IDC Safety Protocols & Risk Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following scenarios represents an ethical conflict of interest for an intimacy coordinator?
- Working on a production where the IC does not personally enjoy the genre
- Being hired and paid directly by a producer who can also terminate the IC's contract mid-production (Correct answer)
- Coordinating scenes for actors from different talent agencies
- Having a prior professional relationship with one of the performers
Correct answer: Being hired and paid directly by a producer who can also terminate the IC's contract mid-production
When the IC's contract is held by the production company that can dismiss them, their independence and ability to advocate for performer safety is compromised.
Question 2: An intimate scene requires a performer to be in a physically vulnerable position for an extended time. Which ergonomic risk must the intimacy coordinator proactively address?
- Ensuring the performer's costume provides sufficient warmth during breaks
- Fatigue, discomfort, and the potential for physical injury from sustained unnatural positions, by building in rest breaks and checking in regularly (Correct answer)
- Making sure the performer stretches before the scene begins as the sole safety measure
- Documenting the position in choreography notes to limit legal liability
Correct answer: Fatigue, discomfort, and the potential for physical injury from sustained unnatural positions, by building in rest breaks and checking in regularly
Prolonged physical vulnerability creates fatigue and injury risk that the IC must manage through scheduled breaks and continuous well-being check-ins throughout filming.
Question 3: What is the significance of the 'intimacy coordinator as advocate' model compared to the 'intimacy coordinator as facilitator' model?
- The advocate model places the IC's loyalty primarily with performer wellbeing rather than production efficiency (Correct answer)
- The facilitator model is preferred by unions, while the advocate model is a non-union approach
- The advocate model allows the IC to veto creative decisions, while the facilitator model does not
- The two models are functionally identical with different terminology
Correct answer: The advocate model places the IC's loyalty primarily with performer wellbeing rather than production efficiency
The advocate model explicitly prioritizes the IC's duty to performer safety and wellbeing, even when it creates friction with production goals, unlike the purely neutral facilitator model.
Question 4: When reviewing a script before production, what content marker should immediately trigger an intimacy coordinator's risk assessment protocol?
- Scenes marked as 'INT.' (interior) since confined spaces create unique challenges
- Language such as 'they kiss passionately,' 'they make love,' or any implied sexual activity regardless of explicitness level (Correct answer)
- Only scenes where nudity is explicitly written into the script description
- Scenes involving characters with significant age or power differences in their fictional relationship
Correct answer: Language such as 'they kiss passionately,' 'they make love,' or any implied sexual activity regardless of explicitness level
Any scripted intimacy or implied sexual activity, regardless of how explicitly it is written, triggers IC assessment protocols since even implied content requires physical actor coordination.
Question 5: A performer requests that their intimacy coordinator not share any scene details with the director prior to filming. How should the IC respond?
- Honor the request entirely to maintain the performer's trust
- Explain that while performer privacy is paramount, the director needs general scene parameters to plan the shoot, and negotiate what information is shared and how (Correct answer)
- Decline the request since full transparency with the director is always required
- Ask the performer to communicate their boundaries directly to the director without IC involvement
Correct answer: Explain that while performer privacy is paramount, the director needs general scene parameters to plan the shoot, and negotiate what information is shared and how
The IC must balance performer confidentiality with the practical necessity of communicating scene parameters to the director, negotiating the scope of shared information with the performer.
Question 6: Which documentation practice best protects both performers and the production in cases of post-filming disputes about consent?
- Filming the intimacy consultation meeting with performer permission
- Maintaining contemporaneous written records of all pre-production consultations, agreed parameters, and any in-production changes, signed by relevant parties (Correct answer)
- Relying on the script supervisor's notes as the official record of scene content
- Keeping personal notes that are not shared with the production company
Correct answer: Maintaining contemporaneous written records of all pre-production consultations, agreed parameters, and any in-production changes, signed by relevant parties
Contemporaneous, signed written documentation of consultations and agreed parameters creates a clear record that protects performers' rights and provides factual evidence in disputes.
Question 7: In the event that a performer withdraws consent mid-scene, what is the immediate priority of the intimacy coordinator?
- Determine whether the scene can be completed with the agreed-upon content before calling cut
- Immediately support the halt of filming and ensure the performer has a private space to decompress away from the set (Correct answer)
- Negotiate with the director to find an alternative approach that might satisfy the performer
- Document the withdrawal of consent for the production record before attending to the performer
Correct answer: Immediately support the halt of filming and ensure the performer has a private space to decompress away from the set
When consent is withdrawn, filming stops immediately and the performer's immediate wellbeing and privacy are the IC's first and only priority.
IDC Safety Protocols & Risk Management 5
Which of the following scenarios represents an ethical conflict of interest for an intimacy coordinator?