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. With creative design assistance from his good friends Brad and Cynthia Willis, Orenstein formed his fledgling company with a firm commitment to producing quality adult productions created specifically to appeal to women and couples, a move that the company has stayed true to for fifteen years, even when this mission has seemed at odds with trends and fads within adult entertainment.  It’s a sense of dedication that saw the studio remain committed to couples product throughout the so-called “gonzo” revolution of the 1990s. And after a health scare in 1998 led many companies to begin instituting policies of mandatory condom usage, Wicked is the only company to safeguard performers’ health by continuing to adhere to this policy over ten years later. 

The focus of Orenstein’s vision has always yielded critical 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 in industry veteran Joy King to promote her, he watched as Jenna became the first star to win AVN’s Best New Starlet, Best Actress, and Best Sex Scene awards in her first year. The Wicked / Jenna partnership assured Jameson’s status as the porn star of the decade, and helped to put the company 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," “Eye Of The Beholder,” "Falling From Grace," "The Collector," "Fluff & Fold," "Eternity," "Manhunters," “The Craving,” “FUCK,” and “Coming Home.”  This period also saw the first major expansion of Wicked Pictures’ status as a distributor of other companies’ product, when, in a trend-setting move, the company became the official U.S. distribution channel for Video Marc Dorcel, the celebrated French company run by the well-known father-and-son production team of Marc and Gregory Dorcel. 

In a bold move, Orenstein added another girl to his company’s arsenal in 1997 with the signing of Serenity. The exotic actress went on to win back-to-back Best Actress awards from AVN, and gather numerous mainstream credits as well, including an international awareness campaign for the People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA).  Not long after, Orenstein would sign 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 has brought Wicked such most acclaimed movies as "Double Feature," "M Caught In The Act," "The Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre," and "Space Nuts." 

1998 would prove to be a truly pivotal year in Wicked’s history. Compassion for the health and welfare of his performers would lead Steve Orenstein to make the use of condoms mandatory in all company productions, a practice that continues to this day. The end of the decade also saw the maverick company’s talent roster expanding with a flurry of signings, including Stephanie Swift, Devinn Lane, Temptress, Alexa, and Czech star Meridian. 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 www.wickedpictures.com, the company managed to establish an acclaimed interactive site while also hosting websites 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 Wicked Toys, a series of high-end erotic products designed with personal input from Wicked’s contract stars.  Orenstein also focused on expanding the company's talent roster. The next performer he signed, multi-award winning fan favorite Sydnee Steele, would go on to star in several of the company’s finest projects, including "Euphoria" 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 family expanded further with the addition of Stormy Daniels, 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 Wicked 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 movie of 2004, the stylish Julia Ann film noir fantasy "Beautiful" as well as such other celebrated releases as “Heroin, “Breathless,” “The Visitors,” and “Highway.” The acclaim continued to mount throughout the year, with Wicked Pictures earning a massive 71 AVN nominations in November, over half of which went to Brad Armstrong’s stunning trilogy of Editor’s Choices: "Fluff & Fold," "The Collector," and "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 trophy for jessica drake's graceful lead performance in "Fluff & Fold." 

In a decision indicative of his commitment to innovative filmmaking, Orenstein welcomed celebrated director David Stanley to the Wicked fold in early Spring 2005. Prior to winning AVN’s Best Director (Video) award earlier that year, the Minneapolis native had already established himself as a pivotal member of the adult film scene. Stanley's unique vision has since enlivened such celebrated releases as "Harlequin," "Crème Brulee," "1000 Words," and "Just Like That."  In April 2005, Orenstein signed the beautiful and in-demand newcomer Keri Sable to an exclusive contract. Keri quickly heated up Wicked titles like "Sold," "Dark Sins" and "But I’m With The Band." In September 2005, Orenstein expanded the Wicked family once again, signing two industry newcomers to the Wicked arsenal, the beautiful Kirsten Price and exotic Southern beauty Carmen Hart. Kirsten was no stranger to Wicked productions, having appeared in "Between The Sheets" and "The Visitors," while Carmen made her lead acting debut as a Wicked contract star in David Stanley’s "Rendezvous." November saw Wicked Pictures garnering an impressive 62 AVN Award nominations, including nods in the Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Director categories for "Eternity," as well as Best Sex Comedy, Best DVD, and Best Supporting Actress categories for the Jonathan Morgan erotic horror spoof "The Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre."  

January 2006 proved to be a pivotal month for Wicked, as Orenstein signed multi-award winning actor Randy Spears to a contract to act and direct for the company. Spears was certainly no new arrival to Wicked, having appeared in some of the studio’s best productions, and winning many awards along the way, including AVN’s Best Actor for 2000’s "Double Feature," Best Supporting Actor for 2005’s "Fluff & Fold," and the 2006 Best Actor award for his leading role in Brad Armstrong’s "Eternity."  The January 2006 AVN awards saw Wicked Pictures coming out on top, with "The Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre" taking home several awards, including Best Screenplay, Best Sex Comedy, Best Supporting Actress — Stormy Daniels, and Best DVD Menus. Additionally, the Brad Armstrong feature "Caliente" took home the award for Best Ethnic Themed Release-Latin.  

In February, Orenstein made another bold move, signing adult industry veteran and AVN nominated videographer/director Francois Clousot, the “eye” for such award-winning productions as "The Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre," "Space Nuts," and "Fluff & Fold," to an exclusive contract to both direct and shoot for the studio. Clousot's first effort under his contract as a director was the well-received jessica drake vehicle "Tiffany's."  The balance of 2006 would see Wicked diversifying like never before, teaming up with Playgirl to distribute a line of couples-oriented erotica, and partnering with mainstream entertainment agencies to further brand the company's image in the Hollywood press. The months ahead saw the company diversifying its distribution portfolio even further, bringing Paul Marco’s Sinsation Pictures into the fold, a move that quickly yielded rewards from fans, retailers, and critics.  Similarly, Wicked Pictures' interactive division further expanded the company's presence in cyberspace by launching gorgeous, content-heavy websites for several of the company's releases throughout the year. These image-laden sites included promo portals for "Curse Eternal," "The Visitors," and "Manhunters." 

All the creative, technical, and promotional activity of 2006 didn't go unnoticed by the critical establishment, as Wicked Pictures received 102 nominations in total from AVN at the year's end, with over 50 nominations going to three spectacular releases directed by Brad Armstrong -  "Manhunters," "Curse Eternal," and "FUCK." As announced by AVN, Armstrong's explosive shot-on-film bounty hunter adventure "Manhunters" led the way as the most nominated industry release of the year.  Always at the forefront of innovation, Wicked Pictures closed 2006 by becoming the first adult studio in history to release an adult film in the HD DVD format. The HD DVD release of "The Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre" became a major mainstream news event, receiving coverage by such media giants as Variety and Fox News. 

The 24th Annual AVN Awards were held on January 13th, 2007, and over 7,000 members of the mainstream and adult communities watched as jessica drake deftly hosted what's now been confirmed as the largest AVN Awards Show event of all time. For jessica though, the night would take on even greater resonance, as one of the evening's first presentations saw her receiving Best Actress - Film for her bravura performance in "Manhunters."  The pace picked up throughout the evening, and by the end of the night, Wicked had received 15 major trophies, with “Manhunters” and “FUCK” accounting for 12 of the wins.  “Manhunters” led the way as the evening's winner for Best and also snared Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Randy Spears), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Price), and Best Anal Sex Scene. Armstrong's “FUCK” impressed the critics as well, receiving five major awards, including Best Cinematography (Francois Clousot), Best Art Direction - Film (Rod Hopkins), Best All-Girl Sex Scene - Film (jessica drake, Felecia, Clara G), Best Oral Sex Scene-Film, and Best Group Sex Scene - Film. The enduring strength of the Wicked Girl brand was recognized in the newly minted Contract Star Of The Year category, with the maiden award going to Stormy Daniels in recognition of all the mainstream attention she had achieved over the last 12 months. Turning to the video categories, Michael Raven's “The Visitors” received awards for both Best DVD Extras and Best DVD Menus, further validation of the fine work being done by Wicked's DVD division. 

The company continued to extend its corporate brand in the Summer of 2007, exploring ancillary methods of content delivery like MySpace and the world of pay-per-view television while releasing high-profile features on DVD like Michael Raven's stylish "Supernatural." And it continued to be an HD DVD innovator, with the HD DVD edition of "Curse Eternal" being the first adult title in history to be released in a superior 1080p transfer.  

