VR Porn Star Ela Darling Talks About POV Porn
VR Porn activist, advocate and actress Ela Darling is one of the most outspoken and recognized figure in POV Porn industry, a former librarian turn popular porn star, Ela is at the forefront of the next wave of adult entertainment.
It was way back in 2013, that Ela Darling had her first virtual reality experience, and it changed her world forever, today, Ela Darling is one of the founders of VRtube.xxx, one of the first ever VR porn site in the world, she is the first ever VR live-cam girl, and a partner and spokesperson for Cam4VR.
“It conveys so much story with so little. Perfect for constructing something sensual and erotic.” says Darling
Ela Darling is currently 31 years old, a native Texan, is a 2D, VR porn star and live-cam girl, she is also an ambitious entrepreneur. After a short-lived hardcore bondage modeling career, she moved to California to pursue a porn acting career, she also worked as president of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, and moderated the well-known virtual reality community dedicated to women, the Women in VR Facebook Group. She is extremely active in adult and VR industries.
“I have a very palatable persona. I’m a porn star and a sex worker. But I have a master’s degree, and I’m a feminist, and I’m very articulate.” says Ela Darlin
Ela is the spokesperson for adult VR live-cam site CAM4VR.
After her first VR experience, Ela wanted to go deeper, but had no resource, and for someone who is without tech background, she had no way to enter the VR adult entertainment industry. The turning point came when Ela saw an AD on Reddit that was hiring a porn star for an experimental POV porn project, she immediately contacted James Ashfield and flew to in Washington D.C. and shot her solo masturbation VR porn scene with two sets of VR camera rigs.
“I pretended I was webcamming and talked to the camera like it was someone I wanted to fuck,” she says. “Because that’s what works.”
James Ashfield was impressed by Ela Darlin’s performance and reaction towards his first experimental VR porn project, she was passionate about the new way to make porn, the 180 degree camera rigs, post-production, and how everything works. James Ashfield later contacted Ela Darling and proposed to continue working together as partners.
“I had been expecting someone who was uninterested in the technology, who would be trying to finish her work as quickly as possible.”
“It was clear that we needed someone with more experience in the industry and insight into the performer mindset.” says Jamese Ashfield
Their first experiment was 180 degree porn clip, and they decided it is time to test out 360 degree adult content!
“Being able to see all around you is a small thing that you’re not really gonna pay much attention to when you’re in the experience, but when it’s not there it’s noticeable.” say Ela Darlin
Then the two moved on to develop “VR Dating Simulator”, a forward-thinking virtual experience where audiences can speak to Darling as though they’re in the same space, just like when you are going on an actual date.
“We wanted to do something that wasn’t obvious,” Darling says. “It was sort of behavioral, like a social learning tool.”
In the experience, a user sits across the dining table from Darling as she introduces herself, talks a bit about her early years growing up in Texas, and proceed to lets her date know she’s a porn actress. The user is presented with a list of feedback to click, such as “So tell me about Texas,” or “Pardon my saying so, but you’ve got a bangin’ body.” The idea was fresh and experimental, however, the technology was not there yet. So the two abandoned the project.
“If you’re flirting with someone, the conversation you have is actually incredibly complex. It takes intelligence and the ability to hold innuendo.” say James Ashfield
“The best way to have a really high-quality conversation was to have a live person!” says James Ashfield
And the realization led the duo to the creation of VRTube.xxs, which is now in partnership with VR live-cam site Cam4VR. Instead of recording performers, their program lets talent perform live. The duo believe this is the future of adult entertainment!
According to Ela Darling, the product they deliver is tailored to every viewer. Unlike other VR porn companies that place viewers into pre-recorded VR porn scene, in which users cannot interact and communicate with porn stars, Darling wants her fans, users and her VR live-cam performers to voice their desires. “White guys are gonna be fine. But people of color, people of different body types, with injuries, with disabilities,” she stops. “I want my product to be inclusive as possible.”
After 3 years in the VR porn industry, Ela has came a long way, and as the defining moment of VR porn penetrating and reaching into the mainstream consumer market getting closer, Ela Darling’s vision remains the same as when she first enter the industry in 2014, that the VR porn content and related business models is the future of worldwide adult entertainment!
