IDC Communication & Consent Practices 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a stunt coordinator and an intimacy coordinator are both involved in a scene combining combat and physical intimacy, best practice is:
- The stunt coordinator takes sole lead since physical safety is the primary concern
- Both coordinators collaborate and clearly delineate their respective areas of responsibility (Correct answer)
- The director chooses which coordinator leads based on the dominant scene element
- The intimacy coordinator defers entirely to the stunt coordinator's protocol
Correct answer: Both coordinators collaborate and clearly delineate their respective areas of responsibility
When both disciplines overlap, collaborative co-leadership with clearly defined responsibilities ensures no area of actor safety is left unaddressed.
Question 2: An actor who previously consented to toplessness tells the coordinator they no longer consent on the day of filming. The correct response is:
- Remind the actor of their contractual obligation to perform the scene as agreed
- Respect the withdrawal immediately and work with the director to find an alternative approach (Correct answer)
- Escalate to the producer to resolve the conflict before acknowledging the withdrawal
- Ask a second actor to substitute for that portion of the scene without further discussion
Correct answer: Respect the withdrawal immediately and work with the director to find an alternative approach
Consent can be withdrawn at any time; the coordinator's role is to immediately honor that withdrawal and facilitate creative problem-solving with the director.
Question 3: In IDC communication frameworks, 'yes/no/maybe' lists are used primarily to:
- Rate the quality of intimacy choreography after filming
- Help actors identify and articulate their comfort levels across a spectrum of actions before rehearsals begin (Correct answer)
- Assign scenes to actors based on their willingness scores
- Evaluate the intimacy coordinator's performance
Correct answer: Help actors identify and articulate their comfort levels across a spectrum of actions before rehearsals begin
Yes/no/maybe lists give actors a low-pressure framework to reflect on and communicate their comfort levels with specific actions before live negotiation begins.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the intimacy coordinator's role relative to the director during consent conversations with actors?
- Advocate solely for the director's creative vision
- Serve as a neutral facilitator who centers actor agency while supporting the director's needs (Correct answer)
- Represent the production company's legal interests
- Act as the actor's personal therapist
Correct answer: Serve as a neutral facilitator who centers actor agency while supporting the director's needs
The intimacy coordinator is a neutral facilitator who ensures actors' agency is centered while helping directors achieve their creative goals within those boundaries.
Question 5: A production uses the term 'standard intimacy' in a contract without defining it. The IDC-recommended coordinator response is to:
- Accept the industry-standard interpretation and proceed
- Request that specific choreography details be explicitly defined before the actor signs or filming begins (Correct answer)
- Ask the actor to decide what 'standard' means to them
- Defer to the casting director's definition of the term
Correct answer: Request that specific choreography details be explicitly defined before the actor signs or filming begins
Vague contractual language like 'standard intimacy' must be replaced with specific, explicit descriptions of choreography before any consent can be meaningfully given.
Question 6: During a consent conversation, an actor from a culture where direct refusal is considered disrespectful asks about an intimate scene. The coordinator should:
- Assume cultural norms mean the actor is comfortable with the full scene
- Use indirect and option-based questioning techniques that allow the actor to express limits without direct refusal (Correct answer)
- Ask a cultural consultant to conduct the conversation instead
- Proceed as normal since professional acting requires setting cultural norms aside
Correct answer: Use indirect and option-based questioning techniques that allow the actor to express limits without direct refusal
Culturally competent consent facilitation uses indirect, option-based questions to allow actors whose cultural context discourages direct refusal to still communicate their limits.
Question 7: What does 'aftercare' mean in the context of IDC post-scene communication protocols?
- Post-production editing to reduce graphic content
- Intentional support offered to actors after intense intimacy or emotionally demanding scenes to facilitate psychological transition (Correct answer)
- Insurance claim processing for on-set injuries
- A debrief held exclusively for the director and producers
Correct answer: Intentional support offered to actors after intense intimacy or emotionally demanding scenes to facilitate psychological transition
Aftercare refers to intentional, supportive communication and space offered to actors following emotionally or physically demanding intimacy work to help them decompress and transition.
IDC Communication & Consent Practices 5
When a stunt coordinator and an intimacy coordinator are both involved in a scene combining combat and physical intimacy, best practice is: