A Day with Robert Lombard of Creative Image Management

ONCE UPON A TIME, Robert Lombard, Softcore Reviews interviewee, regular poster on the Softcore Reviews forum, and oh, by the way, busiest casting director in the softcore universe (unofficial title), posted this:

“ANYONE who is an active member of this site is always WELCOME to visit my offices and even spend the day with me to actually EXPERIENCE what it is like to put one of these productions together…doors are always open.”

Well now. I live in LA. I am free on weekdays. I like softcore. There was also a good chance that I would see some boobies. So how big of a no-brainer was this? I emailed Lombard, and sure enough I was immediately invited in to see a real casting session in the flesh (ha ha).

Lombard’s office is tucked away in a little area between West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Go through a rabbit warren and you make it to his suite. My feeling is that simply finding the place is the unofficial first test of any audition. All the girls (and guys) passed that test today.

Anyone who knows Lombard from the forum knows that he’s a straight shooter, and during the course of the day he fired a couple of bullets into various controversial topics involving the softcore business. My tape was running, and Lombard was ready to talk.

Softcore Reviews: So what’s in store for today?

Robert Lombard: I sit here, I put them in front of the camera, and they read to me standing up. You’re going to see some decent acting, some mediocre acting, maybe some bad acting. But they all try to do their very best. I only see 14 people or so during the day because it’s so time consuming. I go through it with them once or twice, and then I put them on tape. They slate their name and I stop tape, and they get naked. It’s not brain surgery, but there are funny moments. Some of these girls, you can’t get them dressed after they get naked!

SR: Of the people who are coming in today, how many of them do you already know, and how many are brand new to you?

RL: I’d say it’s about 50/50. You’re always looking for new faces. It’s not like a regular TV show where you have the same cast every week.  I need new faces. The buyers get bored of seeing the same talent over and over again.

SR: What are you going to be looking for today? What are your top priorities when you’re seeing someone new?

RL: How she is with the people in the room. How comfortable she is with the dialogue. How comfortable she is when she takes her clothes off. And then I give them a rating: minor role, small supporting, supporting, small lead, lead.

Casting is a very standardized process – I can tell there’s no end to the paperwork that Lombard is responsible for. He checks IDs; he makes notes of contact information. He tapes the performers saying their stage names, how tall they are, what kind of tattoos they have, and what kind of simulated sex they are willing to perform on camera (these last few questions tend to draw some giggles from the adult talent). He takes notes on each person, scans in the IDs, and files everything away – but not too far away, knowing that at any moment one of the higher-ups from the production companies may call asking him to look something up for them (this seems to happen a lot).

Robert Lombard

The business of the day at hand is a casting session for three upcoming MRG releases. Lombard has the actors prepare a three page scene from one of the upcoming films. Most of the performers today are from the adult industry.

SR: Where do you get people from?

RL: I primarily use a major adult agency. They are most reliable, because they get their people on set. I use a couple of managers as well. I no longer go out looking for people any more because it’s too time consuming and is usually a dead end anyway.

SR: How so?

RL: There have been times when the networks, HBO or Cinemax maybe, sees someone in a movie and wants to bring them in. So I have to track them down, and put them through this process. And so I ask, “Are you comfortable with simulated sex with boys?”  “Yes.”  “Are you comfortable with simulated sex with other girls?” “Oh no!”  “Are you comfortable with simulated masturbation?” “What?! I thought this was softcore! I’m not doing that!” “Are you comfortable with kissing?” “What kind of kissing?” “French kissing. Tongues.”  “Ewwww!”

SR: That’s not a good sign, is it?

RL: No, it’s not a good sign! They’re not going to do it on the day. But I leave the tape going, to prove that I got them in like I was asked. And the tape goes to HBO so that they hear first-hand the issues and the problems that the talent is going to present on the first day. Or how about this: “Are you comfortable with 20-40 people on set watching your love scene?” And then I get a deer in the headlights look.  At that point all I can say is, I’ve done what I can to bring them in, but it’s taking up time that I could be using to see people that I know aren’t going to have a problem with all of that.

Suddenly, Lombard unleashes a surprise on me. A surprise by the name of Michelle Maylene, who has dropped by the office “unexpectedly.” HELLO! She says she’s looking to meet me. Wha? Huh? I look behind me to see if she’s talking to someone else. Nope. The only thing behind me is a wall of sexy glossy shots of some of Lombard’s favorite stars.

Not only is Michelle here to see me, but she’s got a little gift for me – an official Michelle Maylene mouse pad (see it here)! Michelle is a sweet ball of high energy and her enthusiasm seems to rub off on everybody. Michelle dotes on Lombard; he obviously dotes on her too.  She gets some car shopping advice from Car Salesman Lombard and then takes off. I am probably still smiling.

Michelle Maylene is a good example of one of the newer adult performers who are crossing over into the softcore genre. Lombard has spent the last 10 years advocating for their inclusion in the business.

RL: There was a softcore performer who worked for us in three scenes, one of which was pretty good, and two that were like watching paint dry. And the one that was best was when I paired her up with a porno star. And I told her I was matching her up with a porno guy. I told her, “Your day’s going to be easier now. A lot easier than being with a softcore guy.”  “Really?” “He’s not going to try and stick his dick in you. I’m paying him less than he usually receives for actual insertion.”

SR: There was that discussion in the forum about the effect porn stars were having on softcore. But in a sense, the porn stars that come over from hardcore are going to be more professional, and more into doing a good job, because it’s something new and challenging for them, and closer to the mainstream for them. Maybe they’re more than likely to give 110% and do a good job.

RL: I don’t disagree with any of that. The first porn star to ever cross over into softcore was Chloe. Then Gina Ryder.  Then Tina Tyler and Dru Berrymore. And then the floodgates opened. Every time one of them came in, another girl would come with her, and then it just exploded.

SR: So there was no turning back at that point.

RL: What people don’t know about some of the B girls from the 90s – the do’s and the don’ts lists were making everyone crazy. I was getting yelled at every day. “The girl’s not taking her panties off!” That’s not good for softcore.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the enthusiasm of the adult performers. Sunny Lane comes busting through the door excited to do the read and to meet with Lombard. Her casting session was 10 minutes of high energy that left me a little tired by the end of it. Sunny treats her career like a business, and sees softcore as the next logical step for building her image as well as her brand name. While Sunny hands me her business card, Lombard passes along the story of an adult girl who had a club gig a few nights after her first appearance on a Cinemax series. She called Lombard to mention she had a line of fans waiting to meet her, and tell her that they had just seen her on TV, and came down to the club to see her.

For many mainstream actors, softcore is viewed as the genre of last resort when the mainstream career fails or maybe as a short-term stepping stone. But for the adult performers, it represents a step in the “right” direction. Softcore brings them closer to the mainstream ambitions that many of them have. During her casting session, Ginger Lea, an adult actress, gives a very nuanced and emotional reading that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a mainstream Hollywood casting call. And during the course of the day, no less than two girls say, “I’m so excited to finally be reading dialogue!”

Lombard has battled a lack of acceptance in some circles to having adult talent in the softcore industry since the beginning. And it’s not just some of the fans but also from the higher-ups in the production companies. (“To their credit, Cinemax was the first to see the value of the adult stars appearing, and were very open to it,” Lombard mentions as an aside). Lombard tells a story about one of the first times that he had adult talent on a softcore set — it was SO early on in the process that the producers were demanding the actresses use their real names rather than their stage names, and were generally being hush-hush about the whole thing, as if it were an embarrassment to be “dirtying” their set with “porn” stars. No one was told who they were.

One day some of the main naysayers happened to be visiting the set, and commented on how well some new actresses were performing (they didn’t know who the actresses were). After a pause, Robert goes up and says, “Can I introduce you to Dru Berrymore, Tina Tyler, and Chloe?” At which point some jaws dropped, and one of the stagehands turns to another and says, “I knew it!!”

Lombard mentions that these same people who were “disgusted” by having adult stars on set are now making their own movies; and all of them are using adult stars now. It’s become an industry standard. Lombard and his clients, such as MRG, may have been the first the break down the wall, but now everybody is getting in on the action.  Actors that Lombard brought in, such as Nicole Sheridan and Evan Stone, are now coveted by everyone in the business. The way Lombard describes it, a battle was won, but the war still goes on for acceptance.  His thoughts on this issue are encompassed in another article.

SR: You’re also breaking down the walls between hardcore and softcore with your series of full length movies called Sinsations that are in production now under the banner of Dusk till Dawn Entertainment. Can you speak about these?

RL: Sinsations is made by a new group of people who have contacted me about being in the late night business and they want to try and do it as right as possible. We have offers and extreme interest in it, but we’re still in post-production for the first four 90 minute episodes. It will probably go to pay per view first, then to cable. The premise of these is that it’s a behind the scenes look at the adult industry and shoot. It’s edgy. It’s a movie within a movie. There’s comedy, and there’s drama. It’s a really great series of movies. I think the fans will really enjoy them.

Lombard is not all about the adult stars now – he still envisions a healthy mix of actors from different backgrounds. The Sinsations cast is a perfect example – half softcore, half adult, along with actors like Jacy Andrews who are somewhere in the middle now. “It always comes down to whoever is the most trustworthy and whoever’s got the most talent, or at least puts in the most effort,” he says.

For instance, a gorgeous blonde who has only done stills and bikini modeling comes in to the casting sessions. Although her acting suggests a lack of time in front of a camera, her enthusiasm and preparation for the casting session (plus the fact that she’s just so darn pretty) mean that she is likely to end up in one of the new projects.  “The softcore fans are going to go crazy for her,” Lombard predicts.  “She’s a real throwback girl.”

Lombard’s memory of the last 15 years in softcore is pretty impressive. He probably has a story to tell about almost every performer, despite the fact that a lot of performers have come and gone over that time, and taken their list of do’s and don’ts with them.  But he has a core of dedicated performers, some of whom have been working with him ever since he was a talent manager, before his days as a casting director and producer. Including one who has been with him since the very beginning.

And, suddenly, that actress is walking through the door. It’s Monique Parent. HELLOOOO! Is heaven Robert Lombard’s casting office? No really – I’m honestly not sure at this point. Monique’s appearance is a complete surprise to me and to Lombard as well (this was not a setup).  She’s just dropping by, ostensibly to pick up a paycheck, although I think secretly she knew I was there and wanted to thank me for making the 8th post on her new forum.

Lombard is busy doing a reading with a performer. Monique figures she’ll hang out for a bit and enjoy the air conditioning in the other room while she waits. Suddenly I realize I’m in an odd position. I’m in a room looking at a naked woman having her Polaroid taken, but all I’m thinking of is that MONIQUE PARENT is sitting in the other room leafing through a magazine. Friends, is there a right answer here? Do you stay with the naked woman, or do you go chat with Monique?

I chose Monique. Much to my embarrassment, Lombard had to call out at one point to shush me because I was chatting a little too much.   How can I help it? It’s Monique Parent for chrissakes!!! Yes that’s three exclamation points; three. Hey – this is the internet. I could pull out some emoticons here…LOL.

But work had to go on, and Monique had to take off. So back to the naked chicks. First, I ask Lombard another question that has come up on the forum recently.

SR: “Compilation” movies are a sore subject for many people.

RL: Let’s talk about it. Because it’s something that needs to be explained, without necessarily defending it. You’ve got a company that has a library exceeding 500 titles, and each title has 8-9 sex scenes. That’s a library of sex that needs to be exploited. Would you not exploit that if you could?

SR: It’s free money if you can sell them.

RL: You can’t sell them to Cinemax or Showtime, but PPV has created this demon to take advantage of this library. But at least they try to exploit this library with some sort of entertainment value rather than to just put a talking head in front of a desk or in front of a phone describing their fantasies. So there is a story. The scripts are 34-38 pages in length.  There’s a cast of 4-5 principals, with at least one new sex scene for each of them. Those sex scenes segue into one of the library sex clips. Those scenes come primarily from the series, like Lady Chatterley, Kama Sutra, Pleasurezone and Best Sex Ever. Now, I don’t know if how they sell them to the viewer is misleading or not, because I can’t keep up with the titles. They keep changing them for different markets. I don’t think that’s necessarily misleading; I just think it’s marketing and sales. It’s smart business.

SR: Compare them also to the porn world, where they repackage their libraries as 4 hour compilations and don’t do any of the linking scenes or add anything at all.

RL: Right. And the sex scenes do make sense with the story.  It’s not random. But the truth is: they are successful.  Economically, it is very profitable, and they’d stop making them if it wasn’t profitable. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil that’s not going to go away. We’ve shot 9 of them this year, and you might as well let the folks know –

SR: I have to deliver this news?

RL: There’s going to be at least 3 more this year. And most likely 3 more after that. And here’s how I know. We shoot 5 day movies. But people don’t mind working 6 day weeks. So from Monday to Friday they shoot the new movie, and on Saturday they shoot the comp.

SR: So every time they make a movie…

RL: They stick a comp on the back end. Hey, maybe it is taking advantage of the viewer, but Lombard says the viewers seem to be buying them, or they wouldn’t be making them! It keeps me in business too, because I get paid! Everyone gets paid, so we all get to stay in business longer. The actors love them, because they get an extra day of work. Personally, I hate them because they have a call time of 7am, which means I have to be here in the office by 6am to start calling people to make sure they’re on set on time.

SR: I guess if you look on the bright side, it means that for every comp you see, that means another new movie’s been made.

RL: And you get to see the classic stars of softcore all over again, if that’s your thing.

Lombard spread out his casting sessions over a few days. They are time-consuming, plus it’s hard to get everybody to come in at the same time, given their busy schedules. So my Day with Robert Lombard turned into a Few Days with Robert Lombard. I came in a little late on the last day (supposedly it was going to be mostly male performers – what can I say? I’m sexist), and ended up missing Craig Stepp, who’s place in softcore history is assured with his appearance in Play Time. I did get to catch Steven St. Croix, who provided the most humor of the week. Lest one think that its all T&A in Robert Lombard’s life, keep in mind that the male roles have to be cast too. One Lombard regular, Sean Juergens, even helps him out with the casting readings.  Another new performer dropped by, Kevin Patrick, who was on last season’s 7 Lives Xposed, and now has a recurring role as the cameraman on Sinsations.

But when I first popped in on Friday, there was another surprise waiting for me. Amy Lindsay!! HELLOOOOO!!! Amy gave the most professional read of the week, studying her lines carefully and memorizing the entire thing on the spot! Between that and her gorgeous looks, there’s no question why she’s a favorite in the business. To the great jealousy of forum member uugeejay (who runs her website) Amy stuck around to chat for a bit and couldn’t have been more personable. Or hot. Take that, uugeejay!!! Heh.

So the casting sessions were complete for this week. I kept a running Boobie Count (38 boobies – I’m glad it ended up being an even number). As Lombard mentioned, some of the readings were bad, a lot were decent and some were really quite good. Across the board, the adult talent (who consisted of a little over half of the total) were just as good as their mainstream counterparts. In fact, the three best readings (purely on acting ability alone) were all from adult talent, including a famous ex-Vivid contract girl who made it seem like she was a natural from the very first word out of her mouth. We will be seeing much more of her.

It’s clear that Robert Lombard gets a lot of energy from his job, especially from the relationships and the devotion that exists between him and his performers, as well as from the excitement he gets from not knowing when the next hot thing will be walking through his door.  The end of the casting session on Friday brings a pleasant surprise along these lines. Monica Mayhem, one of Lombard’s regular go-to girls brings along a friend, Jasmine Byrne, who’s apparently been wanting to meet him. She proceeds to give a great reading like it was nothing. Combine that with her beautiful exotic looks, and Lombard is getting very interested indeed.

Then suddenly she says, “I’ve wanted to work for you for two years now! Can you see my heart beating?” Lombard, who admittedly was having a grumpy Friday, is now officially on cloud nine. As if to confirm that fact, he gives Jasmine an angel figurine (she mentioned that she loves angels) as a little present, and it’s clear that we’re probably going to be seeing more of Jasmine Byrne soon. At the end of the week, Lombard has a moment where – despite all the trials and tribulations that come with the industry and the job itself – the casting director becomes a matchmaker who brings people together. The girls get work they’re excited about, the production companies get new stars to feature, and ultimately the softcore fans get new girls to lust after, to post about online, and to dream about at night after clicking off the TV.

“Oh, she is smoking,” said Lombard more than once after a casting session. I found it hard to disagree.

Thank you fuggy! And special thanks to Robert Lombard for once again sharing his time with us. And to Michelle, Monique, Amy and all the other performers who stopped by: YOU are the reason we watch, keep doing what you do!