Rocco Siffredi, the iconic adult film star and director, is now offering advice and insights on the industry through his Siffredi Academy Masterclass. Featuring 245 lessons that span 8 hours in total, we at Wired got a sneak peek of the very first online course from Siffredi Academy, a training school founded in Hungary by Rocco himself. The Academy’s mission is to prepare the next generation of professionals for the global adult entertainment industry. This "Becoming a Pornstar" masterclass will be available from August 10 and includes tips, insights on the future of the industry, practical exercises, and personal anecdotes from Siffredi, designed to equip newcomers with the tools to enter the industry confidently. The platform also offers lessons in multiple languages and an interactive space where students can discuss and share their thoughts with fellow users.
The Academy’s Origins
The idea for the Academy began more than a decade ago, sparked by Siffredi and his cousin, Gabriele Galetta—the creative mastermind behind Siffredi’s career—who sadly passed away in early 2020. Previous editions of the Academy, held at the Siffredi Studios in Budapest, saw massive participation and were even featured in a streaming TV series. Last year marked a milestone with the first all-female edition, featuring well-known Italian content creators from platforms like OnlyFans, including influencer Alex Mucci and former reality star Maria Sofia Federico from Il Collegio.
The Digital Platform
In August 2024, the Siffredi Academy takes its next evolutionary step, becoming a full-fledged e-learning platform. Wired had exclusive access to the first Italian-language course, available on the Academy’s new platform, which is designed to train adult industry professionals. The course, "Becoming a Pornstar," serves as a pragmatic guide for those serious about entering the adult film world. As of August 10, the Academy will officially launch its online platform with courses available in multiple languages, along with user interaction features, creating a community where members can share and engage.
At the forefront of this digital expansion is Lorenzo Tano, Rocco’s eldest son, known to the public from his participation in the popular Rai show Dancing with the Stars. Lorenzo, born in 1996, is passionate about technology and digital innovation. His expertise helped shape the Academy's partnership with LTX, a cryptocurrency he developed, and with Verifymyage, a system that ensures no one under 18 can access the platform.
"The videos are filmed in each language, and the audio is captured live based on the linguistic skills of the instructor in each lesson," Lorenzo explained in a recent interview. "Only Malena and Valentina Nappi's lessons in the first course are in Italian, with subtitles for other users. All other content is produced specifically for each language. The countdown is on for our 'Community Area,' where users will be able to interact with each other, comment on lessons, and share perspectives. We'll unveil these features to the Italian public at the Bergamosex event on August 29."
The Structure of the Masterclass
More than just a series of online lessons, the Academy offers a masterclass in adult filmmaking. It’s a far cry from the typical "get rich while you sleep" online courses. This feels more like a professional training or university course. At Siffredi Academy, there’s none of the typical motivational "coaching" jargon. Instead, Siffredi shares his wealth of experience in the industry, backed by historical anecdotes and insights into adult cinema.
The masterclass spans over 8 hours, divided into 245 video lessons, each ranging from one to thirty minutes, organized into 13 chapters. These lessons cover everything you need to know, from technical skills to personal development.
The interface is sleek and user-friendly, featuring a dark theme and a large player with all the usual controls like 10-second forward and rewind, adjustable playback speed, and more. However, speeding through isn’t recommended—Siffredi packs a lot of information into each lesson, so it’s best to follow closely and take notes. The lessons flow smoothly, and even with high-quality video content, there were no disruptions or slowdowns during our trial.
On the right-hand side of the screen, you can scroll through all the lessons, organized chronologically by title and duration. There’s also a progress bar that tracks how much of the course you’ve completed.
Lesson Topics
The course covers a wide range of topics, all well-structured and laid out chronologically. Beyond technical exercises, many lessons encourage self-reflection, particularly at the beginning of the journey into the adult film industry. Here, Siffredi talks about the physical and mental prerequisites for the job, like having a strong awareness of your professional choices and respecting yourself and others in the industry.
Siffredi doesn't offer definitive answers in the lessons. Instead, he provides suggestions and explains the pros and cons of various scenarios, such as the importance (or lack thereof) of penis size, or the frequency of physical contact with other male actors during scenes. The course dives deep into the practical realities of working in the adult industry, especially when collaborating with professionals on film sets.
There’s also a clear distinction made between adult film actresses, porn stars, and adult content creators. Creating content at home with a partner is vastly different from spending 12 hours on a professional film set with multiple cameras, a team of 20 people, and intense lighting setups, as Siffredi explains.
The course also offers a glimpse into the future of the adult industry, particularly with new technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), where porn stars can interact virtually with their fans while shooting a scene.
The Costs
Of course, the adult industry is profit-driven, and the cost of the first course on Siffredi's new e-learning platform reflects this. Priced at 600 euros (plus tax), it's not cheap. However, given the volume and quality of the video lessons and the wealth of insider knowledge Siffredi provides, the price seems justified. You’d be paying less than 1.25 euros per minute for over 8 hours of lessons. Would you pay that much to learn filmmaking from Dario Argento or Stephen King? Or to take a course on motorcycle racing from Valentino Rossi? If the answer is yes, then the Siffredi Academy courses will be worth your while.
