Scott Masters - Catalina Years

Catalina Years

In 1987, Masters was hired as head of production for Catalina Video. William Higgins had founded Catalina in 1978. Catalina Video had been distributing Nova Studios' films to adult bookstores and video stores since about 1982. With Nova Studios in financial distress, Higgins and Masters struck a deal: Catalina would purchase the rights to the unreleased Boys Town. Masters would be free to sell the rights to all his other films to another vendor. Catalina would also hire Masters as its head of production, where he would also be free to write and direct films on an occasional basis.

Masters sold the rights to nearly all of Nova Studios' films to L.A. Video. Unfortunately, L.A. Video would go bankrupt a few years later, leaving the rights to all of Nova Studios' products in legal limbo.

Given the transition in his life, the director stopped using the name "Robert Walters" and adopted his new stage name, Scott Masters.

Masters' first film for Catalina was The Bigger They Come (1987). For the first time, Masters made a film on a set in a studio rather than on location. He followed it up with Down for the Count, a film which featured the debut of popular star Jon Vincent.

Once at Catalina, Masters also hired Chet Thomas, his former editor at Nova Studios.

During his time at Catalina, Masters also became good friends with director John Travis. Travis had been working for Brentwood Studios and Falcon Studios since the early 1970s. In 1988, Masters hired him away from Falcon. The first film Travis helmed under Masters' supervision was My Best Buddy (1988). Travis had a problematic work ethic at Falcon. But Masters and Travis found working together easy, and Travis' productivity increased dramatically.

In 1989, Masters hired Josh Eliot as a director for Catalina. Catalina was expanding, and wanted to open a second studio in San Francisco. Although hired initially just to run the office, Eliot quickly became one of Catalina's top directors.

Masters is also partly responsible for the career of gay adult film director Chi Chi LaRue. LaRue had come to California in 1987 and gotten a job in Catalina's sales department. He had been promoted to the promotions department, and sought a directing job. Masters, however, refused to give him one. LaRue left Catalina in 1989, moving to InHand Productions and Vivid Video. Catalina president Mike Merrick left and new studio head Christian Mann took over. Mann rehired LaRue, and put him to work on his first film, Billboard (starring Joey Stefano). LaRue credits Masters with forcing him to learn more about directing, which led to his eventual directorial career.

The change in management at Catalina led Masters to significantly cut back on his duties. While he still managed productions, he became far less involved in casting decisions. When Merrick eventually purchased Catalina from Higgins, Masters decided to leave the studio.

In 1991 Masters met Matt Powers, a newcomer to adult film. Masters cast Powers in Lifeguard on Duty. The two eventually became lovers, although the relationship did not last.

That same year, Masters discovered a number of noted adult film performers. He discovered Lex Baldwin, brother of straight porn star T. T. Boy. Although Masters opposed producing the film, Baldwin was cast in Powertool 2, the sequel to the noted Jeff Stryker debut film, Powertool. He also discovered muscular, blond and versatile performer Cody Foster, and cast him in Foster's first film, Malibu Pool Boys (1991). Finally, he discovered performer (and now director) Blade Thompson, and cast him in his first film, Behind the Barn Door.