My blushing audition in the porn capital of the world.

The man in front of me leans back on a white leather sofa and smiles softly. He shakes his tattooed hand lightly, and the thick gold bracelet rattles like in a sleazy character in a bad movie. He smiles slyly, before asking me, “Do you have any problems having anal sex?”

I shake my head gently and stutter. "Anal sex? No…no ... I mean I don't ..."

The fact is that I, as a man, have never tried it. I have always been happy with the standard procedure.

“Guy sex?” he asks again.

I shake my head. “No thanks.”

“Toy? Threesome? "

I lie. “No problem.”

I nod slowly as I sit across Andrej in a film studio in the San Fernando Valley, a sunny Los Angeles suburb that often goes by another name: Porn Valley. Other nicknames for the place are “Silicone Valley” and “San Pornando Valley.”

I have learned that since the 1970s, the hills above Hollywood have played host to a booming pornography industry. Most American sex films are shot there in warehouses and private homes, helping the San Fernando Valley rake in approximately 4 billion US dollars in annual sales.

Question: How did an out-of-the-way desert suburb become the porn capital of the world?

Answer: As everywhere else.

Location, location, and location.

The San Fernando Valley has a long and well-known history as a center for the American adult entertainment industry.

Early days: The adult industry in the Valley can be traced back to the early 20th century with burlesque shows and peep shows.

Rise of the Industry: The 1970s marked a turning point for the Valley as the growing popularity of videotapes and VCRs created a demand for adult films. The San Fernando Valley, with its abundance of warehouses and inexpensive rentals, became a prime location for production studios.

Studios like "Mitchell Brothers" and "Golden Girls" were pioneers, and soon many others followed suit.

By the 1990s, the Valley was widely known as the "porn capital of the world." The industry already generated billions in revenue and employed thousands of people.

The fact is that the San Fernando Valley’s proximity to Los Angeles helped create a pipeline of Hollywood talent, including directors, crew, actors, and everyone else who just did not make it.

Or when they needed a little side income.

Just like me.

I wake up when Andrej rattles his bracelet again and asks "if I could show him my equipment."

“Here?” I asked, confused.

He shakes his head and whistles. A blond, athletic girl with oversized lips shows up behind a curtain. He speaks to her in something I believe is Russian, and she nods and shows me the way to another room. The room has preinstalled cameras surrounding the bed, all from different angles.

She politely asks me if I am ready — before Andrej comes in and gives her instructions again. She starts to warm me up, and Andrej asks if I would like a Viagra before we start. I wave him off and look at the lady, now in a position on all fours, in the middle of the bed.

She has a large red rose on her back and no underwear.

Fifteen minutes later Andrej sat down on the bed and gave me my grades. He wants me to be more hard-core. More decisive. Grab what you want. Like real men do, he says.

But he thinks we can do business together. He just needs to find the right project.

The next day he called me. “Can you come in tomorrow morning, around 11:00?” he asked.

I nod and feel the butterflies at war in my stomach.

“Can you come?" he askes again.

"Yes," I said.

I still have not told anyone about it.

But it was crazy as hell.

Stay tuned.