One of the newest studios to debut on PinkLabel.TV has some familiar faces.

HardWerk Pictures is directed by Paulita Pappel and Rod Wyler, and features performers such Kali Sudhra, Bishop Black, Dante Dionys, and more. Their vision is to create cinematic hardcore porn that brings the raw and explicit sexuality of the performers as collaborators in a way that allows the viewer to explore kinks without shame. Their vehicle? The gangbang.

We caught up with Paulita and a few of HardWerk’s stars to learn more about their approach to porn aesthetics, gender, and planning gangbangs.

The More the Merrier: A HardWerk Spotlight

PLTV: What inspired the idea of a gangbang series? Did you have any apprehensions about producing one? 

Paulita: Personally, I love gangbangs, I always wanted to have one, I think it’s an only child, a princess dream. When I met my partner Rod Wyler, he told me about gang bangs he had organized for his partners and his idea of producing a series that would have a more cinematic approach that current mainstream productions, I was immediately into it. Our references are gangbang classics from the ’80s and also any cinematic and pop culture references, from Russ Meyers and Tarantino to Vogue Magazine and Rihanna. My general apprehension with group sex scenes is that it is more difficult to create great synergies than with a scene with fewer people, it is a challenge to find a balance between choreography and free flow to meet everyone’s expectations and preferences. And of course, I know how much apprehension society generally has against gangbangs, and I know we will be facing a lot of backlashes.

PLTV: The term gangbang can be a ‘charged’ term for some. If you were to create another term for the act, what words or phrases would you use? Or do you feel that your work will expand perceptions of the term? 

Paulita: I want to reclaim the term gangbang just as I reclaim the terms queer and slut from their negative connotation into empowering practices. HardWerk embraces the orgiastic quality of a gangbang, we distance ourselves from a scenario where one person is „used“ by others and rather create a sexual dynamic where a person is the centre of attention. I find this the next step in my feminist porn practice, to create a subgenre that can encompass elements of gonzo and pushing hardcore kink in an explicitly sex-positive celebratory frame that cares for cinematic qualities.

PLTV: What films in the series have been produced and released so far? How did completing them help inform the direction of the project? Why did you want to host them on PinkLabel.TV?

Paulita: So far we’ve published Gang Car Bang, Ask Me Bang, and Bride Gang, and we have 4 more episodes ready to be released in the upcoming months! We’ve been learning a lot along the way and we keep exploring. I love PinkLabel.TV for its unique approach to sexuality and porn, it is inclusive, diverse and celebrates shame-free sex-positivity. That aligns perfectly with our vision and mission for a project that reclaims the gangbang as a consensual, sexually empowering practice, placing the spotlight on a dynamic that reveres orgiastic fantasies.

PLTV: What tropes from adult films and gangbangs in particular do you draw from? In what ways do you ‘reimagine’ the classic scenarios? 

Paulita: We love porn as an entertainment medium, and we love common porn tropes. We embrace them as cultural references and play with them in our scripts, questioning normative gender dynamics and desires. We want to enable space for indulging in kink with a playful mindset that pushes boundaries and allows for fantasies to be lived out.

PLTV: What considerations were made for casting and directing performers?  

Paulita: We want to work with performers that have a definite interest in the sexual dynamics that we portray. All performers fill in a checklist in the casting process where they establish their preferences and hard limits, and we discuss the setting and actions prior to shooting. As directors, we aim to establish a safe space where everyone is informed of their co-performers wishes and boundaries and feels free to express themselves, within that container we try to give as much free space as possible where they can explore with one another.

CAR GANG Trailer (Watch the full film on PinkLabel.TV)

PLTV: Gabi, had you performed in a gangbang scene before CAR BANG? Was there anything about this shoot that made it different from your previous experiences?

Gabi Gold: Yes, I performed in a gang bang scene before. It was the fastest scene that I ever shot and I liked it. The car bang was my second one, it was way more ornate and there was a totally different vibe on set. What I liked a lot about this second gang bang scene of mine was the story behind it and that I was able to give my ideas into it. I really felt like a part of the whole production. What I also appreciated a lot was the fact that the focus was not exclusively on me but also on the guys. A movie has been created that offers a diverse perspective to a diverse audience. So it became one of my most exciting and artsy shots. Additionally, it happened to be of those I was most passionate about because it referred very much to my personal taste and idea of what erotic means.

PLTV: Dante, was CAR BANG your first gangbang scene? Why did you decide to do it and what considerations did you take in working alongside multiple performers? 

