Under normal circumstances, I would now finally get on with the third and last part of the story about Kaelah's first spanking. However, we decided to delay it again - this time, because of current events in the spanking video world.
As many of you will know already, the studio of Mood Pictures, the Hungarian CP film producer about whom I have written a fair bit already on this blog, was raided by the police on the weekend of January 23rd / 24th. Fourteen people were arrested at the scene, three of them now face charges. The accusation is that, at a movie shoot in early January, they ignored a model who was repeatedly safewording, asking them to stop a scene, and continued to beat her. Mood Pictures deny these charges. There will now very probably be a court case against them.
I've been reviewing Mood's videos for years, I have an email correspondence with Pedro (one of the founders and producers) that goes back to 2004, and I even guest starred in one of their videos once, my first professional CP film. I repeatedly and in good faith defended them against urban legends about abuse (I was critical of a few points, too, like the inaccuracy of their tops). So, needless to say, I take these news very seriously indeed. In recent days, I also got a truckload of reader emails: why is the Mood website down? Are the rumours about a police raid true? Do I know anything about it?
To start with the third question: no, I didn't know anything until Tom Rohwer, who runs the German-language BDSM news site Art Noir, contacted me last Wednesday. I hadn't even noticed that Mood's site was down. So I first heard about the story in the news, like everyone else, I suppose. I've been in contact with a few people ever since - among other things, trying to get an accurate translation of the original Hungarian article(s). On Sunday, I got an email from Pedro, who denies the accusations. I will quote some passages from it below.
First off, though, the version given by the Hungarian media and the police. I'm going to take a look at both sides of the story here, as accurately and as unbiased as possible.
The police version
At this early stage, it is still difficult to separate fact from fiction. The story broke in the Hungarian newspapers on January 27th, and the translations I read so far contradict each other in at least one key point. It also seems that there is some confusion in the original articles themselves - which wouldn't be surprising, given that the average journalist, like the average vanilla person, doesn't know a whole lot about BDSM, and even less about the extreme forms practiced by Mood.
For instance, one English translation given by Adele Haze on her blog (written by Krampus) says that the woman who complained to the police was the spankee in the scene in question - the alleged victim herself. However, Tom Rohwer, in his synopsis of the same article, says that the woman who complained had been hired as a domme. Obviously this is a very important detail! After exchanging some emails with both Krampus and Tom, I tend to believe that the version by Krampus is the correct one - that the woman was hired as a spankee, not as a domme. But it is one example among others where the facts of the matter aren't quite clear yet.
Anyway, here is the story given in the Hungarian media, as best as I currently understand it (when I use quotes, I am quoting the translation by Krampus):
A woman in dire financial straits replied to an advertisement in a newspaper about a nude modelling job. She was told that it would be a BDSM video shoot, but she claims that the producers lied to her when they told her that she would only be hit lightly and that she would mostly pretend to be in pain. (Obviously, this is a serious accusation in itself - if true, it would mean that her consent was not really informed consent to begin with.)
At the shoot, she was thrashed by another woman with a cane, a whip and "a wide plastic thing" (it might be a reference to a strap, or a paddle). Beforehand, they had agreed on a safeword ("Stop it, I beg you, my lord!") which she would use if she wanted to stop the scene. However, when it got too much for her and she used the safeword, she was begging in vain - the producer took over and continued the scene to the end, beating the woman until she was bleeding.
She wrote an anonymous letter to the police afterwards, but included her cell phone number so that she could be identified. The police claim that they had received similar complaints about this producer in the past. So, they observed the studio for a couple of days, and then, during another shoot, they struck. A special police task force stormed the building (there is TV footage of the special forces team, wielding submachine guns). They arrested everyone at the scene - including the models, apparently. Three people were later charged with "violations of personal freedom" and "causing bodily harm". At the moment, the police are conducting a large-scale investigation about possible other cases where actresses were beaten and abused against their will during the BDSM shoots.
A few other issues are mentioned in the reports, such as the nurse employed by Mood to provide medical aftercare for the models, or the question of whether such videos are legal in Hungary in the first place (what level of injury can one legally consent to?). However, the most serious accusation is obviously the one that the woman's pleas to stop the scene were ignored, and the implication that there might have been other, similar cases before.
The Mood Pictures version
In the email I received from Pedro last Sunday, he denies this accusation. He has no objections against me posting it here. I am quoting verbatim - Pedro's English may not be perfect (it's better than my Hungarian for sure), but you can understand what he means, and I wanted to leave the text unaltered so that everyone can read it as an original, first-hand source:
As many of you will know already, the studio of Mood Pictures, the Hungarian CP film producer about whom I have written a fair bit already on this blog, was raided by the police on the weekend of January 23rd / 24th. Fourteen people were arrested at the scene, three of them now face charges. The accusation is that, at a movie shoot in early January, they ignored a model who was repeatedly safewording, asking them to stop a scene, and continued to beat her. Mood Pictures deny these charges. There will now very probably be a court case against them.
I've been reviewing Mood's videos for years, I have an email correspondence with Pedro (one of the founders and producers) that goes back to 2004, and I even guest starred in one of their videos once, my first professional CP film. I repeatedly and in good faith defended them against urban legends about abuse (I was critical of a few points, too, like the inaccuracy of their tops). So, needless to say, I take these news very seriously indeed. In recent days, I also got a truckload of reader emails: why is the Mood website down? Are the rumours about a police raid true? Do I know anything about it?
To start with the third question: no, I didn't know anything until Tom Rohwer, who runs the German-language BDSM news site Art Noir, contacted me last Wednesday. I hadn't even noticed that Mood's site was down. So I first heard about the story in the news, like everyone else, I suppose. I've been in contact with a few people ever since - among other things, trying to get an accurate translation of the original Hungarian article(s). On Sunday, I got an email from Pedro, who denies the accusations. I will quote some passages from it below.
First off, though, the version given by the Hungarian media and the police. I'm going to take a look at both sides of the story here, as accurately and as unbiased as possible.
The police version
At this early stage, it is still difficult to separate fact from fiction. The story broke in the Hungarian newspapers on January 27th, and the translations I read so far contradict each other in at least one key point. It also seems that there is some confusion in the original articles themselves - which wouldn't be surprising, given that the average journalist, like the average vanilla person, doesn't know a whole lot about BDSM, and even less about the extreme forms practiced by Mood.
For instance, one English translation given by Adele Haze on her blog (written by Krampus) says that the woman who complained to the police was the spankee in the scene in question - the alleged victim herself. However, Tom Rohwer, in his synopsis of the same article, says that the woman who complained had been hired as a domme. Obviously this is a very important detail! After exchanging some emails with both Krampus and Tom, I tend to believe that the version by Krampus is the correct one - that the woman was hired as a spankee, not as a domme. But it is one example among others where the facts of the matter aren't quite clear yet.
Anyway, here is the story given in the Hungarian media, as best as I currently understand it (when I use quotes, I am quoting the translation by Krampus):
A woman in dire financial straits replied to an advertisement in a newspaper about a nude modelling job. She was told that it would be a BDSM video shoot, but she claims that the producers lied to her when they told her that she would only be hit lightly and that she would mostly pretend to be in pain. (Obviously, this is a serious accusation in itself - if true, it would mean that her consent was not really informed consent to begin with.)
At the shoot, she was thrashed by another woman with a cane, a whip and "a wide plastic thing" (it might be a reference to a strap, or a paddle). Beforehand, they had agreed on a safeword ("Stop it, I beg you, my lord!") which she would use if she wanted to stop the scene. However, when it got too much for her and she used the safeword, she was begging in vain - the producer took over and continued the scene to the end, beating the woman until she was bleeding.
She wrote an anonymous letter to the police afterwards, but included her cell phone number so that she could be identified. The police claim that they had received similar complaints about this producer in the past. So, they observed the studio for a couple of days, and then, during another shoot, they struck. A special police task force stormed the building (there is TV footage of the special forces team, wielding submachine guns). They arrested everyone at the scene - including the models, apparently. Three people were later charged with "violations of personal freedom" and "causing bodily harm". At the moment, the police are conducting a large-scale investigation about possible other cases where actresses were beaten and abused against their will during the BDSM shoots.
A few other issues are mentioned in the reports, such as the nurse employed by Mood to provide medical aftercare for the models, or the question of whether such videos are legal in Hungary in the first place (what level of injury can one legally consent to?). However, the most serious accusation is obviously the one that the woman's pleas to stop the scene were ignored, and the implication that there might have been other, similar cases before.
The Mood Pictures version
In the email I received from Pedro last Sunday, he denies this accusation. He has no objections against me posting it here. I am quoting verbatim - Pedro's English may not be perfect (it's better than my Hungarian for sure), but you can understand what he means, and I wanted to leave the text unaltered so that everyone can read it as an original, first-hand source:
“As you know, during the [recent] photo shot for mood-art the studio was raided with a lot of policemen (commando stile), and all of us was arrested, handcuffed. We did not know why.”
