As we become more familiar with new acquaintances we often become more tactile, placing a hand on the other person’s arm to add emphasis as they talk, greeting one another with a handshake, then a hug, and maybe a kiss, as the relationship develops. Close friends appear to have few boundaries – they might reach over and fix their friend’s twisted shirt collar, or move away a fallen eyelash from their cheek – without asking permission.
Due to the nature of the work, models are required to trust and be open with Shoot Producers meaning that in just a few hours, they could have shared intimate details in ways that could take months or even years to develop with “normals”.
This can create a “blurred line” where models feel very close to Shoot Producers and can lead to models being more relaxed and familiar around Shoot Producers, particularly in subsequent shoots with the same Shoot Producer. In turn, this can make it “feel” or seem like it’s ok to touch models.
It’s not ok to touch models.
Consider this scenario;
Mary and SP Bob have made several shoots together, Bob made Mary’s first-ever nude shoot, and Mary always looks forward to working with Bob. Today, they’re making a Solo shoot in a forest.
For the finale, Mary is lying on her back under a tree masturbating. She finishes and stands up to get dressed, but her back and buttocks are covered in fallen leaves that have stuck to her skin. She asks Bob to help brush it all off – she feels comfortable with Bob doing that.
Instead, the Shoot Producer hands the model a towel, and takes Backstage pictures. 💯
That’s professional behaviour.
It’s not ok to touch models.
It is great when models feel more comfortable around a Shoot Producer, this leads to better content for our customers, better work experiences for models, and hopefully a more enjoyable shoot for the SP. However it is the Shoot Producer’s responsibility to ensure that the shoot remains professional.
Shoot Producers can certainly relax their verbal communication to match how a model is interacting with them (for example, employing irony, flirting, or even friendly insults), but the hard rule of no touching applies.