Intimacy Coordination | Direction |Consulting

What is an Intimacy Coordinator?

The Intimacy Coordinator or Intimacy Director functions as an advocate, establishing consent-based practices that can create a brave space where the actors, producing team, and crew feel supported and safe in telling the story.

The Intimacy Coordinator (IC) / Intimacy Director (ID) works with the production teams in Film, Television, and Live Performance to create scenes involving simulated sex, nudity, or other highly vulnerable moments.

What's involved?

The Intimacy Coordinator (Film/TV) or Intimacy Director (Theatre/Opera/Live Performance) collaborates with the director and producing creatives to understand the vision of the story. I take in context and dramaturgy from the script, and begin working with other departments in pre-production to determine what’s necessary to bring the vision to life. This might include working with casting to ensure production requirements are disclosed in the breakdown, the camera department to determine shots and angles for film, the wardrobe department for garments, props, sound, the production designer, etc.

I work with the actors to establish consent-based practices and boundaries. I use this information in conversation with the director’s vision to create multiple plans of choreography for scenes of intimacy or simulated sex acts that are in alignment with these boundaries.

I create choreography and communicate the plan in a way that is deloaded and desexualized, as well as provide documentation for this work so that the choreography is repeatable.

I prepare the actors for what to expect on the day, offer verbal and nonverbal language and practices to use when needed, and address any concerns or questions.

I offer aid in determining the language for nudity and intimacy riders to ensure the actors boundaries are being honored in writing. I work with the legal team by assisting with drafting these riders.

I am present during shooting and rehearsals to ensure the actors and crew feel supported and safe. Before and on the day, I ensure that the production is briefed on protocols, safety, and closed-set policies.

Create documentation throughout the process, drafting risk assessments and daily reports.

What is an Intimacy Consultant?

An Intimacy Consultant acts as an advisor to productions by assisting in the preparation of scenes of intimacy or nudity.

This might include discussing the script, offering an intimacy workshop, discussing safety protocols and boundaries/consent, and determining what might be needed to ensure a smooth process.

While an Intimacy Consultant may offer educational support to a production, they do not choreograph scenes of intimacy and are not present on-set or in rehearsals. They are unable to offer direct support to actors or artistic input into the direction of scenes involving simulated sexual acts. An Intimacy Consultant does not write Nudity/Simulated Sex Riders, and is not the point of contact for reporting.

Depending on the nature and intensity of what is necessary for a safe process, an Intimacy Consultant may recommend that a production hire an Intimacy Coordinator or Intimacy Director.

What’s considered Intimacy?

When productions think about Intimacy, the consideration historically has not gone beyond scenes involving Partial or Full Nudity or Simulated Sex Acts. While these are absolutely intimacy, is important to consider many other types including but not limited to:

Movement-based or dance sequences involving sensuality, sexuality, touch, or removal of clothing.

Kissing, Touching, Cuddling, or any gesture that requires physical touch from one person to another. This may be between two individuals or multiple.

Moments requiring a state of undress or physical/emotional exposure as determined by the actor.

Scenes with heightened emotional requirements that may benefit from deroling practices.

Scenes involving childbirth or hands-on medical care.

Projects requiring vulnerable, emotional moments involving a minor.

Scenes in which an actor portrays a deceased or unconscious individual and is receiving touch from others.

Scenes of Violence, including Violence that is Physical, Sexual, Spiritual, Emotional, Cultural, Psychological, or Verbal.

Whenever the space between an actor’s personal life or lived events and the character’s imaginary circumstances begins to decrease.