“Only after keeping us in for 10-12 hours, were we told that a girl went into the police three days after the last ElitePain shooting, telling that she was not let to quit a scene, and was forced to do it (which is obviously not true).”
“The police does everything to find evidence against us, the media showed only [reports about] us for a couple of days. You can guess the comments of the vanillas. For example: When the police raided the studio, we were doing a photo set, where a girl was bound, and placed in a big box. The media showed the photo like we were holding there kidnapped girls in boxes.”
“This will be a very long process I think. And I don’t think we will do anything like Mood in the future. So I think Mood Pictures is over.”
“That’s what I can tell you at the moment. It will be good news for many [who don't like our videos], I think.”
Pedro added that I should feel free to report what he wrote, but that he doesn't have the energy for an extended correspondence under the current circumstances. I wrote him another mail with some questions (such as, what about the accusation that the woman had been lied to about the severity of the beatings?), but have not received a reply yet. I will keep you updated about any important news I get out of Hungary, from both sides.
The debate so far - reason vs. hyperbole
Needless to say, if the accusations against Mood turn out to be true, it would be very sad and sombering news indeed - especially for people like me who have defended them in the past. On the other hand, I have seen enough awful, sensationalist reporting over the years to take everything that is written in the mainstream press about BDSM videos with a very large grain of salt. Producers who did far more harmless stuff than Mood have become the targets of over-eager police investigations in the past, and had their lives and reputations ruined by the accompanying media furore. So one will have to wait and see. I think we will only get a clear picture of what really happened when the court case is over, if ever.
In the meantime, the debate in our own kinky community will probably develop along predictable lines. Mood Pictures and their sister sites (Mood Castings, Elite Pain, etc.) have polarised fans of CP erotica like very few other producers. In part, this polarisation was actively sought by Mood themselves, in their constant quest (over the top, in my opinion) to promote themselves as the company making "The Most Brutal Spanking Videos in the World", exclamation mark. That is now backfiring on them. People who never liked Mood because of the extreme nature of their videos, or because they employed vanilla models, or whatever, will take the current events as confirmation that they were always right. On the other hand, people like me, who were fans and who had a personal correspondence with Mood, will be more skeptical about the accusations. As much as one tries to be objective, I think it's hard not to be a little biased one way or the other, simply because there have been so many debates about Mood already and because the old positions are fairly well-entrenched.
That said, the recent discussion on Adele's blog (to which I contributed as well) was very civil and matter-of-fact. Which goes to show you, once again, that intelligent blogs attract intelligent audiences. Even the commenters who strongly dislike Mood voiced their opinions in a calm, non-insulting manner, and I've always respected that (even though the vitriol-laden tirades can be fun, in their way, too - my favourite insults so far, directed at me because of my own participation in a Mood video, are "sociopath", "true Teutonic demagogue" and "sick, sick man").
I expect the debate at Adele's to remain the exception to the rule, though. Call me pessimistic, but I'm in my 30's and I'm old enough to know that, whenever the forces of reason and hysteria clash, hysteria will inevitably win in the end - at least on the grand stage. People will believe anything. Especially when it's crass and sensationalist and they read it in a newspaper somewhere, because then, it must obviously be true.
I'll give you just one example which I saw this week: this Hungarian article about Mood, in the translation by Krampus (which I believe to be the most accurate so far), mentions that "medicines and painkillers" were found in the building. It is my understanding that these were sometimes given to models after a shoot, by the nurse which Mood always employed. In another translation of the same article, this becomes "drugs and painkillers". In a third version I saw, building on the second one, it becomes just "drugs". And voilà, I've already seen the first thread on a spanking forum somewhere, where a poster mutters darkly about how "drugs were found on the premises", making it sound as if Mood were dealing in crack and cocaine as well. This is how I expect the debate to develop, in most places.
All that as it may be, the question that really matters is: will the accusations made by this model against Mood (more precisely, against Elite Pain) turn out to be true? I'll write down my thoughts on that in the next post, along with my thoughts on some related, general issues like consent, legality and safety, and a look back on my own experiences during the "Inmates" shoot. For today, I just wanted to give you both sides of the recent news, from the police / the mainstream media and from Pedro, without much comment from myself. The original sources, so to speak. It should be enough for a lively discussion already, and it will enlighten those among my readers who hadn't heard about the story yet.
The debate so far - reason vs. hyperbole
Needless to say, if the accusations against Mood turn out to be true, it would be very sad and sombering news indeed - especially for people like me who have defended them in the past. On the other hand, I have seen enough awful, sensationalist reporting over the years to take everything that is written in the mainstream press about BDSM videos with a very large grain of salt. Producers who did far more harmless stuff than Mood have become the targets of over-eager police investigations in the past, and had their lives and reputations ruined by the accompanying media furore. So one will have to wait and see. I think we will only get a clear picture of what really happened when the court case is over, if ever.
In the meantime, the debate in our own kinky community will probably develop along predictable lines. Mood Pictures and their sister sites (Mood Castings, Elite Pain, etc.) have polarised fans of CP erotica like very few other producers. In part, this polarisation was actively sought by Mood themselves, in their constant quest (over the top, in my opinion) to promote themselves as the company making "The Most Brutal Spanking Videos in the World", exclamation mark. That is now backfiring on them. People who never liked Mood because of the extreme nature of their videos, or because they employed vanilla models, or whatever, will take the current events as confirmation that they were always right. On the other hand, people like me, who were fans and who had a personal correspondence with Mood, will be more skeptical about the accusations. As much as one tries to be objective, I think it's hard not to be a little biased one way or the other, simply because there have been so many debates about Mood already and because the old positions are fairly well-entrenched.
That said, the recent discussion on Adele's blog (to which I contributed as well) was very civil and matter-of-fact. Which goes to show you, once again, that intelligent blogs attract intelligent audiences. Even the commenters who strongly dislike Mood voiced their opinions in a calm, non-insulting manner, and I've always respected that (even though the vitriol-laden tirades can be fun, in their way, too - my favourite insults so far, directed at me because of my own participation in a Mood video, are "sociopath", "true Teutonic demagogue" and "sick, sick man").
I expect the debate at Adele's to remain the exception to the rule, though. Call me pessimistic, but I'm in my 30's and I'm old enough to know that, whenever the forces of reason and hysteria clash, hysteria will inevitably win in the end - at least on the grand stage. People will believe anything. Especially when it's crass and sensationalist and they read it in a newspaper somewhere, because then, it must obviously be true.
I'll give you just one example which I saw this week: this Hungarian article about Mood, in the translation by Krampus (which I believe to be the most accurate so far), mentions that "medicines and painkillers" were found in the building. It is my understanding that these were sometimes given to models after a shoot, by the nurse which Mood always employed. In another translation of the same article, this becomes "drugs and painkillers". In a third version I saw, building on the second one, it becomes just "drugs". And voilà, I've already seen the first thread on a spanking forum somewhere, where a poster mutters darkly about how "drugs were found on the premises", making it sound as if Mood were dealing in crack and cocaine as well. This is how I expect the debate to develop, in most places.
All that as it may be, the question that really matters is: will the accusations made by this model against Mood (more precisely, against Elite Pain) turn out to be true? I'll write down my thoughts on that in the next post, along with my thoughts on some related, general issues like consent, legality and safety, and a look back on my own experiences during the "Inmates" shoot. For today, I just wanted to give you both sides of the recent news, from the police / the mainstream media and from Pedro, without much comment from myself. The original sources, so to speak. It should be enough for a lively discussion already, and it will enlighten those among my readers who hadn't heard about the story yet.
69 comments:
think after read all in the web and use translation tools. both sides, police and mood told the true and lies. the action again p+p was not only from the girls complain, think was a other company or group behind the story who want lockdown mood+ep. this sides change the spank+caning websides from vanilla to extrem to fast. other producers, my2cent, lost many customers to hu group with better videos and harder actions. think the action was a little forced from others. (producers, oligarchen, mafia)
Ludwig,
There is a Hungarian blogger named Charlie who may be able to help you in regards to translations. I don't know him very well, but I do know that he translates English spanking articles into Hungarian for his audience, perhaps he can help. It is worth a shot anyway, the blog address is http://spankingkedvencek.blogspot.com/
Richard Windsor.
Thanks Ludwig for the story and the one you sent via e-mail! Personally I am extremely suspicious of the accusations made against EP. And the reporting my mainstream media is also so off the mark, as Ludwig reminded.
For example, why has the presence of a nurse and medicine reported as something negative? Doesn´t the presence of medical aid in fact signify that the models are properly cared for...
I don´t also get the complaining on using "vanilla" models (btw, use of such terms is to me a bit derogatory).
Then the issue of "extreme" nature of their films. Well, they ain´t on the soft end, sure, but "extreme"? Though I am no super expert on the scene, I have read on it over 10 years in various scene journals and even talked to some folks practising BDSM. In overall scene, the EP practices are definitely not extreme. In fact, e.g. some French producers have far more severe action in their films. And here I am using the definition of "how it IS", not "how it LOOKS".
