The Eyes Have It

Who couldn't like a great facial expression? A damsels gets that pinched look when she's really going to exert herself. She looks dejected because no matter how much she struggles the restraints aren't loosening a bit. Her brow furrows and she squints as she tries to scream past that huge wad of rubber in her face. Her eyes open wider than wide as she works against the crotchrope. Her eyes plead and her brow furrows at the same time when she looks at her captor.

Each adds to the drama of the story involving a helpless heroine in the midst of a dire predicament. How many have thought about the drama behind the drama though? The story is one thing but strict restraint and a gag to match are a challenge in themselves. The model not only has to wiggle, moan, hit marks, remember dialog and sweat her ass off to get the scene done, but she always has the physical and mental challenge of dealing with tight rope and a face full of shut the hell up.

That pinched look isn't just about the exertion. It's because to flop over she needs to roll over her welded elbows. It isn't going to be comfortable at all, but she knows she needs to roll around to make the scene look good. The dejected look? That comes around when she's shot for hours. She's shooting a scene that involved 20 minutes of getting tied up and she's been rolling around under hot lights for another 15. She's exhausted but you signal that you need five more minutes. She doesn't know how she's going to do it, so she's digging down deep to get you the time on film that you need. The brow furrowing and squinting is because there's so much saliva backed up in her mouth that moving her tongue might let it flow into the back of her throat and choke her. She's trying to position her tongue so she can keep making noise without passing out. She opens her eyes wider than wide because that crotchrope is damn tight. It doesn't feel good and in pinches a very delicate area at times. She is not comfortable and is hoping that wiggling her hips shifts things enough to go back to just uncomfortable from, "ow ow ow ow ow." Her look pleads because she's totally exhausted, aching, hot, sweating and mentally worn out but the end of this scene means there's another one still to go. Release means only five minutes of rubbing sore muscles and mentally gearing up for that crazy suspension you keep talking about.

My point is that these women work DAMN hard to help producers provide material for everyone to enjoy. Strict bondage isn't about playing a part. It's about a real predicament. The model is working her ass off to struggle through exhaustion, choking gags, aching jaws, sore muscles and ropes so tight they feel like they are cutting. Imagine having a back-ache, a head-ache, a sunburn, an upset stomach, a dentist running that water spray into the back of your throat, rug burns everywhere and waking up with the circulation in both of your arms gone all at the same time. Now imagine with all that someone put 2000 watts of light on you, tells you to struggle and then gropes and spanks you at the same time. That is the drama behind the drama!

The image above is from the next-to-last set of my last shoot with Kendra James. She was run ragged all day but still never let up in her exertion and playing the part. If you don't mind a short clip showing someone who's worked 12 hours but is still giving it her everything, check out Black and White and Duct-Taped All Over.

Kendra James what were you thinking?

It's always fun to go through video and pull out the odd things that happen during a shoot. Like when the dog gets loose and gets into the scene or UPS picks the the perfectly wrong moment to need a signature on a delivery. I should do a blooper reel someday! I do actually have a piece of video where the model told me her boyfriend would be checking up on her once an hour and if she was indisposed I should pick up and tell him she'd call him right back. Sure enough in full restraint and tape-gagged the phone rings, I pick up and I say the classic, "she's a bit tied up at the moment, she'll call you back." He said to put the phone by her ear and she mmmphhs four times. After the shoot she told me they agreed that any number of mmmphs other than four would mean call the cops. I find that funny until this day! Why four? Who knows, still damn funny though.

My first shoot with Kendra had some funny moments as well, mainly because she's a hoot to be around. I still have a vivid recollection of her in a naked lotus tie, neck to ankles, and hearing, "little help please." I know I've told the story but turning around to see nothing but feet and you-know-what was a bit shocking, very funny and just plain awesome from a perv point of view.

Some of the things that really get my wheels turning though are when I see expressions and wonder what is going through their heads at the time. It's fairly obvious when the expression means "just get this over with idiot!" Other times it's a bit harder to read. I was working on screen shots and just had to put up this one from Kendra James in Vintage Vixen Hogtied. I had recently re-mastered it for better color and a higher bit rate. I took the screen shot because it had drool, and I LOVE drool. Nobody plays a character in distress better than Kendra, so it could just be play-acting. The more I look at it though the more it seems to say that she knows the only way I'll get the camera out of her face is to drool. I can't even view it anymore without knowing she's thinking, "here, it's all over my bra now, happy, now film something else already!"