Kitten is the name of our new models portal, a place for Candidates and Models to log in and interact with us. Share information of theirs, and get information they need for shoots.
Kitten is not yet live – we expect to release it in late 2021 – but it’s being built, and you might see some references to it as we prepare to make it part of how our business works.
Hm, how secure will this be?
Security is the main reason we’re making Kitten. We’re extremely security conscious, following best-practises. It’ll be more secure than most banks.
But, there’s always a compromise between security and usability (the more secure you make a thing, the more annoying it is to access it). So, we’re finding a balance.
Why have Kitten instead of emails?
Almost all the communication we’ll have with you is via emails (though SMS, WhatsApp, and calls are options we’ll use sometimes as well, if it’s ok with you). There’s a few reasons Kitten is an improvement over emails.
- Security. The number one reason. We’re based in the Netherlands, part of the European Union, which has very strict data privacy laws. Having stuff online, but in a password secured place is safer for everyone than clear-text emails.
- We can lay out info so it’s easy to read. Links, images, videos, and gifs work reliably, which does not always happen in emails. We can update informational pages so they always have the most recent information (unlike emails). We can highlight information that’s particularly important to your situation.
- Central point of reference. We’ll often exchange many emails to get a model onboarded, and many more to book a shoot. That means, all the info about a shoot might be spread across several emails. In Kitten, it’s all in one place, and always up to date (Model Liaisons, and Shoot Producers use the “back end” of Kitten to organise shoots).
- Spam. Sometimes, our emails to models end up in their spam filters, which causes delays and frustration.
- You can update your info as you like. For example, if you want us to pay you to a different bank account, simply log in and update your bank details, and that’s what we’ll use from then on. If your ID is expired, we’ll prompt you to add a new one.
- Keep our data up to date. When a shoot is planned, it’s essential data we have about you (such as your name, address, and next of kin, bank account info) are up to date, so the shoot day goes smoothly and safely. We’ll prompt you to review and if necessary update your info in the weeks before a shoot.
- Workflows. Kitten can tie in with our business workflows. That’s important for us, because at any one time we work with around 30 models, ten Shoot Producers and a dozen timezones, and that shit is complicated! For example, we can see all the models waiting to have a shoot booked, or who need to send us grooming shots.
What can I do in Kitten?
Things you’ll be able to do in Kitten include:
- See almost all the data we hold on you
- Request data removal in some circumstances (see our Privacy Policy for more info on how that works exactly)
- Update your contact info, next-of-kin, bank account, medical info
- See info about shoots
- Shoots we hope to offer you in the future
- Shoots that are currently planned or booked
- Shoots that occured in the past, and documents related to them
- Request that we contact you
- Advise us on what to do in an emergency
- Link to your shoots on the abbywinters.com site
- Complete and revise your answers to questionnaires for different shoots (so we can plan an awesome shoot that’s tailored to you)
- Upload images (grooming, ID, test shots)
- Submit STI test results
- Live-chat with a Model Liaison
It’s gonna be great. 🤩