitimacy in the public eye, and we can only hope that those judging what is and is not obscene have some measure of objectivity and intelligence.

NN: How much creative freedom do you have as a writer? And if you had total freedom, what types of films would you be most interested in making at this point in your career? 

JSJ: I have the creative freedom to write what I want within a specific genre but I can’t deviate from those genres, most commonly: cheating, fauxcest, “hot wifing.”

I mean, on the one hand I like the repetition because it’s a challenge to me as a writer. I get to really figure out how to make each script different from the 20,000 other scripts that people have written in that genre.

However, if I had total freedom, I would like to write stories that don’t subscribe to niches. I know that niches are what sells in adult, and that’s why studios are churning them out, but why not try something entirely different? Why don’t we just produce erotic stories with fully fleshed out plotlines, where there isn’t the required four sex scenes, where sex doesn’t have to always end with a man ejaculating, where sex scenes don’t have to be the required 25 minutes in length?

NN: When I’m feeling boxed in creatively, I always think of the film 12 Angry Men where almost the entire film takes place in a small room with the cast all seated around a table. There’s nothing to see but the dialogue and acting, so it has to be strong enough to carry the whole film. And it’s true that having a limited playing field can challenge you to write incredible dialogue, or pull great performances out of the actors, because that’s literally all you have to work with. But at the same time, if you were told to make 12 Angry Men every month, four times a month, the “creative challenge” aspect might give way to creative burnout pretty quickly.

JSJ: How could it not?! As brilliant as that film is, anything done 10,000 times is creatively draining. I doubt you could find an example of anyone that disagrees with that!

NN: I kind of marvel at how balanced and together and sane you always seem to be, despite what I know is a brutal shooting schedule (four titles a month now, right?) and all of the different personalities and inevitable drama and stress you have to deal with on an ongoing basis. How do you handle it when you feel yourself getting burned out? 

JSJ: I have always been very adept at handling a lot at once, but even I get burned out. Writing, directing, producing, and casting four movies a month is basically the equivalent of two full time jobs. I never get a full day off. Ever. When you’re on set for eight days a month working fifteen hour days with non-stop interaction, the last thing you want is more human interaction. So, after two weeks of shooting, I completely shut the world out for at least one full day afterwards. I’ll still do work—things like paperwork and reconciling budgets, and anything that doesn’t involve talking to people, but that day is a people-free day! I am pretty much a recluse when I’m not working so being away from people isn’t difficult. Turning off my phone and not answering emails is more of a challenge, but one I force myself to do on my first day off after my shooting-weeks.

I’ll also give myself a few hours of just me-time on that first day home after a long shoot. The me-time is generally spent in my house (usually in bed), playing Sudoku and hanging out with my dogs. They keep me tethered to the moment and they always, always, always put me in a good mood because I live to love them. Animals can help anyone reset. They’re magical like that.

NN: Has the fact that your job is to watch beautiful people having sex day after day, year after year, affected your feelings about sex, love or desire? How if at all has porn changed or influenced your own sexuality? 

JSJ: Working in porn has made me crave romance more. So much of what I do is “wrong,” “forbidden,” “depressing,” and “deviant.” I want something banal and simple sometimes. I want a predictable rom-com. I don’t usually watch porn in my personal life anymore (something I did very often before I worked in porn).

Porn has been both good and bad for my self-esteem and my sexuality. I have become far more self-critical of my body working in porn. Mainly because I work with women half my age that are stunningly beautiful, and the effects of age are ever more apparent when you are surrounded by youth every day. However, one positive thing I have taken from porn is my newfound confidence and ability to talk about my desires without shame or embarrassment. In porn, so many of us are refreshingly open about everything from our health ailments to our turn-ons and turn-offs. There is little pretense I’ve found―at least on my sets. I love that aspect of the business and it has made me so much more confident in expressing what I desire, whereas before some of those desires might have been too embarrassing to talk about.

NN: It’s interesting, because working in porn made me more uptight. I guess because once I started directing full-time, it became very important to shut off my sexuality for ethical reasons. When I was a performer, I was very flirty and touchy-feely with other performers, but as a director I had to consciously disconnect and over time that disconnect became second nature. For a while I was worried that I’d become asexual, because I no longer felt attracted to anyone, ever. 

JSJ: Interesting. I could see that. I am not a very outwardly sexual person, nor do people find me very sexy, so I don’t think I’ve ever had to temper who I am in the way that you are describing. Also, I think the fear of becoming asexual is common among pornographers (especially women) because it’s hard to feel that sexual spark when you work around sex all day. For me, my views of what is sexy and what isn’t have completely changed since working in porn for sure. Like I said, romance is very sexually appealing to me nowadays. It used to be darker things, like fauxcest roleplay in college. Ha!

