AMSTERDAM — Over 1,000 of the top luminaries of the European adult industry and their guests filled the Dutch capital’s monumental, state-of-the-art Theater Amsterdam to capacity on Tuesday to celebrate the 2023 XBIZ Europa Awards, presented by F2F.

The scale of the unprecedented event for European industry standards was in everyone’s mouths before entering the hall, while walking the Red Carpet, during the show and later at the revelry-filled afterparty in the same modern entertainment complex.

“XBIZ finally brought the Hollywood style to Amsterdam,” was the general consensus, comparing the first edition of the Europas to take place in the Netherlands after several years in Berlin to the January Los Angeles shows, which for the last two years have taken place in the historic showbiz mecca of the Palladium.

The over 1,000 red velvet seats faced an epic, Cinerama-style video screen that surrounded the stage area and filled the background of the ceremony with gilded motion graphics heralding this latest installment of the XBIZ Europa Awards.

From the moment the crowd strode forth into the building, it was full-on American-style glamour imported across the pond and plopped right in the middle of the generally more staid (with notorious “Red Light” exemptions) cultural environment of the Old World city.

A throng of reporters, photographers and videographers from the international press stood before the Red Carpet, engaging with almost everyone in attendance who wanted a picture at their glamorous best.

Making good use of his signature charm and bonhommie, US expat impresario, producer, director and performer Dan Leal hosted video interviews with the top performers before they made way to the bar area that occupies the front part of the gigantic Theater Amsterdam complex.

As the time of the award-bestowing approached, the crowd was led into the theater itself, where the massive video projections engulfed the crowd in a visual orgy of gold-hued images soundtracked by the pulsating, hard-pounding vintage hard rock medley that has grown from a one-off thing years ago into an expected pre-show feature of all XBIZ live events.

As the rocking soundtrack gave way to the also-customary anticipatory drone, the evening’s hosts, noted European stars and XBIZ Award Winners Danny D and Jia Lissa walked onstage to general elation, he in a James Bond-like tux and Lissa in a green gown — the first of the night’s many redheaded head-turners who opted for the traditional green-red combination one literally cannot go wrong with when planning a party ensemble.

When Lissa asked her stage partner to marvel at all the amazing outfits on sight, Danny D. quipped “They do look amazing, don’t they? I didn’t even realize half of these people even own clothes. I barely recognize them.”

The first presenter of the evening was XBIZ Europa Award winner Misha Cross, stunning in a skintight cream gown with black gloves. Fabric (or vinyl) as close as humanly possible to the incredible physiques of the talent was, in fact, a repeated fashion motif of the evening.

The first award announced by Cross was for Best Sex Scene – Glamcore, which went to Agatha Vega, Alberto Blanco and Rae Lil Black, for Vixen’s “24 Hours.” The two former took the stage to receive it, the petite Vega sporting what was easily the most striking outfit of the evening: an extremely fashion-forward, avant-garde transparent dress made of interlocking plastic plaques, designed by Jivomir Domoustchiev, known for dressing such mainstream and alternative icons as Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Peaches, Jennifer Lopez and many others.

“I don’t know what to say,” Vega offered. “Thanks so much. I just love to be recognized for an amazing job and this amazing performance.”

Cross — who revealed this was her favorite category — then announced the winners for Best Sex Scene – Lesbian: Amirah Adara, Tiffany Tatum and Veronica Real for “Marla” a title from emerging powerhouse studio Parasited, another striking sci-fi concept from visionary director/producer Romero.

Best pals onscreen and also IRL Adara — in a transparent gold slip over black lingerie — and Tatum — in a deconstructed teal princess gown — came up to receive the trophies laughing and hugging each other and joyously drafting Cross into their celebration.

“We love you all, thank you so much,” the inseparable pair said in unison.

The next presenter was XBIZ Europa winner Zaawaadi, striking as always in a shimmering red gown. The iconic, celebrated German-African Euro performer announced the awards for Innovative Sex Toy of the Year, Kiiroo’s Keon Sex Machine, and for Sex Toy of the Year, Love to Love’s Dildolls Utopia.

“It’s really nice to see our hard work in the tech industry getting recognized, and we’re really happy to be able to give you fun tech to use on cam,” offered Kiiroo’s Communications Manager Ashton Egner, who accepted the award alongside Creative Director Antonio Lo Presti.

