Exclusive: QC Interviews Noel Alejandro, The Director Of “Doing Elliot”

In our perpetual quest to find interesting new things for our readers we found an indie director who’s probably going to be your new favorite author too!

Noel Alejandro an independent director who has produced adult productions in Brussels and Barcelona has graciously agreed to sit with us to have a conversation on his unique approach on film making. Noel is driven by his passion to make gay erotica in a natural and impressionistic way. Or as he eloquently puts it, “porn that’d go beyond porn itself”. That love for this form of art is perfectly captured in his super successful short “Hairy” (which has been watched more than 1 million times!) and more recently in “Doing Elliot” an indie darling starring a real-life couple.

“Dramatic cinema inspires me, artistic expressions inspire me. I go to museums, concerts and exhibitions weekly to keep myself constantly inspired (…) I confess I also try to add some surrealism in my short movies, like Luis Buñuel used to do.” Noel Alejandro, Adult Film director

From his creative process to how he chooses his actors and from his sources of inspiration to his upcoming projects the man behind the lens really opened up for us. So far, Alejandro has completed six films and he’s busy at work on his next instalment (Call Me A Ghost) from which, despite being currently in production, he has shared with us an EXCLUSIVE sneak peak!

Make the jump to read the complete interview and join us to discover more of his super hot movies. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Hello Noel! We loved that you accepted this Q&A so our readers get to know you a little better, let’s kick it with an easy one…

How hard (or easy) is it to find/cast actors for the type of adult films you do? The fact that your productions are considered, if I may use the word, t​as​teful and the fact they require a level of intimacy and passion not often seen how does this facilitate the casting process?

I really do put extra attention to the casting process since that’s the most important part of my productions. It’s really important that the actors are smartly chosen, because I want to print a believable personality to all my characters. During the casting process I normally use Twitter to get in touch with actors I’d like to work with, but I pay special attention to those who come to me asking for roles.

Recently I have been receiving messages from performers who like my work and my production values and want to be involved, and that’s amazing as we know from moment zero that there’s a connection beyond the job itself.
When it comes to body types and faces, most of the times I prefer guys with no tattoos and not too muscular. I’d rather have performers that would represent the normal type of people you’d meet in the street.

I especially love to work with actors who are related to arts in any levels (performing, dancing, or painting, for example), as usually my connection with them is deeper somehow. And of course I really like people who live sex in an intense and authentic way.

Are some of your actors first timers? Have they done other adult work? Was it difficult to convince them to be a part of your vision?

It’s funny, actually many of my actors so far were first timers! I normally try to work with professional actors, but the truth is that I get a lot of messages from people with no experience who would like to work with me. I guess they like the way I approach sex on screen and want to be part of it.

There are many people out there who are curious about pornography and interested in the idea of doing porn as a tool to sexual freedom, who would like to try it, but don’t want to be part of the mainstream porn that is ugly and demeaning. You know, the fake orgasms and meaningless encounters. I guess this also explains why many of the guys that write me are artists or involved with art, because they’re looking for a more emotional, profound approach to sex.

The only condition I have is that they really need to be aware of what they are about to do. Perform in a sex scene has consequences, and they need to know that. I would never work with somebody who is hesitating, just as I would never try to convince someone to work with me.

Would you consider working on straight adult films?

Actually I did, I worked with straight adult films for four years with Sweden feminist filmmaker Erika Lust in Barcelona. Erika is an alternative film director who has this unique view of pornography, always trying to make films that are pleasant and beautiful. Working with her gave me the tools to me understand that eroticism and pornography can be a lot different than what we see in the mainstream films. It could be more emotional, and artistic.

But then I’m gay, and I have so much more to say about gay relations than straight ones! That’s why I decided to start making my own gay porn films, so I could create a different porn for gays as well. There aren’t a lot of alternative gay adult films out there, and my goal is to try and change that.

What do most supporters like about your work?