I have a nagging feelig, based on observing the comments on "vanilla" sites as well as on Adele Haze´s site, that quite a few commentators take the film as a truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth. In other words, if the action on screen does not LOOK consensual, then it isn´t.This seems to be also the attitude of the authorities in some countries. And frankly, I find that ridiculous.
As for the details of accusations, is one to take really seriously an anonymous letter? I think not. If the supposed unconsensual beating was so severe, why didn´t she immediately report it to the cops when the evidence was still freshly visible?
And one more thing: why mention the supposed "victim´s" financial status? How is this supposed to be of any relevance? One may ask that how many e.g. cleaning ladies would be doing their jobs if they were millionaires? Not many I guess.
Trilisser
One more thing: would we have had this incident at all if the films had had males being caned? I think not.
Trilisser
@ Anonymous (the first one, that is): I'm not sure if one really needs to bring oligarchs or the mafia into this to explain the police raid. Undoubtedly, there are people who might have a strong personal interest in bringing down Mood Pictures, and in bringing them down at this time - but I rather see them in the police force and in politics. After all, as Krampus pointed out in the discussion on Adele's blog, there will be a general election in Hungary in April. Always a good time for a display of some "law and order".
I will write more about this topic in my follow-up post.
@ Richard: Thank you for the information. I'll contact him when I need more help with translations.
@ Trilisser: When I use the term "vanilla", I don't mean it in a derogatory sense. I'm not the biggest fan of the term myself and I find it a bit silly, but it has become established as a slang term in our community and I use it like other people use it, in a purely descriptive manner.
"In overall scene, the EP practices are definitely not extreme."
That's always a matter of personal definition, isn't it? What is extreme for one person may be pretty harmless for another. However, I believe that most of us in the scene would say that Mood / EP, while not necessarily the single most extreme site in existence, are definitely towards the more extreme end of the spectrum.
At the end of the day, though, that is an aesthetic judgment, and as long as everything is safe and consensual, people should of course be allowed to produce and watch such videos. Still, a producer of extreme material will inevitably attract stronger negative reactions, both inside and outside of our community, than someone who only films playful tap-tap spankings. That's just the way things are!
"As for the details of accusations, is one to take really seriously an anonymous letter? I think not. If the supposed unconsensual beating was so severe, why didn´t she immediately report it to the cops when the evidence was still freshly visible?"
It does seem a bit odd that she contacted the police in this form and that it took her three days after the shoot to do it, but in fairness, I don't think that this in itself totally destroys her credibility. After all, there are issues of personal embarassment involved.
As for evidence, it seems that she took photographs of the marks and sent them along to the police.
"And one more thing: why mention the supposed 'victim´s' financial status? How is this supposed to be of any relevance? One may ask that how many e.g. cleaning ladies would be doing their jobs if they were millionaires? Not many I guess."
True, but the financial status obviously has an effect on how free a model's decision to do a video really is. So it does raise questions, not in a legal sense (no one was forcing her at gunpoint!), but in a more general, moral sense. Personally, I have no moral objections against vanilla models getting themselves thrashed in spanking films, but when I know that they were totally desperate for money, I begin to have certain problems.
Pedro always maintained that the majority of their models were, in fact, people who were not in desperate financial situations, that they were people who *wanted*, rather than needed, the extra money. This was important to me when I made my decision to film with Mood.
"One more thing: would we have had this incident at all if the films had had males being caned? I think not."
Very probably not. And therein lies a kind of hypócrisy that annoys me, too (and a kind of not-so-hidden chauvinism): we big, strong males are trusted to be able to take care of ourselves, while the poor little women always have to be protected and saved (by police officers and politicians who are all male, of course).
If the accusations and raid were motivated by the political usefulness in election campaignes, we will see it coming up in Hungarian media. So far it doesnt seem to have hit the headlines.
I think the theory of competitors conspiring with the tv2 site is interesting. But we cannot rule out the possibility that there was some truth in the accusation(s). I guess the best evidence is on Mood's own harddisks, now in the hands of the investigators.
The Mood/EP people are innocent until proven guilty
Very thoughtful post, Ludwig. And I'm glad you took time to reflect on the situation and gather more information before jumping straight into the fray.
I typed a comment here, but went on for far too long with my perspectives on the case, so I've posted them instead across at The Spanking Writers:
http://www.spankingwriters.com/blog/2010/02/06/police-raid-spanking-movie-producer-some-thoughts/
I don't want to divide the debate or distract people from your excellent post, but I really had written too much to include in a comment here!
I think the accusations were right!
In the movie "Educational Program -Part 1-" the models were supposed to work as BOTH domme and sufferer at the same time; in (behind the scene) shot, one of the models was shown getting slightly beaten by Maximilian, at first she was patient but later on her patient was up.....she was unsatisfied and she has all the right to be so.
by the way, that scene was OFF SHOOTING.
the model unsatisfactorily said and I am quoting: "this is not mentioned in my contract".
I am not saying that she is the one who complained but that is definitely a sign supports the case against Mood.
For preview about the above mentioned movie:
http://pinkywheals.blogspot.com/2010/01/educational-program-part-1.html
@ frants: "If the accusations and raid were motivated by the political usefulness in election campaignes, we will see it coming up in Hungarian media. So far it doesnt seem to have hit the headlines."
Well, it does seem to be a pretty big topic in Hungary at the moment, with articles in various papers, TV reports, and so on. In Pedro's words: "The media showed only [reports about] us for a couple of days." No, a police raid of a BDSM porn producer is probably not going to make many headlines - not in a serious newspaper, anyway -, but most people in Budapest will undoubtedly be aware of the topic by now.
"But we cannot rule out the possibility that there was some truth in the accusation(s)."
Of course not. It is, sadly, quite possible that there is some truth in them.
@ Abel: Thank you for the link, I will undoubtedly comment on your post in due time.
@ Anonymous: "I think the accusations were right!
In the movie 'Educational Program -Part 1-' the models were supposed..."
I haven't seen the movie you are referring to. Actually, I haven't seen many from Elite Pain at all. I know many more movies by Mood than by EP, and I attended a Mood shoot, not an EP shoot - so my knowledge about EP isn't nearly as first-hand. This is one of the points I was going to include in my follow-up post.
Generally speaking, though, I would be skeptical of taking everything that is shown in such a video (even when it is supposedly behind-the-scenes) at face value. In my correspondence with Pedro, we also once talked about the "reality TV" aspects of Elite Pain (albeit briefly, because as I said, EP isn't really my thing). According to him at least, a lot of the interpersonal goings-on which you see there, and which were supposedly real, were actually scripted.
That said, the scene you mention does of course sound disconcerting in light of the recent events. I'll try to get a copy of the video so I can form my own opinion (EP titles might still be available at the local sex shop, they usually were...).
1) The comment by anon. based on a "behind-the-scenes" clip is exactly what I expected: some people do seem to believe they show the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. One may ask that if that was the truth, would be the film studio be so stupid to not to edit it out? Again, what appears to be is not what actually is.
2) Ludiwg, you are indeed correct that what is extyreme and what is not depends on much of the viewer. However, when viewed objectively, free of personal bias, EP/MP is not extreme. Let´s consider a medical point of view. I know a French producer (who has been in the business for over 10 years, minimum) whose films show ladies suspended from their bound breasts. Now, which one is medically a more dangerous practice, 50 strokes of the cane on girl´s bottom or being suspended by her breasts?
3) Why should porn film industry have/follow higher standards than any other industry? I.e. should e.g. supermarkets stop hiring people who are very much in need of the money?
What is more, any inmdustry is based on the fact that when a contract is signed, it has responsibilities for both parties. And naturally the key when dealing with labour contracts (like the one between the MP and the accuser) is that the wages are paid against performed work. No work done, no money.
4) Some people seem to forget that BDSM is not just about domination and submission, it is also about giving and receiving physical pain. And EP´s concentration on the latter aspect seems to be worth of angst to some people. An attitude most ambiguous, I´d say.
5) The fact that plenty of girls have starred in EP productions for several times over a longer period of time should be, and for me is, an ample proof that both parties of the contracts have been satisfied which they each got.
Trilisser
Here is an article cut and pasted from the Budapest Times english website on the subject. (link at bottom)
Police raid illegal pornography studio
Tuesday, 02 February 2010
Police have raided and shut down an illegal porn studio in a flat in Újpest, District IV police chief József Baranyi told reporters last Wednesday.
Fourteen arrests were made and three people charged in connection with the degrading treatment of people duped into appearing in sado-masochistic films. The police moved into action after receiving an unsigned note from a woman who said she had answered an advertisement and been told she would be expected to pose naked, but not to perform any sexual acts on camera. The woman gave a mobile phone number, and it was later found that the mother of seven had been tied up and whipped by another woman against her will. When the woman stopped, the “producer” stepped in and began to beat both woman, Baranyi said.
