Holmes’ casual conversations with performers and filmmakers draw back the curtain to both entertain and help dispel misconceptions about what working in porn is really like
Adult film legend Steve Holmes‘ YouTube channel has exploded in popularity, garnering more than 11.7 million views.
Since the spring of last year, Holmes has been bringing his own camera on set to reveal what really takes place in adult film production. The “Behind The Porn Scenes” series gives viewers an insider’s perspective of what it’s like being on film sets for PureTaboo, BurningAngel, New Sensations, Facial Abuse, Mile High, Devil’s Film, Teen Fidelity, Zero Tolerance and others.
The 95 videos (so far) feature adult personalities such as superstars Joanna Angel and Angela White, award-winning directors Jacky St. James and Bree Mills, performers Karma Rx, Kate Kennedy, Jasmine Jae, Tori Avano, Emily Willis, London River, Lola Fae, Carolina Sweets, Jade Nile, Ariana Marie, Gia Derza, Lena Paul, Ivy Lebelle, Violet Monroe, Amara Romani, and many more.
Holmes claims he created his video series because “I work a lot in America, but my family is in Europe. So, I play golf a lot, and I shoot these YouTube videos and edit them. It’s fun.”
Since July 22, Holmes has gained over one thousand new subscribers per day. The channel is currently approaching 32,000 subscribers, and “at this rate, it won’t be long until I will break 100,000 subscribers,” Holmes predicts.
The Disbenefit of YouTube Success
Within six months of its launch, Holmes’ YouTube channel won entry to the YouTube Partner Program, which requires at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time within 12 months.
However it was in May of this year that Holmes’ YouTube channel received a serious spike in traffic, driven in part by increased attention in South and Southeast Asia. Holmes says that, according to analytics data, one of his then-one year old videos, “Behind the Scenes with Daisy Stone” quickly accrued millions of views from women in India, where major porn sites have been blocked by the government under orders from the Uttarakhand High Court.
Other highly-viewed vids include “Jade Nile’s First Gangbang”.
However, Holmes reports that after “reviewing” his channel’s exponential growth, on June 3 YouTube notified him that “a significant portion” of his channel was “not in line with [its] YouTube Partner Program policies”, and that, his channel would no longer be eligible to monetize.
Holmes estimates that with his level of viewership, he could easily have earned 10 to 15 thousand dollars from YouTube monetization. “I wouldn’t have said no if they’d sent me a check, but that was never my intention when I started.”
“At least they let me keep my channel.”
Holmes is pleased to report that his traffic has remained at a high level, as evinced by his recent video, “Behind the Scenes with Vienna Rose for Teen Fidelity” netting 50,000 views within its first two weeks.
Fantasy and reality
Holmes, 58, began his performing career in Europe in 1996. His stage name was suggested by a reporter “because I was really skinny, and tall, with a big dick, and he said I reminded him of John Holmes,” Holmes said. A veteran of well over 2500 scenes, Holmes has been living and working in Los Angeles and Budapest since 2002. In 2015 he began producing and directing for Kink.com’s Public Disgrace website.
“Most people are aware when they watch a mainstream movie that Superman doesn’t really fly, but in porn some people have difficulty understanding that it’s a fantasy being played out by professionals. However I don’t want to ruin the fantasy completely.”
One of Holmes’ goals with his “Behind The Porn Scenes with Steve Holmes” YouTube series is, “when it comes to a set where the girls can look like poor abused victims, to show that we’re all professionals and work as a team.”
Steve Holmes is one of the most beloved and respected performers working today, and his performing schedule is as busy as ever. The star just wrapped a turn as a priest in director/star Dana Vespoli’s new feature for Evil Angel, opposite adult superstar Julia Ann, Victoria Voxxx and Kate Kennedy. The movie centers around a Catholic church, where people come to have their faith restored. There are nuns, priests, Catholic school girls — and even an exorcism.
“I’ve known Holmes since I started in the business back in 2003,” says Vespoli. “He always brings something unique and special to every performance—he can be hilarious or sinister and of course he’s a huge pervert who is down for anything. Bless his heart! And he’s so kind and generous. He’s just a great guy who can run circles around male talent in this business who are half his age.”
“The majority of comments on YouTube are positive,” says Holmes. “I think it’s mainly that they enjoy learning about the women and seeinf a different side of the porn persona from the movies.”
“And then I also have a lot of fans who say that I’m cute and charming,” he smiles.
Keep up with Steve Holmes’ exploits on Twitter: @SteveHolmesPorn
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