Budapest [Budapest Times]- Hungary counts as the stronghold of the international porn industry. Hungarian porn director, István Kovács spoke to The Budapest Times about the trade.
Kovács does not hesitate for a second when asked about his reasons for going into the porn industry: “Eroticism, sex and beautiful women”. Before Kovács, in his mid-40s, switched to making porn films in 1992, he worked as a photographer for a political weekly. “Film and photography are not far apart anyway,” says the director.
According to Kovács, the basis for Hungary’s good reputation in the porn trade was established under Socialism. “In the West at that time the girls behind the Iron Curtain were considered exotic.” He is also clear about why porn producers from the West pick Hungary in particular as the location for their films: “Because Hungarian women are the most beautiful the world over”.
Between 150 and 200 porn films are made in Hungary each year, mainly in and around Budapest, he adds. Kovács, however, rejects the expression “porn film” because of its frequently negative connotations, and instead refers to his work as “fairy tales for adults”. He is also visibly keen to dispel the misconception that porn producers “try out the girls themselves” before hiring them for a film: “That’s rubbish!”
Kovács also insists that there are no alcohol and drug orgies or sexual excesses. He also points out that there are “extremely stringent health regulations”. The chance of picking up a sexually transmitted disease working in the porn industry is far lower than with a one-night stand after a club, he claims. The industry was shut down for several weeks in the summer of 2005 after a male actor tested positive for HIV.
When it comes to the production of porn films, Kovács says the most successful are those whose female line-up features both high-profile names and new faces. The cast is hired mainly through modelling agencies. The fee for acting in a film can range from a few hundred to several thousand euros in the case of “porn stars”. Kovács comments: “Anyone who has a little brain in the industry can definitely secure their financial future.” However, many porn actresses simply go out and blow the money all at once, he says.
On the question of how long porn actors normally stay in the trade for, Kovács says this is different for men and women. The male actors tend to last longer in the business, on average between ten and 15 years. In the case of the women it depends on “how well they take care of themselves and their bodies,” says Kovács. Porn actresses are far more subject to market forces than men: “A girl is only interesting in the porn industry if there is demand for her films”.
Kovács is tight-lipped on the costs of making porn films. He is only prepared to reveal: “Films are made in both the Suzuki and the Bentley categories.” The porn director explains that his latest effort was a trilogy titled Porn Wars. “The production costs of Porn Wars were three times higher than for a film in the Mercedes category,” says Kovács. The film, which is rich in computer animations and special effects, even won the director the most coveted prize in the porn industry, the AVN (Adult Video News) Award. According to Kovács this is comparable to winning an Oscar.
In December Kovács announced plans to launch an internet protocol television and cable-based adult viewing network called LUXx TV.