Footage released by the police showed benches, chains, whips and other sado-masochistic paraphernalia in the makeshift studio. There was even a first aid station in a flat adjacent to the studio, staffed by a member of the ambulance service. Police took the medic in for questioning and said that proceedings would be launched against him if he was found to have been an accomplice to the pornographers. Digital recording were impounded, Baranyi said. The films were available for sale through the internet, or, for “serious money” people could pay to watch the filming in real time online. “It was horrifying, the things they were doing” to the 20- to 30-year-old women in the films, Baranyi said.
http://www.budapesttimes.hu/content/view/13836/27/
hi ludwig
on spankingwriters i read only movie made or released on january. didnt pedro tell you the "problem"-title?
Hi Ludwig from Spain.
Excuse me for my english but you meet personally the top that's beaten (it's a joke in my opinion) in the BTS of elite pain movie Education-1. She is top in Inmates movies too. She is Sabrina Tyccon in casting names I think. She is brunnette and "fat", excuse me but i don't know now another word to explain me, with tattoos in back.
Greg, thanks for the posting the article! Frankly, the tone of the article is really revealing: the author of the article is clearly alien to the scene (he/she doesn´t know a rat´s bottom about it), as is the interviewed copper. In fact, the comments by the copper and the media remind me of the incident in Finland about a year ago. A Finnish gun collector was raided by exactly similar style swat tactics and was branded as a sort of criminal thug planning to take over the world with his "huge arsenal". Now, the case has been in court and the only crime he was quilty of was the possession of a little over 1 kg of gunpowder (one unopened can of 1 kg + one opened and depleted 1 kg can) when the regs call that the max. storage in an apartment is exactly 1 kg! In legal terms this is a "crime" not much worse than a parking ticket and in real terms nothing. Yet, thanks to the actions of some overzealous coppers and the hysterical and totally biased writing of the media, a man´s reputation has been deeply tarnished and his personal rights trampled upon. I have a nasty feeling that this is the end result for EP/MP as well.
Trilisser
@ Trilisser: "Ludiwg, you are indeed correct that what is extyreme and what is not depends on much of the viewer. However, when viewed objectively..."
Sure, there might be a French producer out there who does even more extreme stuff. However, does that mean that Mood / EP are *not* extreme? At the end of the day, it all comes to down to our personal, subjective definitions - and pure semantics, really. I stand by my point that the majority of people in our scene would probably consider Mood / EP pretty extreme, both in absolute terms and when compared to most other video producers.
Also, there seems to be a "cultural difference" here, shall we say, between most of the people who actually practise BDSM in their own lives on the one hand, and some of the people who only watch videos on the other hand.
You seem to belong to the second camp (correct me if I am wrong). And frankly, unless you have taken a 50 stroke caning yourself that is comparable in severity to what Mood / EP do, unless you know what it is like from your own personal experience, I would be careful, in your position, about judging how extreme (or not) it is. I know what such a caning feels like, my girlfriend Kaelah knows what it feels like, several people I know in the scene know what it feels like - but I don't think you do.
"Why should porn film industry have/follow higher standards than any other industry? I.e. should e.g. supermarkets stop hiring people who are very much in need of the money?"
One could look at it this way - that, fundamentally, working in porn is no different from working at the supermarket. Or, one could say that porn is a much more "intimate" from of work, where people make themselves more physically and emotionally vulnerable (especially in hard BDSM films) than in most other jobs, and that therefore, different moral standards should apply.
It is a complex issue and I don't think that the answers are clear-cut either way. Personally, I think both sides have a point. In any case, however, I would - again! - be careful about making statements about this issue unless you have some personal experience with the porn industry yourself.
"Some people seem to forget that BDSM is not just about domination and submission, it is also about giving and receiving physical pain. And EP´s concentration on the latter aspect seems to be worth of angst to some people. An attitude most ambiguous, I´d say."
Yeah, but as you say yourself, that is not the relevant issue here. Since nobody brought domination / submission vs. phsyical pain into this discussion yet, I don't see why you feel the need to.
"The fact that plenty of girls have starred in EP productions for several times over a longer period of time should be, and for me is, an ample proof that both parties of the contracts have been satisfied which they each got."
It is true that the fact that many models returned to do more than one production with Mood / EP speaks in favour of this producer, and casts a doubt over how believable the current accusations are. Still, the fact that many models came back does not, in itself, prove that there couldn't have been any cases, ever, where the producers perhaps took things too far.
Like I said, I refuse to condemn Mood / EP before all the facts are in. Actually, I have a very hard time believing the accusations made in this article. But I also refuse to exonerate them completely before all the facts are in. We will just have to wait and see.
@ Greg: Thank you very much for that article. Briefer than the others and doesn't really mention anything new, but at least it is an original English-language source.
@ Anonymous: "on spankingwriters i read only movie made or released on january. didnt pedro tell you the 'problem'-title?"
No, Pedro did not tell me the "problem title". Actually, I don't know for a fact that the shoot really took place in early January. But I am pretty sure it did.
According to Pedro, the model went to the police three days after the shoot. And according to the police, they observed the studio for a couple of days before the raid (which occured on the weekend of January 23rd / 24th). This would place the shoot where the alleged abuse took place in early or mid January.
Therefore, I am also pretty sure that the movie where the alleged abuse took place had not been released yet. Mood / EP are pretty quick compared to other producers I know, but it usually takes several weeks at least until a movie is edited and ready for release.
@ Carlos: Thank you, I didn't know that I had apparently met her. As I said, I don't know that many EP titles at all.
Hi Ludwig,
I found on an other website that police officer means: "Hungarian law states that a person cannot consent to be harmed, meaning that any contracts signed by the victims are invalid." THIS is strange on the story. In Germany we can produce it but not sell. In Hungary they can sell but not produce. Strange world.
Dirk (aka director) Sands
Thx Ludwig for your answer - "problem title" - sorry for my bad english ;)
wonder what they do with the material they didnt released yet. i pretty sure they cant sell it anymore.
maybe thats for xx years the last hard movies like mood did, what you think?
wonder what happend in the newsworld if steve holmes (porn actor who was in some titles of mood or ep) would have been there when raid happend ;)
Hi Ludwig,
I've responded-- to your post and other discussions on the topic--with a fairly lengthy post on my own blog, entitled "The Gray Area Between YKIOK and That's Just Wrong."
While I certainly don't share your aesthetic views about severe BDSM films, my views about the morality of such enterprises in general are similar to yours. I think I disagree with you about the degree to which Mood's practices in particular are irresponsible.
In the discussion here, I've found your comments about the cultural difference between those who participate in the BDSM scene and those who simply watch the films be be particularly interesting.
Indy
@ Anoymous who refers to a Behind the scenes in EP - "I think the accusations were right!
In the movie "Educational Program -Part 1-"
I have seen that, and they are joking. She even, in subtitles!, says 'I will sue you' or something like that. All just kidding.
And she is not fat! She is stunning!
Did some hiccup happen to my previous comment or was it deleted? Whichever the case, I have to point out some facts.
1) I have been at the receiving (as well as giving) end of some BDSM practices so I do have personal knowledge how e.g. spanking feels.
2) I just watched the MP release "4 Vicious Bitches". The DVD contains an interview of Suzie Muller who is both top and bottom in the film. During the interview it is mentioned that both she and abnother girl asked and got a break during their scenes. It is also mentioned that it is Muller´s 3rd shoot with EP/MP. So she is Ok with EP/Mp practices.
3) I worked for 4 years in a porn store. Our shop had also private strip shows. Some of the girls were also into BDSM, some being professional dominas. I had an opportunity to discuss the BDSM scene with these girls and based on their commments and other sources, I have come to the opinion that the practices shown in most EP/MP productions are not extreme, though not on the mild end either.
And frants, the girl you refer to is indeed stunning!
Trilisser
Hallo Ludwig
thanks for your artikel, you are trying to be objective and disimpassioned, although we know you are passionate. I like to hear a reasonable voice in the scene.
I dont think the whole problem lies in the question: Did they do anything legal or not.
The fact is: "Our" Dreams are sometimes illigal. And if someone tries to realise movies for our fantasies, it always will be on the edge of legality (of any country)or beyond.
Well, that´s how it is, I have no solvation for that.
Pedros comment, that Mood pictures is over, sounds like a confession.
...Or maybe Pedro is just ascertaining what is now a reality, and his real position in front of a machinary much powerful than him or Mood.
Thank you for the post, Ludwig, I think it´s balanced and medited.And greetings from Spain. (Sorry for my English)
@ Anonymous: "maybe thats for xx years the last hard movies like mood did, what you think?"
No, probably not. There is a big demand for severe CP films, so other producers will fill the void. Lupus Pictures do some hard stuff (though not as hard as Mood / EP), and then there's the Russians. Also, it is quite possible the new producers from countries that haven't been on the radar before might appear.
One will have to wait and see what their MO turns out to be like. Personally, I have more doubts about the Russian producers, for instance, than I ever had about Mood.
@ Indy: Thanks, I'll reply to that when I have the time.
