Porn Valley- I talked to Mike Barbella who has joined Jill Kelly Productions as its director of sales. Barbella tells me he learned about the job opening from reading Adultfyi, noting that former JKP salesman Lewis Adams had joined up with Damaged Pictures. Barbella says he immediately began writing some e-mails and several days after that had a talk with Bob Friedland. Barbella says he's pretty impressed with the organization noting that some changes will be made. "First and foremost is improving the accounting system that they're on," says Barbella. "They just hired a new guy about a month and a half ago. Once things are straightened out there will be some big changes. It'll be great and everything else should fall into place. That's been the biggest issue. Everything else looks pretty good."
Noting that Friedland is from the old school which is something he likes, Barbella states that Friedland likes to sell and is sensible about selling product. "Again, you hear all this crap, all this nonsense and of course you're good is up and you're cautious but Bob made me feel very comfortable about what they're doing and what their goal is.
"We just want to move product and that's what it's all about," says Barbella. "Content is also extremely important and I think there is good content there. The company has a good name for high end, high budget product. And we just came out with some of the harder stuff called Collateral Damage. That gives me a renewed faith in the concept of putting out hardcore product. Collateral Damage is very hardcore with non-stop sex. We're doing one of those a week and two Jill kelly's a week. And we just started a new line called Blue which is somewhat along the lines of a Jill Kelly. The production values on those are through the roof."
Acknowledging rumors and what not, Barbella said JKP is too large of a company to worry about going out of business. "What took place between them and Bizarre is getting ironed out," he states. "I don't see that being any type of an issue as far as sales go and as far as customers go." For the most part, Barbella is focusing on customer service. "That's going to be my goal for the next month or two. And then thereafter I'm going to concentrate on promotional items and other things like that. We have come up with a pretty good sale for distributors on large orders of the Blue and Collateral Damage- on those I can offer some sort of special promotion. But I think the Jill Kelly customers will notice immediately the changes that there are.
"There's lots of people there and there's plenty of knowledge," Barbella continues. "It's just a matter of organizing all the powers that be and the people that are responsible for each different job. But I think we're close. It's just a matter of coming in, fine tuning it and putting together a winning system. JKP is determined to bring some good customer service and that's the future of the company."
Barbella suspects there will be another salesman in place by the beginning of next week but is not at liberty to name names.
>I spoke to Mr. Metro Monday night. He tells me the employee body count at Metro was up to six yesterday. I'm told that egos are flying off the walls like balls in a jai alai fronton. Keith O'Connor is gone. An e-mail was apparently sent out to that effect. Art guy Gustavo left as well as Anthony Simone, secretaries Connie who worked for O'Connor, Vida, and a warehouse employee.
"Poor Gustavo was grossly overworked and underappreciated," Mr. Metro tells me. "The poor guy had to take bullets and be blamed for things he had nothing to do with. Mara Epstein who was let go at Private is trying to run the same deal over at Metro where she gets involved in producing movies. Everyday she's out at lunches 'nurturing injured relationships with Metro'. It was Tim Connelly who recommended that Mara be hired."
