A very sinful satire
While independent filmmaker Gary Sewell’s comedic web series Sintillate Studios is filled with all manner of off-colour jokes, simulated sex scenes and explicit language, perhaps the most shocking thing is that YouTube’s trigger-happy censors haven’t banned it yet.
Considering the same-sex snogging in Madonna’s new video saw her slapped with a YouTube R rating, it seems incredible that Sintillate’s 10 instalments of satirical smut, all set inside a porn studio — episode five alone features hot straight leading man Justin bottoming for the first time as he dabbles in the world of ‘gay for pay’ — haven’t caught the attention of those in charge of filtering YouTube.
“Nobody tell them! I think it helps that we’re low-budget and guerrilla,” Sewell told the Star Observer.
“If someone tells us to put a ban or restriction on the show, obviously we’re going to have to comply. So far we’ve slipped under the radar though, which we’re pretty happy about.”
Sewell came up with the idea of a comedy series set in a porn studio while in the final year of his masters degree at the Western Australian Screen Academy, enlisting fellow students to fill out the cast and crew.
He admitted that propositioning his classmates to appear in a ‘web-based porno series’ caused a few raised eyebrows at first.
“The actors were understandably discerning about what the project would be. When they got the scripts, I think they were quite relieved — we did warn them from the outset, ‘It’s not real porn, we’re not going to see any bits’.
“The porn studio is really a setting for fun things to happen, it’s not all about sex per se.”
And the openly gay Sewell said he felt it was important to weave some gay themes into the broader plot.
“I did a lot of research into the porn industry — legitimate research, not just watching porn — and ‘gay for pay’ is a legitimate part of the industry, so it seemed stupid not to tell that story,” he said.
“It’s always important for me to reflect the diversity of the world.”
It’s a diversity Sewell said he doesn’t feel he sees on commercial television in Australia.
“I think we have a tendency to play it a little safe. I hope people find it refreshing that there’s a show out there that’s not just about doctors and nurses or police.
“Hopefully this will appeal to a younger audience who are looking for something a little bit different and quirky.”
While Sintillate Studios is yet to ‘go viral’ (perhaps not the best choice of words when talking about a porn series), its 10 episodes are sitting at a tidy 7000 views and Sewell said there are plans for more, with scripts for season two written and ready to go.
“We’re waiting to see how the first season goes and seeing if we can get the money together to film season two. We’re definitely not short of story ideas — I think the show has a lot of longevity in it.”
