Behind the scenes with Private Magazine
Alex Indigo has been editing Private Magazine since issue #117. This world-renowned magazine is what Private is best known for. First published in 1965, and widely recognized as the premier hardcore magazine in the world, it is most famous for its simple best-selling formula: beautiful women with model looks engaging in hardcore sex. Thanks in large part to Private Magazine, Private is the standard bearer for high quality adult entertainment.
After almost 15 years as editor of Private Magazine, Alex Indigo gave Private Eye his first interview. Find out more about him and the magazine-making process.
How did you get into porno?
I was looking for a change in my work routine and they opportunity to work with Private came up. It seemed interesting and, above all, entertaining.
What did you do before editing Private Magazine?
I’m a graphic designer and before landing at Private I worked in different design studios that weren’t involved in this type of specialty. Private was my first professional experience in this sector.
What was the first thing you ever saw by Private?
Many years before starting to work in Private a friend of mine gave me a stack of Private magazines. At that time in
Where it all started
What was the first thing you did for Private?
I started on issue # 117, about 14 or 15 years ago, more or less. They were photos by Pierre Woodman.
Was it much different than it is now?
Back then there were less photographers than now. At that time Pierre Woodman was a rising star. He was very prolific and he had a lot of freedom. Porno was way more underground than it now. Contacting girls that were interested in doing photos with sexual content wasn’t like it is now. Back then the internet didn’t exist and moving from country to country was much more complicated.
Virginie Hilton in Private #200
Did you come in as the main editor?
No, of course not! I didn’t have experience in the sector. I had to learn a lot and prove I had what it takes.
Well, we think you’ve done that! Have done anything else for Private?
Back then we were a very small team and we all did a bit of everything in the company. We weren’t as specialized as we are nowadays.
Vanda by Tom Meadow in Best of Private #15
Over the years you’ve worked with many industry legends. Which photographers stand out in your opinion?
There are some really great ones. John Palmer, Tom Meadow, Pierre Woodman, Mourté, Mandala … Every photographer brings a distinct vision and they also develop their own qualities over time that make their work unique. Working in this sector is not easy at all. Good direction of actors is an essential requirement in order to show something and finish off the job well.
Priva by Mandala in Private #195
Are there any photographers that you haven’t worked with who impress you, and whom you would like to work with?
Of course! David Lachapelle.
Which performers stand out in your opinion?
The best is Silvia Saint. Others have shined, of course, but no one has been able to achieve such a high level so consistently, like she has. The guys are obviously very important, but they simply don’t have the same level of protagonism as the girls.
Rita Faltoyano by John Palmer in Private #163
Which girls would you like to work with in the future?
Right now I’m really into Aletta [starring in January’s Party Babes]. She’ll be published in Private #205, coming out in February. I recommend you guys follow her career.
What makes a Private Girl?
They just have it. They need to seduce us.
How do you choose the actresses?
Word of mouth, or you might see them in a production in a secondary role. Or through a model agency.
Lucia Lapiedra in Private #196 (pp. 114-115)
Private Magazine, to me, represents a niche all by itself. When you look for a particular type of porn, all of us know what to expect from Private Magazine. How would you, as the editor, describe it?
For Private Magazine to be a best seller it cannot be pigeonholed. It needs to offer a bit of everything in certain amounts. Everyone that picks up a Private Magazine should be able to find something that they like.
How much of the photoset process do you control?
I’m kind of a control freak. I like to be involved in everything, if I can. Choosing the performers is a very important moment. Creating an ambience with location, makeup and a look take a lot of time to discuss with the photographer. Sometimes a photographer offers us a finished product. If we like it, we publish it.
Suzie Diamond in Private #199 (pp. 4-5)
Do you go to the photo shoots?
I always go if I can, and the photographers normally appreciate it. They feel very cared for and if they have any doubts they always ask. In a photo shoot there are many things that they have to deal with at the same time … and four eyes see more than two! And as the team works together they get better and better. Things go smoother with each new collaboration.
Does editing Private Magazine change the way you view sex?
Yeah, in a way. Thinking so much about porno does influence you in some way. I don’t possess tests of my testosterone levels form before and after I started to work with Private!
Silvia Saint in Private # 191
Define porno.
Basically porno is like a circus …
The Ringling Brothers are rolling in their graves …
Yeah. And now for the hardest thing yet! It’s a place where those fantasies and erotic dreams that we all have at one time or another become reality. Real life can’t handle such levels of creativity and promiscuity. That’s why we have porno.
Do you think porn magazines are going to be able to survive the rise of the internet?
I think the medium is secondary. The most important thing is the content. If the magazine ends up being purely digital I don’t think it really matters. They’ve predicted the death of printed paper a long time ago, but as we can all see it’s still holding strong. What do we have to do? We need to offer better looking and naughtier girls every time.
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Interview conducted on December 17, 2007
Wallpaper of Silvia Saint (right click and “save target as”)
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