La Clef des Charmes’ Céline Menting accepted the Sex Toy of the Year award on behalf of Love to Love’s creators of progressive adult procuts.

“I’m one of their customers,” said Menting, “and Utopia is one of my best sellers. So, Thank you.”

The next presenters were Catherine Knight and Josephine Jackson, who announced the Performer/Director Site of the Year award winner as ImmoralLive.com, the site that brought U.S. style porn production to Europe when Dan Leal moved to the Old Continent.

Leal received the award, thanking the European adult community for coming to the ceremony.

“I remember six years ago when I got the idea for this show, and I told Alec Helmy, and we started off small and little in Berlin and now there’s over 1,000 of you here and just want to say thank you all so much,” Leal told the crowd, adding his oft-repeated assertion that “This is the best time ever to be in this industry!”

Knight and Jackson announced the Erotic Site of the Year win to glamcore powerhouse SexArt.com.

The next presenter was noted performer and site owner Mariska, who also opted for another of the night’s favorite colors, red. Mariska announced Rouge Garments as the BDSM Pleasure Brand of the Year, and the award was received by Farah Shaikh, who said she was shocked but thanked XBIZ very much for their support.

Mariska then announced the winner in the Retailer of the Year (1-2 Stores) category, N69.pl. The award was received by Kamila Hrecka, who expressed her gratitude and delight at being at the ceremony.

The winner for Online Retailer of the Year – Boutique was Lulapink.pl. Lulapink’s Agata Grzeskowiak used the chance to confirm her brand’s “girly, queer, rebellious and tongue-in-cheek” ethos and her commitment to fighting shame, noting the company had its anniversary the day before the show and telling the industry crowd that “the struggle is real, and we have to keep on fighting.”

“It’s so good to feel seen,” Grzeskowiak added.

Backed by the evening’s trophy girls, Lisa Belys — in an impossibly skintight, appropriately Classic Hollywood-style white dress — and Anna Braun, the next presenter was exactly what the crowd needed mid-show to hype itself up. The irrepressible Sabien Demonia overflowing as always with positive energy — and also overflowing out of her cleavage-busting black dress, saluted the audience with a “Hello beautiful people of Europe! Heeyyyy! You all very sexy — but now we have to find out who the nominees for after nominees Glamcore Movie of the Year are.”

Before opening the envelope, Demonia teased the crowd into getting more amped up, only revealing the winner, Vixen’s “24 Hours,” after they had shown what she considered as an appropriate level of excitement.

It was the first — but not the last — win of the evening for Vixen and JulModels superagent, producer, director and major Euro industry player Julia Grandi, who took the stage in a luxurious black silk suit with white piping, bracketed by a a striking, jewel-festooned necklace and green shoes.

“I think it’s a tradition that I give this beautiful lady over there another trophy!” Demonia quipped, referring to Grandi’s numerous XBIZ wins for herself, her movies and models in the past years.

“Thank you everyone,” Grandi said. “Thank you my team and my family for the support. I love you. Thank you, my performers!”

The next presenter was Dani Daniels — another “red lady” of the evening, in a dark burgundy gown — who announced PayBig as the Paysite Network/Company of the Year and LetsDoeIt.com as the Paysite of the Year. Awards were received by Roald Riepen for PayBig and Alin for LetsDoeIt.

The hosts returned for another comedy innuendo-filled comedy intervention that culminated with Danny D telling Lissa about his James Bond fantasy where she’d be “the Russian temptress trying to make me drop my drawers so that I can find the microchip hidden on my person.”

The next presenters, Nancy Ace and Angelika Grays, in almost-matching blue and black skintight gowns, revealed two back-to-back categories in which the co-hosts turned out the be the co-winners: Best Sex Scene – Gonzo, which went to Jia Lissa and Christian Clay for their Tushy Raw scene “Irresistible Impulse;” and Lana Wolf and Danny D for their scenes in the Digital Playground sci-fi romp “Pornstars in Space.”

A visibly moved-to-tears Lissa said, “I honestly don’t even need this award because being part of this amazing community already makes me a winner,” and also thanked Julia Grandi and “the Vixen team that made it all possible and support me so we can create together. I love you guys.”

Ceding the floor to his scene partner, Danny D stood by beaming with pride while Wolf revealed that “Pornstars in Space” was her first ever mainstream professional scene.

“And what an honor to have won,” she added. “Thank you XBIZ and thank you Danny for letting me be part of this amazing concept.”

The categories Emerging Web Brand and Cam Site of the Year were announced by Eva Elfie and Evie Rees, the latter wearing her unmistakable pink finery and hair.

The Emerging Web Brand winner was F2F.com, with Jean-Micheal proudly touting that the site was “co-founded and co-owned by creators like Sepanta Arya, sitting over there.”

“We’re very proud to have this recognition,” he added. “I’m also extremely proud with our very talented and innovative developers, our amazing creative support managers, who make a difference for creators every day.”

Cam Site of the Year was BongaCams.com, represented by several team members onstage led by Julia, all repping the brand’s burgundy color scheme, who reminded the crowd about the real meaning of the trophy: “This victory means so much to us because it means we’re doing something right for our beautiful models, for our studios and for our partners.”

XBIZ Europa winner Scarlett Jones, in a pearly blue and white dress, and the effortlessly charming Ricky Johnson took the stage next to present the award for best acting.

The winner was Nicole Kitt, for her turn as Diana in Lust Cinema’s romantic comedy “The Wedding.” The American-in-Europe performer dazzled in a black and gold outfit with serious 1980s “Dynasty” luxury vibes.

“Oh my God,” a shocked Kitt started “Hi! I just want to say thank you to Lust Cinema. To Erika Lust for adopting me into your beautiful family — and for revolutionizing porn.” Kitt also thanked her agency, OC Modeling, and her partner, before concluding, “And yeah, this is literally the best thing ever fucking happened in my life. And I’m over the fucking moon. Thank you XBIZ. Thank you everyone. I love you guys.”

The next award was the coveted, highly competitive trophy for Director of the Year. It was Julia Grandi’s second win for the evening and she returned to the stage surrounded by many of her collaborators.

“I am super happy to win this for the fourth year in a row, and I hope for more,” Grandi told the audience. “Thanks to my hardworking team, and I’m super happy to be here with you guys.”

Presenters MelRose Michaels and Cassie Curses, both outstanding creators, announced the much anticipated Cam Model, Clip Artist and Premium Social Media Star of the Year winners.

Jessica D, in a diaphanous backless gown that displayed her stunning back tattoos, gave a quick thanks letting her very presence — self-described as “British, bangs boobs and bush. What more do you need?” — do the talking.

Clip Artist of the Year winner Reislin — in a provocative cleavage and underboob baring dark short dress — was equally succinct but expressed herself non-verbally by jumping up and down and hollering in joy.

Fan and colleague-favorite Rebecca Goodwin — another redhead-in-green in a shoulder-baring gown — accepted her win for Premium Social Media star in elation.

“I was going to say I wasn’t expecting this, but I can’t because I’ve been begging for this on social media so hard! So this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me — but don’t tell my kids I said that, alright?”

The final stretch of major awards approached as award XBIZ-award winning performer director and creator Jessica Stoya, marching to her own fashion step in a Marlene Dietrich-worthy tie-less tux, announced Lust Cinema’s “The Wedding” as the Feature Movie of the Year. Erika Lust, in a black and white geometric dress, went up with the film’s star, brand new XBIZ Europa Best Acting winner Nicole Kitt, and shared her emotions about the win.

“Thank you, thank you XBIZ,” Lust said. “I’m very happy for this. You are always nervous or you’re sitting there you don’t know, even if you love the movie. Thank you, Nicole. I don’t know if Jason Steel is here. Thank you, Dante Colle. And Romy Fury, Maria Riot, Panterino — a wonderful ensemble. Thank you to my crew, who’s not here tonight, but it’s the best crew in the world. And to my wonderful staff back in Barcelona. And everybody who’s working for Erika Lust. And watch the wedding. It’s a really good movie.”

Stoya then announced Vixen exclusive performer Kelly Collins as Best New Performer. The blonde up-and-comer, in a bright red skintight dress, thanked the Vixen team, Grandi, and then added, “I want too congratulate every person who were with me in the same nomination because you deserve to be here too.”

Multi-XBIZ Award-winning performer Amirah Adara returned to the stage for the three top prizes of the evening. Gay Performer of the Year was Bastian Karim, who gave a heartfelt speech in a blue suit made casual with a white tank top and sneakers.

“Oh my God,” Karim said. “To be nominated here, it was an honor — to be the winner, it was a dream. But Dreams come true. So congratulations to everyone — and everyone is a winner tonight. Thank you so much.”

Adara then announced Christian Clay as Male Performer of the Year. Clay — epitomizing Euro cool in a blue suit over a black t-shirt, stylish glasses and moccasins without socks — thanked the producers who shoot him, his colleagues and his fans.

Like Best Director, the crowning accolade of the entire evening, Female Performer of the Year, went to another incumbent, as Adara yelped in glee when she opened the golden envelope and revealed her friend Tiffany Tatum as the winner.

“Oh my God, yeah!” Adara screamed. “So the winner is… the fucking best — Tiffany Tatum!”

Tatum rushed to the stage and began a celebration that was less a speech than a race around the room to hug and celebrate her close work family and collaborators, including Adara, her BrillBabes agent Esther and Parasited auteur Romero, who she said she wanted to honor because she forgot to thank him for her earlier win.

“Thank you so much, everyone,” the now two-time winner told the audience at the Theater Amsterdam, before leaving the stage to the hosts to close an unprecedented night of Hollywood-level glitz to celebrate, as Danny D said, “this wonderful industry of ours.”

“Give the last round of applause for all of you, for being creative, for being yourselves and for supporting and appreciating one another even when the outside world throws us a bit of shade — and for making this world a slightly more fun place.”

Sep 13, 2023 6:09 PM PDT

PATTAYA, Thailand — Brad Jones, founder and CTO of the dating app MeetKinksters, is the latest guest on the “Adult Site Broker Talk” podcast.

Prior to launching his app, Jones worked as a freelance developer, an investigative journalist and political operative, and he is currently also a part-time fireman and paramedic.

“Brad was an interesting guest,” said Adult Site Broker CEO and podcast host Bruce. “He is a complex man, since he has lived so many different lives. His perspective on the dating scene is novel, and his new app is great and practical for people with various preferences.”

The episode is streaming on AdultSiteBrokerTalk.

Sep 13, 2023 3:43 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — Altitude Show organizers are touting the exhibitor list for its 2024 event.

The trade show will take place Feb. 26-28, at Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to create an exceptional platform for our exhibitors and attendees,” said Altitude Show Director Val Jones. “With each passing week, our exhibitor list grows stronger, promising a diverse and engaging lineup of products and vendors that will shape the future of the intimate industry. We’re truly excited about the potential collaboration and innovation that Altitude Show 2024 will offer.”

For more information, visit AltitudeShow.

Sep 13, 2023 3:40 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — Sara St. Clair is the most recent guest on “The Mix Masta B” radio show.

During the interview, St. Clair enthuses about her new book, “Romance Costs Extra,” and discusses her work in adult entertainment.

“I had an incredible time discussing my new book and more on ‘The Mix Masta B’ radio show,” said St. Clair. “It was a pleasure to connect with Mix Masta B and share my journey with listeners. I invite all my fans to listen to the interview and dive into the pages of ‘Romance Costs Extra.'”

The interview is streaming on MixMastaB.

Follow Sara St. Clair on X.com.

Sep 13, 2023 3:38 PM PDT

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Alix Lynx is the most recent guest on the “Skinfluencer Success” podcast, hosted by Tanya Tate.

In the episode, Lynx discusses her background in PR and marketing and how this experience has helped her build her fanbase.

“Alix Lynx brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our show,” said Tate. “Her journey from PR professional to skinfluencer sensation is a story of determination and success. I believe both fans and content creators will find this interview immensely interesting and insightful.”

Listen to the episode here.

Follow Alix Lynx on X.com.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Jewelz Blu stars in the latest scene from Hentaied, “Under The Bed,” directed by Ricky Greenwood.

The scene opens with Blu “in a spine-tingling scenario at a mysterious motel,” the synopsis reveals. “As the night unfolds, her character is awakened by the enigmatic monster living beneath the bed, plunging viewers into a world where desire and the supernatural collide.”

Blu enthused about the scene.

“My recent performance in Hentaied’s ‘Under The Bed’ pushed my boundaries as an actor/performer in the best way possible, really teaching me to let go of any inhibitions and fully give myself to the scenario,” she said. “It was truly such an exhilarating and intense experience for a solo performance.

“I’m so amazed at myself for playing into the part of being terrified under the bed but also making something so hot that it leaves the viewer turned on and perplexed,” she added. “I want to give a big shoutout to Ricky Greenwood for his amazing directing and the crew for being part of bringing this to life.”

The scene is streaming on Hentaied.

Follow Jewelz Blu on X.com.

Sep 13, 2023 3:34 PM PDT

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Korina Kova is the latest guest on the “Inside OnlyFans” podcast, hosted by Kayla Lauren and CJ Sparxx.

During the interview, Kova discusses her pleasure product collection and the risks of cosmetic surgery among other topics

“I had an absolute blast on the ‘Inside OnlyFans’ podcast with Kayla and CJ,” Kova said. “We had a lot of fun discussing topics that give fans a closer look into my life and experiences. I encourage everyone to tune in.”

The episode is streaming on YouTube.

Follow Korina Kova on X.com.

LOS ANGELES — Jessica Starling headlines director Bryan Gozzling’s “Hookup Hotshot: E-Girls 9,” from Evil Angel.

The title also features Jenna Fireworks, Rebel Rhyder, Riley Jean, Bryan Gozzling, Dorian Del Isla and Nade Nasty.

“When we started our journey through the horny E-girls of the Internet, we never dreamed we would get to do it nine times,” enthused Gozzling. “We can’t decide which one of these four horny chatroom sluts we like best, so let’s just say we believe that the Internet is the best invention since the mini bikini.”

“Hookup Hotshot: E-Girls 9” is streaming on EvilAngelVideo; Starling’s scene is streaming on EvilAngel, with the subsequent scenes being released through the week.

Follow Starling on X.com.

LOS ANGELES — Chuck Conrad stars with Sam Ledger in ‘The Wood Lurker’ from Men.com.

“In the scene, Sam Ledger plays a cryptid vlogger on the trail of the biggest legend yet — the Wood Lurker (Conrad), an enormous man with an enormous D who lurks in the woods,” said a rep. “Sam documents his journey as he pitches his tent, not noticing the hung giant watching him through the trees and creeping closer. Sam hides in his tent when he hears a noise, and Chuck bides his time, picking his moment to shake the tent with a mighty roar, then carry Sam through the woods.”

“The Wood Lurker” premieres Sept. 22 on Men.com.

Follow Conrad on X.com.

‘Does XBIZ want to visit the set when we shoot the full-length music video, or when we do the movie-within-the-movie at the Western ranch?”

Not the kind of question your adult industry reporter usually faces when covering a shoot. But then, Casey Calvert is not your average director.

Following her sweep of the 2023 XBIZ Awards — winning Feature Director of the Year and Best Screenplay, while her high-profile 2022 projects “Going Up” and “Sorrow Bay” took Feature of the Year and All-Girl Movie of the Year, respectively — it would have been understandable had Calvert taken a well-earned vacation and rested on her laurels for a bit. Instead, she took the awards bonanza as a challenge.

The “Birdman”-influenced “Going Up” was a complicated shoot featuring intricate Steadicam acrobatics and a cast of dozens. Now Calvert’s propensity for self-demand dictated that she push the creative and logistical boundaries even further with her follow-up: the third and final season of “Primary.”

Season 3 marks Calvert’s return to the series on which, she recalls, Lust Cinema’s commitment to quality content and diverse casts and crews first gave her room to grow as a filmmaker.

“In Season 1 of ‘Primary,’ I established this very mumblecore, lo-fi cinematography aesthetic,” Calvert tells XBIZ months later, as she is busy editing the six episodes of the third season for its imminent unveiling in late July. “I did that because I was a new director and also that was aesthetically what I liked in 2019.”

“Don’t get me wrong!” she adds. “The vibe of Season 1 was exactly what I wanted to see at the time, and what I was feeling inspired by then. But being perfectly honest, in hindsight, that was also what I could direct at the time. I didn’t have the language or the skill set to direct anything more complicated than that, and that became the aesthetic for the first two seasons of ‘Primary,’ and it worked so well.”

After completing Season 2 in 2021, as soon as the pandemic restrictions were lifted, Calvert took a break from her intricate jigsaw puzzle of hip 20- and 30-something Los Angeles creatives trying to navigate the often tricky world of polyamory.

“When I was putting together ‘Sorrow Bay’ and ‘Going Up,’ during the ‘Primary’ hiatus, I decided that I wanted to learn more about and get more involved in cinematography for my 2022 projects,” Calvert explains. “In simpler words, I just wanted to be fancier with what I’m doing with the camera.”

The educational experiment worked, as evidenced by the aforementioned awards bonanza — but it also unleashed previously unglimpsed auteurial ambitions.

“When I was in prep for Season 3 of ‘Primary,’ I was like, ‘Do I want to go back to this lo-fi aesthetic?” Calvert recalls. “Or do I want to have this look like my movies from last year?’ What I ended up deciding — and I think it was the right choice — was to kind of merge the two approaches.”

Thus, the final season of “Primary” still reflects the influence of early 2000s mumblecore indie films and lower-budget, limited-run Netflix productions like “Easy” — plenty of two-shots, not a lot of super-tight close-ups. Unlike previous seasons, however, there are also roaming Steadicam shots amid, for example, a vast 19th-century Western town location.

“We did get a little bit fancier with some coverage and some inserts, and very selectively picked scenes to get more creative with while still maintaining the aesthetic of what the world of ‘Primary’ that we had carefully built over two seasons looks like,” Calvert notes.

“I think that was really successful,” she beams, showing a preliminary cut of one of the episodes. “It still looks like a little indie movie, like I always wanted it to.”

Tricky Flowcharts of Polyamory

Much like real-life polyamory — a subject Calvert is very much invested in both professionally and personally — keeping track of the characters and their nuanced relationships throughout three seasons of “Primary” can require pen and paper, if not chart-making skills.

The final season takes place a year after the events of the previous one, which aired in 2021. Season 3 is anchored around three main couples: Abigail and Parker (Ana Foxxx and Derrick Pierce), Eva and Olivia (Kira Noir and Victoria Voxxx) and Dean and Violet (Codey Steele and Siri Dahl). While the first two couples will be familiar to viewers of the previous seasons, Dean and Violet are newcomers for this final installment.

In true poly tradition, though, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Crucial plot points concern Phoebe (Calvert herself), who lives with Abigail and Parker; Joyce (Ryan Keely); Patrick (Michael Vegas) as a charming hookup; Leo Vice as Elliot, another charming hookup; Vanessa Vega as Abigail’s solace-providing friend Zoe; Sid (Alice White); and recurring from previous seasons, Joe (Cam Damage) and Jacob (Small Hands), the latter appearing via Zoom from New York in a crucial, plot-forwarding role.

Okay, and what’s happening with the poly issues?

“Abigail and Parker are married, and then Phoebe is their partner, who moved in with them,” Calvert elucidates. “But we’re not calling it a triad, because I don’t think that’s what they are. Phoebe moved in more as a platonic friend who sometimes fucks them, and they say ‘I love you’ but they’re not necessarily dating as a triad. There’s a little bit of an exploration of what that looks like.”

The idea of “exploration” keeps surfacing in Calvert’s description of this labor-of-love project: What does it mean, in practice, in 2023, to be polyamorous? What are all the flavors? What are all the possibilities? How to navigate, or negotiate, these nontraditional relationships?

“Eva and Olivia are dating,” she continues. “Olivia is very much a monogamous person who has given Eva permission to explore in a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ kind of way. Eva, on the other hand, as we know from all previous seasons, is not a monogamous person: that does not work out for her. So she has been accepting of this ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ thing, but it very much comes to a head in Episode 5 of this season.”

As additions to the central cast, Dean and Violet add yet another layer to the smorgasbord of affective and sexual possibilities.

“Dean is the first AD for the movie they are adapting from Parker’s book, and Violet is the producer of Olivia’s music video,” Calvert reveals. “Dean and Violet are in an open relationship — they’re probably what one would call ‘swingers,’ but I’m just not really leaning into that because that’s not what I want to explore. I’m exploring poly, not swinging.”

