IDC Production Communication & Collaboration 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which approach best describes 'advocating up' in intimacy coordination?
- Training junior coordinators on set protocols
- Communicating performer needs or safety concerns directly to those in authority, such as directors or producers (Correct answer)
- Escalating disputes to union arbitration immediately
- Reviewing a performer's previous work to advocate for higher pay
Correct answer: Communicating performer needs or safety concerns directly to those in authority, such as directors or producers
Advocating up means bringing performer concerns or safety needs to those with production authority in a professional and solution-focused manner.
Question 2: When an on-set production assistant not cleared for the closed set accidentally enters during filming of an intimate scene, the intimacy coordinator should:
- Ignore the intrusion to avoid disrupting the scene
- Immediately pause the scene and address the breach calmly with the AD (Correct answer)
- Report the PA to HR after the shoot day ends
- Ask the performers if they want to continue before addressing anything
Correct answer: Immediately pause the scene and address the breach calmly with the AD
A closed-set breach requires immediate pause; the coordinator should calmly alert the Assistant Director to enforce the policy and address the intrusion.
Question 3: In unionized productions, how does an intimacy coordinator's role interact with SAG-AFTRA guidelines?
- The coordinator replaces SAG-AFTRA representatives for all nudity negotiations
- The coordinator works in alignment with SAG-AFTRA guidelines, ensuring productions meet or exceed union standards (Correct answer)
- The coordinator operates independently of any union framework
- The coordinator enforces SAG-AFTRA fines for non-compliance
Correct answer: The coordinator works in alignment with SAG-AFTRA guidelines, ensuring productions meet or exceed union standards
Intimacy coordinators support and complement SAG-AFTRA standards but do not replace union representatives or take on enforcement roles.
Question 4: A co-star becomes visibly uncomfortable during a rehearsal of an intimate scene but does not verbally object. The coordinator should:
- Continue the rehearsal since no verbal objection was raised
- Note the visual cue and create a natural pause to privately check in with the performer (Correct answer)
- Alert the director that the performer is unfit for the role
- Ask the other performer to describe what they observed
Correct answer: Note the visual cue and create a natural pause to privately check in with the performer
Non-verbal discomfort cues are valid signals; coordinators must monitor and respond to them by creating safe opportunities for performers to voice concerns.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the intimacy coordinator's role during post-scene wrap for an intense intimate scene?
- Immediately move to setup for the next scene to save time
- Conduct a brief check-in with performers and offer debrief resources if needed (Correct answer)
- File the consent forms before speaking with performers
- Allow the director to handle all post-scene communication
Correct answer: Conduct a brief check-in with performers and offer debrief resources if needed
A post-scene check-in acknowledges the emotional weight of intimate work and ensures performers have support and access to debrief resources.
Question 6: When two performers have a disagreement about the level of physical contact they are each comfortable with, the coordinator should:
- Ask the director to choose whose preference takes priority
- Facilitate a conversation that finds choreography both performers can fully consent to (Correct answer)
- Default to the performer with the higher billing credit
- Pause production until the performers' agents resolve the issue
Correct answer: Facilitate a conversation that finds choreography both performers can fully consent to
The coordinator facilitates compromise choreography so that both performers' boundaries are honored simultaneously without requiring either to override the other.
Question 7: An intimacy coordinator is working on a production with a director from a culture where discussing physical boundaries is considered taboo. The best approach is:
- Abandon standard IC protocols to respect cultural norms
- Acknowledge cultural context while clearly and respectfully explaining how IC protocols protect all parties including the director (Correct answer)
- Refer the director to a coordinator with the same cultural background
- Limit IC involvement to paperwork only
Correct answer: Acknowledge cultural context while clearly and respectfully explaining how IC protocols protect all parties including the director
Cultural sensitivity is important, but core safety protocols must be maintained; framing them as protective for everyone, including leadership, can bridge the gap.
IDC Production Communication & Collaboration 4
Which approach best describes 'advocating up' in intimacy coordination?