W i c k e d P i c t u r e s

Originally from New York, Steve Orenstein established Wicked Pictures in Canoga Park, California on March 1st, 1993 after developing an interest in the creative aspects of film production while still a partner in his previous adult company, X-Citement Video. Along with good friends and dynamic design team Brad and Cynthia Willis, Orenstein formed his fledgling company with a firm commitment to producing quality adult productions designed specifically to appeal to women and couples, a move that yielded almost immediate dividends – during its first year, Wicked was honored with several industry awards, including Best Video Feature & Best Director for the inspired adult comedy, Haunted Nights, which ironically starred future Wicked contract director Jonathan Morgan. Shortly afterward, Orenstein signed the first of the company’s legendary “Wicked Girls,” Chasey Lain

Orenstein credits Brad and Cynthia Willis for originally bringing the company’s next contract girl, Jenna Jameson, to his attention. After signing her in early 1995 and bringing industry veteran Joy King to the company to promote her, he watched as Jenna instantly heated up the screen and became the first star to win Best New Starlet, Best Actress and Best Sex Scene in her first year out. The Wicked/Jenna partnership assured Jameson’s status as the porn star of the decade, and in no small measure helped to put Wicked Pictures on the map. Eager to bring a visionary filmmaker in-house, Orenstein next signed an exclusive contract with actor/director Brad Armstrong, whose jeweler’s eye for beautiful women, innovative approach to art direction, and penchant for shooting hot & creative sex scenes have resulted in some of the company’s most acclaimed movies, including Conquest, Dream Quest, Flashpoint, Euphoria, Falling From Grace, The Collector, Fluff & Fold and soon to be released title Eternity.

In a bold move, Orenstein added another girl to his company’s arsenal with the 1997 signing of Serenity. This marked the first time Wicked had two girls under contract at the same time. A classically trained ballerina and acclaimed adult performer, Serenity went on to win back-to-back Best Actress awards from AVN and gather numerous other mainstream credits, including an international awareness campaign for People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA). Subsequent signings by Orenstein would include Missy, a multiple AVN award winner, and her then-husband Mickey G., to exclusive contracts to both act in and direct movies (making Wicked the first adult video company ever to ink a couple to such an agreement). The year also saw Orenstein adding talented performer-turned-director Jonathan Morgan to the Wicked roster full-time, a move which brought Wicked some of the most acclaimed movies in the company’s history, including Double Feature, M Caught In The Act, Hercules, Space Nuts, Valley 911 and many more.

The end of the decade saw the maverick company’s talent roster expanding with a flurry of talent signings, including Stephanie Swift, Devinn Lane, Temptress, Alexa, and Czech star Meridian. Beautiful Devinn, already known for her cover and centerfold in Penthouse, would go on to star in such acclaimed Wicked Pictures’ productions as In Style, and Improper Conduct and produce and direct such series as The Devinn Lane Show and Road Trixxx.
Orenstein also furthered his reach into the DVD and Internet mediums.
With the DVD edition of Flashpoint, Wicked turned the world of Adult DVD upside down by breaking new ground in special features and overall quality, prompting Adult DVD Empire to assert “Wicked will single-handedly take X-rated DVD to the next level. And with the successful launch of their completely re-designed flagship web site, www.wickedpictures.com, the company managed to establish an acclaimed interactive site while also hosting sites for some of the Wicked Girls.

As Orenstein moved the company into the new century, he continued to expand its brand presence in the market in new and innovative ways, teaming up with award winning industry veteran Susan Colvin’s California Exotic Novelties to produce the Wicked Essensual Elements, an exclusive series of high-end erotic toys designed with personal input from Wicked’s contract stars. The next performer he signed, fan favorite Sydnee Steele, would go on to star in several of the company’s finest projects, including Euphoria, Turning Point, and Falling From Grace.

In Spring 2002, Orenstein signed industry legend Julia Ann, who would immediately strike gold with the Jonathan Morgan classic Hercules. By the Fall of 2002, the Wicked roster expanded further with the addition of Stormy, a beautiful and busty 23 year-old blonde from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whose popularity reached mammoth proportions with the release of Morgan’s epic Space Nuts, an AVN Best Sex Comedy winner that would also help her win AVN’s coveted Best New Starlet Award.

2003’s XRCO Awards saw Orenstein not only winning DVD Of The Year for Euphoria, but announcing a triple threat of new signings as well: gorgeous industry veteran jessica drake, exotic newcomer Kaylani Lei, and multi-award winning director Michael Raven, who would go on to direct Wicked’s most acclaimed video of the 2004, the stylish Julia Ann film noir fantasy Beautiful.

The acclaim continued to mount in 2004, with Wicked Pictures earning a massive 71 2005 AVN nominations, over half of which went to Brad Armstrong’s stunning trilogy of Editor’s Choices: Fluff & Fold, The Collector, & Eye Of The Beholder. Both Fluff & Fold and The Collector emerged victorious on January 8th, 2005, winning a total of six AVN Awards, including a Best Actress award for jessica drake for Fluff & Fold.

In April 2005, Orenstein signed the very beautiful and in high demand newcomer Keri Sable to an exclusive contract. Keri heats up Wicked productions with her sexual energy and preference for anal scenes in recently released titles Sold, Dark Sins and soon to be released titles Rockstar and Blue Collar Fantasy.

In addition to receiving critical accolades for its films, Wicked also further increased its presence in the DVD and Internet mediums while cross-branding the Wicked brand in such arenas as cell phone technology, erotic action figures, public talent searches, and adult trading cards.

Under Steve Orenstein’s guidance, Wicked Pictures continues to break new ground while remaining focused on producing quality adult entertainment, strengthening its appeal with women and couples, and enjoying ongoing success.


For a complete year-by-year Wicked Pictures timeline and a complete list of nominations and awards, please visit: www.wickedpictures.com/press