Hollywood
How Tosca Musk Crafted the Steamy Streamer
Tosca Musk loves love. Such a lot in order that, in 2016, she co-founded Passionflix, a distinct segment streaming provider devoted completely to romance.
Since its inception, Passionflix has produced 28 unique films, 4 sequence and 11 quick movies, all tailored from romantic fiction by way of feminine authors. Subscriptions (aptly priced at $69 every year) are to be had in over 150 nations, giving audiences get right of entry to to Passionflix’s rising number of content material, ranging in tone from vanilla pet like to toe-curling smut.
“Tales for girls must learn by way of girls. That’s what we do,” Musk, who serves as a director and manufacturer on Passionflix initiatives, says. “I wish to be sure that that the tales are advised for the feminine gaze. There’s a refined contact that I wish to see in our films, and I would like girls to inform the ones tales.”
Musk provides that the streaming provider predominantly draws feminine subscribers, with a rising contingency of guys becoming a member of their ranks today. Seven years since release, the trade nonetheless continues to develop: “We’re doing neatly,” she says. “We’re expanding yearly. We’re in a position to make 5, six films a yr!”
If Musk’s surname sounds acquainted – sure, she’s tech multi-millionaire Elon Musk’s sister. However let’s be transparent: the fiercely passionate ingenious is an entrepreneur in her personal proper. “I’m the CEO and founding father of an organization that’s directed over 25 options,” she says. “On the finish of the day, I’m Elon’s sister and Kimbal’s sister and Maye’s daughter. But it surely’s all just right. We’re circle of relatives.”
Musk, chatting with Selection from Atlanta the place she’s at paintings directing Passionflix’s subsequent sequence, an adaptation of J.R. Ward’s bestselling “Black Dagger Brotherhood” books, breaks down how she crafted the steamy streamer from the bottom up, why she’s keen about striking girls at the back of the digicam and the place she hopes Passionflix is going subsequent.
Why did you need to begin Passionflix? What was once the outlet within the streaming financial system that you just felt it could fill?
Our corporate shaped in 2016 and we introduced in 2017. There weren’t very many area of interest streaming platforms. There have been a handful, however now not very many. I joined a distinct segment streaming platform fortify team on the time! It was once these kinds of new streamers that have been beginning up and simply sharing concepts. I had a display known as “Tiki Bar TV” that I produced, and it was once direct to shopper. It was once so superb, the direct to shopper courting, while you made one thing that was once distinctive and really explicit, and what kind of that target market engaged. In terms of the romance novel trade, that’s an overly tight, very enticing group. I’m a large fan of romance novels. So taking romance novels and making a streaming platform the place we’d adapt them because the fan and the creator needs them tailored made a large number of sense. We knew that lets faucet without delay into the romance group, as a result of we have been a part of it.
Adapting from such well-liked novels is in fact a good way to obtain a integrated fanbase, however I do know the ones enthusiasts will have to even have robust critiques. How does catering to the enthusiasts have an effect on the way in which you select your initiatives?
We paintings very a lot so with the creator. I will’t please each fan in the market. I will do the whole thing that I will in all probability do to delight me as a fan, after which have the creator fortify that, or the creator say, ‘That is what they seem like. That is what I consider. That is what I see in my thoughts.’ So I attempt to paintings with the creator and feature them happy. And in the event that they’re happy, then confidently that passes directly to the fan.
Talking of enthusiasts, Passionflix has a top class “signature club,” which permits subscribers to discuss with movie units and attend premieres. How did that concept come about?
Signature individuals are the second one era of founding individuals. Once we first began Passionflix, I went to the Romantic Instances guide convention in Would possibly 2017. We simply completed filming our first film, “Hollywood Dust,” and we created a trailer for it earlier than the earlier than it even been reduce. We introduced it at RT to all the the attendees – like 3,000 folks. At the side of it, I introduced this chance to change into a founding member of Passionflix. And for that, it was once $100 for a two-year subscription. You were given to discuss with set, meet the actors, meet the authors, get your guide signed. We had over 4,000 folks join over a month. It was once a good way for us so that you could release our platform already with an overly robust base first of all, which is little ordinary. From there, we have been like, “What are we able to do to supply the following era of founding individuals?” That was once to create the signature club.
