Hyperventilation, sheer stockings pulled over the camera lens and a bedroom made entirely of inflatable plastic were just three of the kinky hurdles that faced softcore king Radley Metzger when he made his 1969 movie Camille 2000, as he explains in this behind-the-scenes clip. Metzger spearheaded the 1960s crossover between high production values and adult entertainment, championing a different type of nudie movie, one that aspired to cinematography more often found in the art house than the adult movie theater. “It was an experimental time,” he says. “I don’t think anyone had used inflatable furniture before—there was no guide.” Here the director gives us his opinions on his eventual crossover into harder territory and his views on the erotica industry today.

As the 70s went on some of your films got a bit more hardcore. Was that your decision or did the audience demand it?
Radley Metzger: The market changed. There was no audience for films like Camille 2000 because explicit films became popular and took the audience away. We waited about two years and saw the numbers dwindle so we went in and did five films of a stronger nature. I could only do one thing—storytelling—so I just did the same thing but extended the love scenes. 

Playboy visited the set. Was the magazine a fan of yours?
RM: They must have been as they sent M. Frank Wolfe, one of the top photographers from Playboy, all the way to Rome. He was also a big help in making the film and had a very good sense of framing. 

Is pornography still an art form today?
RM: With what I did, the magic word is timing. We happened to be there when that kind of film was very chic. I am not too familiar with what’s going on today but I do see documentaries on cable television about what it is like. I think it has become an industry and it doesn’t have too much to do with the kind of storytelling we were doing. I don’t say that from a snobbish point of view—it's just very different. 

Camille 2000 is restored and released for the very first time in the UK on Blu-Ray and DVD from February 11.