The JoyBear Performer Bill of Rights and Consent on Set...

At JoyBear, being as ethical as possible at every stage of our film production is of utmost importance to us. We love taking you behind the scenes on our films, not just because it's fun but also because we are fully committed to transparency and being held to the highest standards in the industry. We love to hear from our fans, whether it's a compliment or a critique, we always want to improve our process in any way we can.

So just what makes us ethical? Ethical porn is a term that different people perceive in different ways, making it very difficult to define. Coupled with the fact that in recent years more and more viewers want 'ethical' or 'fair trade' content, this sometimes leads to 'ethical' being used as a marketing term more than an ethos on how to work.

Our founder Justin Santos says 'From JoyBear’s point of view ‘ethical porn’ is everything you don’t see on screen. It’s the communication in the lead up the shoot; the understanding and consent; the trust between performers and crew; the fees that have been paid (and timing thereof), the wellbeing of everyone on set; the choice for all performers to use condoms (or any other protection from STDs); officially obtained STD tests that have been shared with all relevant parties prior to filming; the opportunity to ask any questions relating to the script and/or any aspect of filming, not just the sex acts required for a scene; the opportunity for all performers to clarify things they find both pleasurable and unpleasurable; quality catering and above all a positive working atmosphere. These are the elements that typically comprise ‘ethical porn’ for us. They are also nothing more than common sense. When you break down ethical porn into these points, why would a studio want to work in any other way?'

Baby Nicols and Julia Roca filming for our Love is Blind BTS Aftermovie 

We couldn't produce the beautiful films that we do without our talented performers, and we think that when when they feel respected and valued you see it on screen. One of the ways that we show this commitment is with our Performer Bill Of Rights. This document explains in detail to our performers what they can expect before, during and after working with us, their rights when working with us and our expectations. Covering everything from preferences with other performers, payment, STD testing, breaks, consent and meals on set, the Bill of Rights is detailed and working document. 

As we know, consent is sexy and absolutely non negotiable, whether you are at home in bed with your partner, or filming a scene as a performer. When filming porn it's crucial that we are completely sure that performers feel comfortable enough to say 'stop', to not feel pressured into things they may not want to do, to be able to ask for a break (among other things). This is why it is so vitally important for us to have a document that explains and ensures that nobody is exploited on any level. 

Alyssia Kent and Nat Portnoy prepare to film Love is Blind - All The Feels

Some of the major points regarding consent from the JoyBear Performer Bill Of Rights 

- You have the right to know who you are working with and the right to refuse to work with anyone
- You and/or your scene partners have the right to feel safe on our sets at all times
- You have the right to feel you are entering into a scene with all the information and you should feel you have had time to ask questions and make sure everything is clear and you are comfortable
- You have the right to consensual sex
- You have the right to have any concerns heard and dealt with by the Producer/Director
- You have the right to change your mind about anything that has been previously discussed, if you feel uncomfortable at any time. If this happens, the scene will stop, and we will discuss with you and your scene partner privately what needs to change. Consent can be revoked at any time.
- You have the right before or during a scene to change your mind about using condoms
- You have the right at any point during a scene to change your mind about anything or say “stop”. If you stop a scene, we will privately discuss the issues and see if they can be resolved
- You have the right to not feel pressurised in any way and to not perform any acts you are not comfortable with
- You have the right to feel safe on set with us, always

Esluna Love and Frank Rock BTS on Body Language 

We believe that this attention to detail and commitment to upholding the highest standards possible is a must if we are to talk about ourselves as ethical. We are proud of how we work with our performers and this just makes us love showing their genuine and electric chemistry on screen even more! 

We would love to hear your views about ethical porn and how JoyBear measures up by your standards. 

Stay safe. Have fun. Issy x