If I lived in LA, I would rent a warehouse in "the valley", stock it with some generic porno tapes, buy some low-end Sony DV gear and lighting equipment, put an ad in the local industry papers and put up a website front (www.razmatazz.com)
Then sit back and troll for all the starlets I wanted to bang (at half the prices we currently pay for PSE talent). I may even invite my buddies over for the occassional GB. Who knows, I might also start to sell the junk on the internet to defray the costs of rent and condoms or to give some appearance of legitimacy to the whole operation.
If morons like Johnny Toxic can do it, why the hell can't we?
you just may succeed (to an extent) ... BUT, i doubt if you'd get past the eventual rumours that your operation was a sham run by some horny hobbyist. this topic has come up before, mostly in heated debates over PSE rates: "why are we paying them $1500/hr when they'll spend a whole afternoon doing a GB shoot for just $600?", etc
there's a thread back in the archives (over 2 years old i think) where some guy had a similar idea. complaining about PSE rates and wondering why the hell do we not book them as video "talent" and go Max Hardcore on their arse -- that's what your post reminded me of: "if a jerk like Max does it, why shouldn't we?" ... LOL
but seriously, there may be some "starlets" who just need cash (and plenty of it) and would half-knowingly go along with this scheme/scam, but the ones with an industry career in mind would want to know whether the stuff you're shooting would see the light of day in video/net distribution (which is how they establish and promote themselves) and would want to check this before working with you.
there's also the LE to consider. if they knock on the door demanding to see your business records (age of consent forms, modeling releases, distributor invoices, financial records, TAXES, etc) and you have nothing to show, then you're the one that will get royally f**ked.
all said, it's amazing that there are indeed bottom-dwelling scum-suckers in LA who do in fact live off such scams -- usually as "talent scouts" who shoot themselves boning the new girls in town as "proof of intent" that the girl is legit about working in the business ... now how would you like THAT for a job? LOL
I doubt if Max Hardcore and Johnny Toxic were thinking of advancing the art of adult films when they got started in this business. LA is crawling with hundreds of guys just like them, especially now that the distribution medium of choice has become the internet. What is perhaps surprising is that there seems to be no end to the steady stream of wannabe "pornstars" who willingly subject themselves to anything these guys dish out.
Incidentally, this new "revolution" in distribution (broadband internet) is true even for big players like Vivid and Hustler whose digital entertainment divisions have fast become their largest sources of revenue ... all those $30/month memberships add up, faster than guys grabbing videos off the shelf.