IDC Legal & Ethical Standards in Intimacy Coordination 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A production based in New York State hires performers from California and the UK. Which legal framework should guide the intimacy coordinator's minimum standards for performer protection?
- Only New York labor law as the production state governs
- The most protective applicable standards across all relevant jurisdictions as a baseline (Correct answer)
- UK Equity rules since international co-productions default to UK standards
- SAG-AFTRA rules only if a majority of performers are union members
Correct answer: The most protective applicable standards across all relevant jurisdictions as a baseline
When multiple jurisdictions apply, professional ethics and risk management require applying the highest applicable standard to ensure all performers receive adequate protection.
Question 2: An intimacy coordinator is approached by a documentary filmmaker to work on a project involving real individuals (non-actors) in intimate scenarios. The key additional ethical consideration compared to scripted work is:
- Documentary budgets are typically smaller
- Non-actors may have less awareness of their rights and more vulnerability to coercion, requiring heightened duty of care (Correct answer)
- Documentary subjects cannot be covered by SAG-AFTRA agreements
- The IC's role is limited to observation in documentary contexts
Correct answer: Non-actors may have less awareness of their rights and more vulnerability to coercion, requiring heightened duty of care
Non-actors lack the industry training that helps performers understand their rights, making them more susceptible to pressure and requiring the IC to exercise heightened advocacy and education.
Question 3: Which of the following best illustrates the ethical principle of 'transparency' in an intimacy coordinator's practice?
- Telling the production what the performer's personal history is
- Clearly explaining to all parties at the outset what the IC's role, authority, and limitations are (Correct answer)
- Sharing all boundary documents with the full cast
- Posting scene choreography on the production's shared server
Correct answer: Clearly explaining to all parties at the outset what the IC's role, authority, and limitations are
Transparency in IC practice means all stakeholders understand the IC's role, decision-making authority, and the boundaries of their involvement before production begins.
Question 4: A streaming platform's terms of service allow it to re-edit scenes without performer approval for international distribution. An intimacy coordinator reviewing the production contract should flag this clause because:
- It may interfere with the IC's choreography credit
- It can result in performers' bodies being shown in ways they did not consent to, potentially violating their rights (Correct answer)
- International distribution rights are outside the IC's scope
- The clause is standard industry practice and not a concern
Correct answer: It can result in performers' bodies being shown in ways they did not consent to, potentially violating their rights
Re-editing intimate scenes for alternative cuts without performer approval can result in exposing more or differently framed content than was consented to, directly implicating performer rights.
Question 5: The ethical standard of 'informed refusal' means that an intimacy coordinator must ensure a performer:
- Signs a waiver before declining any scene
- Understands the potential career consequences of refusal before making their decision
- Has received complete information about the scene and alternatives before choosing to decline (Correct answer)
- Consults with their agent before exercising any refusal
Correct answer: Has received complete information about the scene and alternatives before choosing to decline
Informed refusal requires that a performer has been given full, clear information about what is being asked and any alternatives before exercising their right to decline.
Question 6: When a production's insurance carrier requests a copy of the intimacy coordinator's incident reports as part of a claim investigation, the IC should:
- Provide all records immediately to facilitate the claim
- Consult with legal counsel about applicable privilege and confidentiality obligations before disclosing (Correct answer)
- Destroy records to protect performer privacy
- Refer the insurer directly to the performers involved
Correct answer: Consult with legal counsel about applicable privilege and confidentiality obligations before disclosing
Incident reports may contain confidential performer information; consulting legal counsel ensures disclosures comply with applicable law and do not violate confidentiality duties.
Question 7: Which of the following conduct by an intimacy coordinator would most likely constitute an ethical conflict of interest?
- Coordinating a film in a genre they personally enjoy
- Accepting a financial bonus from a producer contingent on a performer completing all intimate scenes (Correct answer)
- Working on multiple productions in the same year
- Suggesting alternative choreography to reduce performer discomfort
Correct answer: Accepting a financial bonus from a producer contingent on a performer completing all intimate scenes
A financial incentive tied to performer compliance directly compromises the IC's impartiality and duty to advocate for the performer's right to set limits without pressure.
IDC Legal & Ethical Standards in Intimacy Coordination 5
A production based in New York State hires performers from California and the UK.
Which legal framework should guide the intimacy coordinator's minimum standards for performer protection?