"In the discussion here, I've found your comments about the cultural difference between those who participate in the BDSM scene and those who simply watch the films be be particularly interesting."
Yes, I think that this is a very important point, actually. Just as there are people out there who vastly over-estimate how painful and horrible a Mood Pictures-style thrashing truly is, there are other people out there who under-estimate it. My advice applies to both camps: if you don't know from personal experience what you are talking about, it's probably better to keep your mouth shut.
@ Trilisser: Your pevious comments should all be there, as long as you posted them. I never delete comments unless they are obvious, off-topic spam.
"I have been at the receiving (as well as giving) end of some BDSM practices so I do have personal knowledge how e.g. spanking feels."
I see. In your first comment here, you had written: "I have read on [the scene] over 10 years in various scene journals and even talked to some folks practising BDSM." Which didn't sound as if you were one of the folks practising BDSM yourself, hence my assumption that you were not.
So, the next question would be, have you ever taken a full force, Mood-style caning of 50 strokes, the kind that draws blood and leaves marks that last for a month or more? If so, how did you find it? Personally, I wouldn't necessarily call the hardest caning I ever took (which falls into that category) an "extreme experience". But it's certainly something you don't want to do too often!
"I just watched the MP release '4 Vicious Bitches'. The DVD contains an interview of Suzie Muller who is both top and bottom in the film. During the interview it is mentioned that both she and abnother girl asked and got a break during their scenes. It is also mentioned that it is Muller´s 3rd shoot with EP/MP. So she is Ok with EP/Mp practices."
Yes, and you can read in my own behind-the-scenes report that models asked for and received breaks during the shoot I took part in as well. That was never in doubt. The real question is, what happened at the recent shoot where the alleged abuse took place? Even though the scenes described by you or personally witnessed by me make the model's accusations less believable, that in itself doesn't prove that it couldn't possibly have happened.
"I worked for 4 years in a porn store. Our shop had also private strip shows. Some of the girls were also into BDSM, some being professional dominas. I had an opportunity to discuss the BDSM scene with these girls and based on their commments and other sources, I have come to the opinion that the practices shown in most EP/MP productions are not extreme, though not on the mild end either."
Yes, I understand that. You do not find the practices shown in most Mood / EP productions extreme. And needless to say, you are entitled to your opinion like everyone else. The majority of people in our scene, however, will probably hold a different view, and will consider the videos extreme. That was my point. Trust me - if it wasn't like that, there wouldn't have been so many discussions about this producer!
At the end of the day, I think we both agree that it comes down to personal definition, and that this isn't the relevant question here, anyway. So let's drop that subject, shall we?
@ Anonymous (the next one...): "Pedros comment, that Mood pictures is over, sounds like a confession."
I think it's less of a confession than an acknowledgement of reality. Even if the abuse charges do not hold up in court, there are other things Mood might be prosecuted for - like the question of whether the videos were legal in Hungary in the first place, or whether their finances were in order. And even if they get out of all that, too, the public fallout of the whole affair is probably too big to continue making videos in Budapest.
@ Lord Fafner: Greetings back to Spain, and no need to apologise for your English (it certainly is better than my Spanish).
All you Anonymus: for the sake of discussion it would be useful if you rather click the 'Choose an identity' and select 'Name' and invent something. Be DOnald Duck or Don Draper or Sophia Loren or whatever!
the safe word that has been chosen shows that they have had plans not to pay attention to it. its a safe word designed to be ignored
@ kaveh: "the safe word that has been chosen shows that they have had plans not to pay attention to it. its a safe word designed to be ignored"
I don't think that that's a fair accusation. Sure, you could argue that a safe word like that ("Stop it, I beg you, my lord!")was "designed to be ignored". You could also argue, however, that it was designed so that they could keep it in the film - so that the cut in the resulting scene, if a model has to use the safe word, would be less abrupt.
So, no, I don't think that the nature of the safeword, in itself, speaks against Mood Pictures.
I guess you are right regarding the safe word, I think Mood have screwed up and for that they should be closed.
To LUDWIG, in the original post you said: "It is my understanding that these were sometimes given to models after a shoot, by the nurse which Mood always employed"
I have once spoken with pedro and he said no nurse or any medicines are being used....he added: the cuts are minor they go away by itself in 2 or 3 weeks!!!
sugar cane: "I have once spoken with pedro and he said no nurse or any medicines are being used....he added: the cuts are minor they go away by itself in 2 or 3 weeks!!!"
Well, they certainly had a nurse at the movie shoot I attended, and she provided medical aftercare to the models. Pedro had no objections about me mentioning it in my behind-the-scenes report - on the contrary, it was one of the first things he pointed out to me the morning when he took me along to the shoot.
It's true that the cuts are not deep and that they go away after a couple of weeks, pretty much by itself. Nonetheless, the nurse disinfected the cuts and put some bandages on them. I could also imagine that she gave painkillers to models who requested it.
Mood Pictures had so much potential. Beautiful models, good photography, something of a story line and surprizing severity.
I suspect it is all over for now.
I wonder if someone could step up and take over where they left off, but do it very carefully within the law.
By which I mean: consult a lawyer, know the relevent laws in your jurisdiction, have airtight procedures including signed informed consent and contracts, strict adherence to health and safety precautions, strict use of 'safe words' etc., pre-approval by local authorities, appropriate health care professional assistance etc.
It is clear that good severe movies can be made technically. The actors and technology are out there.(Where are all those wonderful Mood actresses?) Now, is there anyone willing and able to take up the mantle and do it right!
By the way a little professional consultation on the script and story wouldn't hurt either!
Remember: "The Story of O" was made legally in France and is considered something of a classic, and almost mainstream.
There are hundreds of unemployed film school graduates out there. Who will accept the challenge?
so Ludwig, you are telling me that he lied on me....ha!!!
I got a question for you Ludwig? did they stop shooting sometimes to give the Model a break or was it a continuous shooting?
@ Greg: "I wonder if someone could step up and take over where they left off, but do it very carefully within the law."
The problem is that the law isn't always very clear. There is a gray area, for instance, when it comes to the level of injury one can legally consent to. In Germany, you can consent to receiving an injury as long as it does not violate the so-called "good mores". BDSM practices, even the vicious stuff practiced by Mood / EP, are not usually considered to violate the good mores - you would need to inflict dangerous, almost life-threatening injuries for that. Still, there is no 100% consensus, obviously, and there are always going to be borderline cases, or cases where you might run into trouble for something relatively harmless when faced with an unsympathetic judge.
Mind you, this is in Germany, where things are (by international comparison) relatively clear. It becomes much "grayer" in many other jurisdictions.
As for the question, will anyone take up the mantle of Mood / EP, and perhaps do it in a safer way, both legally and in practical terms... Who knows. There certainly is a market for very severe CP videos. So, you can be pretty sure that someone will fill the space now vacated by Mood / EP. As for who it will be, and how they will go about it, we will have to wait and see.
@ sugar cane: "so Ludwig, you are telling me that he lied on me....ha!!!"
I don't know. Pedro was very open to me about the nurse and the medical aftercare, and he had no objections against me writing about it in my behind-the-scenes report. So, personally, I don't see a reason why he would lie to you about it. Do you?
When was this "once" when you allegedly spoke with Pedro? Recently, or some time ago? I don't think they had a nurse at the shoots in the earlier years. What, exactly, was your question, and what, exactly, did he answer? Are you sure you understood everything right?
"I got a question for you Ludwig? did they stop shooting sometimes to give the Model a break or was it a continuous shooting?"
That is all in the behind-the-scenes report I wrote last year, as is the info about the nurse - all you have to do is read it, you know.
In short: Rita Goord, the first of two girls I caned, was the only one at that shoot who did her scene without a single break (she had done several videos with Mood before). All the other models asked for, and received, at least one break. One girl quit after only four or five strokes. There was no attempt to persuade her to continue, they simply untied her and she went home.
Ludwig,
I'm pleased to find a rational discussion of this whole incident here. I've always enjoyed Mood Pictures and EP's work, but it has always appeared to me that they have been flirting with danger by pushing the models so hard.
The safe word question is an interesting one. The model claims that it was ignored, Pedro says otherwise. Ludwig, I just wanted to remind you of something you yourself said on the British Spanking Forum about your experiences with Mood Pictures:
http://www.britishspanking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39334&page=2
"Pedro told me that they had an agreed upon safe-word in their early movies, which would tell the top to slow down with the severity of the strokes. That word was simply "It hurts too much!" (I forgot what the Hungarian is). However, they don't have that anymore, because as Pedro put it: "They used the safeword too often."
So nowadays, they work without such a pre-coded signal. They just keep caning and whipping the girls no matter what happens, basically. As long as she is screaming something that could be interpreted as being in character, that is fine. "Please stop!" "I can't take any more!" "It hurts so much!" They simply leave all that in the video.
If she screams something that is clearly out of character, like "This is too hard, stop the camera!", or if they (the director and the nurse) feel that it is really and obviously getting too much for the girl, they will interrupt the filming. Then they talk to the girl: okay, we can stop if you like, or we can go on after a little break, think about it. Most of the girls decide that they want to continue (and get the full paycheck)."