In the mainstream, Wicked established brand awareness like never before, advertising on the video screens at the Hollywood Virgin Megastore, and at such high profile events as the McDonald's Air And Sea Show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was an aggressive reach for brand recognition that even saw the company’s promo reels displayed on CBS’ flat screen billboards in Times Square! 2007 also saw the Wicked Girls becoming familiar faces on the red carpets of Hollywood, appearing at posh events like the Grammy Awards and supporting a number of celebrity charities while the studio re-affirmed its dedication to big budget couples oriented erotica with productions like Brad Armstrong’s compelling war drama “Coming Home” and elegant gothic fantasy “The Craving,” Michael Raven’s darkly erotic “Delilah,” and Stormy Daniels’ adventure comedy “Operation Desert Stormy,” the latter called “the best porn movie ever made” by Adult DVD Empire. The Wicked Girls also became regular faces on the concert front, signing autographs for their fans at musical festivals from Southern California to Australia!  “Coming Home” was launched with a spectacular fundraiser for war veterans that garnered the movie so much attention that the entire project was rewarded with an AVN award for Best Marketing Campaign – Individual Title.  

This dedication to Wicked’s core vision paid off handsomely when the 2008 AVN Nominations were revealed, with the company receiving over 100 combined AVN Nominations for the second year in a row. Although the impressive tally included both Wicked’s own product and titles from the Video Marc Dorcel, Playgirl, and Sinsation Pictures lines it distributes, over 50 of these nominations went to the company’s acclaimed quartet of high profile blockbusters “Operation Desert Stormy,” “Coming Home,” “The Craving,” and “Black Widow.”Shot on film, Armstrong's darkly elegant cinematic fairytale “The Craving” was a top film for the year, receiving such important nominations as Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, as well as four sex scene nominations.  

Turning to the video categories, Armstrong's “Coming Home” scored such significant noms as Best Director, Best Screenplay - Video (Brad Armstrong), Best Video Feature, Best High-Definition Production, Best Packaging, Best Actor - Video (Brad Armstrong), Best Actress - Video (Kirsten Price), Best Supporting Actor - Video (Barrett Blade), and Best Supporting Actress - Video (Shyla Stylez). Both Armstrong and Blade would go on to win trophies for their evocative performances in the movie “Coming Home” star Kirsten Price also received a Female Performer Of The Year nomination, and director Armstrong’s “Just Between Us” was recognized with a Best Actress - Video nomination for its beautiful star, Carmen Hart. The director’s “Love Always” snared a Best Supporting Actress - Video nod for jessica drake (who also penned the screenplay).  “Operation Desert Stormy” received noms in virtually all of the major video categories, including Best Director, Best Screenplay - Video (Stormy Daniels), Best Sex Comedy (which it won), Best High-Definition Production, Best Actor - Video (Steven St. Croix), Best Packaging, Best Supporting Actor - Video (Marcus London), and Best Editing - Video (Jonathan Morgan).   

The actress-director's stylish comedy “For Love, Money, Or A Green Card” was also recognized with a Best Sex Comedy nomination, as was “The One,” which she wrote and starred in for director Jonathan Morgan. Daniels’ darkly intense “The Predator,” which she both shot and starred in, received a nom for Best All-Girl Release. The scope of Stormy‘s talent and influence was rewarded with additional nominations in categories as diverse as Director Of The Year (Body Of Work), Female Performer Of The Year, and the Jenna Jameson Crossover Star Of The Year award (which she won).  Another Stormy project, Michael Raven’s “Black Widow,” came on strong in such important categories as Best Director, Best Screenplay - Video (Jennifer Allison), Best Video Feature, Best High-Definition Production, Best Actor - Video (Randy Spears), Best Actress - Video (Stormy Daniels), and Best Videography (Francois Clousot). Black Widow star Randy Spears also received a Male Performer Of The Year nomination.  The veteran director’s “Delilah” registered strongly with AVN‘s nominating committee as well, winning recognition in the Best Actress - Video (jessica drake), Best Actor - Video (Herschel Savage), Best Screenplay - Video (Jennifer Allison), and Best Non-Sex Performance (Veronica Hart) categories. Raven also received induction into the AVN Hall Of Fame.

