This interview appeared in Unbound Babes in 2017. The writer, Rebecca Paredes, spoke to a number of filmmakers who had taken the plunge into VR. Below is our portion of that interview.

3. In your opinion, is VR good for feminist porn / porn for women, or is it just a trend? (continued)

For me, the biggest challenge in creating VR movies for women is to take advantage of what the technology can do while staying true to what Sssh is all about. The first examples of VR porn I saw were all shot point-of-view (POV) style, and I just wasn’t convinced POV was the right way to go for Sssh – especially a male-focused POV.

All Sssh movies have a strong narrative, and I like to focus on the connection between the partners, their passion, and chemistry. The question for me was how can I maintain all those things while taking advantage of the VR environment?

This question leads me to explore the dynamic storytelling approach, in which viewers aren’t tied to the single perspective necessitated by the POV approach, and through which they could explore the fullness of the VR environment, but still be grounded in a strong story.

To stay true to the Sssh ethos (female-focused stories and pleasure), I have to pick my storylines carefully and be certain VR is the best platform to tell the story. I don’t see myself abandoning the traditional approach for this very reason -- there will be times when the story I want to tell and the fantasy I want the viewer to experience is best communicated by something other than VR.

4. More generally, what are some common mistakes you see from production companies that are making porn specifically for women? What are some guiding principles you adhere to in your own work?

The biggest mistake I see is the assumption porn for women is just like “regular” porn, only with a softer focus and more “romance” or more of a “plot.”

To me, the most important aspect of making porn for women is grounded in the characters and the performers who play them. Give them life, give them agency, make them something more than the canvass on which a man’s fantasy is played out. It’s not so much about the specific sex acts, genres or themes, really, but a matter of prioritizing the importance of women’s pleasure. So much porn is focused on male pleasure and on the male orgasm. What there often isn’t is much attention paid to the woman’s pleasure, to her satisfaction, or to the idea of mutual pleasure between partners.

The other thing I think is lacking in a lot of porn is the fun side of sex. In so much porn, what you rarely see is smiling, laughter or any sort of enjoyment outside the squeals of an exaggerated climax. In some ways, it’s like watching people do a job in which the sole (and often solemn) goal is to make a penis ejaculate, rather than a shared pleasurable experience.

5. Is there anything else you would like to share, like future projects or goals?

I don’t want to give away too much about our next project, other than to say I’ve selected a genre and story which are ideal for the VR environment, and dreamed up some fun and creative ways to engage viewers in the story and immerse them in the fantasy of the action.

As for goals, my most important aim hasn’t changed since the day I launched Sssh.com almost 20 years ago: I want to provide our members and fans with adult entertainment that speaks to them, resonates with their fantasies, and enables them to explore their desires in a way which leaves them feeling empowered and validated.