Written by Frank Stacy
Porn has changed a lot across the decades. Some of those changes might be surface-level – higher video quality, new flavor-of-the-month trends and tropes, the stars of yesteryear retire as new starlets rise up to take their place…
…but other changes are more quietly impactful and reflective of cultural shifts: a conscious movement away from many problematic terms, themes, and practices that are long overdue to be overhauled; a higher focus on reciprocal pleasure and female-focused sexual empowerment; more two-way dialogue and artistic collaboration between studios and stars to co-create content that we can all feel proud of together.
And let’s not forget, of course, the mad dash towards technological advancement, as new gadgetry and gimmicks always seem to reach the sex industry soonest! From A.I. to V.R. and the whole alphabet in-between, it’s never very long after a new invention goes public before people start to ask “Now, how can I use this to get off?”
Indeed, it’s not just porn that’s changing with the times, but the very idea of intimacy itself. Some of these changes are inarguably for the better – the growing discourse around consent, men feeling freer to show their vulnerable side to their partner, and a rise in open-mindedness towards sexual expression and exploration have all done wonders for couples, throuples, and up-ples to engage in healthier and more fulfilling forms of intimacy.
Other changes, the jury might still be out on: the debate still roars on about whether modern technology is causing us to feel isolated and depriving us of organic opportunities to meet & shack up; and the internet-enabled ease of having everything at our fingertips has definitely led to unrealistic expectations towards sexual partners and fantasy fulfillment that are tricky to untangle.
But like it or lump it, change waits for no one – least of all a humble porn company like ourselves. The world continues to turn, and its revolution demands our evolution lest we fall behind the times and become obsolete. And so, in the midst of all these culture shifts, marvels of technology, and new customer needs and wants that emerge year after year, we try our hardest to stay not just in the present, but with one foot in the future to remain ahead of the curve.
Here at Adult Time, if we had to pick one series that best exemplifies our embracing of the evolution and innovation of intimacy, it would be (perhaps to nobody’s surprise) our newest imprint, UP CLOSE. As our latest studio launch, we decided to take a unique approach to architecting UP CLOSE – rather than create yet another series that caters to the current customer we’ve set our eyes on the customer of the future, creating a metaphorical petri dish for us to develop and test out new production methods, tech proof-of-concepts, and even the philosophies behind content we want to move towards in the years to come.
And so, for those unfamiliar with what UP CLOSE is, here’s a lovely little primer:
UP CLOSE Is… Fad-Forward
You may have noticed a lot of eclectic content going live on UP CLOSE and its various spin-off subseries. This series delights future-philes with an endless parade of cutting-edge tech fads: whether it be “Choose Your Angle” allowing you to play God and pick your favorite vantage point with which to watch the sex unfold, or “UP CLOSE VR” releasing as our very first original VR productions, or “How She Reacts” showing picture-in-picture action to give viewers a taste of both wide and close-up shots simultaneously.
If a new invention or innovation is on the horizon, you can bet that UP CLOSE will try its hand at this new fad to gauge potential audience interest for exploring all sorts of new territory in the years ahead.
UP CLOSE Is… Female-Forward
Each episode of our series is a personalized portrait of a performer’s sexual identity and appetites. Shared on her terms and filmed with the partner(s) of her choice, UP CLOSE truly lets you get – well – up close with each woman in an environment that prioritizes their safety and agency no matter how new or veteran they are to the industry. Through a mix of soft-spoken erotic verbal that feels as if it’s directed right at YOU, and candid moments of authentic reactions and orgasms, UP CLOSE paints a vivid picture of each woman’s life story, desires, and unabashed joy.
And if the main series makes you hungry for more, you can get even up-CLOSER with “How Women Orgasm”, our hybrid video-podcasts where these same stars bare both body and soul in intimate interviews and solo sequences.
UP CLOSE Is… Future-Forward
Once you strip it down to its essence, our vision for our newest series is deceptively simple: intimate sex. No flashy acting or storytelling, no jaw-droppingly raunchy sex positions, no daring cinematic tricks or special effects added in post. And this was intentional. We have plenty of other series for that – but we want UP CLOSE to be malleable, to be able to take anything the future may throw at it and then some. New talent, new gadgets, new cultural standards, new customer tastes… we hope for UP CLOSE to be able to adapt to them all in turn, and still feel both familiar yet fresh whether it’s one year from now, or five, or twenty.
Intimacy will continue to evolve, and us as humans along with it. So why should we expect any less from our porn? In this roller coaster of life, love, and lust – with its highs and lows, bends and dips, loop de loops and all – UP CLOSE is getting in the front seat of that ride.
Click here to watch a full Up Close scene!