Moving deeper into 2008, Wicked continued embracing such new technology as the Blu-ray DVD platform, with both “Operation Desert Stormy” and “Coming Home” seeing release in the format. It has also announced new business alliances in the industry, solidifying a distribution relationship at the start of the year with Australian adult provider www.abbywinters.com.  On other fronts, the company’s commitment to industry welfare continued to burn brightly, with Joy King and Stormy Daniels lobbying in Washington DC on behalf of the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (Daniels stars in their PSAs as well). 2008 has seen King, in particular, garner significant press coverage for her tireless work on behalf of the industry’s First Amendment rights. 

May 1^st, 2008 brought the addition of two new Wicked Girls – brunette beauties Alektra Blue and Mikayla Mendez.  A gorgeous 2008 AVN award winner and April 2008 Penthouse star whose interests include soccer and skating, Blue can be seen in Brad Armstrong’s “Alektra-Fied,” Stormy Daniels’ “Predator 2: The Return,” and Armstrong’s “Cockstar,” for which she and Kirsten Price shared a 2009 AVN sex scene nomination. Price also received a 2009 Best Actress nom for her sexy performance in “Mouth.” 

A sexy bilingual performer from Santa Clarita, California whose Mexican heritage makes her the first full-fledged Latina Wicked Girl, Mikayla is already the veteran of several Wicked productions and has graced the cover of Brad Armstrong’s well-reviewed “Bad Girls,” “Sexy Bitch,” and “Chop Shop Chicas” (for which she shared a 2009 AVN sex scene nomination with Kaylani Lei). In discussing her decision to join the family full-time, she singled out the company’s approach to condom use and the professionalism of their sets as factors that set Wicked Pictures apart from every other company in adult. 

It’s this same commitment to professionalism that helped the company earn over ninety combined 2009 AVN Nominations. Nearly seventy of the mentions spoke to the richness and variety of their in-house productions, while the rest recognized the excellence of the outside lines distributed by the company like Abby Winters, Video Marc Dorcel, and the adult / mainstream crossover movie All About Anna. Eighteen of Wicked's in-house productions received nominations, with forty mentions alone going to the company's acclaimed trio of Fall blockbusters – “The Wicked,” “Fallen,” and “Race 2 Race.” Michael Raven's epic horror adventure “The Wicked” led the way with 20 major noms, while Brad Armstrong's stylish gothic fantasy Fallen followed closely with 16 nominations. Armstrong's sexy videogame-inspired interracial spectacular Race 2 Race received four additional noms. Raven's darkly erotic terror opus emerged as a genuine critical hit for the company, receiving such important nominations as Best Video Feature, Best Director, Best Actress (Kaylani Lei), Best Actor (Barrett Blade), and Best Supporting Actress (Stormy Daniels). Armstrong's “Fallen” scored such significant noms as Best Video Feature, Best Actor (Brad Armstrong), and Best Actress (jessica drake). 

Moving deeper into 2009, the company invigorates its position in the marketplace with continued mainstream branding, adopting an aggressive promotional look for the year that finds the "House Of Wicked" emulating the "haute couture" stylings of contemporary fashion designers. The "House Of Wicked" branding also extends to a ground-breaking film by Brad Armstrong that casts Stormy Daniels, jessica drake, Kaylani Lei, Kirsten Price, Mikayla Mendez, and Alektra Blue together for the first time. Completing the "haute couture" association, the film's multi-platform roll-out includes sponsorship of a professionally produced, authentic Los Angeles fashion show. Never one to be idle, Armstrong follows up “House Of Wicked” by commencing production on the company’s most elaborate production in ten years, a spectacular cyberpunk thriller entitled “2040” starring jessica drake, Kaylani Lei, Kirsten Price, Alektra Blue, and Mikayla Mendez, in a shocking but all-too-plausible look at the future of Adult.  
 
But for now, the future finds Wicked Pictures continuing to break new ground while staying true to its vision and its ongoing status as the only major adult distributor producing condoms-only erotica. It’s a commitment to quality and safety that Steve Orenstein says is shared by key members of every department throughout his company. He is also quick to credit his key staff members as invaluable assets in Wicked Pictures’ ongoing mission as it continues producing quality adult entertainment, strengthening its appeal with women and couples, and enjoying ongoing success. To learn more, please visit the Wicked family of websites and social networking pages, including the company’s flagship site www.wicked.com, as well as such other informative pages as news.wickedpictures.com,  www.myspace.com/wickedpictures, www.twitter.com/wicked_pictures, and www.twitter.com/HouseOfWicked.