IDC Professional Ethics & Dual Relationships 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'dual relationship' in the context of intimacy coordination?
- When an intimacy coordinator works on two productions simultaneously
- When an intimacy coordinator holds both a professional and a personal relationship with someone involved in the production (Correct answer)
- When two intimacy coordinators share responsibilities on a large production
- When an intimacy coordinator serves as both director and coordinator on the same project
Correct answer: When an intimacy coordinator holds both a professional and a personal relationship with someone involved in the production
A dual relationship occurs when a professional occupies two distinct roles with the same person — such as being both coordinator and close friend — which risks compromising objectivity and professional boundaries.
Question 2: How should an intimacy coordinator handle a pre-existing personal friendship with an actor on the same production?
- Keep the friendship private to avoid complications with production management
- Maintain the friendship as usual since established trust benefits intimacy work
- Disclose the relationship to production and evaluate whether professional duties can be fulfilled without bias (Correct answer)
- Decline all non-professional communication with the actor to maintain strict separation
Correct answer: Disclose the relationship to production and evaluate whether professional duties can be fulfilled without bias
Disclosure and honest self-assessment of whether objectivity can be maintained is required; transparency protects all parties and preserves the coordinator's integrity.
Question 3: What is the primary ethical risk posed by a dual relationship for an intimacy coordinator?
- It can produce favoritism and biased advocacy that undermines impartial treatment of all performers (Correct answer)
- It increases production insurance costs and creates administrative burdens
- It automatically constitutes a SAG-AFTRA union rule violation
- It creates scheduling conflicts that disrupt the production workflow
Correct answer: It can produce favoritism and biased advocacy that undermines impartial treatment of all performers
Dual relationships risk favoritism and compromised objectivity, undermining the coordinator's core duty to advocate impartially and equally for every performer on set.
Question 4: When should an intimacy coordinator disclose a potential conflict of interest to production?
- Only when the conflict directly affects the scheduled scene
- After the project concludes, during a post-production debrief
- Only if asked directly by the producer or director
- Before production begins or as soon as the conflict is identified (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Before production begins or as soon as the conflict is identified
Early disclosure allows production to make informed decisions and protects the coordinator's professional integrity throughout the entire engagement.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a breach of confidentiality by an intimacy coordinator?
- Discussing general best practices at a professional conference without naming individuals
- Reporting a safety violation to the relevant union or guild
- Sharing a specific performer's stated personal limits or disclosures with non-essential crew members (Correct answer)
- Writing general educational content about on-set intimacy protocols
Correct answer: Sharing a specific performer's stated personal limits or disclosures with non-essential crew members
A performer's specific limits and personal disclosures are confidential; sharing this information with non-essential parties violates the trust and professional obligations central to the role.
Question 6: What is an intimacy coordinator's ethical obligation upon witnessing on-set harassment?
- Document the incident privately and raise it only in a post-production review
- Intervene and report the behavior through appropriate channels regardless of production hierarchy (Correct answer)
- Inform the affected performer privately while deferring to the director's authority on set
- Avoid involvement to maintain neutrality as a non-production employee
Correct answer: Intervene and report the behavior through appropriate channels regardless of production hierarchy
Intimacy coordinators are ethically required to intervene and report misconduct regardless of hierarchy because performer safety and wellbeing take precedence over deference to authority.
Question 7: When an intimacy coordinator recognizes they cannot maintain professional objectivity on a project, what is the most appropriate course of action?
- Continue working while increasing session frequency to compensate for the bias
- Inform only the performers while continuing to collaborate with the director
- Request a temporary leave and plan to return once feeling more prepared
- Recuse themselves from the project and assist in facilitating a transition to another qualified coordinator (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Recuse themselves from the project and assist in facilitating a transition to another qualified coordinator
Recusing oneself and supporting a professional handoff upholds the obligation to provide unbiased, effective advocacy and prevents harm to performers that could result from compromised neutrality.
IDC Professional Ethics & Dual Relationships 1
What is a 'dual relationship' in the context of intimacy coordination?