Quebec Has a Porn-Acting Academy for Men

Class is in session. Image via Pegas Productions (link NSFW).

Pegas Production, a Quebec-based porn company producing “porn for Quebecers by Quebecers,” was having trouble finding viable actors for their website. The solution: a $149 one-day school to teach men how to bump uglies like their favorite porn stars. Pegas Producer Nichola LaFleur realized that the problem was that their porn “actors” didn’t know how to act, so he created a hands-on approach to casting.

As the Journal de Montreal reported, Pegas Productions are searching for “good actors” for their films. I’ve never associated good acting with porn, because, well, who cares about the acting, really.

During the ‘trial-run’ (the first class), LaFleur received 50 applications, accepted ten, and chose four to go on to phase two. Phase two is literally making porn, just without turning the cameras on, which I imagine is as awkward as it sounds.

The first day of porn school begins with theory, safety, the physical and mental qualities of a porn star, and how to prepare for a shoot. Lesson two is a lunch Q&A with two of Pegas’ porn pros. Students have an hour to ask anything and everything about the realities of making skin flicks. Finally, students are put to task during the practical stage where students are placed with a porn star and taught the most common positions while trying to keep their boners in check.

VICE spoke to Nichola LaFleur to find out if a day at porn school is as weird as it sounds.

VICE: Where did you come up with the idea for Porn School?
Nichola LaFleur: We were having a lot of trouble finding good porn actors. I realized that we could teach aspiring porn stars the tricks of the trade, and in the process recruit those we thought were best for Pegas Productions.

What was the application process like?
Fifty people applied. They were required to send in a picture of themselves naked and erect. From there we sent them questionnaires and gave them information on the realities of porn. A lot of people think that they’ll make a lot of money in porn. In Quebec, that can’t be the number one motivation to get into porn. I don’t know about elsewhere, but here it won’t be full-time work, and it won’t pay $10,000 a shoot—unless you’re amazing.

We look for confidence, a good attitude, the penis (which can’t be too small, but too big can also be problematic) and looks. Looks aren’t as important, because there are all sorts of people with different preferences. So sometimes we’re looking for a young, white, skinny boy, but other times we need someone that’s the opposite of that.

The application process has changed this time around. The only way to apply is to subscribe to the course on Pegasproductions.com. If we accept you, you pay the $149 and you’re in.

Why is a really big penis a problem?
A 13-inch penis is definitely better than a three-inch penis, but a little above average is ideal. The problem with a huge penis is that it can be tough to stay hard. So let’s say we need to film for an hour, a person with a large penis can have a lot of difficulty with that.

You mentioned a looking for a “good attitude,” I always assumed the right attitude was “horny.”
It depends. For men, we’re looking for someone who gives 100 percent. Someone who wants to improve, that’s a good attitude. Someone who’s intense but can also be sensual when needed. We look for people who are creative and who participate in the process. We want people who give ideas. Sometimes we [behind the camera] lack the imagination. A porn star who gives their input can help the movie look more natural. That’s a good attitude.

Would you consider a hairy fat man with a gorgeous penis?
Yes, because one huge criteria is personality. Is there something in his personality that makes him stand out? Look at Ron Jeremy, he isn’t in perfect shape but he’s special and it gives him a trademark. Everyone knows his name.

It seems like good acting in porn is oxymoronic. How do you find someone that can act and fuck on camera?
Obviously we want someone who can act throughout, but having sex on film is acting in its own right. The positions look comfortable and fun, but the reality is that these actors are having sex for the camera. Meaning they need to put themselves in a variety of positions that can be grueling. That’s why we pay attention to physique, we need someone who can do and hold those positions while looking natural. It’s what the last part of the class is centered around.

The men in your class are learning to have sex right off the bat?
Kind of—they aren’t having sex. Everyone—including the actors that are helping—are wearing underwear. The point is for the students to get a taste of how porn works and for us to see if they are physically fit enough to be considered to move on to phase two.

So sexual yoga.
Yeah, I guess that’s exactly what it’s like.

I’m picturing a bunch of horny young men in a classroom just waiting to jump on some random girl, is that accurate?
Not at all. I’m estimating that they were 20 to 35 years old. They acted professionally and four went on to phase two.

So people get hired.
Yeah, we’re not here just to take people’s money. The goal is to learn and get hired. Phase two (where the students go to set and perform without us turning the cameras on) is the final process. If we feel that the student is a fit for Pegas Productions, we hire them. We’re expected to hire one or two this time around.

Was anyone really shy, penis or personality wise?
We had shy and timid men. They were dismissed from the school because we are strictly looking for confident men with a good personality. This job takes a person with leadership who is comfortable in front of the camera. A person who can take the initiative to help a woman look her best without being constantly told by producers to do so. A shy person isn’t about to do or be these things.

I’m sure getting kicked out of porn school would be great for their self-esteem. You also teach these guys about the perfect cumshot… what does that entail?
What’s important to know about the cumshot is that, unlike everything else, it can’t be retaken. You have one shot to get it, so the actor’s mentality has to reflect that. Everything has to be perfect. Everyone has to be perfectly in place. It takes a lot of concentration, and nothing should disrupt that perfection until the director calls cut. We also need to teach them (and women) how to react to it.

So an example would be that sometimes it’s the woman who gets him to cum—with a handjob or blowjob—the guy starts cumming and the instinctive reaction is to stop. That can’t happen, she needs to keep going because he could cum six or seven more times. Those are all good shots for the camera.

They need to know how to react when they’re about to cum early—how to hold it, or how to get the cumshot, so they can go back and film the rest later. They also can’t cum into their condom, so that can be tricky.

What was most memorable about the schooling experience?
There wasn’t one thing in particular, but I can tell you that the men really liked the practice better than the theory. We developed 60 characteristics of a porn star and went through them all. It was funny how all of their attitudes changed when it was time to turn theory into practice.

Are you planning on having a school for women?
Eventually.

What are you going to teach, mastering the art of faking an orgasm?
It’ll be adapted specifically for women. So the theory and practice will be fairly different. As far as the fake orgasm goes, that’s not really what we’re looking for. We’re looking for something more natural. We’re looking for people who are looking to have fun and want to experience porn.

Overall, are you happy with the school experience?
So far. We aren’t finished with it, we still have phase two, but we got a lot of great feedback from the students and actors. We were really pleased as well. In fact, the second schooling session—which we’re hoping will take place in about a month and have up to 20 students due to a higher number of applicants—will be practically the same. There will only be minor changes to the program, we’re convinced we have a great formula. Follow Jessica Kenwood on Twitter