IDC Industry Standards & Best Practices 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When an intimacy coordinator is brought onto a production after principal photography has already begun, what is the most critical first step?
- Begin choreographing scenes immediately to catch up
- Review all existing contracts and scripts to assess intimacy content already filmed
- Conduct a confidential meeting with each actor involved in intimacy scenes (Correct answer)
- Request that all previously filmed intimacy scenes be reshot with proper protocols
Correct answer: Conduct a confidential meeting with each actor involved in intimacy scenes
Establishing trust and gathering information from actors through confidential meetings is the priority when joining a production mid-stream.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the 'closed set' protocol for intimate scenes?
- Only the director and cinematographer may be present
- Set is limited to essential crew only, with a list approved by the actors and director (Correct answer)
- All non-union observers must leave but union crew may remain
- The intimacy coordinator determines who stays based solely on technical necessity
Correct answer: Set is limited to essential crew only, with a list approved by the actors and director
A closed set limits personnel to only essential crew, and best practice involves actors having input into who is considered 'essential.'
Question 3: Under SAG-AFTRA's Intimacy Coordinator guidelines, which production type is most strongly recommended to hire a credentialed intimacy coordinator?
- Any production featuring romantic dialogue
- Productions with nudity or simulated sex scenes (Correct answer)
- All productions regardless of content
- Only major studio productions with budgets over $10 million
Correct answer: Productions with nudity or simulated sex scenes
SAG-AFTRA guidelines specifically recommend intimacy coordinators for productions involving nudity or simulated sexual activity.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'modesty garment' or 'intimacy barrier' in industry best practice?
- To satisfy costume design requirements for period-accurate clothing
- To provide physical boundaries between performers during simulated intimate contact (Correct answer)
- To meet MPAA rating requirements for R-rated films
- To reduce makeup and wardrobe time between takes
Correct answer: To provide physical boundaries between performers during simulated intimate contact
Modesty garments and intimacy barriers provide physical boundaries that protect performers during the filming of intimate scenes.
Question 5: An intimacy coordinator discovers that a director is pressuring an actor to go further than what was negotiated in the intimacy rider. What is the correct course of action?
- Mediate between the director and actor to find a compromise
- Step in immediately to halt the scene and advocate for the actor's stated boundaries (Correct answer)
- Consult with the producer first before intervening
- Document the incident but allow the director to resolve it independently
Correct answer: Step in immediately to halt the scene and advocate for the actor's stated boundaries
The intimacy coordinator's primary duty is to the performer's safety and negotiated boundaries, requiring immediate intervention when those are violated.
Question 6: Which document formally outlines the specific boundaries and permissions an actor has agreed to for intimate scenes?
- The production's general liability waiver
- The intimacy rider or nudity rider attached to the actor's contract (Correct answer)
- The director's scene breakdown notes
- The continuity report filed by script supervisors
Correct answer: The intimacy rider or nudity rider attached to the actor's contract
The intimacy or nudity rider is the contractual document that specifies exactly what an actor has consented to regarding intimate content.
Question 7: Best practice for an intimacy coordinator when a performer requests a private rehearsal without other cast members present is to:
- Deny the request to ensure all performers rehearse together for consistency
- Honor the request and coordinate individual rehearsals for each performer (Correct answer)
- Require at least one producer to be present for liability purposes
- Document the request but defer the decision to the director
Correct answer: Honor the request and coordinate individual rehearsals for each performer
Accommodating individual rehearsal requests respects performer autonomy and allows each actor to prepare in their most comfortable environment.
IDC Industry Standards & Best Practices 2
When an intimacy coordinator is brought onto a production after principal photography has already begun, what is the most critical first step?