Interview with Coyote Days of Good Releasing

And now for a little change of direction after a one month hiatus. This month I bring you an interview from Coyote Days who is the producer for Good Releasing, Good Vibrations‘ film production company, which puts out lots of amazing sexy movies in 3 different lines: Reel Queer, Heartcore, and Pleasure-Ed. When I contacted her I wasn’t even fully sure what she did as I don’t have much of a clue as to what goes on that far behind the scenes. All I really knew was that producers funded projects and I wanted to know how Coyote decided what to fund. By the end I felt I knew a little more and even got to meet the lovely lady in person.

Garnet Joyce: How did you become the producer for Good Vibration’s film production company Good Releasing?

Coyote Days: I’d been with Good Vibrations for 6 1/2 years when we began looking at expanding our wholesale and production departments. A few directors had approached us looking for distribution and we decided to take it a little further with producing a few lines of our own in addition to distribution. Honestly, it just seemed like a natural progression for me within the company.

GJ: How is Good Releasing different from other porn production companies out there, both mainstream and indie?

CD: Our films are incredibly authentic. This is the sex people are having and in many films they are having it not only how but with who they want. Our films vary – from Queer DIY to high art visionary erotic explorations – and there is an range of directors, models and visions. The one commonality is that the directors and stars of each are showing their authentic sexual selves. There’s exploration of vision and some incredibly authentic chemistry-filled sex. We work with incredible directors and models – some who this is their first/only time on camera and some who shoot every week or more. All this combined creates a body of work expressing authentic sexuality and eroticism that speak to a variety of communities in a very real way.

I think there is a great synergy between what good releasing is doing and what some other production companies are doing. Combined we are offering new genres and new categories of porn which is super exciting to me both as a pornographer, as a queer and as a feminist.

GJ: What do you think it means to be an ethical pornographer?

CD: Honestly until you asked I hadn’t thought much about it. There wasn’t any other way we’d have done this.

Being an ethical pornographer – – it’s all about making movies with respect, integrity, diversity and authenticity. We respect our performers, the act of movie making, and the directors we work with. And we hope that comes across in the films.

GJ: Do you consider yourself to be an ethical pornographer? If not, why not? If so, how do you follow through with your ethical standards? Is it ever difficult? What are some of the challenges you face?

CD: I don’t know if there is any other way I’d do this. I feel really lucky in that I have a job I love, working for a company I love, in an industry I love. I’m able to be myself and bring my personal ethos into my job which makes it even more satisfying.

Good Releasing meets performers where they’re at. We want their experiences to be positive on and off the camera. And for them to really enjoy being there and performing for us. We work with each performer in a personal way and work with them to create a comfortable and supportive atmosphere that result in hot chemistry and authentic sexual performances.

We are small enough and work closely with our directors and performers so that it isn’t difficult for us. We all truly believe in the work that we do and in the importance of doing it with positive intentions and actions.

We haven’t had many challenges so far and, again, I think that has to do with being small and home grown. We can afford to go slow and be selective which has allowed us to move forward with our principles and values intact.

GJ: How can you make sure that a project your funding is going to be ethical?

CD: Before we  begin moving forward with any new project we spend a lot of time talking with the director about the film. I want to get a feel not only for the director but also their intentions. Not to be too touchy-feely but a lot of it is about intuition and trust. We are working together to create art & porn and have to trust that what we talk about with the director will be what is made.

GJ: Have you ever funded any projects that you felt to be unethical? Why or why not? If  they were unethical, did you do anything to intervene?

CD: We’ve been incredibly fortunate in our endeavors. The directors we’ve worked with are passionate visionaries who love art and sex. We haven’t been faced with any ethical issues or dilemmas – and for that I am very thankful.

GJ: How do you figure out who to take a chance on director-wise?

CD: Intuition. Reputation. How they present themselves and their project. Some directors we’ve worked with have a body of work they’ve done that reads as a pornographic resume. Other’s have a passion for sex and want to project that on camera to share. Some have pieced together something that we believe is just the beginning for them.

In the end it comes down to communication and trust. And then a little more communication.

GJ: How do you feel your background working at Good Vibrations, designing sex toys, and being vocal in the size acceptance movement has effected your choices as a producer?

CD: I was raised in a community of feminists and activists who were outspoken about sexuality, freedom of expression and anything else they strongly believed in. I think that these women as well as people I met in my twenties really made me who I am today. All roads led to here…

I have a true passion for this industry. Working on the toy side I have to be informed, outspoken and opinionated. I have to interact with so many different people – some I have more in common with than others. I think the same could be said for being an activist of any kind. There’s an importance in being self-aware and striving for positivity. Being a voluptuous (and then some) woman is an important part of who I am and learning to love my body was crucial for my progression as a woman. It took me a long time to love my body and even longer to find community with other people who felt the same I did. I saw so many people down on themselves, hating their bodies or judging me for mine… being silent wasn’t even an option. How this ties into my work today is that we strive to show not just the diversity of desire in our films but also have a range of body sizes and types. Diversity is important to us and the directors we work with and, as a result, we’ve worked with some amazing voluptuous women.

GJ: Do you think there is anyone in the mainstream porn world making ethical pornography? If so, who?

CD: I do. Some of our directors work both with independent companies and mainstream (Kimberly Kane, Carlos Batts, Dave Naz). I think they carry their ethics and values into each project they are involved on – whatever side of the camera they are on.

I also see Belladonna as ethical. Her passion shines through in each film she puts out and, from what I’ve heard she treats her models well. She’s incredibly gracious with people within the industry as well as her fans which speaks volumes.

GJ: And finally, if you could give just one piece of advice to an aspiring ethical pornographer, what would it be?

CD: Making porn is an artistic expression just like painting, theatre… sculpture. People just get naked and a little more intimate for porn. So my advice would be the same to an aspiring pornographer as an aspiring painter – come at it from a place of creativity, truth and good intentions. The resulting footage will mirror that. You can glob paint on a canvas and call it art – – and people might actually buy it. But if you come at that same canvas with intention, passion and vision — the result will be something different altogether.  And access your community – other directors, performers and people in the industry who are creating similar work