VIVID STUDIO INSIDER

X VIVID STUDIO INSIDER FOR FEBRUARY 26, 2010

VIVID'S DAILY CELEBRITY SEX TAPE CALLS - The Australian newspaper Brisbane Times carried a story this week on the phenomenon of movie star sex that extensively quotes Vivid co-chairman Steven Hirsch. The news peg for the story by Samantha Brett was that "Aussie actress Rachel Ward declared that all young aspiring starlets should go naked on the big screen to have a successful acting career." The story went on to note, "While nudity is certainly not be a prerequisite for winning an award, it certainly helps you get noticed. Just ask Halle Berry, Kate Winslet and, most recently, Sandra Bullock who told website www.showbizspy.com that her latest bout of success (she has just been nominated for the best actress Oscar for the film The Blind Side) is thanks to the fact she dared to strip off for last summer's blockbuster comedy The Proposal. But aspiring actresses and wannabe celebrities take note: there's a world of difference between doing a nude scene and a nude home video. While - thanks to reality stars and socialites Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian - creating and releasing a sex tape might seem like the ultimate ticket to fame and reality TV stardom, the shock factor has dwindled from tabloid yarn to yawn. Even Steven Hirsch chief executive officer of Vivid, the company that distributes the Kardashian sex tape, admitted that the company fields daily calls from people trying to sell celebrity sex tapes, and that it's rare when Vivid gets one it can sell. 'In the case of Kim, we were approached by a third party who showed us the tape and indemnified us,' he told me from his Hollywood office. 'As time went on, we wanted a direct relationship with Kim. So we did a deal with her and we released the tape and it's gone on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies.' I'm not quite sure if the money is worth it, but there are many women out there who believe it certainly is."

SAVANNA'S BEEN BLACKMALED-2 ROLLING - The buzz has begun for Savanna Samson's newest film, Savanna's been Blackmailed-2. The headline in the AVN story announcing the release was short and to the point: "Vivid Girl Savanna Samson performs interracial d.p." Reporter Wade Garrett writes: "The blonde star appears in two anal scenes, including a d.p. with Tee Reel and Nat Turnher in this edition. Samson is joined by Brooke Banner and Veronica Jett in a feature that was directed by Paul Thomas and captured in HD by B. Skow. Mr. Marcus, Tyler Knight and Sledge Hammer also perform." Writing about the new release, online distributor CD Universe said: In the second installment of the Blackmaled Series, Vivid's bad girl Savanna Samson returns and she's got something up her ass...literally."

GOOD TIMES FOR SHAUNA SAND - Former Playboy Playmate Shauna Sand, star of the Vivid-distributed celebrity sex tape Shauna Sand Exposed, is featured in the current issue of Good Times Magazine the New York metropolitan area regional paper. The story mentions the VIP party Vivid hosted at Rick's Cabaret last month and adds, "Shauna, despite her sexpot image, is extremely bright, and graduated with honors in business administration from the American University in Paris." Noting that she speaks French with her boyfriend in Shauna Sand Exposed, Good Times adds, "it's certainly more fun to brush up on your French language skills this way than with either Berlitz or Rosetta Stone."

LOOKING TOWARD IPTV, VIVID UNCONCERNED ABOUT VUDU MOVE - Vivid Entertainment is not concerned about the decision by Walmart to drop the "AVN After Dark" adult channel from Vudu, the online digital content provider that it recently purchased. Vivid co-chairman Steven Hirsch, told XBiz reporter Bob Johnson that adult content distribution was low on Vudu. Johnson writes: "The effect on the adult business is limited, according to Hirsch, who maintained that the set-top box experience is an interim step. 'We're really looking toward IPTV as the next move. We're always seeking new platforms but we're not considering moving to any new provider at this time' "