IDC Legal & Ethical Standards in Intimacy Coordination 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A minor is cast in a film that contains a scene depicting implied romantic content between teen characters. The intimacy coordinator's first step should be to:
- Proceed normally since the content is only implied
- Confirm applicable child labor laws and ensure a guardian and studio teacher are present (Correct answer)
- Obtain only the minor's verbal assent
- Allow the director to determine whether an IC is needed
Correct answer: Confirm applicable child labor laws and ensure a guardian and studio teacher are present
Child labor laws impose strict requirements including guardian presence and studio teacher oversight; these must be confirmed before any work with a minor proceeds.
Question 2: Which documentation is considered best practice for an intimacy coordinator to retain after completing a production?
- Only the final shooting schedule
- Signed boundary agreements, incident reports, and correspondence with production (Correct answer)
- Actors' personal contact information for future reference
- The director's creative notes on intimacy scenes
Correct answer: Signed boundary agreements, incident reports, and correspondence with production
Retaining signed agreements, incident reports, and correspondence protects all parties and provides an evidentiary record should disputes arise after production ends.
Question 3: Under the ADA, a performer with a disability is cast in a scene requiring physical intimacy. The intimacy coordinator must:
- Inform the director that the scene may need to be recast
- Engage in an interactive process to explore reasonable accommodations for the scene's choreography (Correct answer)
- Document that the performer is not fit for the role
- Defer entirely to the medical team's recommendations
Correct answer: Engage in an interactive process to explore reasonable accommodations for the scene's choreography
The ADA requires an interactive, collaborative process to identify reasonable accommodations, and an intimacy coordinator must facilitate this for choreography that intersects with a performer's disability.
Question 4: An actor on a non-union production asks the intimacy coordinator if they are required to perform a scene they find uncomfortable. The IC should advise that:
- Non-union contracts typically give producers full authority over all scenes
- All performers retain the right to negotiate or decline scenes, and the IC can advocate on their behalf (Correct answer)
- Only union actors have formal refusal rights
- They should consult a lawyer before refusing
Correct answer: All performers retain the right to negotiate or decline scenes, and the IC can advocate on their behalf
Regardless of union status, all performers retain fundamental rights over their bodies, and an intimacy coordinator's role includes advocating for their ability to set limits.
Question 5: What is the primary ethical purpose of using 'modesty garments' and specifying them in pre-production agreements?
- To satisfy costume department requirements
- To establish clear physical boundaries and reduce ambiguity about what will be exposed during filming (Correct answer)
- To reduce post-production editing costs
- To comply with on-set photography rules
Correct answer: To establish clear physical boundaries and reduce ambiguity about what will be exposed during filming
Specifying modesty garments in advance creates explicit, agreed-upon physical boundaries that protect performers and prevent misunderstandings during production.
Question 6: A production company insists that its legal team's NDA supersedes any obligation an intimacy coordinator has to report a workplace safety incident to OSHA. This claim is:
- Correct, as private contracts govern set conduct
- Incorrect, as NDAs cannot lawfully prohibit reporting of workplace safety violations to government agencies (Correct answer)
- Correct if the NDA was signed before filming began
- A matter for state law to determine case by case
Correct answer: Incorrect, as NDAs cannot lawfully prohibit reporting of workplace safety violations to government agencies
OSHA anti-retaliation provisions and federal law prohibit NDAs from barring workers from reporting safety violations to regulatory agencies; such clauses are generally unenforceable.
Question 7: When transitioning from being a performer to working as an intimacy coordinator, a professional must most importantly address which ethical concern?
- Updating their headshot and resume
- Managing dual-role conflicts of interest and clearly separating their IC responsibilities from any performing work (Correct answer)
- Securing a new agent for IC work
- Obtaining the director's approval to change roles
Correct answer: Managing dual-role conflicts of interest and clearly separating their IC responsibilities from any performing work
Dual roles create conflicts of interest that can compromise an IC's ability to advocate impartially for performers; clear role separation and disclosure are ethically essential.
IDC Legal & Ethical Standards in Intimacy Coordination 3
A minor is cast in a film that contains a scene depicting implied romantic content between teen characters.
The intimacy coordinator's first step should be to: