Monday, 5 April 2010

All So Unfair



Here is a picture of a nice, helpful, proficient nurse being spanked (at http://www.spanked-in-uniform.com/ - go and have a look!). It's fair enough really, she forgot to wear her hat. She had to put it on again before she got spanked, naturally.


Now, I suppose you could argue that it's a bit harsh to use corporal punishment for such a minor infringement of rules, but I didn't feel as though I was being abused. However, I have been thinking recently about my emotional comfort zones relating to CP roleplay. The reason for this is that when I go to spanking shoots, it's very easy to establish ground rules about some things (like levels of nudity, severity, and payment) but awfully tricky to negotiate the more subtle elements of the planned scenes.


So, these days, I turn up at my CP shoots safe in the knowledge that the following;-


1) Tops who know what they're doing

2) Clean implements

3) Safewords

4) Respectful, non-gyno camera angles


will be in place. Mainly because the people I work with now are lovely, and wouldn't dream of allowing anything dangerous or distasteful to happen.


However, I find it much, much harder to establish emotional limits. I think this is partly because they're too subtle for me to express properly without sounding like a diva. For example, here's a list of things I've found upsetting/a bit yukky during various CP shoots;-


a) a 'headmaster' who tried to touch my breasts. Hmmmm. Easy to avoid in future by insisting that school scenes have to be strictly disciplinary and non-sexual (which I thought everyone already knew anyway, TBH)


b) a 'teacher' who continually called me stupid (bad teaching, I think!) Which was much trickier to know how to deal with, for me. I didn't like being called stupid, I felt as though he was calling me, the ACTRESS stupid, rather than my character (poor chap probably REALLY wasn't). And since my poor character had to keep making mistakes in order to let the scene continue, I started to feel rather annoyed. But on another occasion, with a different actor, I was totally happy to be called stupid a lot; and just rather enjoyed feeling like a martyr. So I can't actually tell people the word 'stupid' is off limits, because it isn't really.


c) having my bottom rubbed in between smacks in school or domestic, non-sexual scenes. It just seems a bit odd, and rather salacious, frankly. Obviously if it's a romantic, husband/wife or consenting-adults kind of scene then it can look (and feel) perfectly normal. But if I'm meant to be hating the spanking, and the Top isn't meant to be enjoying administering it, then it feels a bit ikky. Again, really tricky to explain without sounding rude, stand-offish and rather prudish.


d) suddenly being directed to act aroused by the spanking. Again, I'm totally fine with that in the right scenario - it seems like a nice, and truthful thing to show. But in a scene where the Top is meant to be angry with me, it would look and feel really emotionally miss-matched if I started writhing round in ecstasy, surely? Urgh, a bit complicated to express, because I'm actually happy with being upset at being punished, or delighted by being spanked, but not all in one scene.


e) Being asked to say things which I think sound lame, and/or contrived. I like to maintain control over the things my character says. Which, frankly, IS rather diva-ish, and isn't a privilege I could have hoped to enjoy while I was a mainstream actress. But because CP films demand a fair amount of effort from their actors in terms of improvisation, the diva part of me feels that with the extra responsibility for carrying the story should come the extra power of veto-ing lines that don't feel right for the character I'm playing. Therefore my Naval Officers will never bleat 'ohhh, Sir, not on my BARE bottom!' my spoilt Wives won't clench their jaws and vow 'I'll never tell, you'll have to kill me first' and my Schoolgirls will never purr 'oooh, Sir, you're making me feel really hot.....' Because I say so.
The complexity is added to by the fact that, from time to time, I very much enjoy shooting very weird stuff. The following;-
Being flogged for being a witch even though I WASN'T
Enduring a judicial caning for drug smuggling when I was innocent
Being repeatedly called a stupid girl by my wicked uncle who didn't understand women's rights
Being WOKEN UP, spanked and caned by my private tutor who didn't think much of my understanding of structural engineering
Receiving an 18 stroke caning from the BDM last night just because he FELT like it
all seemed perfectly fair, fun and reasonable. Not forgetting the nurse who didn't like wearing her hat.
My only defence (and I need one, at least for myself) is that spanking modelling has always been something I do primarily for fun, as a kind of present to myself between more mainstream modelling jobs. So, although one should probably be prepared to take the rough with the smooth at work; perhaps it's also OK to have some guidelines that are nothing to do with health and safety.


17 comments:

Dana said...

I think I'm in agreement with you, Amelia.

a) Headmasters wanting to grope the girls isn't my thing. Girls are being punished. As the voyeur, sure I enjoy the show, but the one doing the spanking is all business.

b) I don't enjoy name-calling. One may say you've done something stupid, but not that you ARE stupid. That goes double for you because, casting-wise, I can't buy your character as anything but smart.

c) I hate bottom-rubbing in discipline scenes. It annoys me greatly. I know Amelia's bottom is irresistible, but everyone please just stop it. :)

d) That seems odd to direct someone to act aroused in a scene that isn't about erotic spanking. Maybe it's just me, but unless it's critical to a story being told, I would always direct the spanking model to act in whatever way is natural for them to act. At least that's what I want to see as the audience. I like to think it's the actress being herself, or how she personally feels as the character she's playing.

e) Similar to above, I prefer the actress to be in charge of her character. This is especially true if she has definitive opinions about it. When I watch an Amelia Jane Rutherford scene, I want to see your performance as YOU would have it. I think you wanting to maintain that control is to the benefit of your fans. I have no doubt that if something feels wrong to you, it shouldn't be there. I think anyone making a film with you should be thrilled that you care enough to want it to work.

Dana

Anonymous said...

Hi, Ariel/Amelia,

I agree with everything you said, the examples you gave, and the reasons you cited. You are not just a hired gun; you are expected to provide creative input, and that gives you certain privileges. Also, you will be used to promote the resulting product, so you have an image to protect. You are a "brand," that stands (from what I've seen) for elegance, intelligence, plausibility, and high quality. You are entitled to protect that brand. (That was why I was so surprised about "Spanked Call Girls," though perhaps the whole thing is meant as a total goof, something so ridiculous it's like a game of dress-up.)

Of course, you ARE being paid, so your employers do have a right to input. But your interests and theirs should be aligned; you both want a good scene. And if their idea of what that consists of is too different from yours, you can agree to disagree, and walk away.

Bottom line (pun intended), I applaud you for maintaining your standards.

Best wishes,

Michael

Etienne said...

Ms. Rutherford/Anderson:

Whatever rules you establish are fine with me and, I suspect, every one of your many fans. Your scenes stand out for their authenticity – a tribute to your acting – and for the vitality of your characters – or perhaps I should say the vitality you exude on screen.

Thanks.

EmmaJane said...

I think your standards only add to your films. For me personally I only enjoy films that fall within the realms of possibility.

Therefore a schoolgirl enjoying a spanking or a housewife being disciplined with a bull whip are real turn-offs for me.

And a model working within her emotional comfort zones makes for more compelling and entertaining viewing.

So I think you're completely right to have these limits, particularly as you say spankig shoots are a treat to yourself in between your other work. And my fav models are the ones I know love and enjoy spanking as much as I do :)

x

Anonymous said...

Amelia jane nice picture of yourself ,spanked in uniform is a great site for uniform spanks ,enjoyed your vid at Northern spanking your latest there you are a lovely young spankee ,love and spanks from tim xx

Pandora Blake said...

I feel much the same. I don't think it's "being divaish" (although I do know what you mean about that anxiety, it's quite hard to shift) - it's partly a question of not wanting to work for studios/producers who are less professional than the standards you aim for, and partly a question of personal taste. Both of which are perfectly valid!

Having and maintaining clear boundaries - emotional and physical - is even more important in this line of work than any other. Having more boundaries doesn't make anyone a diva or less than professional, although it might make it trickier to find work. The more people are talking about such things, though, the easier it is for everyone to only do the work they're comfortable with.

Unknown said...

Hi Amelia,

I greatly appreciate your work and love to see you getting spanked on those marvellous buttocks of yours.
Compliment for the remarks about your comfort zones. Detailed and well-stated.
Admittedly I have never spanked a "hired" person. All spankings were either spontaneous or with women who invited me to make a drawing of them. Most of such meetings resulting in me spanking these women upon their very own request as well.
There are many similarities between what you're saying in such contacts. However when I spank a woman, I like to rub/caress/stroke her buttocks in the process as well.
Not in a 'vulgar' way, no it's just to make her feel how much I appreciate her allowing me to spank her. It is a token of appreciation, respect and love.

I have great respect for the women I spanked and want them to feel this during their spanking.
This differs slightly with what you say under point c).

When you were in New Zealand I would have loved to meet with you, show you a bit of this beautiful country and - when the occasion arises - spank you.
As it's part of your work, I would be prepared to pay for each session, but in 'natura'. With a drawing... :-)

To me you are a wonderful young woman and not "Just a bum to beat".
Hence the urge to caress the bum in between series of spanks.
As a token of love and respect. To me spanking is - and always will be: AN ACT OF LOVE.

Erik aka Funbun

justme said...

Amelia, your post dragged me out of lurker status and moved me to contribute to the discussion for once.

Not only are you talking about an important area of "control rights" in the making of spanking films, you're also talking about a way of making the standard of the genre better as a whole.

The bottom groping/insulting language type of thing you mention can really jar with the rythm and momentum that has been built up in a scene. I suppose I could accept the idea of a punishment crossing over into arousal as a play on the many subcurrents in the subject, but I'd want it to be left in your hands how that was done and only if you could relate to the idea. It would have to be the whole point of the scene rather than something you suddenly get told to do.

Why don't you "self direct" some shoots, that is if you don't already.

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Redhead said...

It’s bizarre. Those out-of-context scene elements you mention can seem like a bad dream one day and the next like fabulous surreal fantasies come true. I think that’s often just down to personal/professional chemistry – it flows with some and never will with others. On a main-line film set it’s not too much of an issue as the scene can be shot several times.

There’s another point: entertainment industry professionals know there are people with whom one can ad-lib gloriously, while with others, particularly with those who are totally wrapped up with their own minds, (the One-True-Way types as Niki called them) it’s like falling down a pit every time you try. Also, when your day-job, on stage, in the studio, on set, or editing suite requires you to be as productive as possible, people who haven’t had the chance to develope similar work styles can frankly be an irritation. That’s not a criticism of them at all, but of me – I should have sounded out before opting to work with them in the first place - my responsibility.

Lastly, as we’re dealing with fairly intimate contact, amateurs (again no criticism of their status), who are not used to wearing an ‘on-stage’ or ‘on-set’ persona temporarily, often allow their very personal preferences and reactions to override the script plan and become ambushd by their sense of captivation. On the other hand, when I work with close friends in the studio, we often use precisely those personal preferences to accentuate our story-telling. Method acting in its purest sense I suppose.

Yes, maybe unfair, but so is life generally. But what a minefield! I think that’s why, (and it’s more than likely my weakness), I only really feel comfortable working in any context with people I’ve got to know, where we can always say exactly what we want or don’t want without trashing either the cooperative atmosphere or our enjoyment, because then, rather than contractual it’s much more vocational and can easily morph into a lasting personal friendship with their recommendations and regular call backs.

Good post!

R

Mr J said...

Maybe not totally 'diva', Amelia.

But quite 'divaish'.

On a serious note - I agree with almost all you say.

Tom Rohwer said...
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Tom Rohwer said...
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Tom Rohwer said...

You are not "diva-ish" - you just point on those bloopers and senselessnesses which make so many bdsm- and spanking-movies so boring and annoying.

Boring clichés which are intented to serve all the customers' preferences. The "schoogirl" first beeing hand-spanked, than strapped, than rulered and finally caned.

Just ridiculous, sorry to say that. And I sometimes think that spankee actresses must feel almost misused by these bad jobs. Bad jobs of producers, screenplay authors, movie directors...

Upps... there seem to be no directors or screenplay authors for most of these movies.

Maybe this is just the true problem. Maybe I like "Lupus/Rig-East" so much for this reason - they *have* well done screenplays for most of their movies.

But a certain amount of responsibility lies on the costomers, too. Let me try to explain that.

I wrote (roughly) the following some years ago in a comment on Adele Haze's blog:

Imagine this screenplay:

-- Schoolgirls cp movie --

Two schoolgirls are to be punished at an english boarding school (or the like).

Two actresses - and please *no* fortysomething bdsm-ladies in unsuitable school uniform. For obvious reasons we could not and want not to hire two 16yrs old girl but we could hire two 20yrs old or at least two spankee actresses who look *young*. (50 percent is look, 50 percent is imagination)

(The time given for the scenes is the real screen time.)

1st scene (3 minutes): outer office. The two girls in their neat school uniforms (and no - *no* miniskirts please!) report to the headmaster's secretary. Their misdemeanor? Please *not* masturbating in the dorm room. Please *not* wearing no knickers. Or some scrap like this.

They had been caught while cutting of school.

Should be more than enough of an offence in every strict, discipline orientated school in our imagination.

2nd scene (3 minutes): the girls are told to wait. Secretary informs headmaster. We see the girls waiting, secretary entering headmaster's office. (We do not look into the office, for now.) Secretary comes back. Returnes to her desk.

3rd scene (5 minutes): we see the girls waiting. Nervously. A little bit terrified even. 16, 17, 18 years old schoolgirls in my imagination are terrified when they are to be caned. Either because they know how painful and humiliating it is to be caned by a teacher or because they don't know and are scared all the more.

3rd scene lasts some 5 minutes screentime but - reverse shot of a clock hanging on the wall - shows a 15 minutes timeframe. Some close ups of the girl clenching her hands. Looking around nervously. Biting her nails. (Earning a severe glimpse from the secretary.)

Tom Rohwer said...

4th scene (~10 or 12 minutes): the phone rings. Secretary: "Yes, Sir."

The first girl is ordered to enter the headmaster's office.

The office's door is closed. We stay in the secretary's office. The secretary continues her paper work. Close up: the remaining school girl is clenching her fingers and pinching herself with her nails. BY THE WAY: the schoolgirls of my imagination do not use make up nor have they manicured nails... *grmpf*

We hear some voices from the headmaster's office but cannot understand what is spoken. We just note that a man's voice is getting louder and harsher. At least we can hear a few words like "irresponsible", "impertinence", "expulsion". Something like that...

Than: silence. For a long minute or two: just silence. The secretary stops rustling with her papers, reading one with full concentration. The second schoolgirl stops clenching her fingers and seems to be grown stiff.

Suddenly we hear that gorgeous sound we all love so much. (We = the afficionados)

The sound of a cane swishing through the air. Followed by a distinct smack. Followed by a howling scream.

20 seconds later: a second swhish, a second smack, a suppressed moaning.

10 further strokes are following, with a gap of 20 or 30 seconds between. We hear suppressed moaning and sobbing from the headmaster's office.

Then there is silence for some four or five minutes. Again we hear a male's voice whithout understanding what he sasys. The secretary stands up and gets some file from a cabinet. She does not say a single word. The second schoolgirl looks just terrified. At the brink of bursting into tears even before she had been punished.

5th scene: (~12 or 15 minutes)
The first school girl comes out of the headmaster's office. Her eyes swollen and reddened from crying, wet cheeks, her facial expression shows humiliation, fear, pain, shame.

A short glimpse between the two schoolgirls. The second girl is looking through the open door into the headmaster's office (we cannot see into the office). She stands up - obviously the headmaster has given her a sign.

Secon schoolgirl enters the headmaster's office. The camera takes a look of that office. We do not see the girl or the headmaster for a minute or two. The view glides over bookshelves, some old paintings or copperplate prints displaying scenes of historical fox hunting. A hunter standing beneath his horse whith a riding crop in his hands. An oldfashioned globe, some oldfashioned lamps.

Cut - our schoolgirl stands straight with her hands crossed behind her back looking down to the floor. The headmaster stares at her with some anger and some resignation. He had been casted thoroughly. He does not need a "headmaster's cape" or something like that. Just a plain tweed suit, conservative style. Aross his desk lies a nasty cane. 35" long, not too thick, not too thin. (I don't like canes with a crook handle but that's a matter of personal taste.)

He yelles at the girl calmly.

A true headmaster is capable of that. Yelling caymly. This special headmaster's tone. Thorougly casted for this, too.

"Irresponsible. Impertince. Childish behavoir. A 16 years old young lady behaving like a truculent first-former. Throwing away the opportunities of excellent education. Blah-blah-blah."

A *good* screenwriter will need five hours to write this three minutes tirade... But then every single word fits.-)

Tom Rohwer said...

Then: "Gwynyth-Amelia, put your skirt off!" Spoken in a calm, lowered, dangerous voice. This voices makes it just undoubtedly clear that refusal is not an option. No way.

"Bent over. Hands to your lower legs."

- a) Before our headmaster orders this he (or the producers) had taken care that our poor schoolgirls stands on a position that allows him to swing the cane whithout being hampered by some furniture or the wall etc. Maybe a short barked order: "Over her!"

-b) No "touch your toes" please... If you want a girl to stand still and to hold her position then, please, give her some position she will be able to hold oven when she feels the pain of a stroke with a cane. (Nikki Montford may be able to stand still in "touch your toes"-position while recieving 50 hard strokes with a cane but most other spankee actresses are not. And I'm not going to criticize them for that.)

