What do intimacy coordinators do?

Intimacy coordinators work with actors and directors to coordinate scenes involving intimacy, nudity or simulated sex, and provide support to the actors before, during, and after shooting.

Intimacy coordinators serve as advocates for the actors, with the ultimate goal of making everyone as comfortable as possible, while working to achieve the director’s vision. Intimacy coordinators establish and safeguard consent from the actors, champion communication and emotional support throughout the entire process, and choreograph movements to respect boundaries and best serve the story.

Hiring an intimacy coordinator ensures that your production will be as safe and sexy as possible.

Context

As with any scene, it is important to understand how the scene serves the story and what it is meant to convey—on its own and within the larger narrative. Conversations between the director, intimacy coordinator, and actors will provide greater understanding of the characters involved, the circumstances surrounding the scene, and the scene’s narrative objective. This establishes parameters, ensuring that all parties involved are comfortable and that the intimacy portrayed in the scene best serves the story.

Consent

One of the primary functions of an intimacy coordinator or intimacy director is to establish consent between actors and ensure that boundaries are respected at all times. Though a director, script or choreographer may direct a specific action, consent must be obtained beforehand from the actor receiving the action. It is the intimacy coordinator’s responsibility to fully understand each actor’s boundaries, to respect and make sure others are respecting those boundaries, and to ensure that the actors are consenting every step of the way.

Communication

Communication is key throughout the entire process, from pre-production and rehearsal, to principal photography. In preparation for the scene, intimacy coordinators facilitate necessary conversations between the director and actors about the scene, consent, choreography, and ongoing comfort level. They serve as a go-between, preserving the actor/director relationship and protecting the boundaries of all parties involved with frequent check-ins, as well as support before, during, and after hyper-exposed or intimate scenes.

Choreography

Just as fight scenes are expertly choreographed, so too are scenes involving nudity, simulated sex and other intimate or hyper-exposed acts Establishing and adhering to choreography protects the interests of all parties involved, safeguarding the actors, preserving consent and supporting the performance. Eliminating surprises provides peace of mind, freeing actors to give themselves fully to the performance, enhancing the quality of the scene and making it as sexy as possible.

Closure

The work of an intimacy coordinator doesn’t end just because the director calls “CUT.” The primary function of an intimacy coordinator is protect and empower actors so they can do their best work, giving themselves fully to the character and their performance. Closure is a key part of this work. It helps actors disconnect from the scene(s) and character(s), so that they don’t take it home with them. This protects their mental health and wellbeing, and ensures that they will continue to deliver their best as the production goes on.