Christian Mann, 43, began working at Video Team in 1989 and for the past 10 years has been owner and chief operating officer of the company which has quickly developed, under his direction, into one of the largest and most powerful adult video companies in the industry.

Mann is the father of three and is confident enough to tell parents at his kid’s school about what he does for a living. The guy sits on the PTA, for Pete’s sake, and he’s bluntly honest talking about issues in his industry.

Over the past few weeks, Mann has e-chatted with Mr. Web Review about a number of topics, including the Darren James HIV scare, people stealing content, how Fox’s “In Living Color” helped launch one of the most successful adult series in history and the future of the adult entertainment industry. His is one of the most fascinating interviews we've ever done, touching on issues of race in the industry, the Bush administration's planned crackdown on the adult industry, the effect of Darren James' positive HIV test, the use of condoms in videos and his own real-life relationships with adult stars. 

Q. Your thoughts on the entire Darren James incident? 

“I care about Darren and all the performers, so I am naturally concerned. I prefer to keep my thoughts private as I'm not interested in fueling conjecture nor do I think it's appropriate to use this as marketing fodder. I am currently declining any press requests for comments, save for this interview.” 

Q. It has been said he caught the virus in Brazil where testing may not have occurred. Do you think this will send a warning throughout the biz and all but kill foreign type porn (Americans going to X location and shooting a video)? 

“I can't predict what will happen next. Clearly some changes need to be considered and maybe implemented to make our business more secure for everyone.”

Q.  How will this hurt black adult since it was a pretty big black male star who contracted and may have unknowingly spread the virus? 

“I don't think race is an issue here. The impact is substantial to all of us.”

Q. Is it time to aggressively promote condoms in the business? And why is it that consumers don't generally like them in films? Or is that even true? 

“I only made condom positive videos for several years. I wish all of my peers had done the same. I would be willing to return to that policy if the others would, instead of only Wicked and Vivid. I took the stance that I thought was correct and almost lost all of my market share as reward for my efforts. Being the ONLY condom mandatory company producing ethnic videos was not a good business model. That's why I finally gave in.” 

Q. What changes might VT make to make sure this type of thing doesn't happen again? 

“I'm not making any permanent changes until they can be carefully thought through.”

Q. Has there been any effect on VT business because of James' problem? Have you all had to shut down sets and is this or will this cost you money in the long run? 

“We have temporarily halted production while we evaluate the most correct course of action. I can't assess the financial cost to VT, but that can't be the end-all priority. Right now we must work with the others to shore up any weaknesses in the system. By and large, I think our system has protected people with a high rate of success. This situation, while tragic, is isolated. We must improve it, but not necessarily toss it.

"To sum this topic up, I want my company to be a proponent of responsibility and reason during this time of crisis." 

Q. You brought up your kids in our talks. How old are they and are they aware of what you do for a living? How do you balance your real life and this porno fantasy world? I can see you going to PTA and everyone saying what they do, right?  

“My sons are 11, 14 and 15. They are all aware of my business. They are quite mature about it. As a second generation player myself, I knew it would be futile to hide or lie about my work. I was active for six years on the Elementary School Site Action Council. The other parents and school staff all knew what I do for a living. Some approved and some didn't approve of my job, but they all approved of me personally and my work on the Council on behalf of the students and parents. This job does not preclude being active in my community.” 

Q. For VT, what is the most profitable title ever? How many units did it push? Do you all have a line that's consistently better than others?

”Our most successful lines are still "My Baby Got Back" and "No Man's Land". Actual figures remain proprietary. Our single most successful title was probably "Edward Penishands" in the early 90's. We also had a great deal of success with "Westside" a couple of years ago, and now with "Lil Jon's American Sex Series".

Q. Was curious about "contract" girls. Why is that so prevalent in the industry? Can you give us some idea of what a "contract" girl would earn in a contract? Are we talking six figures a year? Deep six figures? What?

”Contract girls do very well. I can't speak for other companies, but ours earn enough to not need outside work. The theory in my mind is that a contract performer and the company have made a commitment to each other which includes exclusivity, but more important includes an ongoing agreement to promote each other: the girl promotes the company and the company promotes the girl to the betterment of both "brands". I liken it to more of a marriage than just a casual dating relationship.”

