IDC Intimacy Direction & Choreography Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a 'rider' or intimacy-specific addendum to a performer's contract?
- A transportation provision for performers traveling to location
- A contractual document specifying the exact scope of nudity and physical contact a performer has agreed to, protecting them from requests beyond that scope (Correct answer)
- A clause allowing producers to modify intimate content without performer approval
- A union-mandated rest period between intimate scene takes
Correct answer: A contractual document specifying the exact scope of nudity and physical contact a performer has agreed to, protecting them from requests beyond that scope
An intimacy rider explicitly defines what a performer has consented to in writing, providing legal protection against requests for contact or nudity outside the agreed scope.
Question 2: How does an intimacy coordinator handle a situation where two performers have conflicting comfort levels for the same choreographed moment?
- Default to the performer with lower comfort level and choreograph within their limits, without disclosing the other performer's position to either party (Correct answer)
- Average the two positions and negotiate a compromise directly in front of both performers
- Ask the director to choose which performer's limits to prioritize
- Defer the scene until both performers independently agree to the same parameters
Correct answer: Default to the performer with lower comfort level and choreograph within their limits, without disclosing the other performer's position to either party
The coordinator always works within the more restrictive performer's limits and does so discreetly so neither performer feels their limits are disclosed or compared.
Question 3: What is 'choreographic specificity' and why is it a core principle of intimacy direction?
- Using precise musical counts to time physical movements on stage
- Defining exactly what body parts move where and in what sequence so there is no ambiguity about what performers are consenting to (Correct answer)
- Requiring written director approval for every physical adjustment
- Matching intimate choreography to the emotional specificity in the script
Correct answer: Defining exactly what body parts move where and in what sequence so there is no ambiguity about what performers are consenting to
Precise physical specification removes ambiguity, ensuring performers know exactly what they are agreeing to and can repeat the scene identically across all takes or performances.
Question 4: A performer verbally agreed to a scene's choreography in pre-production but shows visible discomfort on the day of filming. What should the intimacy coordinator do?
- Remind the performer of their verbal agreement and encourage them to proceed
- Call a pause, check in privately with the performer, and renegotiate or modify the choreography based on their current state (Correct answer)
- Inform the director that the performer is being uncooperative
- Document the discomfort and continue filming to avoid production delays
Correct answer: Call a pause, check in privately with the performer, and renegotiate or modify the choreography based on their current state
Prior agreement does not override present discomfort; consent is ongoing and must be reaffirmed in the moment, with the coordinator empowered to halt the scene.
Question 5: In what way does camera blocking intersect with intimacy choreography during intimate scene planning?
- Camera blocking is entirely a cinematography concern that doesn't involve the intimacy coordinator
- The coordinator collaborates with the director of photography to ensure camera angles fulfill the scene's creative intent while protecting performers from accidental exposure beyond agreed limits (Correct answer)
- Camera blocking determines which performer moves first in the choreographic sequence
- The coordinator approves all camera positions before the DP can finalize the shooting plan
Correct answer: The coordinator collaborates with the director of photography to ensure camera angles fulfill the scene's creative intent while protecting performers from accidental exposure beyond agreed limits
Collaboration with the DP ensures that creative cinematographic choices do not inadvertently capture nudity or contact outside what performers consented to.
Question 6: What distinguishes 'simulated sex' choreography from general physical stage combat in terms of the coordinator's approach?
- Stage combat is more dangerous and therefore requires more coordinator oversight
- Simulated sex involves unique psychological vulnerability and social stigma, requiring heightened attention to emotional safety and consent beyond purely physical risk management (Correct answer)
- Both disciplines use identical consent frameworks and can be overseen by the same specialist
- Simulated sex choreography requires a medical professional on set while stage combat does not
Correct answer: Simulated sex involves unique psychological vulnerability and social stigma, requiring heightened attention to emotional safety and consent beyond purely physical risk management
Sexual content carries distinct emotional, psychological, and reputational risks that require a specialized consent-centered approach beyond the physical safety protocols of stage combat.
Question 7: An intimacy coordinator is working on a production that uses real-time camera feeds shown to the crew. How should this affect the coordinator's closed-set protocols?
- Remote viewing via monitor is equivalent to presence on set and requires the same access restrictions
- Monitors visible to unrestricted crew effectively expand who is watching the intimate scene, requiring the coordinator to limit monitor access as strictly as physical set presence (Correct answer)
- Only physical presence on set is covered by closed-set protocols; monitors are exempt
- The director of photography controls monitor access and the coordinator has no authority over it
Correct answer: Monitors visible to unrestricted crew effectively expand who is watching the intimate scene, requiring the coordinator to limit monitor access as strictly as physical set presence
Video monitors that expose intimate scenes to crew members not essential to the shot undermine closed-set protections and must be restricted with the same rigor as physical access.
IDC Intimacy Direction & Choreography Techniques 5
What is the purpose of a 'rider' or intimacy-specific addendum to a performer's contract?