IDC Boundary Setting & Advocacy 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which principle underpins the idea that consent to a specific act in one scene does not automatically extend to similar acts in other scenes?
- Transferable consent
- Scene-specific consent (Correct answer)
- Blanket authorization
- General release doctrine
Correct answer: Scene-specific consent
Scene-specific consent means each scene, day, or iteration of choreography requires its own consent check, regardless of prior agreements.
Question 2: An IC is working on a production where one actor is significantly more senior than their co-star. What additional boundary-setting consideration is most important?
- Giving the senior actor veto power over the choreography
- Conducting separate check-ins with each actor to ensure the junior performer feels empowered to voice limits without social pressure (Correct answer)
- Having the senior actor model boundary-setting for the junior performer
- Asking the director to mediate any disagreements between performers
Correct answer: Conducting separate check-ins with each actor to ensure the junior performer feels empowered to voice limits without social pressure
Power differentials can inhibit junior performers from voicing limits, so separate check-ins protect their ability to consent freely without social hierarchy influencing their answers.
Question 3: What does the IDC mean by 'checking in above and below the line'?
- Verifying budget allocations before and after an intimacy scene
- Confirming consent with both above-the-line creative leadership and below-the-line crew before filming
- Assessing performer comfort both physically and emotionally during check-ins (Correct answer)
- Reviewing pre-production and post-production boundary documentation
Correct answer: Assessing performer comfort both physically and emotionally during check-ins
Checking in above and below the line refers to assessing both the emotional/psychological and physical dimensions of a performer's readiness and comfort.
Question 4: A performer freezes during an intimate scene and stops responding. The IC should first:
- Ask the director to call cut and then check on the performer
- Immediately call a stop to the scene and attend to the performer's wellbeing (Correct answer)
- Wait to see if the performer self-corrects within a few seconds
- Signal the camera operator to continue while the IC approaches the actor
Correct answer: Immediately call a stop to the scene and attend to the performer's wellbeing
A freeze response is a recognized trauma reaction; the IC must immediately halt filming and prioritize the performer's wellbeing over production continuity.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key reason why intimacy coordinators maintain confidentiality about performers' disclosed boundaries and personal history?
- To prevent directors from adjusting the scene based on performer needs
- To protect performers from stigma, retaliation, or exploitation of their vulnerabilities (Correct answer)
- To comply with NDA agreements signed by the IC
- To limit the producer's ability to make casting changes
Correct answer: To protect performers from stigma, retaliation, or exploitation of their vulnerabilities
Confidentiality protects performers from having personal disclosures used against them in casting, reputation, or power dynamics, maintaining the trust that makes honest boundary-setting possible.
Question 6: If a director insists on removing a modesty garment that the performer and IC agreed would be worn, the IC's escalation path should be:
- Quietly remove the garment and apologize to the performer later
- Remind the director of the agreement, and if overridden, escalate to the producer and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Ask the performer to decide without IC input to avoid conflict
- Contact SAG-AFTRA immediately and halt all production
Correct answer: Remind the director of the agreement, and if overridden, escalate to the producer and document the incident
The IC first reinforces the agreement directly with the director, then escalates through the production chain while documenting every step to create an accountability record.
Question 7: What role does post-scene debriefing play in the IDC boundary-setting framework?
- It allows the director to evaluate the IC's performance
- It gives performers a structured opportunity to report discomfort or boundary violations that occurred during the scene (Correct answer)
- It serves primarily as a legal waiver for production liability
- It is optional and only used when the IC suspects a problem occurred
Correct answer: It gives performers a structured opportunity to report discomfort or boundary violations that occurred during the scene
Post-scene debriefs create a safe, structured window for performers to surface any concerns that arose during filming, completing the consent loop and enabling rapid response.
IDC Boundary Setting & Advocacy 4
Which principle underpins the idea that consent to a specific act in one scene does not automatically extend to similar acts in other scenes?