I know they like the way my movies are filmed, the aesthetics, and also the spontaneously and the high erotic tension that I print in the characters. I love cinema and all my work comes from my urge to communicate my view of sex though cinematic pieces.

My first insight was in 2012, when I was working on E​loi & Biel.​ I realized that sex was depicted on a very flat way in cinema, and there was a lack of emotions and sensitiveness in porn. So I’m working on this mix of porn and cinema, something that’s in the middle of these two concepts – without renouncing to the hot explicit sex scenes which is what people are looking for in my films.

Please describe to our readers your work just using three words.

Sensitiveness, beauty, and ecstasy.

What/Who inspires you?

Dramatic cinema inspires me, artistic expressions inspire me. I go to museums, concerts and exhibitions weekly to keep myself constantly inspired. When it comes to cinema directors, I could mention Jaime Rosales, Michael Hanneke, Martin Provost or Sofia Coppola. I confess I also try to add some surrealism on my shorts, like Luis Buñuel used to do. Not sure if it’s coming out right, but I’m trying!

How long does it take for you to work on one film from start to finish?

We normally shoot a short film in one single day. Actors and crew start at 9 o’clock in the morning, and the sex scene is the first to be filmed. Early in the morning is when everyone feels more energized, and doing the sex first also helps to release the tension for the complimentary scenes to be filmed afterwards. The shooting day goes until late afternoon. Once the filming is done I start with the editing and post-production, which can take weeks.

Then there’s sound editing, music, color editing, lettering design, trailers… It’s a lot of work! The fact that I’m a perfectionist and not exactly fast when making my decisions will definitely add a couple of extra days to the process, haha!

How big is your creative team? Do you handle everything yourself?

The creative process is by me. That’s the story writing, casting, art direction, camera, and then of course the post-producing, editing, etc. I have a wonderful team who helps me out with everything I can’t manage, like taking pictures on set, or sound recording… but the majority of the work I do it myself. Which is exhausting, but also very challenging and exciting.

Which is your best selling/most popular film?

So far the best seller is ​Doing Elliot,​ my latest release. We are improving a lot in terms of filming, and the audience noticed it.

We’re working even harder on my next film “​Call Me a Ghost​“, to be released soon, and I hope the viewers enjoy it as much as we are loving to make it.

If you could pick just one, which is your favorite commercial gay porn studio?

I don’t really have one. I’ve always looked at commercial adult films with critical eyes. They have been for me a reference of what I didn’t want my films to look like: no empty scripts, no unrealistic bodies, no violent sex, no meaningless sex.

I heard there are a few studios trying to have a more progressive attitude, but I still haven’t seen any films I really liked. But again, I don’t usually watch them or look for them, I’m a bit outsider in this matter.

What are you working on next? Any future plans you can share with us?

I’m very excited about ​Call Me a Ghost​, my next release. It’s a story of a boy who’s going through depression when he receives the visit of a ghost. He ends up having a crush with the ghost.

This film was almost entirely improvised, so it turned out fresh and easy, and I love how it talks openly about depression. We normally aren’t allowed to mix sad emotions with sex, and I never really understood why. This is a very liberating film for me and I believe it will be for who watch it too. That’s what I think art and cinema are, a tool to express emotions. And so can be porn.

After this I will be working on my first threesome. It’ll be a very unique and sensual experience, I think you’ll enjoy that one very much too.

Any final words you’d like to say to our readers and future viewers of your films?

I’d like to open ways for readers and viewers to get in touch with me. I love to receive feedback, it makes me feel encouraged to continuing making films, and to go ahead with the debate around how porn can be better.

I read all your comments on my ​Facebook,​ I really appreciate when you write me on ​Instagram,​ or when you review my movies on my website.​ Please, feel free to interact with me in any of my channels, send me your ideas, tell me what you’d like to see! Everything that comes to your mind, I will read it.

Thanks for being there and stay tuned because this has only started.

Thank you for your time Noel, QC loves your work!