IDC Communication & Consent Practices 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A production asks the intimacy coordinator to keep actors' disclosed boundaries confidential from the director. The coordinator should:
- Honor the request fully, since actor confidentiality is paramount
- Explain that directors need general parameters to make creative decisions, and work with actors on what can be shared (Correct answer)
- Refuse to work on the production
- Disclose all boundary information to the director without actor permission
Correct answer: Explain that directors need general parameters to make creative decisions, and work with actors on what can be shared
Intimacy coordinators balance actor confidentiality with the director's need for creative parameters, ideally working with actors to determine what information can be shared in general terms.
Question 2: Under IDC standards, which person holds ultimate authority over an actor's personal boundaries during intimacy work?
- The director
- The producer
- The actor themselves (Correct answer)
- The intimacy coordinator
Correct answer: The actor themselves
IDC practice is grounded in the principle that actors are the sole authorities on their own bodies and personal limits; no other party can override that.
Question 3: When an intimacy scene involves a power differential between characters (e.g., boss/employee), how should the coordinator address this in consent conversations?
- Ignore character dynamics since they are fictional
- Explicitly distinguish the fictional power dynamic from the real interpersonal dynamic between actors (Correct answer)
- Ensure the actor with less power in the scene defers to the other actor on set
- Ask the director to rewrite the scene to remove the power differential
Correct answer: Explicitly distinguish the fictional power dynamic from the real interpersonal dynamic between actors
Coordinators must help actors separate character power dynamics from their real-world peer relationship, ensuring the fictional hierarchy doesn't bleed into on-set power imbalances.
Question 4: What is the IDC-recommended response when a director requests an unplanned improvised intimate moment during filming?
- Allow it if both actors nod in agreement during the take
- Stop filming, call a break, and hold a proper consent and choreography conversation before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Grant approval if the intimacy coordinator can observe from the monitor
- Permit it only if a second coordinator is present
Correct answer: Stop filming, call a break, and hold a proper consent and choreography conversation before proceeding
Unplanned intimacy requires stopping to conduct a proper consent conversation and choreography planning, as improvised intimacy bypasses the protection that preparation provides.
Question 5: Which documentation practice best supports ongoing consent in long-running productions such as a TV series?
- A single consent form signed at the start of the season
- Episode-by-episode intimacy rider updates that reflect evolving choreography (Correct answer)
- Verbal agreements renewed only when actors request changes
- Director's notes kept in the shooting script without actor signature
Correct answer: Episode-by-episode intimacy rider updates that reflect evolving choreography
For long-running productions, intimacy riders should be updated for each episode or significant choreography change to reflect current consent rather than blanket past consent.
Question 6: An actor discloses a trauma history relevant to an upcoming scene. The IDC-aligned response is to:
- Document the disclosure and adjust choreography to accommodate the actor's needs while maintaining confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Inform the casting director so they can reconsider the role
- Advise the actor to seek therapy before filming
- Disclose the information to the full production team for awareness
Correct answer: Document the disclosure and adjust choreography to accommodate the actor's needs while maintaining confidentiality
Trauma disclosures should be handled confidentially, with choreography adjusted to support the actor, and information shared only as minimally necessary with the actor's consent.
Question 7: The concept of 'enthusiastic consent' in IDC practice differs from 'absence of refusal' in that it requires:
- Actors to verbally express excitement about every scene
- Active, willing agreement rather than mere compliance or silence (Correct answer)
- Written consent forms completed in triplicate
- Consent observed by a union representative
Correct answer: Active, willing agreement rather than mere compliance or silence
Enthusiastic consent means a genuine, affirmative willingness — not just the absence of objection — ensuring actors are true participants rather than passive compliers.
IDC Communication & Consent Practices 4
A production asks the intimacy coordinator to keep actors' disclosed boundaries confidential from the director.
The coordinator should: