Gonzo Pornography

Gonzo pornography is a style of pornographic film that attempts to place the viewer directly into the scene. The name is a reference to gonzo journalism, in which the reporter is part of the event taking place. By analogy, gonzo pornography puts the camera right into the action — often with one or more of the participants both filming and performing sexual acts — without the usual separation characteristic of conventional porn and cinema. Influenced by amateur pornography, basic gonzo porn tends to use far fewer full-body/wide shots, and more close-ups (see Reality pornography). The loose and direct camera work often includes "tight" shots of the genitalia, unlike much of traditional porn.

Gonzo films are one of two broad types of contemporary pornographic film; and can be contrasted with the other type, the "Feature" film. Gonzo films tend to focus far less on the narrative, storyline, plots, extended dialogue, acting, characterization, elaborate costumes and sets, and artistic camerawork commonly found in conventional porn. According to an unnamed executive at a studio specializing in Features, "We don't just show you people fucking; we show you why they're fucking." Features are often aimed at the couples market, whereas gonzo is less likely to be. Gonzo is always hardcore pornography, whereas some Features could be classed as softcore pornography, especially if they are released in softer edited versions for distribution to hotel pay-per-view services.

Some gonzo directors like John Stagliano argue that there is a story being told, and that it's a mistake to assume that gonzo inherently lacks a plot. Due to the explosive growth in its popularity since the mid-1990s, gonzo has attained mainstream popularity, lowering the cost of entry into the market for producers, and making it easier for amateur performers to become famous; several individually distinct styles of no-frills, filmed pornography can be labeled gonzo porn. Today, several companies produce gonzo that has excellent lighting and sound quality, (temporary) lingerie costuming, and is shot in various rooms of luxury homes. One trait that all gonzo films share, though, is a much greater emphasis on intense (almost hyperactive) sexual performance, and modern gonzo is evolving to include more hardcore sex acts than either traditional or amateur porn. Regardless of camera techniques or the degree of director involvement in the scenes, a gonzo film has "more sex", per se, than a traditional (e.g. Vivid or Adam&Eve) adult video. Gonzo scenes tend to run longer; it is common for a single boy-girl scene to run anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes. John Stagliano is considered to have started the Gonzo pornography genre with his Buttman series of films.