It’s mainly for the tremendous fan who in reality needs to be a more potent a part of our group, have early get right of entry to to content material, in reality needs to satisfy the actors and the creator and revel in what it’s love to be on set. I find it irresistible. It’s if truth be told certainly one of my favourite portions, as a result of when the signature individuals come to set, they know extra about those books than I do — and I’ve learn all of them more than one occasions!
On “Black Dagger Brotherhood,” there are fan teams that debate the lore and this whole global that’s been created. They arrive to set, and I wasn’t positive if [the characters are] dressed in their gun holsters within the scene or now not. I’m going to get an instantaneous reaction, and so they’re going to mention if they’re or now not. They’re going to provide me the solution. It’s great to grasp that the fan is so invested and I like listening to from them proper on set, as a result of we will be able to exchange it proper there, after which they’ve a power and an affect on on the way it’s being filmed.
There’s no scarcity of romance novels being printed nowadays, particularly with the upward thrust of BookTok. How do you narrow via that and pick out the appropriate books to conform?
This is if truth be told tricky! There are such a large amount of. Very thankfully now at our degree at Passionflix, a large number of authors might be rather excited for us to conform certainly one of their books. Early on, it was once a little bit tougher – now not too arduous – however they didn’t know who we have been. Now, seven years later, they’re like, “Oh, nice! And we’ve got nice references from different authors like Sylvain Reynard and J.R. Ward. We have already got about 30 books that we’ve optioned that we’re in line to shoot. We’re operating on the ones whilst we’re making an attempt to herald new ones and more moderen diversifications as neatly. And we have a tendency to check out and shoot one thing other for each and every subsequent undertaking.
We’ve got “Lick,” it’s a rock megastar romance. Then we’ve got “A Lover’s Vow,” that’s the top of our three-part Brenda Jackson sequence, and that’s a little bit extra at the suspense aspect, however nonetheless romance in fact. Then we’ve got “Black Dagger Brotherhood,” which is vampires and warriors. Previous this yr, we had “The Air He Breathes,” that in reality deeply emotional, crying film. We wish to be the whole thing to each romance lover. On the similar time, it’s introducing romance enthusiasts to other authors. We adore so that you could display selection throughout the romance style. The romance style isn’t only one factor. It’s each style, simply the important thing part must be romance.
It’s in reality vital that ladies inform romance tales written by way of girls. To not say that males couldn’t do it. Some may just. However there’s something a few lady telling the tale of what a of what a girl is going via in a romantic courting. And there are such a large amount of girls in the market that experience now not had the chance to direct or inform tales, as a result of the ones alternatives merely aren’t being introduced to them. In order that’s vital to me.
Is your subscriber base additionally predominantly girls?
We’re predominantly girls. I’m if truth be told rather inspired with the selection of males which are subscribing, and the selection of males which are changing into tremendous enthusiasts. To begin with it began with boyfriends and husbands of our audience. They might purchase the subscription as a present, after which they become obsessed. The explanation why we’re nonetheless rising is as a result of folks love love. They love to peer sure tales, and so they wish to revel in this curler coaster of feelings understanding that they’re in a protected area and so they’re going to have their glad finishing on the finish of the day. This is non-existent in the remainder of content material that’s being made at the moment. We simplest inform tales with glad endings.
A contemporary learn about discovered that younger folks need much less intercourse in films and TV presentations, however Passionflix has in reality doubled down on its steamy content material. Have you ever encountered that angle in adapting romance?
That’s information to me. They’re surely coming directly to Passionflix. On the finish of the day, Passionflix and romance novels aren’t essentially about simply intercourse. It’s concerning the connection, conversation and compromise in a courting. There are different platforms in the market that may display simply intercourse. I feel you’ll to find a large number of it on HBO, without a dedication or courting concerned. Perhaps we’re going again to these days earlier than “50 Sunglasses of Gray,” the place persons are seeking to cover what they in reality need. Passionflix is there to take away disgrace from sexuality. We must be be playing this, and we must be requesting our excitement, and we must be accepting excitement, and we must be ensuring that we’re looked after and that we’re caring for our companions. We’re there to inspire emotional energy. We’re there to inspire connection, conversation and compromise in relationships and we’re there to validate feelings. So I feel that whoever did that learn about is incorrect.
What do you envision for the following seven years of Passionflix?
I see us changing into a family title. I would like folks to speak about Passionflix and be tremendous occupied with the following film that that’s popping out. I would like us to be at each water cooler communicate. I see us because the dialog piece with each lady. Passionflix and kick back!
This interview has been edited for duration and readability.