Hi everyone,

Yipp Films are developing a potential documentary for Channel 4 about male clients of sex workers. We want to make a film which focuses on British punters in a completely straight, honest, sensitive and non- judgmental way. We?re interested in speaking to men about their involvement with sex workers; exploring the wider reasons why they pay for sex and looking at how commercial sex fits into their lives, hopes and fears, and shapes their relationships with others. Without being sensationalist or looking through rose-tinted glasses, we want to humanise them and their lives, exploring who they really are and giving a voice to their stories which are almost always silenced in mainstream discussion.

As you will know, those who pay for sex now find themselves increasingly scorned and criminalised by the government?s Policing and Crime Bill currently going through Parliament. In its attempt to protect women from violence, many clients, experts and sex workers we?ve spoken to say this law will further target and demonise all punters and encroach on people?s private sex lives even more than is already the case. This film will examine whether this law is misguided and perhaps unjust. This project has the support of  industry bodies such as the English Collective of Prostitutes, as well as others. We?re passionate about making this film work ? but are realistic about how difficult it will be ? and so are asking for your help if you will grant it.

I know that this is a big ask given what's happening at the moment, but we're trying to contact regular users of sex workers who may be interested in sharing their story and opinions or even may be keen to hear more about this project: we would love to hear from them. Likewise with sex workers who may be interested in helping us, we?d be really grateful. There is no pressure to go on camera ? if you just want to have an initial chat on the phone, converse via email or meet for an informal chat ? that?s fine. We understand the sensitivities and will keep all conversations and information strictly confidential and off the record. There?s no problem if you?d like to stay anonymous ? we will honour this fully.

Yipp Films are a Bafta award-winning production company with a long history of sensitive and truthful documentaries. Our director, Patrick Collerton, is one of the most celebrated documentary makers of recent years, whose first film for Channel 4, The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off, won dozens of major awards around the world. If you visit our website (www.yippfilms.com) you can see his show reel and read a bit more about us. I am a journalist and producer with a particular interest in criminal justice issues; my most recent film was a feature documentary on BBC2 called Going Postal, focusing on the phenomenon of workplace and school shootings. We?re certainly not alarmist, tabloid TV hacks; we?re good people!

I hope to hear from you.

Thanks a lot!

Storm Theunissen
Producer
Yipp Films
storm@yippfilms.com
www.yippfilms.com
+44 207 749 2987

There are plenty of men that want to have their voices heard (anonymously) and I do think it's a story worth telling the public. The idea that most punters are "normal" is one that surprises people, and I think getting that across is one of the things that can help dispel some of the stigma we deal with.

Anyway, sex workers tend to be unimpressed when approached by the media so if you were looking for a story wouldn't you want to see if the clients were more receptive?

This is one of those areas where getting people to talk isn't the problem, it's getting them to shut up once they've started See various other message boards...

One of the reasons workers tend to be unimpressed is that the various production companies tend to want their experts for free. At some point, someone is going to realise that asking people who have similar hourly rates to the company's lawyers to make the company money for free is optimistic at best, and actually offer to cover the costs of not working for several hours.

Plus at the moment, following the Belle de Jour 'shock', every independent producer and their dog is trying to pitch something on educated sex workers, so doing something on the clients is more likely to get made.