Q. Was hoping you could be a bit more specific about sales, or as much as you can. I'm interested in cost associated with producing a movie, paying talent, etc, then to press the DVD or copy the VHS. And what type return you could expect to see. Perhaps you can't into this, but anything would be good here.

”As I stated, I don't discuss actual sales or income figures. Clearly, some budgets are higher than others and require more time to pay off. Also: DVD has increased production budgets, but decreased the per unit cost of goods.”

Q. The Bush Administration is pushing ahead with a major crackdown on the adult industry. They are said to -- first -- be going after the major players. VT is obviously a big company. What steps are you taking or might you take to protect your company, and how serious do you think the industry views this threat?

”I can't speak for the industry, nor is there any point in second guessing the strategy of the Justice Department. I have heard many opinions about this, but no reliable facts. I operate under the same philosophy I have used throughout, regardless of the so called "climate". I consult with counsel and only release product that I feel comfortable defending anywhere in the country using the Miller test, i.e. value, community standards and prurience.”

Q. There are lots of amateur and pro companies popping up today like weeds, hoping for riches. How much does the average adult title make from a major company like yours and from a smaller company? I'm thinking with the sheer amount of porn produced today, shelf space at retail and rental houses is premium.

”You are right about the increased competition. Anybody can rent a camera, open shop and become tomorrow's competition. A lot of the performers have decided to branch out for themselves as well. Some will succeed, many will not. To survive the long haul, you need to be able to manage growth and consistently release the right product. It ain't as easy as many of the new players think it is.”

Q. I'm also curious about how producers get paid in the industry. Do they independently produce films and then go to a video house like yours for distribution only? Or are the companies financing the films entirely? If you could give us some detailed breakdowns and backgrounds in this area, it would be appreciated.

”Both models you listed occur. Every deal is different from company to company. We finance most of our in-house productions and give the producer or director their fee or royalty.”

Q. Where is this industry headed, in your opinion? What happens to porn world in 10-15 years?

”I think the big change in porn over the next 10 -15 years has to do with how the consumer gets it. I suspect some kind of VOD platform will prevail and people will simply access the content from a server. Retail stores and mail-order will probably cede to online streaming of content to the end user. We're not there yet. This of course has to do with viewing matter. As Paul Cambria told me once: "You can't download a vibrator".

Q. How serious a threat are all these message boards and newsgroups that give away passwords or put up video content that is unauthorized by the industry, basically stealing your work? Via Kazaa and some of these boards, you can get yourself quite a library of adult built up without giving Chris Mann a dime.

”We face the same dilemma that the music industry does. I don't like it and I know it takes a bite out of our revenue, but I also know that a lot of the people who do that never intended to rent or buy the DVD to begin with.

”Duping is not that new, but access and anonymity enhance the problem exponentially. I would be wasting my breath to remind the users of piracy that eventually, there will be nothing to pirate because they will have put content providers out of business. As a matter of principle, I don't let my kids download songs for their iPod off Kazaa (not to mention the virus issues), because I want to take a stand. They can buy from iTunes or buy the CD and then download that.

”Our task is to find the number that makes users willing to pay the fee. Charging $18 for audio CDs gave the consumer a feeling of justification. There has to be a solution that works for providers and consumers. I have faith in compromise and in technology to eventually solve the problem.”

Q. Curious about the beginnings of VT. Did you found or have a hand in founding it? When and how did the company start?

“VT was started in the mid 80's as the video distribution (one-stop) division of CPLC, a one stop supplier to stores of magazines, novelties, 8mm film and video. At some point, prior to my tenure, they began to produce their own movies (No Man's Land, etc.) plus they acquired other lines such as the now defunct Classic Editions catalog. I was hired in 1989 to manage that division, produce movies and do some sales.

“In 1994, after a series of events which included me being on trial in Texas on an obscenity charge, the shareholders decided to sell VT and i had an opportunity to put together a consortium to buy VT. At that point I became the President of the company and since then I have acquired ownership from the previous shareholders.”

Q. VT has always focused primarily on black stars, but is a company run by a white man. What peaked your personal interest in the black side of the biz.  

