What makes 'pretty, good girls' pursue a career in porn? Director follows 16 actresses and discovers they 'like the power'



Deborah Anderson filmed the adult film stars for documentary Aroused

She found the women enjoy their work and keep their sex lives separate

They worry about porn's effect on their love life and future prospects



It is billed as 'the oldest profession' - but why do women with apparently good career prospects choose to take part in porn?



One documentary maker followed 16 adult film stars to find out why 'young, pretty, good girls' choose to have sex on camera - and claims most of them simply like sex and power.

Deborah Anderson, a photographer, says she was inspired to explore these women's stories after casting a porn star in a photo shoot for a magazine.

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Many of the adult film actresses featured in Aroused were on the red carpet last night. From left, Katsuni, Kayden Kross, Tanya Tate, Jesse Jane, Allie Haze, documentary maker Deborah Anderson, Belladonna, Asphyxia Noir, Brooklyn Lee and the film's producer Trina Venit

Porn performer Kayden Kross, left, is featured in the documentary. She told one interviewer: 'Anyone can do it' Deborah Anderson, right, has made a fine art photography book alongside the documentary She was struck by the woman's warm personality and her stories of harsh treatment from the public despite contributing to a widely consumed product of a billion-dollar industry. Anderson, who has photographed Elton John, George Clooney and Pink and had her pictures published in GQ, Playboy and The Sunday Times, found that her interviews debunked the myth that porn stars are just failed actresses. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Teachers should discuss porn in lessons to prepare children... BBC bosses axed Delia Smith from TV in the 1980s 'because... Share this article Share She discovered that they enjoy their work and keep their own sex lives separate from their day jobs.

Separate: Anderson discovered that they enjoy their work and keep their own sex lives separate from their day jobs Closer look: Images from the trailer for Aroused which premiered last night in Los Angeles

The film follows 16 actresses, including Allie Haze, pictured, as they also take part in a photoshoot for Deborah Anderson's Aroused Project WAGES, STDS AND CONDOMS: THE PORN INDUSTRY UNCOVERED

Protection: Many in the porn industry say that condoms are unnecessary because the industry already conducts regular STD checks and that prolonged condom use causes chafing, tearing and increased risk of disease. They also say that condoms hurt their profit and drive the industry either out of LA or underground, creating even more unsafe conditions. A new law was passed in November 2012 requiring that Los Angeles porn companies ensure their actors use condoms. While over 80 percent of the U.S. porn industry is based in Los Angeles, some productions moved to other states or countries due to the condom mandate.

Contracting diseases and viruses There have been eight HIV cases among adult film performers since 2004. In 2011, porn production halted for a week after an actor tested positive for HIV. In August 2012, there was a 10-day moratorium on porn filming because of a syphilis outbreak among actors. A study in November found that LA porn stars have significantly higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than legal prostitutes working in Nevada.

Payment: Porn is a multibillion-dollar industry but the wages of porn stars vary greatly. $150 (£97) per scene, according to a documentary Louis Theroux made on the subject.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the pay rates for a female actress performing male and female scenes were $700 to $1,000 (£450-£640).

Famous porn star Ron Jeremy said in 2003: 'Girls can easily make $100-250k (£25k -£160k) per year, plus stuff on the side like strip shows and appearances. The average male makes $40,000 (£25K) a year.'

Pornstars do not get a pension or health insurance.

But she also found that all of the stars she met have contracted sexually-transmitted diseases from their work.

Most of the actresses said they were concerned about how others view their profession and also worried that it could impede future job or romantic prospects. Anderson interviewed the stars behind-the-scenes of photoshoots with the women, the results of which are compiled in an accompanying fine art photography book. Aroused features adult film actresses Belladonna, Kayden Kross, Lisa Ann, Katsuni, Teagan Presley, Ash Hollywood, Misty Stone, Tanya Tate, Asphyxia Noir, Jesse Jane, Francesca Le, Lexi Belle, April O'Neil, Brooklyn Lee, Allie Haze and Alexis Texas. Kross tol d Red Eye Chicago : 'We all come in for different reasons and stay in for different reasons.

'You don’t have to be an exceptional character in any direction to do porn. It’s a basic enterprise; anyone can do it. 'So when people expect that there’s some crazy interesting story or character behind every persona, it’s just rarely the case.' Anderson said she hoped her documentary and book will spotlight the humanity of these women and the sensuality of their work.

'They’ve chosen to do a job that I personally wouldn’t want to do, but the fact that they do it and they have a very business-minded aspect to that, within them; they’re very powerful women so there’s something to be said about that,' she told ScreenPicks. 'The girls that I met I feel know what they’re doing and they understand the nature of the business of sex, and that is what they are doing, and they’re good at it.' Many of the actresses featured in Aroused attended the film's premiere last night at the Landmark Theatre in Los Angeles and signed copies of the coffee-table book afterwards. But the film did not find favour with LA Times critic Sheri Linden, who said Aroused 'spends a lot of time admiring the surface' rather than digging deep. Pornstar: American pornographic actress Allie Haze seen right in a photoshoot and left at the premiere



Strike a pose: Katsumi and Belladonna play up to the cameras last night on the red carpet

Stars: Phoebe Price, left, and Kayden Kross, right, are adult film stars featured in Aroused



Linden said the interviews with actresses provided 'not always convincing declarations of self-awareness and inner strength' and that Anderson's discussion with an industry agent was more insightful than anything else in the film.

Last ye ar, The Hollywood Reporter re ported that a female porn performer's earnings in the Californian industry can range from $800 for a sex scene with another woman, $1000 for a scene with a man and up to $4,000 for more adventurous exploits.

Dan Miller, the executive editor of industry magazine XBIZ told the newspaper that the most popular 250 women can expect to get regular work, filming between 100-150 scenes a year.