Viv Thomas
{{Short description|British pornographic film director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2008}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Viv Thomas
| image = Viv Thomas at his home in the Algarve, Portugal.jpg
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| occupation = Pornographic film director
| yearsactive = 1984—present
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| website = [http://www.vivthomas.com/ Viv Thomas' Official Site]
}}
Viv Thomas is a British producer of pornographic movies. He has produced hundreds of features over the course of his 15+ year career. He specializes in producing lesbian pornography,{{cite web | author = Steve Javors | title = Girlfriends to Distribute Viv Thomas Titles | url = http://www.xbiz.com/news/news_piece.php?id=17292 | date = 2006-09-25 | access-date = 2008-03-19 | publisher = XBiz | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120111032933/http://www.xbiz.com/news/news_piece.php?id=17292 | archive-date = 11 January 2012 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }} as well as foot fetish videos. His popular titles include the Pink Velvet trilogy, the Unfaithful series, and The Art of Kissing series. The Story of She 2 starring British model Lexi Lowe was his best-selling movie of 2013.{{cite web|author=Avril|title=Sexy movie of the year – did Story of She 2 get your vote?|date=18 February 2014|url=http://blog.vivthomas.com/sexy-movie-of-the-year-story-of-she-2/|work=Viv Thomas Official Blog|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219023523/http://blog.vivthomas.com/sexy-movie-of-the-year-story-of-she-2/|archive-date=19 February 2014}}
Career
In addition to lesbian pornography, Thomas has also produced an equal number of heterosexual works. The majority of his work was produced prior to the British government lifting some of the more stringent laws regarding what could be shown in pornographic films; when those laws were repealed in 1999, Thomas moved into producing hardcore material exclusively. However, after a court decision confirmed that R18 rated hardcore DVDs can only be sold via licensed sex shops in the UK, not mail order via the internet, Thomas decided to move his whole operation from Acton, West London to Portugal. He also maintains a studio in Budapest.
Thomas is known for producing artistic pornographic films with an emphasis on high production values and has been nominated for numerous awards{{cite web | author = ETO | title = ETO Awards Nominees Announced | url = http://business.avn.com/company-news/ETO-Awards-Nominees-Announced-474640.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130215132135/http://business.avn.com/company-news/ETO-Awards-Nominees-Announced-474640.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 February 2013 | date = 2012-08-22 | access-date = 2012-05-01 | publisher = AVN }} and has won at the AVN Awards in the past. His contemporaries include the established pornographic director/producers Andrew Blake, Michael Ninn, and Marc Dorcel.
Thomas' more recent work has starred almost exclusively Hungarian, Czech, and other Central European models, although he does feature some British performers, such as Ian Tate, as well as Americans such as Penny Flame.
Other British models he has worked with include Lexi Lowe (Lowe worked exclusively with Thomas for the first year of her lesbian film career),{{cite web|author=Captain Jack|title=Captain Jack interviews Lexi Lowe|url=http://interviews.adultdvdtalk.com/lexi-lowe/|work=Adult DVD Talk|date=26 February 2014|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813070614/https://interviews.adultdvdtalk.com/lexi-lowe/|url-status=dead}} Alicia Rhodes, Michelle Thorne, Kelle Marie, and Roxanne Hall. Central European models who are frequently featured in his videos include Eve Angel.
His productions are distributed by Girlfriends Films{{cite web | author = Mark Kernes | title = Girlfriends Films Inks Distribution Deal with VivThomas.com | url = http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Girlfriends-Films-Inks-Distribution-Deal-with-VivThomas-com-485911.html | date = 2012-08-22 | access-date = 2012-08-22 | publisher = AVN | archive-date = 19 January 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150119034102/http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Girlfriends-Films-Inks-Distribution-Deal-with-VivThomas-com-485911.html | url-status = dead }} (USA and the world) and Erigo Distribution (UK and Europe). In early 2013 Viv Thomas Productions entered into an agreement with MetArt{{cite web | author = Bob Johnson | title = MetArt to Manage VivThomas.com | url = http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=158179 | date = 2013-01-03 | access-date = 2013-01-03 | publisher = Xbiz | archive-date = 25 September 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130925201841/http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=158179 | url-status = dead }} for the management of his flagship web site, vivthomas.com. The new site was launched on 26 March 2013.{{cite web | author = Bob Johnson | title = MetArt Network Relaunches VivThomas.com | url = http://www.xbiz.com/news/161013 | date = 2013-03-26 | access-date = 2013-03-26 | publisher = Xbiz}}
Between 2006 and 2011, Thomas presented his models with awards for working with the company "as a way of saying thank you".{{cite news | author = Dashiell | title = Viv Thomas' Jo Is The Hottest Babe … This Year | url = http://straight.fleshbot.com/380870/viv-thomas-jo-is-the-hottest-babe-this-year | date = 2008-04-17 | access-date = 2008-04-17 | newspaper = Fleshbot}} The company hosted a fan based voting competition to find the Viv Thomas Babe of the Year in 2011.{{cite web | author = Nick Spillum | title = Viv Thomas' Babe of the year | url = http://www.babe-of-the-year.com | date = 2011-04-17 | access-date = 2013-04-11 | publisher = VivThomas.com | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130504125944/http://babe-of-the-year.com/ | archive-date = 4 May 2013 | df = dmy-all }}
In 2008 Thomas instituted the Viv Thomas Golf Masters, a golf tournament that takes place every year around Spain and Portugal.{{cite web | author = AVN | title = Viv Thomas Golf Tourney Tees Off 5th Annual Industry Insider Event | url = http://business.avn.com/company-news/Viv-Thomas-Golf-Tourney-Tees-Off-5th-Annual-Industry-Insider-Event-476095.html | date = 2012-05-22 | access-date = 2012-05-22 | publisher = AVN | archive-date = 26 May 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120526020809/http://business.avn.com/company-news/Viv-Thomas-Golf-Tourney-Tees-Off-5th-Annual-Industry-Insider-Event-476095.html | url-status = dead }}
Awards
- Babe Of The Year{{cite web |url=http://www.babe-of-the-year.com/ |title=Sandra Shine wins Babe of the Year 2011! |website=Babe of the Year – a VivThomas.com site |access-date=2013-04-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504125944/http://babe-of-the-year.com/ |archive-date=4 May 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
- 2011: Babe of the Year: Sandra Shine
- 2011: Best Newcomer: Lexi Lowe
- Best Movie
- 2009: Office Girls 2
- 2010: Unfaithful 5
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.vivthomas.com}}
- [https://www.vivthomas.com/blog/ Official Viv Thomas Blog]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130115023629/http://vivthomasmasters.com/ Viv Thomas Golf Masters]
- {{IMDb name|name=Viv Thomas|id=1106529}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102180222/http://www.cancer-throat.com/ Viv's information Website about Throat Cancer]
{{British pornography}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Viv}}
Category:English pornographic film directors
Category:British pornographic film producers
Category:South African pornographic film directors
Category:Directors of lesbian pornographic films