It struck me then, and even more so in the light of what has happened since, that there's a degree of ambiguity in that kind of situation, and it's all too easy for the bottom to think that they have one understanding of how things will go, and the top to have another. Under those circumstances it would be easy for the bottom to feel a breach of trust had occurred. I was interested in your own opinion about that.
I asked PEDRO that question like a year and a half ago.....yeah may be they didn't have the nurse back then.
He exactly said: the wounds are all minor and superficial, they go away by themselves in 2 or 3 weeks.
I read your behind the scene report...good script, with a lot of details, simply great job.
London concerns are very true, It seems that Mood was working in the gray area you described....they didn't have a good, coherent agreement with the models...
like with the "safe word" thing....Did the Models knew about the new ignoring safe word procedure???..although The Models were supposed to have passed castings "test", but still mood might have done some mistakes with getting "some" Models fully acquainted what this job is all about specially the new ones.
One last word, I don't care what the contract looked like, the most important thing is the the Models full consent and Knowledge of the type of this job...that according to Ludwig (behind the scene report) was completely taking care of.
@ LondonTop: "Under those circumstances it would be easy for the bottom to feel a breach of trust had occurred. I was interested in your own opinion about that."
A good question (and a good find on that forum!). To be honest, the exact Mood Pictures practice of using safewords / not using safewords / stopping a scene / not stopping a scene was never totally clear to me.
Pedro's explanation to me (not during the shoot, but during the first time we met, in Munich in late 2008) wasn't totally clear, and I am guilty of reporting about it on my blog and elsewhere in terms that aren't totally clear, either. Terms that probably sound way more dramatic to some readers than the reality. It certainly isn't accurate to simply say, as I did in that old forum post, that: "[Mood] just keep caning and whipping the girls no matter what happens, basically."
Here is how it all worked, to the best of my understanding:
In their first films, Mood had a coded safeworded (like "It hurts too much!"), which would tell the top to reduce the severity of the stokes - without interrupting the scene. The results were some scenes that were lighter than Mood liked, and some scenes were a line like "It hurts too much!" was repeated very often.
So, they started the practice of interrupting scenes, rather than the top reducing the severity. And they stopped using "coded" safewords. They simply interrupted a scene when a model asked for it, in plain terms. Then they talked to her about it: "Alright, do you want to stop? Do you want to go on?" That sort of thing.
Then, even later, I suppose it transformed to something like: okay, we have a nurse at the shoot to keep an eye on things and stop a scene if she considers it necessary. So we don't *always* have to listen to the models anymore! For instance, if a scene is only four or five strokes away from the end, anyway, we can just go through with it even if the model asks for an interruption. Get it over quickly!
Pedro's argument was that: "It is easier for a girl to take the caning in one go, instead of stopping and restarting several times!" (I'm quoting from memory from a conversation) I think that he sincerely believed this. Also, they had the nurse, so everything was on the safe side as far as Pedro was concerned.
I had mixed feelings about some of what he was saying, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt at the time. At the shoot I attended, nothing overly dramatic happened: some girls asked for an interruption during their CP scene, and they got it. One girl wanted to quit after only four or five strokes, and that is what happened - there wasn't even an attempt to persuade her to continue, they just untied her and she went home.
(to be continued)
(continued)
There was one episode I would consider borderline, during the second caning scene with me as a top, with Tammy Lange. Tammy had asked for two interruptions, and they were given. Then, very shortly before the end of the scheduled 50 strokes, she yelled "Stop, stop, stop..." again. It wasn't clear that she really wanted to interrupt the scene again, though. The previous two times, she had instantly started a conversation with the director. This time, she said nothing afterwards, as if awaiting the next stroke. I looked over to the assistant director, who directed me as the top. After a pause of a few seconds, he gave Tammy a hand signal, then he signalled to me that I should give Tammy the last few strokes. And I did.
Tammy was fine afterwards. Actually, she did another Mood video a month or two later. As for me, I didn’t give the episode much thought at the time – I was happy to see that she was okay when the scene was over, and I was still high from shooting my first professional CP film, anyway. I gave the episode a single-sentence description in my behind-the-scenes report on the blog that probably sounds way more dramatic than it was.
Still, I came to the view later that I had made the wrong decision. It was a moment where I wasn’t sure about the consent, and as brief as it was, and as close as it was towards the end of the scene, I should still have “overruled” the assistant director out of my own initiative and stopped the scene.
So, I would do it differently today. I came to this view long before I heard about the current affair with Mood, and the current affair has only reinforced my change of opinion, obviously. Today, I would say that shooting very severe CP videos without having a clear, concise safeword for the models, and without making sure that there is perfectly clear communication between the models and the producers, is pretty irresponsible. Especially when you are working with vanilla girls.
So, I would agree with you that Mood were certainly "flirting with danger" by pushing the models as hard as they sometimes did, and by doing it in the way they did, without the necessary thought and care having gone into everything. I have a hard time believing the accusations against Mood that are made in the papers (if we are to believe Pedro's version of events, the model who made the accusations was not even tied down during the last 10 minutes of her scene). But I would say that parts of the Mood modus operandi were pretty borderline indeed, and that even if the accusations turn out to be false, Mood did their own part in bringing this whole affair onto themselves.
@ sugar cane: "London concerns are very true, It seems that Mood was working in the gray area you described....they didn't have a good, coherent agreement with the models...
like with the "safe word" thing....Did the Models knew about the new ignoring safe word procedure???"
As I said in my reply to LondonTop above, I agree with his concerns. I have become more skeptical myself of some elements of the Mood modus operandi as time went on, like the fact that they stopped using a clear, concise safeword, or the "borderline" episode with Tammy Lange which I mentioned.
As far as I know, though, the models did know about this practice beforehand.
"One last word, I don't care what the contract looked like, the most important thing is the the Models full consent and Knowledge of the type of this job...that according to Ludwig (behind the scene report) was completely taking care of."
Well, they certainly knew (at the shoot I attended) that the canings would be real, and painful - not just "pretending pain". So the accusation that the model was mislead about this, as it is made in the newspaper article, is one I have a very hard time believing.
I'm not sure that the communication between the producers and the models was always as good as it should have been, especially in light of how severe the videos were. But I don't believe that models were intentionally mislead.
Thanks for your reply, Ludwig. I thought that that was probably what you had meant, and I guess it just goes to illustrate the difficulty of working without an obvious safe word. On the one hand having an offbeat word like 'marmalade' means that it will need to be edited out. On the other hand, at least there's no grey area as regards consent. It sounds like what happened at Mood is one of those breakdowns in communication that do happen occasionally, but of course once the police and media get involved then there's no hope of resolving things amicably.
I got very surprised actually shocked when you said that Tammy acted two more videos with mood...!! that means she knew 100% what she was doing and she was 100% consent about it....the question is are all model 100% know what they are doing??
that question would be left with no clear answer....that is why here in america things are easier and clearer once you signed the contract, that is it. there is no coming back
So far I've read alot of good arguments from both 'sides'.
What I do not understand is: There's an entire website including lots of pictures and short video sequences showing very detailed the previously recorded videos.
How can someone - planning to take part in a BDSM video - not check all the available information before attending?
How can someone completely ignore what's already been done the years before?
I personally [attention:opinion] find it rather unlikely that she hadn't the slightest idea
about what's happening during the movie recording.
Ludwig, could you keep us updated on any news you hear on this topic, please.
It is clearly of importance to many people.
Does anyone knows if consumers who downloaded the movies can be in trouble now? The police will surely have the re credit card numbers so would be easy to identify most of them. I know you all live in different countries, so different laws would apply, but it this anything one should be worried about? Someone already had police@home to a house search?
GeorgeB,
No worries! No customer data was tried to be gathered. Police is not interested in customers, since it's not illegal to sell BDSM movies in Hungary.
Anyway, even if they were, we didn't have any credit card details, since CCs were processed by independent card processor.
So sleep relaxed.
Best Wishes!
Pedro
Even if EP and Mood are no longer making new videos, is there a website where we can purchase/download the videos they have already made?
@ Pedro:
It's very kind of you to take the time to tell the fans who've bought your videos that they don't have to worry about any negative consequences - despite the fact that you're surely having a very hard time yourself at the moment! I'm sure that many readers are very happy to get the information you've given them in your comment. Thanks a lot!
I read through this blog very carefully and I must say I feel very much for Pedro and Pablo.
I have seen nearly every film and I must say they are in a way extreme no doubt, but they never gone too far. And that is exactly what real sadists - and I am a strong one- want to see. There are enough tame sites in the net.
I practice SM and I go with my subs very far, they get a bloody ass and they never complained, they liked that very much.
No model in the movies was ever harmed and that should be the most important criterion in my opinion. I am very hard and extreme, but I never ever threatened the health of the subs. And nor did Mood.
