Models doing domestic cleaning or sporting activities usually meet the requirements of the Model Moves and is Active (MMaiA) assessment area. But some models are not so sporty, and while we all need to clean sometimes, we don’t want to frame our models as “maids”.
And of course, there are other interesting movement-based activities models can do in shoots!
Non-cleaning, non-sporting activities
While some of these are still cleaning-based, they are not “traditionally” feminine.
- Putting up a shelf / hanging a picture
- For real, with a hammer and a nail, not just taking a picture off it’s hook, and hanging it again
- Pressure-washing the patio (or whatever, really)
- Safety first: the model must wear goggles and proper shoes (but nothing else is ok, so long as she’s careful!)
- Washing the car
- Getting stuff in and out of an attic space
- Gardening
- Mowing the lawn, wheeling a barrow of leaves or weeds or mulch; raking leaves; digging a hole; spreading mulch; trimming back shrubs
- Putting together flat pack furniture
- Or any large item that comes in parts – exercise machines, tools, a bike
- Moving furniture around
Unmotivated activities
Unmotivated activities are things that don’t have a practical goal (like, mowing the lawn, which has a defined finish point).
Crawling is a great example of this – crawling on the floor, under a table, up onto a chair, over to the couch, across to the other sofa, back to the floor. Crawling can easily be two MMaiA sequences (one with some clothes, and one for NDE / OL). Direct the model to move like a cat sometimes, or to exaggerate each move, stretching each limb out, and move slowly. Get shots of the models hanging breasts swaying, but mostly shoot from behind the model, showing her buttocks working.
Keeping a balloon in the air is another – a simple, unmotivated task requiring the model to tap the balloon up and move around as it floats around the room (she may have to assist in this, tapping it in different directions – maybe the challenge is to get it to the end of the room and back, via the sofa and kitchen?). The balloon should be full of air (not helium!), so it tends to fall to the ground.
Walking
Simply walking meets the requirements of MMaiA, and is quite appealing – our customers enjoy seeing a model’s buttocks “work”, in tight pants, fitted dresses, panties, or a skirt (loose pants or full dresses are not so good for this). When the model is clothed, this can be shot outside in public spaces, too! The camera should be at buttocks-level.
Models walking around a home in and out of different rooms in one take (giving a tour of her home) is very appealing – found light suitable for this, so long as the exposure is correct in each room.
With engaged models, walking can also become a spontaneous activity with the model trying different “types” of walking, including;
- She starts simply walking from one side of the room to the other normally and back again.
- She repeats this time placing her feet toe to heal, to see how many of her literal feet the distance is.
- She repeats again this time seeing how few strides she can take by having strides as big as possible
- Next she crawls, or hops from pillow to pillow or does a bear walk, or if she can walks on her hands or cartwheels etc
- She can do a silly walk
- She can do her best catwalk walk
- She can show us her sexy – hey notice me – walk
Each of these should be planned for the widest dimension of the room or a hallway, and be at least 3 metres / 10 feet in distance.
How can the same idea be applied to a model on the stairs? What different activities can a model do that involve (carefully) travelling up and down the stairs in different ways?
Sexiness not Continuity
MMaiA sequences do not need to be one long continuous two-minute activity, breaking it up into smaller clips that video editors can form into a montage is also suitable, especially with more spontaneous and fun ideas, like the Walking example above. MMaiA activities do not need to be motivated.
Consider what five-to-ten movement based things a model might do with these props or set pieces to create an appealing two minute MMaiA sequence once edited together:
Tea-towel
- Collecting it
- Climbing up high on a chair onto a table to flick tea towel about to get spider webs
- Holding it tight above her head while doing stretches (standing side bends – squats etc)
- Placing one foot in the tea towel and holding both ends to do leg stretches and raises
- Using it to clean the floor with her foot
- Spinning a pair (one in each hand) while doing a cheerleading cheer
- Putting it in the washing machine / laundry basket when finished
Apply the above approach to these household items, each one becoming a MMaiA segment for a shoot.
- Stairs
- Tennis ball
- Umbrella
- Skipping rope
- Arm chair
- Kitchen chair
- Ladders
Pairing two MMaiA ideas within the same space
Most MMaiA ideas, while interesting, will not be interesting for two edited minutes. Pairing two MMaiA ideas within the same setting is a smart way to ensure edited movement sequences are long enough.
Eg – model making a bed paired with a model jumping on the bed. Both good activities, neither obviously interesting for two minutes (without a lot of effort), but in combination likely to make a solid two minute sequence. A model could even add a third thing, and demonstrate some of her favourite sex positions on the bed – using a pillow as her partner, humping and showing exaggerated hip movement.
A model jumping over the water hose and playing with the water, paired with the same model using the hose to water the garden and then rolling up the hose and putting everything away.