“When I first started working at VT, our headquarters were one block from the corner of Normandie and Adams in South Central L.A. I became aware of a burgeoning market that was clearly under-represented. A local businessman/owner of a small video shop in the neighborhood, named Willie S. would come in to buy product and complain about the lack of quality non-offensive video for black consumers or fans of black women.|

”He and I co-produced VT's first truly ethnic themed series "In Loving Color", a parody of the Wayans produced TV show that was airing at the same time. We had great success with this, which started us in the interracial market. A year later (1991), Domonique Simone, still in the early stage of her career called me up. She was in tears because the producers of "In Living Color" had rejected her bid to be one of the fly girls (ironically, J-Lo got her start as a fly girl) because they told her "Baby Ain't Got No Back".

”She explained to my dumb white ass that they were making a reference to her lack of butt size and to the Sir Mix-A-Lot song "Baby Got Back". I hadn't heard the song, but I immediately did the research. When I did, the thing that struck me was that John Stagliano was making a big impact with his new series "Buttman", the theme and the gonzo style package. I assumed that if this was working in the white market, it should do great in the ethnic market. I produced "My Baby Got Back" with three girls on the cover a la "Nasty As They Wanna Be" album cover.

"My box, which was an homage to both Too Live Crew and Sir Mix-A-Lot (featuring Domonique and an early Janet Jacme) was arguably the first aimed at the new culture: hip hop marketing for fans of all black porn. I remain proud of the fact that we gave the first major exposure to stars like Sean Michaels, Ron Hightower, Persia, Janet Jacme, Domonique, etc.” 

Q. Black adult doesn't have much publicity in the mainstream adult world. Why is that you think? I understand it's changing somewhat, but still in general black stars are not on par with their non-black counterparts and often make lots less cash, right? 

“Black adult visibility in the mainstream is the same as Black non-adult visibility in the mainstream: smaller in scope, but coming on stronger than ever. Just as hip-hop has taken over the music and the culture, Black video is now a dominant and overcrowded segment of adult video.

”Take a look at any recent issue of AVN: you can't say there aren't enough choices for fans of interracial, Black, Asian, Latina, whatever. As for the publicity level, I think the rap star angle is the first aspect that's getting crossover notice. Read the NY Times  (3/6/04): we're the cover story of the Arts & Leisure section. Look at Playboy TV's new shows: ethnic is dominant." 

Q. Does the industry need a black Tera Patrick or a black Jenna Jameson? Would that send it over the top? Is there someone who could cross over like that? A porn version of Beyonce or Janet Jackson? 

“Do we need a "superstar"? I don't know. Beyonce and Janet Jackson both have huge crossover appeal and focus on their very Caucasian looking faces, as opposed to Lil Kim, Eve, Missy, etc. If porn does have a Black girl reach Tera/Jenna like success, it will be because of various factors including the promotion behind her, but more so it will be about her looks and personality.

”She must have that "it" quality. Lacey was arguably the closet in the looks department, but she didn't have a strong outgoing personality. Midori had the talent, but not the focus or the look. Janet had the sex appeal, but her appeal is strictly to the Black market, plus she's older now. I met two girls at the gym last night who both had the whole package...

"But I'm guessing they have mainstream ambitions that preclude porn. Maybe in time there will be a Black girl who has all those qualities, and is willing to go for the porn success instead of the mainstream struggle. stay tuned.”

Q. Is the industry ready for a big crossover black star, though

“The whole discrimination angle is overblown. There are only a few actresses that won't work with minorities and of course this gets focused on. The two most visible are Jenna and Tera, but of course they both work only with their husbands now, so the point is moot. As far as I know, both will work with women of color. Black males have broken through.

”Lex has won "Male Performer Of The Year" three times, right? I know that Lex feels racism is pervasive and maybe subtly so, but I prefer to live in the solution, not the problem. Midori got her best supporting actress win for a movie I produced that was a big production (Westside). There are some things I would do differently, but you can't say I'm not willing to devote my resources to ethnic product.”

Q.  Wondering, as much as you can say, how much VT will make on a big release and what type of annual earnings you guys have. Also wondering how big is the office, how many employees. Just how big is the empire?

“We are a privately held company, so dollar figures are undisclosed. The office and  warehouse is small: 18,000 square feet with just over twenty employees. The term "empire" is flattering, albeit false. LOL.”

Q. Tell us about your dream to launch a black awards show like AVN and how close are we to having that.

“Tim Conneley and I were in the beginning stages of discussing this when he got the job at AVN which filled his plate. The tricky thing here is to do it right. De'Unique magazine used to have a pseudo Black Video awards presentation in Atlantic City to coincide with the East Coast Video Show, but the awards themselves were a joke.

”They would award themselves "Best Agent" and "Best Magazine" awards which was clearly a conflict, and then the performer awards were all weird: they would give Midori "Best Newcomer" after her fourth year, they awarded Lana Sands "Best Amateur" performer, stuff like that. They were on the fringe of the industry and yet they capitalized with a show that charged a high admission, solicited sponsorship from the companies, etc. I haven't heard anything about that magazine since.

”It was clear that there is enough interest in the Black Adult community, but it would be a Herculean task. At the time Tim and I were discussing it, I expressed a desire to see it happen with support from all the companies involved, but that I could NOT be involved past the early stage of getting the ball rolling because no one wants to see an awards program put on by me: it would be the same biased conflict of interests that would kill any credibility. AVN has done an amazing job of remaining impartial given that their business is advertising based. I would love it if they could be the ones to do it: they have the know-how, the resources and the objectivity to do it correctly.” 

Q. When you sign or try to sign new stars, what qualities are you looking for? Is it just a phat ass and a smile? 

“Part of the deal is exclusivity. It's hard to find someone with popularity that hasn't been overexposed or done too much work. The contract performer landscape has changed considerably. Fans of Black video love their stars, but buy the videos featuring new unseen girls. They'll line up to meet Lacey or India, but they won't support their movies as much because they want "fresh meat".” 

Q. Who do you think was the key signing for VT to help make it a big time company? 

“I don't know that any one signing made VT a player. We were the first to sign Lexus Locklear which got us a lot of notice in the non-ethnic market. In ethnic, I would say that signing and maintaining Midori and the Twins (Chocolate & Mocha) made us the high visibility company and highlighted our commitment to this genre. We essentially said that our Black line wasn't the step-child, it's what we do and who we are. We are no longer alone in that approach.”

Q. Lately, it seems that VT has been replaced as the top black movie house by guys like WCP and Darkside. How do you propose to take the title back? 

“I don't think of it as a competition. I learn from my peers. I learned that fans of Black video don't want to see condoms. I learned that they want porn that is decidedly harder edge. I learned that the male performers are as important to the equation. I think that they may have learned a thing or two from ol' VT as well.

”I respect the guys at the other companies and I'm not scared of competition. The market is expanding and there is room for all of us. The bottom line is that if i make a product that addresses the consumers needs and wants, and find a way to get it to market, we will thrive. My mantra in the last year has been: "make good movies and let 'em know it". Look at our recent releases and judge for yourself.” 

Q. I want to name some girls and I want you to give us some expanded thoughts on them. Kind of word association. 

Nina DePonca

“Just met her last year. Older but still sexy... and feisty.”

Janet Jacme
”I always had the feeling that I made Janet uncomfortable. She is still the one that  people think of when discussing this genre.

Jenna Jameson

“Smart and confident. Her husband and I are close friends. She has the "it" quality. 

Nina Hartley

“We love each other because we're both bookworm geeks. An ass that launched a thousand erections. White girl with Black girl booty! A funny Jewish girl at heart.” 

Persia

“Steamy smoldering sexuality. Botched boobjob, dynamite face. I miss her: she was a friend.” 

Angel Kelly

“She and I were friends before I got sober. We were stoner friends together. We never worked together, but we did have some wild parties at a house I shared with Jeanna Fine and Paul Norman.” 

Pebbles

“Adina Jewel? Great ass. Insecure girl, always bragging about her famous rapper friends. A bit strange. Hard to figure out, but I basically like her.” 

Lacey Duvall

“Young. She has a lot of growing up to do, which I think she did with her pregnancy. she showed a strength I didn't know she had. Basically sweet but can turn into a serious gangsta if you cross her. She was poised to be the biggest Black female star we had ever seen, but she took some turns in the road that derailed that path. Time will tell.

