Intimacy Coordinating

The conversation about consent in the film industry has taken a massive- and overdue- turn in a post #metoo world. As we re-navigate our understanding and practices of consent, our industry needs to take a critical look at how we interact with each other on set, in the rehearsal room, on stage, and in our classrooms. In the same way that we have prioritized the safety of our teams in violent scenes with stunt choreographers, it’s time to normalize the safety, boundaries, and consent of everyone involved in the making of intimate scenes. The impulse to sanitize sex from our art is a dangerous one, as sex and intimacy can be cornerstones of the humanity we seek to explore in our work. But, we need the tools to do so safely- an Intimacy Coordinator provides those tools.

The role of an Intimacy Coordinator is multifaceted:

• Serve as a liaison between talent and other departments before, during, and after production to establish:

  • Boundaries, and a collective vocabulary for respecting them

  • Clear, safe and repeatable choreography

  • Informed and Ongoing consent.

• Facilitate conversation between all parties so as to ensure that everyone is on the same page and on board about the artistic reasoning behind any nudity or intimacy.

• Work with the director and creative teams to fulfill their vision, and make intimate scenes feel as authentic and connected as possible within a professional and safe container. Coordinated intimacy is elevated intimacy.

• Facilitate ongoing and open conversation around on-set changes- keeping all departments apprised, and that any choreography or costume changes are consented to from an informed, equitable, and enthusiastic place.

• Create safer containers for actors – an actor who feels safe, respected, and who knows they have resources on set is able to do much deeper, truer work.

• Mitigate the inherent power dynamic present on set between actors, directors, and producers.

• If properly trained in crisis counseling and mental health, ICs are available as a resource for any cast or crew members that have negative or trauma responses to difficult material. (Yes, crew- statistically survivors of violence are everywhere, and your crew doesn’t always know what they are walking into!)

• Navigate and manage properly closing sets, contracts, and adhering to SAG-AFTRAs nudity guidelines.

• Navigate the casting process, and ensure proper communication around intimate scenes leading up to the day.

Amy’s approach to Intimacy Coordinating seeks to be trauma informed, survivor centric, and intersectional. Her training and background in Intimacy Coordinating, Film & Theatre, sexual violence prevention, advocacy, and rape crisis counseling allows her to approach the work through a particularly unique lens. She specializes in LGBTQ+, BDSM, and scenes of simulated sexual violence.