Las Vegas- This week Limelight Productions in Las Vegas announced that it had acquired Modelgig Model and Talent Management and in doing so named Robert Ferrara, former owner of Modelgig, to a newly created position as “Internet Marketing Director.”
Adultfyi.com spoke to Chris Zeeman, president of Limelight- limelightgirls.com – about the acquisition. What it boils down to is the fact that Limelight, a video producer, now has a strong talent pool to cast its productions with.
In making Ferrara Internet Marketing director, Zeeman said Limelight created a collaborative opportunity which he thinks solidifies an adult presence in Las Vegas. “This brings the opportunity for female models in the industry into clear focus. This is a real win-win situation in acquiring Modelgig,” Zeeman goes on to say.
“By acquiring Modelgig, we’re able to promote the women which is the theme of the Limelight Girls project itself.”
Zeeman describes “The Limelight Girls Project” as the ‘porn stage for aspiring stars’.
“We’re shooting new discoveries, amateurs and rising stars,” he continues. “It’s for women that want to be successful in the industry and the focus is on them. The scenes are very genuine. We’re trying to keep it very reality-based, and we’re kind of building off that.” Fortuitously, the collaboration with Modelgig, according to Zeeman, comes at a time when the consumer and distributor response has grown consistently on behalf of the series. “The reputation has been very positive and we’re humbled by that.”
Zeeman, who grew up in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley, began Limelight in December, 2002. “We really started to establish ourselves with the launch of our DVD series in June, 2003. When the first DVD came out, that’s when we began a two-year plan and we’re six months into that, rolling out our first promotional event at the AEE show.” Limelight threw a party at a local Vegas club to promote their series. “That gave us an opportunity to meet face-to-face with so many of the distributors that we’ve spoken with over the last six months.
“We have five volumes now out in the series,” continues Zeeman, “so there’s a bit of a reputation and a track record there.”
Zeeman, whose background was sales of products to the adult industry, explains his reasons for moving to Las Vegas. “For years I was on the outside looking in the adult business but never hands on in the industry. I knew so many people involved in the industry, and I felt that Vegas was a burgeoning opportunity. I felt that this project would be something that could grow.”
The business has always been about the woman, and Zeeman saw this as the window of opportunity. “The focus on the women is where I thought the opening was. We’re also trying to be something that’s a little bit different from L.A. and just go back to plain sex and not be as programmed.”
Zeeman says his original objective was to push the women towards the bigger studios and help them in any way possible. “We really didn’t have as many bullets in place. We would use the connections we had and say, look, here’s an attractive and appealing performer. She started with us. Now, why don’t you go to L.A. and work the L.A. circuit. This collaboration now gives gives us the opportunity to provide a stage for women to launch themselves nationwide.”
Some of the blossoming talent from The Limelight Girls Project includes Lilly Thai who shot both a solo a and girl-girl scene for them. “We discovered her at AVN ’03,” says Zeeman. “She’s in L.A. right now shooting boy-girl and is becoming extremely popular.” Zeeman said his company also shot Alexis Amore, now a contract girl with Jill Kelly, as a rising star, and she appears in Vol. 1 of the series. Karina, a popular Howard Stern mainstay, who’s also been contracted to Sin City, has shot with Zeeman. “She shot one of her first scenes with us when she was going by the name Monica Star,” Zeeman says. “She signed with us at AEE. She’s a doll and very successful.”
The cover girl of Volume 2 is Cris Taliana who broke in the business when she was 18. Zeeman said her popularity has gone through the roof. “She’s been in the Evil Angel fold, is extremely popular, and shot the majority of her scenes with Evil Angel, Joey Silvera and Jules Jordan.”
Newcomer Julie Robbins is featured in Volume 3 as well as Lilly Thai’s girl-girl scene with Destiny St. Claire. “Destiny is a Hustler centerfold girl and Barely Legal girl,” Zeeman notes. “We also have rising star Gen Padova. Gen is another girl we absolutely rave about. Her scene with us, she says, is one of the best boy-girls she’s ever done. It’s a very popular scene.”
Trinity, now a contract girl with Pleasure Productions, is featured on the cover of Volume 4. “This one of her first scenes,” according to Zeeman. “And we have a first-timer named Jasmyn. She’s a Latina girl from the midwest. She’s brand new. So we have a combination of new faces and the rising stars.”
Zeeman concedes that his company still has a long way to go. “We’re just starting out. It’s only seven months into this since our first release. Volume 6 will come out in March and we’re already shooting for Volume 7.”