Now our poor schoolgirls stands there - bend over, her white (or light green) knickers stretched over her buttocks (knickers half a number too small...). White knee socks, school girl's shoes with flat heels, red slipover over a white blouse.

And then: 12 strokes with the cane.

And, ladies, I mean: strokes. I do not mean some hesitant petting and I definitely do not mean that nuisance to decelerate the stroke immediately before the cane hits the buttocks.

Look at Pawel Stastny of Lupus/Rig-East and you know what I mean with the phrase "stroke with a cane".

12 strokes. Laid over the knickers with sufficient force. No brutality but definitely a no-nonsense punishment.

As for the first girl 20 or 30 seconds gaps between the strokes. No talking, no rubbing, no teasing, just a plain punishment caning.

After the 12th stroke a minute or two: silence. Nothing. We here some suppressed sobbing.

Then: "Stand straight!"

Our schoolgirl stands straight again and we can take a long look at her face. Tears. Swollen eyes. Sobbing. Call me a pervert but I would like to see some snot coming out of her nares wetting her upperlip. However she does not dare to wipe away her tears or that snot. She is in a state of shock, somehow. Hands clasped at her legs.

"Put your dress on!"

She pulls up her knickers and put on her skirt again - she has some obvious difficulties doing that. A little bit trembling.

Then (! and not while her ass is still naked) she gets a last warning to behave better in the future.

"Get out!" Our poor headmaster is really tired of impertinent, silly, irresponsible, pubescent girls. And no - he do not like to do that. He feels obliged to do that. He isn't a spanking afficionado. He's just a strict and caring oldfashioned headmaster. (Better say: as I imagine a strict and caring oldfashioned heasmaster.)

6th scene: our two schoolgirls meeting after the punishment. On the schoolyard for instance. Going home. They don't talk many words.

7th scene (if the budget allows): Mrs. Humbert-Coffington questioning her daughter Gwynyth-Amelia why she is coming more than two ours late back home from school. Gwynyth-Amelia lies to her successfully pretending some extra charity work. (You see: I'm planting some hooks for a sequel...)

7/8th scene: seven hours later. Gwynyth-Amelia and ... eh... Sophie-Emily in their bedrooms, going to bed.

We see the girls undressing. Putting on their nighties.

We see: welts, bruises, bottoms beaten black and blue. (We should give the audience at least a 3 or 4 minutes glimpse...)

8/9th scene: Gwynyth-Amelia lying in her bed, her mother comes in, says her daughter good night, "I'm proud of you. You are always so helpfully! It's so nice from you helping Revered Miller with the charity bazar's arrangements!"

When she had left we see her daughter carefully rubbing her bottom. (If the budget allows, otherwise scene without Mrs. Humbert-Coffington)

(NOT) THE END.

Tom Rohwer said...

So, dear spankee actresses - now print this piece out and show it to your producers when you are doing your next shooting.

As a reminder: we need

- two young spankee actresses willing to accept a hard and painfull no-nonsense caning
- a headmaster who had been thoroughly casted and is able to act as a credible headmaster
- an actress as the secretary (must not be from the "spanking scene" but has to accept acting in a bdsm-cp-movie
- Mrs. Humbert-Coffington (as above), if the budget allows
- suitable locations: headmaster's office, secretary's office, school staircase, school hall, school yard, to different bedrooms, the Humbert-Coffingtons' lodging
- a professional camera team (cameraman, light, sound, two cameras at least because we have to record the punishment from two angles: Gwynyth-Amelia's face, Gwynyth-Amelia's bottom; better would be three cameras)
- post production film editing (images and sound)

At first now let them make a vague calculation of the costs of this production. And then based on their knowledge of the market for bdsm-movies they shall try to estimate whether such a movie could be a financial success within reason?

How many customers would say: "Oh, fine! Finally a well done cp-caning-movie!"?

And how many customers would say: "Mmhhh... okay, but: we see only twelve strokes... *grumble* And why is the girl's bottom not bared? And why we have to wait minutes and minutes before the caning starts? And couldn't be Mrs. Humbert-Cuffington a pervert lesbian who fucks with the headmaster's secretary after complaining to the headmaster her daughter had not been punished properly and getting a trashing herself for this impertinence?"

You see the point, I think... ;-)

(And sorry for the triple posting of the first part - I got an error message posting it and so I retried... Oviously the error message was an error itself...)