Axel Braun has assumed the post of Managing Director of Elegant Angel Productions, effective last week.rnrn
The veteran director, who arrived in the U.S in 1989, will reduce his directing duties and instead "manage every aspect of what goes on" at the company, he told AVN.com. His experience growing up in the European porn industry (his father, Lasse, is an adult pioneer), his lean independent productions, and his history and friendship with Elegant honcho Patrick Collins stands him in good stead to be an effective manager. "You can't be taught all the tricks in the industry," he said, "You just have to have absorbed them."rnrn
Braun admits that he tends toward micromanagement, but he denies he will "rule with an iron fist." rnrn
"I will motivate people to do their best," he said, "Everybody will be rewarded. They need to think, 'this is my company, too.'"rnrn
Braun considers himself a problem solver "and I will never accept failure." Among several plans for the company are improved art direction for box covers as well as more effective DVD replication. "And each line we do will be a specialty line." He also hopes to coax his father, now penning erotic thrillers near Rome, out of retirement.rnrn
Braun is sanguine about curtailing directing. "I had 12 features a year. Writing, editing, music?" he told AVN.com. "The frequency cut into my creative process." He looks forward to putting more into fewer projects, such as his Squirting Adventures of Dr. G., for which he famously had his hands insured by Lloyd's of London in a publicity stunt emphasizing his skills in inciting female ejaculation.rnrn
Having a family history in porn has led to many adventures. For his eighteenth birthday, Braun received from his father a set of keys and a road map. "I arrived at this castle," he said, "opened the door and found 17 naked girls." His mother is happy that he now has "a real job" and has offered to send him his suits and ties.rnrn
Braun looks forward to his new job imposing order, and his life is starting to fall into place. This weekend he will go to Santa Barbara "for pleasure", without a cell phone or laptop. With luck, he says, he will arrive at work on Monday morning "fully rested for the first time in years."
