By Peter Berton
LOS ANGELES – The adult industry has become more professional as it has matured. One sign of this maturity is the entry of talent agents such as Mark Schechter, owner of Adult Talent Managers Los Angeles. Best known for his work with the affiliate program BlazingBucks, Schechter purchased ATMLA in 2012 from porn star Shy Love, who had established the company six years earlier.
Schechter recently sat down with YNOT.com and reflected upon his career.
YNOT.com: Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Mark Schechter: After a long, 20-year career in the Southern California card casino industry, I ventured out into the adult entertainment industry, initially learning the internet traffic side of the business and then affiliate marketing, content production, and pay site management.
I was the managing partner and co-owner of BlazingBucks for seven years. Gamma Entertainment bought the company in December 2013.
How did you become an agent?
I purchased ATMLA in October 2012, and it is now the main focus of my time and energy. After the merger of BlazingBucks with Gamma Entertainment, it was time for me to find another opportunity.
ATMLA was presented to me as a viable opportunity that I didn’t hesitate to jump into, relying on my skills in managing people and developing and maintaining relationships. All of that is essential to maintaining a successful talent agency.
What was the move to being an agent like for you?
Having managed and maintained websites for high-profile porn stars including Bree Olsen, Dylan Ryder and Aaliyah Love, the transition to representing adult performers as an agent was simply the next step in a progression.
Why is there a need for professional agents in adult?
There is a need for service providers that specialize in the recruitment and management of performers specifically for the adult entertainment industry. Agencies provide value not only to performers who want to advance their careers, but also to production companies.
What do you do for your clients?
As I indicated, my clients include both adult performers and production companies. For the performers, we provide representation and job placement with various studios, and we also introduce them to various individual directors who have production needs. We provide outside revenue potential for the performers by assisting with feature dancing, personal website management and interface with the mainstream side of entertainment.
For production clients, we provide a value-added service that includes casting and scheduling of performers, insuring talent reliability and offering some of the top-rated adult performers in the industry for production needs.
What is the strangest situation you’ve had to deal with?
I wouldn’t necessarily consider this to be “strange,” but it certainly was a situation like none other I’ve experienced in my 56 years: The HIV incidents that cropped up during 2013 really tested the mettle of the entire industry, and they occurred during my first year of involvement as an agent.
You’ve run ATMLA for about 16 months so far. What are your future plans?
I plan to be 100-percent involved with the day-to-day management of ATMLA for the next four to six years, with the anticipation of finding someone to replace me after that.
I plan continued ownership and involvement with ATMLA even after I am replaced, but I’ll be ready to semi-retire at 60 years of age. I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor with my wife Marjie, who is the love of my life, and enjoy our kids and grandkids.
