BOSTON, Mass. — Wasteland is commemorating its 30th anniversary in 2024 as a pioneering online destination for BDSM content.
Colin Rowntree, owner and founder of Wasteland.com, reflected on the company's history.
“The online adult market has changed in uncountable ways since we first launched, from the technical infrastructure behind the site to the means by which we produce content,” reflected Rowntree. “It has been a hell of a ride, all the way around.”
From a one-page site with about 30 pictures, Wasteland.com quickly grew into an early adult internet BDSM success, first by licensing content to grow its library, and then producing original content.
Rowntree noted similarities between his pre-industry career — conducting symphonies, staging operas and serving as musical director for various church parishes — and eventually becoming a prolific director and producer of BDSM content.
“When you're doing orchestra and symphonic directing, a lot of the times at smaller places, you're also basically the orchestra manager,” he explained. “You make sure there's enough chairs, make sure there’s music stands, make sure everyone has their music, all that little stuff.”
Making adult movies, he added, “is just like putting on a stage play, or an opera. It's got dramatic elements, it's got costuming, it's got casting, it's got all of it. I basically treated producing kinky photo sets, and more importantly movies, like being an opera producer.”
Rowntree recently introduced Joe Evans as the company’s new Director of Business Development, who will be working to establish relationships with other studios and platforms, grow the company’s existing traffic and revenue streams, and explore new business opportunities.
Regarding Evans’ appointment, Rowntree shared, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now; it’s time to find some people to take this thing forward who are not 65 years old.”
Meanwhile, Rowntree himself has transitioned into the role of executive producer.
“I find young filmmakers, a lot of them in Europe, some in the United States, and they have some really good ideas,” Rowntree explained. “They have good equipment, they have good chops, they know how to hire people or cast people — they make good movies. So, I get together with them, I mentor them a bit on what’s going to be commercially viable, and I fund them to make movies, which I then own.”
In assessing the values and strategies that have contributed to the long-term success of Wasteland, Rowntree encourages members of the industry to build a network of trusted contacts and put those contacts to use, particularly when evaluating new ideas and opportunities.
“Talk to people you know and trust, and ask them if they know anything about this new platform that’s offering the moon?” Rowntree advised. “Do they know anything about some new crypto opportunity? If it sounds too good to be true, scrutinize it. Use your network of people — build your network if you don’t already have one — and vet people.”
He also emphasized the importance of passion: “Find your passion, figure out what you really love to do in this space, and proceed accordingly.”
For more information, visit Wasteland.com.