Adult film

Adult film is a movie or video containing explicit sexual activity made primarily for sexual entertainment and arousal. Adult films are also commonly called porn films, pornographic films, sex movies, XXX movies or simply porn. They form one of the largest parts of the international porn industry and feature professional or amateur pornographic actors performing real or simulated sex scenes.

Adult films can include almost every form of sexual activity, including sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, threesomes, group sex, BDSM, fetish sex, lesbian and gay sex. Some productions have a story and professional sets while others concentrate almost entirely on the sex.

History

Sexually explicit films have existed almost as long as motion pictures themselves. Early erotic films were usually produced privately and circulated secretly because pornography was illegal or heavily restricted in many countries.

During the 1960s and 1970s adult films became increasingly visible in parts of Europe and North America. The period sometimes called the "Golden Age of Porn" brought pornographic movies into adult cinemas and gave a few performers considerable mainstream fame.

Films such as Deep Throat, Behind the Green Door and The Devil in Miss Jones became widely known outside the usual pornography audience.

Home video changed everything during the 1980s. Instead of visiting an adult cinema, viewers could watch sex movies privately at home. VHS and later DVD created a huge market for adult film studios and helped turn pornography into a major international business.

The Internet changed it again. Streaming video, tube sites, webcams and independent content eventually became more important than DVDs, and today an adult film can range from a large studio production to a short video made by two people at home.

Pornographic Actors

People appearing in adult films are generally known as pornographic actors, porn stars or adult performers.

Some performers make only a handful of movies while others appear in hundreds or even thousands of scenes during long careers.

Well-known male performers have included:

Female performers traditionally receive more attention in adult-film advertising and are often the main selling point of a production.

A successful porn actor may later become a director, producer, studio owner, webcam model or independent adult content creator.

Types of Adult Films

There is no single style of adult film. Pornography is divided into hundreds of genres and niches.

Common types include:

A feature-style adult movie may contain characters, dialogue and a storyline between sex scenes. Gonzo productions usually put much less emphasis on plot and concentrate directly on sexual performances.

Sex Scenes

The sex scene is the main attraction in most adult films.

Scenes may involve one performer or several performers and can include masturbation, oral sex, vaginal intercourse, anal sex, threesomes, group sex, fetish activities and other sexual acts.

A single adult film may contain several separate scenes filmed over different days. Other productions consist of only one long sexual encounter.

The performers, director and production company determine beforehand what kind of acts are expected during filming.

Gonzo Pornography

Gonzo pornography became one of the dominant styles of modern adult video.

Instead of spending much time on a storyline, gonzo films concentrate on the performers and sexual action. The cameraman or director may sometimes interact with the performers or become part of the scene.

Performers such as Rocco Siffredi and Manuel Ferrara became particularly associated with this side of the adult industry as both performers and directors.

Porn Studios

For decades most commercial adult films were produced by specialist pornography studios.

Studios hired performers, directors and camera crews and handled editing, duplication, marketing and distribution. Major production centers developed particularly in California and parts of Europe.

Some studios specialized in particular niches while others produced everything from couples-oriented movies to hardcore gonzo pornography.

The traditional studio system has become less dominant with the rise of independent Internet pornography.

Amateur Adult Films

Not everyone appearing in an adult film is a traditional professional porn star.

Amateur pornography ranges from genuine couples recording their own sex lives to professionally produced videos deliberately marketed with an amateur appearance.

Cheap digital cameras and smartphones made production much easier. A couple can now record, edit and publish an adult video without ever dealing with a conventional porn studio.

The difference between an amateur performer, webcam model and professional pornographic actor has consequently become increasingly blurred.

Adult Films Online

Most adult films are now watched online rather than purchased on DVD.

Streaming radically changed the business. Huge quantities of pornography became instantly available, while performers gained the ability to distribute their own material directly to viewers.

Full-length movies still exist, but individual sex scenes and short clips have become much more important.

Webcams and subscription platforms have pushed the industry even further toward performer-controlled content. Some modern porn stars make most of their income online without appearing regularly in traditional studio movies.

Adult Film Awards

Adult films and their performers have their own awards and industry events.

Among the best-known adult entertainment awards are the AVN Awards, XBIZ Awards and XRCO Awards. Awards are given for performers, directors, individual sex scenes, series and different types of pornography.

Long-running performers such as Peter North, Rocco Siffredi and Manuel Ferrara have received numerous industry awards during their careers.

Adult Film Industry

Adult films are part of the wider sex industry, together with prostitution, escort services, strip clubs, webcam entertainment, erotic modeling, sex shops and other adult businesses.

Pornography differs from prostitution because the customer normally pays to watch sexual activity rather than participate in it. Nevertheless, people sometimes work in several parts of the adult industry at the same time.

A performer might appear in adult films while also doing webcam shows, stripping, erotic modeling or other adult work.

Safe Sex and Testing

Safe sex has long been an important and controversial issue in adult-film production.

Professional performers may work with many partners, creating a risk of sexually transmitted disease transmission. Different studios and countries use different approaches involving testing, condoms and other precautions.

Several disease outbreaks in the adult industry have led to temporary production shutdowns and arguments over testing and condom requirements.

Anyone working in pornography should understand the risks of HIV/AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and other STDs.

Adult Films Around the World

Adult-film laws vary greatly between countries.

The USA has historically been one of the world's biggest producers of commercial pornography, particularly around Southern California.

Several European countries also developed large adult industries. France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic and Hungary have all been associated with European adult-film production or performers.

Japan has its own huge pornography industry with distinctive genres and censorship rules.

Pornography can be heavily restricted or illegal in other countries, particularly in parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

See Also

Editing and creating content requires user account. Login, if you have an account

Forgot password?

If you don't have an account

Create account now!

Already have an account? Login Now

Retrieved from "https://www.wikisexguide.com/index.php?title=Adult_film&oldid=420250"