Dante Dionys: I have not performed in a gangbang scene before Hardwerk. I did perform in orgy scenes though and joined gangbangs in private settings. Of course having a gangbang on a film set is something special and I am excited that Hardwerk was a first for me. On the one hand I already knew many people in front of and behind the camera so there was mutual trust and comfort in working together. On the other hand I really dig the creative as well as conscious approach that Hardwerk has towards gangbangs. I think that really highlights the hot aspect of a gangbang: to collectively take care of another and give special attention to the performer in the center. I believe Hardwerk wants to spread that attention and care to everyone involved in the movie, whether it be the performers or the crew.

The considerations I personally took when working directly with multiple performers were not too different from shooting orgies: Have a prep talk before shooting, negotiating consent and boundaries as well as safer sex practices together.  Also keeping in mind ways to make it look good on camera and perform in a collaborative and not competitive way so that the viewer can enjoy a sexy dynamic flow that feels natural.

BRIDE GANG Trailer (Watch the full film on PinkLabel.TV)

PLTV: Bishop, you appear in BRIDE GANG. Was this your first gangbang scene? Why did you decide to do it? 

Bishop Black: This was the first gangbang shoot that I starred in. I did this because there was a freedom for the men to interact with each other, which kinda overlapped the gangbang/orgy labels, but still was predominantly gangbang. Plus I love working with Kali Sudhra and I was also excited to be working with the other guys.

What considerations did you take in working alongside or directly with multiple performers?

Bishop: We sat down before and discussed what things we were into doing, and more importantly hearing Kali’s desires and boundaries/hard limits. It didn’t feel one sided and we all had the opportunity to discuss everything on an equal level.

PLTV: Kali, had you performed a gangbang scene before?

Kali Sudhra: No I hadn’t ever performed in a gangbang, and the opportunity popped up in a coincidental way! I chose to do it because the director is someone that I know and trust, as well as some of the the performers were people I had worked with before or met in the porn scene, so I felt more at ease. I think it’s always easier if you have someone familiar to work with because it creates less pressure and if you already have an established friendship it can even be funny!

PLTV: What steps were taken to ensure your first time would go smoothly?

PLTV: June, you appear in the upcoming film Labyrinth Bang, which will be the next HardWerk film on PinkLabel.TV. 

June Fontaine: It was my first gangbang scene, but not my first gangbang and hopefully not my last!  It however was the first time I shot for a bigger production company, with a whole team of people, all incredibly caring, kind and attentive to all our needs and it truly was a first great experience, exactly like I imagined. We had many conversations about what we liked or disliked, our limits and desires.  As I really wanted to express my real bratty nature while making sure to respect everyone consent, I also asked the tops what were their own limits, if I could bite or kick them. To me it was such a beautiful thing to have the whole cast, tops and bottom exploring new things together.

PLTV: Despite fantasy scenarios where the bottom or submissive is “powerless”, the opposite is true in production because it’s their boundaries and desires that call the shots. In what ways did the stars of the HardWerk series hold power and control the narrative elements or sexual acts? 

Paulita: The performer in the centre of the gangbang in HardWerk productions holds absolute control over the scene. The scenes are based primarily on their checklist and the preferences and fantasies they communicate to us in advance, the scenario is then discussed closely with them as well as the rest of the cast. The tone and direction of the scene are marked by their preferences.

PLTV: GangBangs in porn are often cast with several cisgender men and one lead cisgender woman. Any thoughts on a ‘reverse gangbang’ (a genderswapped casting with all women on one man) or a mixed gender cast? In what other ways do you revise or stray from the classic notion of the popular porn scenario? 

Paulita: So far we’ve created several bisexual gangbangs, with a cis woman as the centre and several cis-men that interact with one another – this is already uncommon within the mainstream market and we’re facing rejection towards these scenarios. We look forward to creating many different settings with all possible gender constellations maintaining the dynamic of one person in the centre. I am personally not a fan of the „gender reverse gangbang“ but we would create it if we work with a performer whose fantasy is exactly that. I personally find more power in reimagining the same scenario that people perceive as sexist and resignifying it than gender-swapping the dynamic.

PLTV: With COVID-19 compromising the safety of porn sets, particularly those which involve groups of people, what are your plans for continuing the project safely? 

Paulita: COVID has been a major push back for the project, as for the whole porn and sex industry. We’re working with much care and currently only shoot with a reduced team and providing for testing for all cast and crew. We hope that we will soon be able to have new resources for ensuring everyone’s safety and can shoot more and with bigger crews again.

PLTV: What’s next for the project? And how can we follow along? 

Paulita: We will be releasing some stunning episodes in the upcoming months and we will be creating more episodes on the series Ask Me Bang. For 2021 we plan to release monthly! Applications welcome

You can follow us on social media on Twitter (@Hardwerk_studio), Instagram (@hardwerk_studio), and Facebook (/hardwerkstudio).

Thanks for your time and congrats on the project launch!

Watch all the films at HardWerk Pictures.