Okay, it is a problem to work with vanillas, but every model knew before what they had to expect, so there is abolutely no reason to complain. They should not be so thin - skinned.
Mood and elitepain were the far best spanking sites in the net and I hope they will continue their excellent work. And they should not lower the severity.
So Pedro and your fellows all the best to you.
PS. Sorry for my English, - I come from Germany- I know it should be improved, but I hope you got everything right.
Any recommendations on other sites that have the quality and intensity of Mood videos? The only one I know that approaches Mood/EP are the Czechs over at Rigid East.
I was swamped with work the last weeks and had to take a break from blogging. A few belated replies:
@ sugar cane: "I got very surprised actually shocked when you said that Tammy acted two more videos with mood."
One more, to my knowledge.
"that is why here in america things are easier and clearer once you signed the contract, that is it. there is no coming back."
Well, things aren't quite that simple. I am sure that in the US, too, when you sign a contract that is agsinst the law, the contract itself is void and not binding.
The fundamental question remains, what level of injury can one consent to under Hungarian law?
@ robert: "How can someone - planning to take part in a BDSM video - not check all the available information before attending?"
To my knowledge, the Mood website and the others in the network were never accessible in Hungary. It was blocked. According to Pedro, this was done to protect the models from friends or family finding out. It was actually a precondition for many of them so they would work with Mood in the first place.
Still, a model planning to take part in a BDSM shoot can ask the producer to show her pictures or video clips, if she wants to inform herself. That is what I would have done. Also, according to Pedro, they told her during the pre-shoot interview (which was recorded on video) that the CP would be very much real. So, as you say, it is hard to believe that she had no idea what lay ahead of her. And if sh wanted, she could have informed herself in detail, with pictures and videos.
@ Anonymous: "Even if EP and Mood are no longer making new videos, is there a website where we can purchase/download the videos they have already made?"
There are various online shops. It shouldn't be difficult to find one near your corner of the world. Google is your friend.
@ striemendom: "I am very hard and extreme, but I never ever threatened the health of the subs. And nor did Mood."
Well, Mood did have some pretty inaccurate dommes, who placed the occasional cane stroke on a girl's back. They also had single-tail whippings targetting the lower back, and some very severe pussy whippings. All of which was pushing the limits of what I find responsible. If you have no doubts about that whatsoever, then you aren't as safety-conscious as a top as you claim to be.
Anonymous (2): "Any recommendations on other sites that have the quality and intensity of Mood videos? The only one I know that approaches Mood/EP are the Czechs over at Rigid East."
You already mentioned Lupus / RGE. The only other producer I can think of right now who consistently does very severe videos is Russian Slaves, with their assorted websites Her First Punishment and Discipline in Russia. Other producers exist who do severe canings or whippings occasionally, but they don't do it as regularly.
@Ludwig
You are quite right. When I think of all the films, esp. elitepain there are some inaccurate Doms. That is absolutely true.
I think severe pussy or breast whipping is okay, but strokes on the lower back should never happen. I don`t like belly whipping either. They should concentrate on the upper back, the ass, breasts, thighs and in my opinion also pussy.
So I have to be more precise: I hope that Mood and Elitepain will come back soon; that they will by no means lower the severity, but that they will be very accurate in administering the strokes, so that the health of the models is never threatened.serval1802
Does anyone know, when or whether they will come back?
If you go to the website of both MP as well as EP it says "coming back soon".
I hope they will.
I think that Pedro tell us the truth. Otherwise many models doesn't fall back to make them whip so hard, bleeding. There are models act in more then 10 movies and this ladies are those that take the most hard and bloody whipping.
Again, I'm a Doctor. The whip lashes administer on the lower back it was not so dangerous for the health. It wasn't so hard to cause a serious damage in the internal body parts. Just bleeding the skin.
striemendom: According to an email I got from Pedro, it is not clear when this "Coming Back Soon!" will be, exactly, but they are apparently planning to do it. I'll keep you updated if I find out more.
@ Massimo: "Again, I'm a Doctor. The whip lashes administer on the lower back it was not so dangerous for the health. It wasn't so hard to cause a serious damage in the internal body parts. Just bleeding the skin."
If that is what you say, fine. I'm not a doctor, but the broad consensus among people in the BDSM scene to whom I've talked about the subject is that strokes on the lower back should definitely be approached with great, great caution.
The main problem here is that Mood Pictures were at times guilty of placing canes and whips in the hands of people who clearly didn't know what they were doing - they've had a few really inaccurate tops over the years. This, in turn, raises questions about other practices of theirs: do they really know what they are doing when they whip the lower back, for instance? I agree with you that it needn't always be dangerous, but it can be. You need an experienced top for it. As for stray cane strokes on the lower back, they should never happen at all.
To Anonymous : Try " Red feline" production. Dan from Czech Rep.
iworked for mood on 3 diffrent shoots when i first auditioned i was clearly advised that i would receive 50 strokes of the cane and that if i took them well i would be hired it was the same for the other girls who worked there it was horribly paninful and yes there was some blood but it was worth it and i was paid very well
i dont for a second believe that the female complainant in this matter wasnt fully aware of what was going to take place bcause what she wanted to do was beat someone and if that had occured i doubt very much that there woul have been no complaint at all
hello ang tam gret its me gg leve me mssg on here and well talk old times
the only time i ever needed a nurse was after a shoot where i received a hundred strokes with the cane and paddle i was in pain and quite swollen and bleeding from my punishment scene with J
i was ready to leave when n approached me and asked if i would work another shoot after lunch i told him i was really in pain and couldnt do another shoot unless i was the domme he laughed and said hed pay me twice the contract amount i asked him who the domme was and he said grit grit was the worst she leaned into every stroke and made sure i screamed and that every stroke bruised and cut me i told n this and he said she would take it easy on me against my better judgement and the fact that i wanted to immigrate to canada i agreed
true to form grit strapped me over the horse and laid into me with every ounce of her strength and body
i remember screaming and bucking, pulling at my straps and feeling my skin swell and break open they asked if i wanted a break i said no because starting again is even worse finally the fifty strokes were over
my buttocks were doing a dance of thier own and when i was unstrapped i couldnt stand up the nurse came over and helped me to a cot and laid me face down she washed the blood off and put antiseptic on the cuts then she got some ice and gave me a tylenol and i felt better even though my butt was throbbing horribly and swelled to the size of basketballs
she helped me up and asked where my clothes were i pointed out the underpants and tights i had worn to the shoot she told me that i was stupid for wearing such things to a shoot so she borrowed a skirt from one of the girls and helped me dress
she offered to call me a cab but i lived on k street not far from the studio and i didnt want to sit down so i walked home and she escorted me to my apt came inside helped me lie face down made me a cup of tea and gave me a tylenol promising to check on me she left
my bottom throbbed and ached horribly and i counldnt stand up so i crawled to the bathroom made my way into the shower and peed in there
i literaly counldnt stand or walk for three days i would just crawl to the kitchen and to the bathroom the nurse was as good as her word and visited me twice a day for two days cleaning and dressing my wounds
within a week i was ok i could more or less sit down and walk n called me and asked if i wanted to do a short video i laughed and hung up
a week later i called him up and got another shoot
i really enjoyed most of the people that worked there except grit who really hated me and loved to cut me
and yet ror some strange reason n kept letting her domme me
i ask n is i could be a domme for grit but he said no that i was a perfect sub for her and now i guess ill wear her marks forever oh well
i know i spoke of grit b4 and iwas sure after our last shoot and the fact that she hated me i would not see her again
n called me and asked if i wanted to do a two to three day shoot and that i would be punished on my front and labia i hated these punishments and almost turned it down but i asked who the punisher was and he said he would do it n was a really cool funny guy and gooe with the whip so i agreed
i attended the m street studios to sign the contract and to go over the scenes i met up with m---a who was there to sign a contract as well she told me her shoot was to be done over the horse which she didnt like i asked her if she wanted to trade punishments she agreed so we went in to see n and told him what we wanted to do he thought it over and said that i was good over the horse and he agreed i asked him who the punisher was and he said a---e she was ok in my books so i said ok then he told me that i would start tomorrow i said goodbye to him and m---a and went home
i got up the next morning and found a loose skirt and a very tight pair of underpants to keep the swelling and throbbing down to a manageable level and some pain killers
i arrived at the m street studios early and met up with some of the other girls s-----a m----a eli---e and gr---ta after some gossip n came for me
idid some acting scenes then it was time for punishment
i stripped off and got on the horse marlene strapped me down and as was my custom i closed my eyes snd waited for my punisher
i felt a hand on my breast and another between my legs i thought it was just n being an ass then i haeard a female voice say see she really wants her punishment it was the voice of grit i looked around at n and said no its supposed to be ang he laughe and said whats the diffrence i told him grit hated me he told me not to be stupid and aaked if i wanted to go home i said no grit laughe and said dont worry ill be gentls
grit hands down was the worst punisher i ever had she would take a step backwards then rush in full force with everthing she had and it was terrible i was crying already
