Cyberspace — Once upon a time, Colin Rowntree was a Fulbright scholar who earned his PhD in music. He conducted orchestras, operas and ensembles around the world before shifting gears. And while the transition from baton to riding crop was not exactly linear, Wasteland emerged as “movement” unto itself in 1994.
During those halcyon days of 56K modems, Rowntree operated various catalog sites for BDSM gear and soon realized that the consumers of his catalogs were actually crying out for content. Making the shift from merchandising to content creation ultimately ignited his creativity on multiple levels: from whips and latex to ponygirl training, Shibari, water bondage and beyond!
Wasteland.com, the first site of its kind, gave kinky fans a much-needed outlet to explore their fantasies without judgment.
Today, Wasteland is a multi-award winning space that continues to treat their members to some of the most boundary pushing and exciting fetish niche and BDSM content on the web, all the while maintaining ethical production practices and a firm stance on safe, sane, and consensual fun. On Wasteland, curious newbies can “learn the ropes” and seasoned fans will always find more to entice them. It begs the question: How does Rowntree still do it after so much time, when so many other sites of the early internet have fallen by the wayside?
“Innovate, innovate, innovate — that has always been my approach to film-making, and it’s how I carry onward.” Rowntree said.
Especially in the time of COVID, it has never been more imperative for adult filmmakers to embrace technology and step outside of their comfort zones — and Rowntree, true to form, was quick to adapt and respond to continual consumer demand during lockdown.
Wasteland’s newest dystopian parody feature, Pink Mirror starring Sicilia Ricci, was shot entirely using Skype and POV cams. “Socially distanced porn production is not only possible, but it opens up all kinds of new mind-warping directions,” Rowntree said.
And while the continual pandemic makes in-person anniversary festivities unfeasible for now, Rowntree nevertheless plans to ring in year twenty-six with gusto and flair. No doubt, if the present is any indication, Wasteland is duly “bound” to create even more unique content for another twenty-six years.
