In this update, we’ll be taking a look back at the first year of Solitary Sixty, including some behind-the-scenes secrets...
So let’s start at the beginning…
The idea for Solitary Sixty came about around a year ago, when I saw an account on Instagram posting A.I. generated imagery of prison scenes featuring inmates that included models, footballers, pop stars… basically, the sort of people you wouldn’t generally expect to see behind bars!
I started to think about how to create video content featuring exactly that - good-looking guys locked up for the entertainment of viewers… But this new content would actually be doing it for real, rather than using A.I.!
With several years of experience already running a video production and visitor experience project, I set to work planning how this new concept could work. In January of this year, a Kickstarter appeal was launched to gauge interest.
Would there be enough people wanting to see guys arrested and spending time locked up in jail if they failed challenges?
The answer seemed to be “yes” as the Kickstarter was a huge success! Thanks to the generosity of backers, Solitary Sixty would be launching later that year.
It took a few months to get things ready. After being built in Devon, the main centrepiece of Solitary Sixty - the solitary confinement cell - arrived in May.
With several models already lined up to be locked up, it was then that things started to move very quickly…
On 23rd May, the first challenger arrived. And despite not being the first content released, it was Taylor - or rather Inmate T-01 - who was first inside the cell.
Being the first to film, Taylor didn’t have as much of an idea what to expect as the others. But after a very long journey from Kent to the jail in Birmingham, he was duly arrested and set the task of beating the escape room challenge of JAILBREAK.
Things didn’t really work out for him - in fact, he’s probably the worst player on JAILBREAK so far! - so he had to spend an additional hour in jail as his punishment.
Andrew was next to film (with his content being released first on the website, as Inmate A-01) and he was just as annoyed at his failure to escape.
Harry was third to make his JAILBREAK escape attempt. I had worked with Harry before, so I knew he’d make an entertaining and lively Inmate H-01. He didn’t disappoint!
The last inmate to film his challenge during the period before the website launched was boxer Mike (Inmate M-01). And despite almost wimping out at the start of the shoot, he did eventually feel brave enough to be our next JAILBREAK challenger.
With enough content now filmed for the first 2 months, the website launched on 12th June. Lleyton was next to film his challenge around a week later when he became Inmate L-01. He was also the last player (for now) to take on JAILBREAK, and performed just as poorly at the task as those before him!
After a run of JAILBREAK it was time for a fresh challenge. First to face DOING TIME was Matt (again, someone who I had worked with previously).
This time with a guaranteed 60 minutes behind bars during the challenge, it was up to Inmate M-02 to judge the passing time well enough to avoid doubling his sentence. He failed!
Next to attempt DOING TIME was a model named Valentyn who was certainly more used to catwalks and magazine shoots than to being locked up!
With perhaps the biggest shift in mood between his challenge and punishment hour, maybe Inmate V-01 didn’t think that losers really do have to serve their punishment…
The next two players to take on DOING TIME filmed just a few days apart. They’re the same age, same height, both from the midlands and both work part-time as models. They were easily the most determined so far to win… Oh, and they’re both named Josh!
Inmate J-01 is a professional footballer in the outside world. He was so close to winning his freedom that his punishment hour must have felt particularly cruel.
Our other Josh - Inmate J-02 - is studying for a PhD when he’s not modelling or being locked up for our amusement. He also did really well in his attempt and was just as gutted as J-01 to be sentenced to a second hour inside after his failure.
Another tall midlands model, Callum became Inmate C-01 as he also faced the prospect of DOING TIME. Perhaps the most chilled inmate we’ve seen, he didn’t seem too phased by either his challenge or punishment!
The last challenger of the year to try to beat DOING TIME was Hayden, known to us as Inmate H-02.
He said before filming he’d probably enjoy an hour or two of peace and quiet away from the world. You’ll have to judge for yourself if he enjoyed it!
After another string of failures, it felt right to try yet another new challenge. I enlisted the help of Lucas (another model I had worked with before) to become Inmate L-02 for the pilot of QUIZ PRISON.
As expected, Lucas didn’t stop talking throughout his challenge and barely stopped during his punishment!
He helped to show that with a few tweaks, QUIZ PRISON could become a flagship show for Solitary Sixty.
It’s a show you can play along with yourself whilst you watch our challengers falter and fumble with the locks, desperately trying to escape…
The first regular episode starred Tristan - the first challenger allowed to wear his own clothes and use his name for the challenge hour. This just made his failure all the more humiliating, of course - becoming Inmate T-02 whilst being arrested and taken prisoner for his punishment hour.
Our youngest challenger so far - he would have been too young to take part when filming started in May - 18-year-old model Ollie was second in the cell to attempt a QUIZ PRISON escape. And escape he almost did, too, taking the challenge down to the final seconds!
As with J-01 on DOING TIME, this failure must have really stung, making the punishment seem especially unfair…
Lively actor and model Jamie also tried to escape the QUIZ PRISON - although didn’t really get anywhere as close as Ollie did to escaping! His arrest seemed pretty inevitable early on.
That brings us up-to-date, with our current release being Sin playing QUIZ PRISON too… And it’s another very close challenge!
How can you see this content?
You can currently see ALL of the content mentioned in this article with just a 🟠STANDARD video membership! Plus all the new content released for a whole month too, of course.
Finally, just a quick “thank you” to everyone who has helped to support Solitary Sixty in this launch year, be that with a video membership, visiting for an experience or both!
Solitary Sixty is run by one person. The website, filming, editing, social media, devising the challenges - you name it, everything you see is the work of me alone. So your support is very gratefully received!
When I started work on Solitary Sixty at the end of last year, I wasn’t sure if the project would last beyond the end of 2024, assuming it got off the ground at all.
Therefore I’m thrilled that it’s become my full-time work and I’m so excited to continue working hard on it for everyone who’s kind enough to continue supporting Solitary Sixty!
Rob (Creator, producer and guard of Solitary Sixty)
Later this week…
…A look at what’s coming up in January and into 2025!