This feature appears in the June issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition.
LOS ANGELES—Bree Mills & Adult Time raised the stakes—and the level of innovation—for the Up Close series when they introduced “Choose Your Angle” in February.
The technology powering the series gives fans of adult entertainment the rare opportunity to edit their experience while they’re watching.
“The key differentiator for ‘Choose Your Angle’ is the enhanced video player we developed at Adult Time,” says Mills, the chief creative officer at Adult Time who has directed the initial episodes. “As far as I know, we are one of the only platforms, if not the only one, that allows viewers to toggle between four unique angles in real-time while watching a sex scene.
“Unlike other interactive content that focuses on allowing viewers to choose different story branches, we aimed to address a common piece of feedback from our subscribers: the desire to see more or less of a specific angle during a scene. Now, viewers can essentially play editor in real-time, selecting their preferred angle as they watch.”
The popular performer and close Adult Time collaborator, Codi Vore, starred in the first edition of “Choose Your Angle.”
She teased the camera with a naughty striptease before veteran stud Codey Steele entered the room.
“Each position had to be blocked out beforehand with four unique camera angles that each captured something special but didn’t see any of the other cameras,” Vore tells AVN. “It took some extra effort from the crew to make that happen, and I think the final result with the interactive online interface made it a groundbreaking pornographic experience!”
Mills likens the challenges of shooting “Choose Your Angle” scenes to what camera crews must do in order to capture sporting events.
“I would compare this type of production to filming live sports,” she explains. “As the director, my job was to coordinate four camera operators in real-time, ensuring each maintained a unique and interesting angle without interfering with each other’s shots or diminishing the performers’ energy.
“We filmed our first two pilot episodes in a single 12-hour day, during which I feel we developed an effective approach for this type of filming.
“However, it was the most personally exhausting experience of my career as a director. Hats off to sports broadcasters!”
The seasoned producer/director Mills tells AVN they opted to film unscripted scenes for their initial tests, so they were able to complete them within a standard production day.
“I had originally scheduled three shoots, but fortunately, one of the talents dropped out at the last moment, and I decided to reframe the day, recognizing that three shoots would have been too much to manage,” Bree continues.
“We also chose to work with A-list performers who have ample experience, stamina, and authentic chemistry together. This allowed us to focus on meeting the technical challenges of the production, such as breaking down each scene into specific sequences.
“This pre-planning enabled us to determine the ideal camera configurations and film those sequences in single takes without cuts or obstructions. Success in this type of project hinges on knowing exactly what you need before filming starts, so adjustments aren’t necessary in real time. Additionally, it’s important to understand that not all positions lend themselves equally well to being filmed from four unique and engaging angles.”
The creative force behind Adult Time says her main direction for Vore and Adult Time Brand Ambassador Lauren Phillips was “to choose male scene partners with whom they had genuine chemistry and to focus on being their authentic selves and enjoying the experience.”
“Despite the tactical precision of the scenes, they felt very authentic, which I love,” Bree adds. “Codi and Lauren’s ability to know their bodies, offer their best angles, and feel comfortable as themselves made the concept come alive and prevented it from feeling wooden or formulaic.”
Vore agrees.
“This was a really special scene!” Codi tells AVN. “I got to choose my co-star, my wardrobe, and even the positions and toys used on camera, which made it especially pleasurable!”
And the feedback Adult Time has received for the early “Choose Your Angle” scenes has been nothing short of incredible, Mills says.
One viewer said: “Having the option for either fully edited or control of the angles is amazing. Usually the editors do a fantastic job, but in the odd instance where I’d prefer to direct my attention elsewhere this feature ensures I won’t get that ‘cockblocked’ feeling.”
Another one offered: “Honestly, allowing me to choose my own angles is enough to keep me subscribed. Glad to see it come back and I hope it continues to expand.”
Mills says the extra pre-production work it takes to pull off a scene with this many moving parts is totally worth it.
“What we have learned is that having an enhanced video player will allow us to continue to innovate in terms of brainstorming ways to leverage it for different kind of interactive content in the future, both unscripted and narrative (which has been a dream of mine for a long time!)” Bree concludes.
Photography by Stella Smut