i felt the first blow explode on my backside and screamed n said good girl i screamed cried and pleaded with every stroke by the tenth stroke i felt some of the welts let go and a litle trickle of blood it felt good in a way because some of the heat and presure lessened even though my butt was throbbing horribly and brgging to be let off when we reached twenty grit decided she needed to go to the bathroom and have a smoke i begged her to finnish because theres nothing worse that starting over again i begged n to finnish me and he laughed and said no that the two of us made beautiful music together he asked if i wanted off the horse for a minute i said no because i wouldnt have the nerve to get back on again the nurse came over and washed me down and applied antiseptic i asked her how bad it was and she said i was fine n lit up a smoke and held it while i cried and smoked i asked him to please get me a new punisher he said no that brit brought out the best in me i cried and begged beautifully he said
grit finally came back and looked at my butt and said to n that she would try to do better n laughed
the punishment began again stroke afer horrible stroke i was crying begging screaming the pain was horrible throbbing burning i could feel wetness on the back of my thighs and here was n telling grit that this was the best and that we made a great team i was just sobbing and quivering specially my butt and i couldnt stop it
finally the fifty strokes were over and marta unstrapped me i just lay on the horse the pain was awful intense throbbing burning the nurse came over and washed me off and put more antiseptic on my wounds she was sympathetic and said my butt was in terrible shape and that i had a least fifteen cuts i was still crying she helped me stand up and asked if i wanted to lie down i said no that i just wanted to put on my tight underpants take some pain killers and go home which was close by on k street i managed to get the knickers on and tske some pain killers
i was beginning to feel better when n came in whistling some stupid tune and of course grit was with him i felt humiliated in front of her and couldnt look at her n asked if i was ready for the strap scene i said please n theres no way i could take more punishment right now he laughed and reminded me that we had a contract but he was a fair man so he would buy grit and me lunch then in two hours we would come back and do the strap scene i told him grit hated me he laughed and said that grit would make me famous and to grow up grit laughed and hugged me and said dont worry ill strap u into stardom
there was no sense arguing
i asked grit if it would be ok if we went to my appartment on k street so i could put some ice on my bottom which by now was starting to throb again and she agreed
at my appartment i laid out some food for grit and i then peeled my underwear from my bottom and put an ice bag on my butt brit laughed and asked if it still hurt i said yes and asked why she beat me so hard i had done nothing to her but it was her job to make sure that we gave n the very best scene possible and bsides she liked hearing me being punished because it was kind of sexy i said maybe for her but i hated it she laughed and said then why are u always wet before your punishmet i blushed because it was true the idea of the scence kind of excited me but yhe punishment itself was horrible and i would have done anything to be let off but a contract was a contract snf i needed the money to achieve my goals
i asked brit to please not strap me so hard i was already in pain snd we still had four scenes to do she laughed and said she would give me the worst strapping ever and n would be very pleased that we had given our all for the shoot now i was scared but felt the familar rush of anticipation
i went and showered and checked my bottom which was covered in bruises welts and cuts and i knew that a lot of make up would have to be applied to make my bottom look fresh i came out and said to grit that we should go back to the studios and get ready she laughed and said she could hardly wait
brit and i arrived a half hour or so before our scene there was a newbie tied over a bench and getting the cane she wasnt doing very well yelling and screaming and asking for a time out n was getting pissed off stopped the scene and pointed at me and told the girl that i had done fifteen shoots so far and i could take 50 in my sleep that wasnt close to the truth but i smiled at the girl and asked how many she had left i smiled again and said to her to just go with the pain let it happen and it will be over she said if it was so easy why didnt i take over for her n laughed and said u want to i said no because that would make l29 strokes for the day and i still had two scenes to do tommorow n said that he would give me half the newbies salary and give me two shoots next week n knew how bad i wanted the money so i could immigrate i thought it over and said if it was ok with the nurse i finnish the scene for him and if i could i would take the strap from grit n always an optimist said itll be easy for you i laughed and asked if i got the same punisher the newbie had n laughed and said cmon brit so good for u cassie i shook my head and wandered off to see the nurse
on my way to find the nurse i ran into brit and explained what happened and said hopefully that maybe she was tired and i should get another punisher she laughed and told me to hurry because her arm was getting itchy for my ass i saw the nurse and asked if i could see her for a pre punishment exam she took me into the medical room and checked my heart rate and blood pressure looked into my eyes and told me to strip so she could examine the bruises and cuts on my bottom she told me that i was going to suffer a lot but i would be fine and that she would watch my punishment very closely and stop it if she had too she said your a screamer and shaker arent u i said yes she said ok ill just monitor your vital signs and ignore you cries for mercy and shit like i told her i was serious when i begged the pain was unbearable but for her not to stop it she laughed and told me to go lie on the bench and she would wash me with antisepticc
on my way to find the nurse i ran into brit and explained what happened and said hopefully that maybe she was tired and i should get another punisher she laughed and told me to hurry because her arm was getting itchy for my ass i saw the nurse and asked if i could see her for a pre punishment exam she took me into the medical room and checked my heart rate and blood pressure looked into my eyes and told me to strip so she could examine the bruises and cuts on my bottom she told me that i was going to suffer a lot but i would be fine and that she would watch my punishment very closely and stop it if she had too she said your a screamer and shaker arent u i said yes she said ok ill just monitor your vital signs and ignore you cries for mercy and shit like i told her i was serious when i begged the pain was unbearable but for her not to stop it she laughed and told me to go lie on the bench and she would wash me with antisepticc
i walked as slowly as i could to the bench and heard grit yell at me to hurry up and n said cassie get your aas over the bench were way hehind schedule normally n was really funny but i could tell he was upset so i hurried and lied down on the bench the assitants put the straps on me and i told them to make them tight so i could bear my punishmet better the nurse came over and washed my butt with antiseptic and i was ready i looked over my shoulder at grit and saw that she was holding the paddle i freaked and told n that i thought i was going to be caned ireally hated the paddle every whack shot pain thru my entire body it was for me far worse than the cane which cut and bruised but was nearly bearable not so with the paddle and worst of all the way grit punished was to land the instrument on the lower half of the cheeks with an upswing and it never failed to make me fart which was totally humiliating and my paddle punishments always drew a large number of gawkers
brit put her hand between my legs and said ahh good shes ready n laughed and told grit to get on with it i looked around and saw that the room was full of people that didnt belong there
i felt the first crack of the paddle felt the pain shoot thru my body from the top of my head which felt like it was going to explode to the bottom of my feet i grunted and of course farted i saw n pinch his nostrils and a bunch of people smirking i9 to go
l9 was just as horrible as the first and ireally tried not to fart but i couldnt help it i heard one of the newbies giggle the stupid bitch and n stop the punishmet and sent her out then we started again the crack of the paddle the intense pain and the fart i was crying and shaking my buttocks ouncontrolably quivering i begged grit to hit me higher she laughed and hit me even harder
the punishment was finally over n was estatic and was dancing around like a drunken bear yealling that was the best i just laid there moaning and breathing in short gasps the nurse came over wnd washed my butt down which hurr as much as the paddle and she told me to take deep breaths and they would help me to one of the cots and give me some painkillers and ice they more or less carried me to the medical room and laid me face down on one of the cots and gave me two painkillers and water i was still gasping and the nurse kept tellimg me to breathe deeper and more even it would be better for me i asked how the hell she would know that she laughed and washed my bottom again harder this time and said she bet that i would really scream and beg on the next three punishments i nodded off
@ Gelding / Anonymous: You get bonus points for having a very vivid imagination (and, apparently, a lot of time on your hands). But if creative writing is your passion, why not send your stories to a kinky blog specialising in stories? It's obvious that what you are writing is a complete fabrication and that you have never been to a Mood Pictures shoot. (Had you intended to remain at least remotely plausible, you should have read my behind-the-scenes report to inform yourself about how things really work there.)
Anyway, you had your fun, and we all had a good laugh about it. Now go and troll somewhere else.
All future creative writing comments by you will be deleted.
In this video she uses the safe word three times "Stop, I am begging you" and is in clear pain. The top threatens to kill her then beats her whips her unconscious. This is beyond unacceptable and it is no wonder the police raided the offices.
http://theync.com/hadesbad/bdsm-fail-bitch-almost-die.htm
@ Derek Cormier: The abuse claims of the model which triggered the police raid mentioned in this 2010 post have since been debunked. The police found in the confiscated video material that she was voluntarily going along with everything that happened. The abuse charge was then dropped.
As for the video you link to, I assume that "Stop, I am begging you" is not a safeword here, but an in-character line the likes of which is uttered in BDSM and spanking videos many times (think of how many schoolgirl spanking videos contain the line "Please, Sir, don't punish me!"). As a safeword, you use something different that can not be understood to be in character in a video. Something along the lines of "truck", or "plant", or - very often - just "safeword".
Likewise, I assume that the "unconsciousness" at the end of this scene is faked. I know that Mood have done a couple of scenes where a model acted like she was passing out. It is scripted, not real.
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