Good Vibrations Magazine

Courtney Trouble has run NoFauxxx.com since 2003 making her one of the trailblazers of modern queer porn! NoFauxxx.com has over 125 unique models and over 200 photosets, most of which she took. She does all of the coding, designing, editing, marketing, and behind-the-scenes business stuff involved with the site and project. And on top of it all is releasing her first full length DVD – Roulette.

Here is part 2 (of 3) of an interview conducted by her wife and partner (in work and life), Pepper Sox. Continued from Part 1.

You recently were invited to Toronto for The Feminist Porn Awards? How was that?
Yes! The FPAs are hosted by the sex toy company Good For Her (another great company!) and I went out there because I was up for a nomination. Roulette won an award for “Most Deliciously Diverse Cast.” It was a very important moment for me, to be surrounded by so many amazing people, specifically Jiz Lee, Syd Blakovich, Madison Young, and Dylan Ryan – we all won awards, and we’re all from San Francisco – it made me feel like we were really starting a revolution, not only here in the Bay Area, but worldwide. What just seems like small projects here in SF is really actually something that’s being perceived as a “movement” out there in the rest of the world.

Roulette Director Courtney Trouble accepting Most Diverse Film Award
Photo: Lana Paiement from the Good For Her Feminist Porn Awards

My award for diversity really meant a lot to me, because having a diverse cast in a porn film seems of utmost importance right now, with “alt” porn being so prominent in the mainstream – to really be the one to say, “we are all sexy” – to make a film that anyone can relate to. Porn, to me, has a responsibility to be diverse, to break stereotypes, and to celebrate all the kinds of different out there in the world. Being there at that moment made me feel like a founder in the movement, who had finally been recognized for creating a foundation that artists and activists will be using for decades, until the next big movement comes along.

The first scenes of this movie were filmed over three years ago, and the last scenes in January 2009. How do you think they differ?
The first scene that I shot for Roulette is actually the last scene in the movie, Milo and Cole. I borrowed professional lights and a camera from a friend, got some sex toys donated from Smitten Kitten. I thought I knew what I was doing, and the scene turned out great in the end, but looking back I can see that I had a lot of learning to do as a filmographer versus a photographer. The last scene i shot was Ceci and Kenji (the first scene in the movie) and I have to say, my d.i.y artistry was still in tact, but I had shot enough to learn how to create a really beautiful moving image, and anticipate the scene, whereas before, I was lucky to get the beautiful footage that I did of Milo and Cole. I think being a photographer since childhood had a lot to do with this beginner’s luck – I like to say sometimes that I see the whole world with a black widescreen frame around it.

Are there real couples in Roulette?
Each scene has a real couple in it, aside from the solo scenes. Ceci & Kenji, Syd & Jiz, Milo & Cole. Walter & Nikolaj actually got engaged the day before we shot their scene on the rooftop. It’s hard to mess up chemistry when you’re working with real couples!

How did you get the music for Roulette?
I’ve been active in the queer music scene for about 10 years, going to shows, going on tour, et cetera. I thought it was really important to have a queer porn soundtrack, something that would truly reflect the community of queer artists I was filming. So, I asked my friends from Erase Errata, Younger Lovers, Cottages, Delta Dart, Scream Club, French Quarter, and Katastrophe to donate tracks to the film. I even have two of my own bands on there, Divine Feud and Bunnykick. Hopefully the music is as enticing as the sex – it’s a lot of genres of music made by queer musicians. I honestly believe that queer music and queer porn are set out to do similar things – create awareness, bring culture to our community, define ourselves in a difficult society. You can hear the soundtrack for free at nofauxxx.com/roulette.

Do you think the release of Roulette will change things for nofauxxx.com?
I would hope that Roulette would bring NoFauxxx.com more attention and more paying members. However, I didn’t make Roulette with a specific audience in mind, I’m not trying to cater to anyone. The film is seven different vignettes, with the point that queer sex is hard to define. We don’t fuck the way people would assume, we are unexpected. No Fauxxx really mirrors that statement, and I think that Roulette really reflects the whole mission of NoFauxxx.com: to showcase the sex of an undermined, subversive, and insanely creative community. Roulette is an extension of No Fauxxx, expanding the ideas that I’ve explored with No Fauxxx for the past six years. To celebrate the release, I’m giving away free one-month memberships with the first 100 DVDs sold through goodvibes.com and Good Vibrations stores, so I know at least 100 people who will be joining No Fauxxx after buying Roulette. For free!

Are there any teasers of Roulette?
There are two teaser scenes available for members only on NoFauxxx.com, as well as a free “PG” version on YouTube:

NoFauxxx.com’s Roulette, Directed by Courtney Trouble. Order at GoodVibes.com

Continue Reading Part3, with an exclusive Roulette Gallery!