Season 3 is structured like a symphony of polyamory, where the plot passes like a leitmotif from one group of characters to another through a connecting third group. All this makes for a complex but fun editing challenge.

“There’s a lot of scenes where we’ll be with Parker, then we’ll be with Dean, and Dean will text Violet and then we’ll be over here with these other characters, and the focus passes through,” she explains, running her index finger around the literal flowchart of poly characters and relationships she has drawn for us.

A Full Music Video

Having taken Calvert up on both set visits, we arrive first at the music video location, in a fully-functional arts complex in the Los Angeles area. It is still early in the almost two-week shoot — atypical for mainstream porn schedules, but by now par for the course for “Primary.”

The willingness of top talent to block off several days for Calvert’s productions speaks to her reputation among the performers.

Drawing upon Victoria Voxxx’s off-porn career as the leader of her own Vegas-based band, Voxxx, Calvert crafted the character of Olivia as an ambitious musician and took advantage of the multi-season, multi-year nature of the project to give her a realistic career arc.

“Shooting a big music video felt like the next progression for Olivia,” Calvert explains, as the AD gives blocking instructions to the real-life members of Voxxx for what will end up being an actual video shoot for their song “Without You.” In highly meta fashion, that actual video for the real band is being directed by Casey Calvert, while the BTS is documented for inclusion in “Primary” as a project by Voxxx’s character.

“So much of this season is about work and how work affects romantic relationships,” Calvert muses. “We met Olivia as a struggling musician a year ago, but now her music career is going well and so she naturally is shooting a video. Around the same time the series comes out, there will be a completed music video for Victoria’s song. This is a cross-promotional tool for the film, but also it’s legitimately for her to showcase her enormous talent and her music.”

Olivia’s success is the catalyst that connects her and Eva’s storyline to the work/love themes of the show’s final season. A powerful music world figure, Jacob dated Eva in Season 1, but in Season 2 met Olivia and is now helping her with her career.

“Eva at first doesn’t mind,” Calvert notes. “Eva is happy for Olivia to have success. But now Jacob wants her to go on tour with him. The label wants to get to know her a little better and asked for a video. So Jacob is funding this music video.”

As Voxxx runs through a playback of “Without You,” the director contemplates the evolution of her cast.

“You know, I’m a different director than I was in 2019,” she reflects. “And Kira and Victoria and Ana and Derrick, they’re all such different people than when we started this show. Think about Small Hands and where he was in 2019 and where he is now — literally! He’s on the other side of the country!”

Calvert smiles, moved by the thought.

“I feel really lucky that I was able to have the same cast spread out over four years, who were still excited to come play these characters that I wrote specifically for them. I wrote these characters for who we were in 2019, and then for who we were in 2021.”

They are all very different people now, she acknowledges.

“For many reasons, Season 3 ends this wonderful project,” she says quietly. “I wrote the season with a conclusion. It ends. One of the things I really wanted to make sure I did for this season was keep the heart and the core of ‘Primary’ — it’s still a show about polyamory. And a show about relationships. And a show about how lives intertwine.”

Trying to push that into a fourth season, she adds, would inevitably cause the show to slip farther away from what it was meant to be.

“So it’s done,” she declares. “This is it.”

Season 3 ends with a montage, for which Calvert commissioned an original song.

“Throughout all the seasons, there’s a band named Marni I’ve been working with,” she explains. “It’s this musician I met at a show by Phoebe Bridgers’ original band, and ended up working with him on all three seasons of ‘Primary.’”

Previously, Calvert had licensed Marni’s music, but this season, the band’s mastermind reached out and asked if he could craft her an original song. Her response?

“‘Why yes, you can!’” Calvert reports. “And I sent him the script and a piece of art for inspiration. And the final song, ‘Pollock Pines,’ is just — perfect. It made me cry.”

The Western Town

For the second visit, we drove out to one of those mythical movie ranches that have provided a backdrop for Hollywood magic since the beginnings of Tinseltown. Watching “Primary,” keen-eyed viewers will probably be able to identify the “Western” location from mainstream movies and TV shows.

In Season 2, writer Parker was writing a script for a movie based on his book “Talking to Ghosts.” In Season 3, the movie is being made.