NN: On your Twitter account, your pinned tweet is something of a warning to performers that you shy away from hiring anyone who is a bully on social media. Is it more important to you to work with performers who are nice people, or who are incredible performers? If you had to choose between someone who was an outstanding actor/performer but a real asshole, or a so-so performer who was a pleasure to have on set, which one would you choose and why?

JSJ: I would 100% always choose the person that was a pleasure to work with on set, which I am sure a lot of people would disagree with but here’s why: I won’t be my best when working with an asshole because I’ll want to make sure the rest of the cast, crew, etc. were comfortable. I’ll be hyper-aware of how the asshole was affecting everyone else’s energy and focusing less on the job at hand.

NN: This makes me think of a recent shoot where I’d cast a very difficult person as the lead. I knew this person was hard to work with, but I felt they were perfect for the role, so I was willing to deal with the stress. And as expected, it was pretty much hell to have this person on set, but I still felt like I’d made the right decision and I planned to book them again for the sequel. After we wrapped, though, the entire cast and crew let me know that if I brought this person back, they would not be willing to work on the project. At moments like that I have to ask myself if the person is really worth it, no matter how gifted they are.

JSJ: I don’t think you should ever underestimate the negativity that an asshole can bring to set and the impact it will have on every other facet of the production. Also, let’s never underestimate the “nice” person, the person who is eager to do a good job, who wants to be on set. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to bring out something great in someone who might not be the “best” actor, but who damn well wants to try to be.

Another thing to add here: an asshole’s energy can also have some very negative side effects for their scene partner, and I don’t want to create an environment where a casting choice trumps somebody’s level of comfort. It’s just not worth it. I want everyone to leave my set having created something they are proud of and feeling good about themselves.

I would also like to add, I have been told that I can tolerate a lot and so, if I think you’re an asshole, chances are you’re pretty downright awful and should seek help immediately.

NN: I can’t end this interview without asking you about Taylor Swift. What drives your deep, abiding love for T-Swizzle? What does she represent to you? And if I may be completely petty for a moment, what did you think of her feud with Kanye and Kim? I’ll be honest, I thought she threw Kanye under the bus a little, but I have a feeling you have a different point of view, so let’s hear it. 

JSJ: Ha! I am an avid Taylor Swift fan. I am not a fan of Kanye and haven’t been since he stole the mic from her at the VMA’s years ago. Although in some ways, I have to thank Kanye because out of that event came the song, “Innocent,” which is one of my favorite Swift songs.

With regards to “the phone call,” I wholeheartedly side with her. Kanye should have put any request of his in writing so that she and her management team could review it. He put her on the spot, and he knew that by calling her he had the power.

Should Taylor have immediately said, “I am not OK with this!”? Sure. Should she have asked for more time to think about it? Absolutely. But, regardless of her own success, Kanye and Kim are powerful business people. Taylor’s history with Kanye and her own desire to keep things peaceful (for publicity reasons) likely had more to do with her “it’s fine” response than with her actually being okay with it. I doubt Taylor would ever be okay with anyone sexualizing her in a video that she didn’t have creative control over or be okay with a sexist lyric taking credit for her success. That is pretty much the antithesis of who she is. Her fault lay solely in her inability to stand up to someone she wanted to stay on good terms with, instead of saying, “we may be playing ‘nice’ but this isn’t alright.” She’ll never make that mistake again. If anything, Kanye can only take credit for making her a tougher person. That’s about it.

Why do I love Taylor? I have always found that she and I share common views on love and romance and her lyrics, while many find them banal and “poppy,” they resonate with me on so many levels. I like how she uses imagery in such a simple yet powerful way.

Also, Taylor continues to reinvent herself. Listen to her first album and then her last and tell me it’s the same tired melody. You can’t. She never stops evolving and I absolutely love that about her – especially when it’s easy to follow that same path year after year.

I remember seeing her in concert with my girlfriend and the experience was so uplifting. The diversity among her audience was invigorating. The energy could be felt as high up as the nosebleeds. Everyone was smiling, singing, dancing, happy in a way I have never experienced at a live concert before (if only I had been able to see Queen at Live Aid).

Finally, let’s not underestimate the fact that Taylor has written her own music and is one of the most successful women in the music business! To this day, I can’t listen to the song, “Ronan,” that she wrote solely for the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, and not sob. It’s a simple melody with simple lyrics and yet I’ll never not feel my heart break when I hear it. To me, that’s why I love Taylor Swift. She makes a 42-year-old woman cry. She makes a 42-year-old woman still feel like she’s fifteen.

Source: Sapiosexu.al (By: Nica Noelle)