“Signing on with Gentlemen’s Video was a no-brainer,” Phoenix said. “They offered me creative freedom and a chance to shoot pictures, which I’ve always wanted to do; to be behind the camera and express what I want to in this new millennium of cutting-edge gay and bisexual porn.”
Gentlemen’s Video, primarily known as a specialty studio with content in many different niches, approached Phoenix with the idea of directing.
“They overheard a lot of models and producers speak highly of me, and how I act professionally on and off set and how I put the other models’ feelings before my own,” Phoenix told XBIZ. “So they started talking about starting up a gay line and they gave me a call.”
“Gentlemen’s actually put me in a video; ‘Boss Bitches #30.’ They saw me in action and that I wasn’t a diva and they offered me this opportunity. I thought it over and I agreed,” he said.
Though he is just beginning to make plans for his first production, Phoenix said that he’d like to explore the potential of bisexual content in the marketplace.
“I think people are ready for it, but there’s really no market for that yet because it’s always been either one way or the other,” he said. “I don’t think that way. I think everyone has estrogen and everyone has testosterone, so no one is really one way. It’s all depends on finding that one person that tweaks your curiosity.”
In the meantime, Phoenix is learning and anxious to exercise his skills behind the camera. The line’s first title will be a gay oral video.
“It is very exciting. Going from being a model to behind the camera is a little weird, but I understand what I’m looking for now. I’ve been in that situation,” he said. “I’ve been a model, and I’ve been on some really nice production sets and some nasty production sets, so, I see both sides of it.”
Gentlemen’s Video is planning 12 monthly releases from Phoenix Rising with a full marketing campaign behind each title.
"We're real excited about Damon coming onboard and having him add to our line of gay and bisexual titles. We think this is a great opportunity for our company as well as for Damon,” Gentlemen’s Video’s Mike Esposito said.
