Solo Levels 0 to 3 teach Shoot Producers the core principles of abbywinters.com Solo shoots, and provide tools for interpreting the wider abbywinters.com paradigm. These shoots are very structured, and all elements are required.
When a SP advances to Level 4 they are considered experts. Now an SP knows the rules they can break them when there is a benefit for customers. For example;
At Level 3, for the assessment area “Adopt tease pay-off approach”, the SP consciously directs and captures a tease and a payoff for each of the designated Firsts.
At Level 4, the SP could “break this rule” if there was a clear benefit to customers in doing so. For example;
❌ Nipples and breasts revealed together as it is easier and quicker for the SP
✅ Nipples and breasts revealed together in a spontaneous moment, where the model lifts up her top on a balcony, flashing the city below.
This flexibility allows SPs to;
- Deep-dive into interesting things
- In Levels 0-3, there is too much to cover in total to do this
- At Level 4 SPs, choose what to spend shoot-time on
- Structure a shoot to suit a models physicality
- For example, at L4 an SP can spend more time on shapely buttocks, while skipping over saggy breasts
- Make shoots radically different from each other
- Making shoots more exciting for customers.
L4 and Tease-and-Payoff / Firsts
Teasing and Paying off the first time a model reveals clothing or part of her body is still valuable, and should generally still be done unless there is a creative imperative to skip it.
❌ It’s never acceptable to start a model in a shoot visibly nude.
✅ The model could start the shoot wrapped in a sheet (nude underneath). Some “Firsts” will not be possible, but there are still many opportunities for teasing and paying off!
It’s at the SP’s discretion to decide which Firsts to Tease and Pay off, and how much time to spend on each event. It’s fine to skip some Firsts to allow more time for other aspects of the shoot.
L4 and Must Haves
Must Haves are required at Levels 0 to 3, but they are not required at L4. However, the reason we specify Must Haves in the first place is that they are imagery we know customers enjoy. They should still be captured, unless there is a creative imperative not to. Some examples of when a Must Have could be skipped include;
- There is a grooming issue
- The model is not a strong example of that Must Have
- Must Haves don’t fit with a creative plan (eg a shoot shot only using wides to create a voyeurism feeling; model nude under a sheet)
When a Must Have is captured, it is expected to still meet the established technical requirements.
L4 and Fetishes
Level 4 is where fetishes come to the fore and are expected to be explored deeply. This may be a physical attribute of the model (eg, large breasts, long legs), or situational things like wet clothes, or activities like yoga.
SPs are encouraged to make shoots “all about” a given fetish, while still showing the appropriate amount of the model’s highest Posing Level and managing the customer’s emotion over time.
The creative department can provide tips and ideas on how to best capture a fetish, and over time the Fetish Finder app will have more and more details in it as well.
L4 and MMaiA
Customers want to see nude young women moving and exercising their bodies. It’s never suitable for a Solo shoot to have no MMaiA elements, but the specific requirements of five two-minute vignettes are relaxed.
❌ The model sits at a potters wheel for the majority of the shoot – her arms hands and shoulders are moving a lot…
(If the model moved the potter’s wheel from one location to another, and kneaded the clay by throwing it on the floor 20 times, the model walks across the space a few times, carrying finished pieces to the drying room, walking to the far side of the studio to gather clay and to get a drink and to get the thing she is inspired by)
✅ The model dances for 15 minutes when nude.
It’s acceptable for this to “even up” over time, and as always, take advantage of models’ skills. For example;
- Monday’s model is un-athletic and resistant to trying hard
- SP plans and engineers walking in the shoot
- MMaiA focuses around the model slowly and casually walking between Settings and Activities, captured from a variety of angles and lens-lengths
- Wednesday’s model dances socialls
- The SP plans how best this skill could be utilised
- 20 minutes of shoot shows model dancing, a mix of clothed and nude
Planning L4 shoots is essential
Level 4 does not allow SPs to skip things with no consequence, or reduce the time a L4 shoot takes to shoot – it is only about making planned and deliberate choices to benefit customers, with less “restrictions”.
Shoot planning is an essential element of a successful Level 4 Solo shoot.
During planning, the SP can recommend to the CD to change the model’s booked Posing Level (within the model’s comfort level), if it meets a creative idea the SP has.
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