Director Spotlight: Christian Owen

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Christian Owen, behind the camera, directing Brian Bonds

Few people could claim a more significant status in the contemporary gay porn industry than Hot House Director Christian Owen. Christian got his start as a model in 2000 and quickly ascended to the rank of porn superstar. After appearing in numerous blockbuster titles, amassing significant acclaim, and receiving several awards and nominations, Christian’s next move was to step into the director’s chair.

The protégé of Hot House founder Steven Scarborough, Christian displays an extraordinarily vivid style behind the camera, consistently releasing some of the most eye-catching and high-quality films in the gay porn industry. After nearly fifteen years in the business and several directing awards and nominations, Christian’s career is still picking up steam. He was inducted onto the Grabbys Wall of Fame in 2012, and he is now the Lead Director of Hot House and Club Inferno under the umbrella of Falcon Studios Group.

“I just started working with Christian a few weeks ago and I am very impressed,” said Falcon Studios Group President Chris Ward. “He and I sat down and spent many hours together reviewing footage and discussing the kind of shots that make up great porn. The stuff he is shooting now is first rate—just wait until you see the incredible projects he has planned. I am glad to add him to our roster of award-winning, first-rate directors!”

We spoke with Christian about his career highlights, meeting and working with the love of his life, and what his future holds.

HUNT: Tell us about your porn career—you started as an actor and ended up as a major director. What were the highlights along that path?

Christian Owen: Next year I will be celebrating my 15th year in porn!  The time has gone by so quickly because I’ve always had so much fun. I have made the best friends, been to so many great places and the transition from being in front of the camera to behind it opened up a whole new world. Career-wise, my major high point was being able to really establish myself with Hot House Entertainment, to learn from a genius, and to create work that I’m so proud of. I have always been a fan of Steven Scarborough. He has made so many beautiful and downright filthy films in the past, all classics. I learned everything from him and then he gave me the freedom to establish a place at Hot House all of my own. He has been my greatest guide and I will always cherish his belief in me. The other high point along my path was meeting the love of my life.

HUNT: Do you think your experience as an actor has helped make you a better director?

CO: I do think my experience as a model helped me become the director I am today. I feel it’s easier to explain what I need during a shoot because I can put myself where the model is and tell him what I know will make him understand exactly what I’m looking for. I also understand what it’s like to be on a set for hours and hours, having to fuck while cameras and lights are moving around and stay hard for all those hours. I hope my models see me as a friend during a shoot rather than just a director. When I was a performer, that type of relationship always helped me the most.

HUNT: Talk to us about some of you major achievements at Hot House—what movies are you really proud of?

CO: Some of my favorite Hot House movies that I created and directed have been leather movies. I really love creating darker and dirtier movies for the fans. I am most proud of creating The Dom and The Sub, and my newest leather release, Control Room is also one of my favorites. In 2013, I started a brand new line at Hot House called Gym Dudes, focusing on gear fetish and jock guys. I really believe gym gear is the new fetish of today’s younger generations and the chance to explore it, create it and see it become popular has been so exciting. It’s made me comfortable as a director in another type of fetish and I hope to keep finding exactly what the viewers want and giving it to them.

HUNT: You shoot some of the best fisting movies out there. How is shooting a fisting movie different from shooting a fuck flick?

CO: Shooting Club Inferno movies is especially enjoyable because the guys are not just models: they do real-life fisting play. They show up to set with positive minds and an excited sexuality, and they are ready to create an awesome scene by doing what they truly enjoy whether they’re on or off camera. Without sounding too boastful, I feel my fisting movies have gone to a different level with beautiful sets and lighting. A lot of people assume fisting is a part of some small underground collection of guys in slings in the dark. I have learned myself how far that stereotype is from the truth: I have shot fisting in beautiful settings thanks to what I’ve learned. For example, one of our top Club Inferno performers I directed, Evan Matthews, once told me about a typical day in his life: he wakes up, his partner fists him, they then enjoy breakfast overlooking the Castro before going about their normal work days. Later they get home, enjoy dinner and a glass of wine, and Evan gets fisted one more time before it’s off to sweet dreams.

HUNT: What makes a scene hot?

CO: It is my opinion that a scene is hot when the two models have great chemistry. I just finished shooting Dylan Knight and Jimmy Roman and before I even had the strobes set up for stills they were making out and sucking each other. Our fans know when there is a spark between the two models, and the models love using that spark. As people know from my films, I believe a setting can also help make a scene extra hot and steamy. I want the fans to feel that. Maybe it’s two guys in a locker room living out a fantasy many guys have shared, or three guys by the pool where you know they want to lick the sweat off each other.

HUNT: You are married to porn superstar Jimmy Durano–talk about a porn power couple!  What’s life like at your house?

CO: Meeting Jimmy was the real highlight of my life, not just my professional life, although he is also my favorite model to work with. Jimmy has worked for other companies and has amazing fans from all his movies. Yes, we discuss work often, especially now that Jimmy is the Art Director at Hot House. This has been very exciting for both of us, and especially for the fans, because we are both focused on creating even greater things for Hot House—we love brainstorming. Jimmy has been a huge inspiration to Hot House art direction, something I feel is important in all my movies, but now we are combined with a creative aim and constantly thinking of great new ideas. When we are not working or thinking about work, we are just like any other couple. We are happy spending time at home with our two dogs Ollie and Sophie. Jimmy is the cook and I keep our home clean and organized. We would be together no matter how we met, so being a part of the same industry keeps us even closer.

HUNT: What makes Hot House porn different from Raging, Falcon, or other companies?

CO: I feel what makes Hot House stand out is our very unique sets. Hot House shoots often start with a spare, dark room as a blank canvas, and then we can add anything we want. Sometimes it’s sling, but sometimes it’s a rainstorm. I have done scenes where guys are just in black leather and scenes where I use my design background to add color and texture to the scenes. I would never just film a scene in a random room without doing anything to it. I have trained as a designer and I can spend days before shooting one scene getting all the details just right.

Hot House, Raging Stallion, and Falcon have great synergy because we all operate along the same concept: perfect models in the perfect space having perfect sex is what viewers want. The studios all have a different feel and different types of models that are favorites, but we all are passionate about creating HOT and NASTY sexy for our viewers.

HUNT: You are moving from San Francisco to Las Vegas to start shooting at the Falcon Studios Group Las Vegas studio. Are you excited about joining the larger company after the merger?

CO: Both and Jimmy and I are excited to start this new chapter in our lives (and the dogs will have more space). I do think it will be a big adjustment moving from the Castro to Las Vegas, but it’s easier because so many of our friends and colleagues are already there, so we will make it work. The new studio in Vegas is going to be awesome. There will be so many creative minds in one place creating only the best for the fans of Falcon Studios Group, but we will all be doing it in our own unique ways. Falcon Studios Group is like a Mall of Amazing Porn with something for everyone. You can browse different stores, compare one style of movie to another, and we promise you will leave with lots of hot, nasty stuff to keep you happy until it’s time for your next trip.

HUNT: What would you like to say to your fans?

CO: I thank you all for your continued support and look forward to creating hot, steamy, filthy movies for you! You can trust me when I say I love making these movies and I love that you love them. I always welcome your thoughts and comments and I am often inspired by what you request or suggest. Please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @ChristianOwen1 or by email: Christian@hothouse.com

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