Maitland Ward reveals surprisingly exhausting schedule of shooting porn

There are many misconceptions about what goes on behind the scenes when shooting pornographic films but Maitland Ward is drawing the veil back revealing the long work days and intense prep that goes into it.

For some people, an adult film consists of one thing and one thing only: sex.

Free-to-watch pornographies from websites like PornHub or XVideos have developed a reputation for having bad acting, insignificant plotlines, and straight-to-the-action content.

“I think that they have this misconception that porn is just silly and nobody puts any work into it.” Ward, an award-winning adult film actress for Deeper, part of Vixen Media Group, says.

But the reality for Ward, 45, and many adult entertainers, is much different.

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Much like non-pornographic film productions, adult films require a lot of time and prep to be the best they can be, which includes long days.

“We work about 16-hour days,” Ward says.

“I’d say about an hour and a half of that is sex. The rest is filming, the rest is shot, the rest is dialogue,” she adds.

Lucky for Ward, her experience working on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful and Disney show Boy Meets World has prepared her well for the long work hours and preparation that goes into shooting.

Dialogue and scripts are also a major part of prepping for a shoot, Ward says at times she’s had three-page monologues.

Having studied screenwriting at the University of Califonia Los Angeles for two years, Ward knows good writing from bad writing - which plays a part in how she chooses which films she wants to work on.

Her passion for writing also came in handy when she started writing her recent memoir Rated X.

But of the things to prepare for when shooting an adult film, one of the biggest is consent, which Ward thinks mainstream Hollywood can learn from the industry.

"Talking about it ahead of time, knowing what to expect out of the scene, knowing what your 'nos' and 'yeses' are, what you do and don't like," she says.

Because the adult film industry is considered taboo, Ward recognizes that not many people understand the effort and teamwork required to make a well-made movie.

But she hopes that she, as the bridge between mainstream Hollywood and the adult entertainment industry, can help bring awareness to the adult industry.

“There's a lot of work that goes into these films," Ward says. "I think if they're big fans, I think they would recognize that but I think to the greater world, it's not all 'pizza boy gets a blow job under the kitchen table while the husband is making coffee'.”

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