“Parker goes on set and he hates the movie,” Calvert says. “He’s very unhappy with how they are portraying his characters, and how they have changed his script. He is taking out his frustration when he goes home.”

“Going Up” crucially features a play-within-the-movie. Also, the character Calvert plays in “Primary,” Phoebe, is a poet, so there are actual poems-within-the-movie. A pattern?

“Yeah, I keep doing this,” Calvert laughs, as PAs with walkie-talkies buzz around her, going in and out of movie trailers where the costume designer is outfitting extras in full-on cowboy gear. “I’ve been thinking a lot about why. And I think maybe the only reason why I keep doing different variations of film-within-a-film is because I can only write about what I know, right? And this, right now, is what I know.”

The movie-within-the-movie serves to comment on Parker’s relationship with his own work and filmmaking. It very much has a dramatic purpose, which is to make Parker miserable.

Though a generous booster of all her actors, Calvert reserves special praise for Derrick Pierce.

“I think he is so underrated as an actor in this industry,” she says. “I don’t think he’s ever won an acting award. And he auditioned for me in Season 1 like everyone else did. He was very good. But now? One of my favorite scenes in Episode 3 is a scene where Derrick and I are sitting out by the pool at night, he’s smoking a cigar. And he’s just so good. I think that people see him as this ‘muscle tattoo gym dude’ and overlook just how great he is as an actor, both for drama and comedy.”

The day continues as take after take is attempted both for “Primary” and for the Western.

“This is absolutely my most expensive location,” Calvert says, trying to marshal the small army of production personnel needed to pull this off. Some of the “Primary” crew are doubling as the movie-within-the-movie crew, but there are also extras — and two leads, Steele and Keely — playing crew members for the Western. It’s mayhem, but the good, fruitful, creative kind.

“Plot-wise, I really needed this set,” Calvert asserts. “Parker had to be here because he’s supposed to be writing his next book and his agent is hounding him, but he’s so obsessed with the problem in his brain that is this movie all around us, that it’s ruining his relationship.”

Over the course of Season 3’s six episodes, Parker will come to realize that he has to let this go and protect what is most important: his relationships and the people in his life.

“The whole goal of going to the Western town was to take Derrick Pierce’s character and put him in a place where he doesn’t belong,” Calvert shares, months later. “That absolutely was successful and was absolutely worth the extra work of making everyone drive an hour out of Los Angeles and have a wild production day at the Western town.”

Calvert admits that the shoot was “a lot, and very hot.”

“You need RVs and you need bathrooms and you need a water truck. And you need a fire safety officer and blah blah — and it’s like $10,000 a day just to arrive there.”

But she adds, “I’d love to shoot a whole movie at that Western town!”

Work and Money

Calvert crafted Season 3 of “Primary,” she explains, as “an exploration of the intersection of work and relationships, and one’s relationship with work and also adjacently with money, and how that affects their relationships.”

As far as the writer-director is concerned, this is part of the show’s overarching purpose: to probe all things poly.

“A lot of conversations right now about poly that are happening on the internet, that are happening in my personal life as well, are like, ‘Does every relationship need to be romantic?’” she explains. “Your relationship with work is another relationship in your life, your relationship with your friends is another relationship in your life. All of these are relationships. Who says that the most important relationship in your life has to be romantic? It might not be. It might be a relationship with yourself.”

As examples, she cites Abigail and Parker, who are doing very well financially.

“Parker got paid a lot of money for this script. Abigail got a promotion. But then Phoebe moved in with them, and one of the reasons why is because it made financial sense. They have a big enough house. She didn’t have to pay rent in her little apartment anymore. They have a lovely spare bedroom with her own bathroom, and it just made sense for Phoebe to move in with them.

“And Eva is also doing very well now financially. She has bought a house. Her influencing, social media, YouTube thing that she’s doing is going really well. She’s saving up to open up her own yoga studio. And that is affecting her relationship with Olivia, who is still broke.”

To Calvert, how work and money change previously established relationships or provide new opportunities all feels like it falls under the very large umbrella of alternative relationships and alternative lifestyles.

“And that’s ‘Primary’ for me,” she concludes. “It’s really a show about love. It’s a show about how people love what’s most important to them.”