”She may still get there, but fans tired of her sexually blasé performances. Gorgeous face and perfect natural breasts on a tiny body: a real rarity. She has a love/hate appeal...her fans are so devoted. We get flowers and gift boxes and letters addressed to her. Yes: we do give them all to her. I wish I could compile the list of actresses. The are some big omissions!”

Q. You recently began sending tapes to members of the Blackgirls Online message board for them to review. What has made you decide to start a program?

“I started that to get some feedback and do research into what the raincoater porn fans wanted to see. The BGOL guys don't represent the entire customer base, but rather the serious porn fans, the guys who go to the store every week and buy the newest stuff. I learned a lot and i was able to point AVN to one guy in particular who turned out to be a walking Black porn encyclopedia and a good writer. He's now an AVN reviewer.

”Ironically, he's one of my harshest critics, which is good. I need that. I feed off of criticism. I stopped the review tape program because the whole affair became distasteful: I initially sent out copies to twenty guys, expanded it to thirty guys, and had e-mails from about a hundred wanting free porn. Many of the people never sent a review or wrote stuff that wasn't about the movie.

”The guys that got turned down for review copies would subsequently go to the board and trash VT and me personally with all sorts of vile stuff. There's also a big segment of guys on there who really resent white people. I will never be able to change the fact that I'm white, although they would be surprised to learn I'm 50% Latino. My staff is a mix of Latinos, Asians, African Americans, Jews, WASPS and yet I get accused of being an evil racist out to bilk the Black consumer. I get defensive because I think I've done more for this market than any one single person. Sorry: I got off topic.”

Q. Do you think a black Playboy channel would take off? I think it has a lot of  possibilities, with a Night Calls, say hosted by Lacey and Pebbles or something. Built in audience, too. Perhaps it could be an internet show on VT.com 

“I have a great deal with Playboy TV and I applaud their willingness to explore new programming. As for a dedicated channel like BET, I don't know if there's enough content to support it without airing the hardcore versions of porn movies. Is the market there? I don't know. The growth area I'm working on is in hotel PPV systems: those people are missing the boat. It is so obvious.... stay tuned. Hopefully VT will break that barrier as well.”

Q. We always talk about black stars "crossing over," be it in mainstream pop or adult. Are we at a point now where the black audience is large enough to support its own major stars or do black artists still need majority support to, as they say, blow up? 

“The "black audience" is large enough if you factor in suburban whites who are fans of black artists. The same is true in porn. I think half of the market for my product is white guys who love Black women. Black cultural influence in jazz, rock, hip-hop, etc. is visible not only directly, but in the influence on Benny Goodman, Elvis, Eminem, etc. The good thing is that the information age makes it possible for us to see the originators: Duke Ellington, Big Mama Thornton, Sugar Hill Gang, etc.”

Q You've dated some of your stars. Who did you date and what did you learn from it?

“For years there have been rumors about a casting couch. The truth is no girl ever got a role or a box cover because of cozying up to me, and some girls who were personal friends never got the work because they simply weren't the right choice. VT makes decisions based on business. Now with that out of the way, the only performers I dated were Melissa Melendez (pre-marriage 1987), Lana Sands (an affair, mid 90's) and Crystal Knight (post-marriage 1999).

”In the first case I learned that drugs, alcohol and youth are not conducive to good relationships. In the second case I learned that it's unfair to two women for a married man to be in any kind of a relationship outside of the marriage. In the last case I learned that a middle aged guy coming out of a twelve year marriage looking for an ego stroke will make a fool of himself in his pursuit of young, gorgeous women. The good news is that Crystal, her current boyfriend and I are now great friends.” 

Q.  I start a sentence and say, most porn stars are....how do you finish it? 

“Sensitive.”

Q. What are some of the biggest misconceptions folks have about female stars? 

“That they want to fuck every guy in the room. That they're addicts or come from abusive backgrounds. That they're divas, attention whores or hookers. Any one of these is possible, but it's all a generalization and subject to fallacy.”

Q. Why do we keep seeing the same dudes in video even when they're well into their 40's when we see the average female star done by 30?

“The guys last because they can perform and the consumers don't mind too much as long as they have fresh new girls or big name stars. The same is true in society: guys are considered "attractive" in their 40's. We are brutal on women when it comes to aging. Sean Connery is still a sex symbol. Are there any women in Hollywood his age who are considered a sex symbol?” 

Q. Curious for you to look into your crystal ball. How do you see porn delivery in the future? Is everything on the net, direct view onto a Tivo like hard drive? Can mom and pop stores and internet stores survive the future?

“I suppose eventually every house, car and backpack will be wired where a consumer can enter any viewing desire into a keyboard and get instant VOD delivery. This would be the end of buying movies at stores. I also think this is a long way off.”

Q.  What about the actual films themselves. Will we be putting on a helmet and seeing Lacey Duvalle virtually in 3D?

“I wouldn't be surprised if one day we beam a 3D holographic image into your bedroom that makes you think she's right there getting freaky in your own bed.” 

Q. Some of the most successful tapes/DVDs out now are the My Plaything type films with white stars. Why doesn't VT do a, say, "Just Me & You" series with some big name black stars like DePonca or Jacme. You could have lap dance options, masturbation options, strip, ass shakin', etc. That would be huge I think. Ever think of doing something like this? 

“We've considered it. I like your title.”

Q. The average porn star will pull in how much a year, assuming she's somewhat popular? Are these girls making enough to take care of themselves? Do they have futures? And what does a girl do when she's done making videos anyway?

“Handled correctly, they can make in excess of $100K per year for not too much work. Some planned for the inevitable future, some didn't. Just like any industry. My contract performers do get health coverage, etc.”

Q.  Wanted to ask you about the whole rap-porn thing. Why do you think that's so big right now and what's the future there?

“Rappers love porn and weren't scared of the effect on their career. In fact, it helps with the  bad boy image they want. Snoop was the first to recognize this. I can't say how long the hybrid will last because porn viewers want hard sex, plus our industry tends to take a good thing and kill it. It's like ABC running "Millionaire" four nights a week.

”Saturation is bad. I do think the porn viewer does want better music. Meanwhile, our project with Lil Jon is selling great. I hope to do more, but i want to pick the projects carefully. I also think hip-hop fans are more willing to be vocal about their love of porn than rock fans are. Rock fans are likely to be too cool for porn. Hip-hop is so sex obsessed that the marriage was inevitable.

Q.  Do you see a day when adult is accepted into the mainstream, like a banker or a musician? Why or why not?

“Vivid is leading the charge toward respectability. I remain guarded: the cultural pendulum swings both ways. Ask Howard Stern or Janet Jackson. People get more tolerant, so we go overboard in pushing the envelope until they yearn for restraint. Our business breaks barriers with people like Larry Flynt and Rob Black shocking the mainstream which can be good or bad.

”I favor a more gradual approach to loosening tolerance. As a father, I think we do have a responsibility not to assault people with sexually explicit images other than to adults who want it. Computer Spam is out of control. Times Square was out of control. We constantly hand our enemies the weapons they need to impose their brand of  censorship. I really applaud the careful strategy that Steven Hirsch at Vivid has used to slowly garner acceptance for sex products.” 

Q. What happened with the whole Ayana Angel situation? (VT announced signing the hugely popular black star when in fact the signing hadn’t happened). A lot of people tried to paint you into the role of the bad guy, yet you still signed her.

“I made a big mistake: I announced her signing after all the terms were agreed upon, but prior to her actually signing the contract. We were supposed to get together in Las Vegas at the AVN show to finalize that and I got distracted with the Lil Jon presence and the show issues, etc.

”Worse still, in the days after the show, I kept putting Ayana on hold while I tried to wrap up other projects. Ayana just assumed that the deal was off and we had played her, which is simply not how I do business. I bear responsibility for the misunderstanding and I'm a big enough hombre to say so. My bad! I will never make that mistake again. Meanwhile, Ayana and i are great and looking forward.”

Q What are you plans for her?

“I look to Ayana to let her big personality shine in her public appearances, and her no holes-barred sex scenes remind the hardcore fans what VT is capable of. Like I always say... stay tuned!”

Thanks for your time.

“No thank you for your time and for a set of questions which are the most thought provoking of my "career".

Copyright March 2004 © Mr Web Review