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Yahoo Entertainment: We Talked to Intimacy Coordinators About Penn Badgley’s Viral Anti-Sex Scene Comments

15/2/2023

Penn Badgley shared last week that he’d requested that the number of intimacy scenes in You Season 4 “go from 100 to zero,” explaining that “fidelity in every relationship, and especially my marriage, is really important to me.” While sex scenes for his character, serial killer Joe Goldberg, remain in the season, there are certainly fewer; the scenes lack close-up shots, and clothes mostly stay on.

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I reached out to Steinrock and another intimacy coordinator, Ita O’Brien, to chat about Badgley’s comments, the surprising backlash they’ve drawn, and the role of intimacy coordinators in building scenes around these kinds of boundaries.

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O’Brien, a UK-based intimacy coordinator who founded Intimacy On Set to train other coordinators and pioneered the role in 2014, told me she’s worked with actors who have different agreements with partners on what they will and won’t do when filming intimate scenes. “I had an actor recently who, in conversation with their wife, said their boundaries were, ‘I don’t want to touch anybody’s breasts or nipples,’” O’Brien said. “He said, ‘This is what my requirements are,’ and because that was so clear, everyone could respect that, we could honor those requirements, and ensure they were honoring their relationship.”

According to O’Brien, it’s not uncommon for actors in relationships to have specific boundaries and conditions for intimacy scenes based on their relationships. She told me the work of fulfilling these needs is about “comfort, consent,” and even “joy.”

“When we’re inviting agreement and consent in all these areas, it means we can all work openly, creatively, feeling empowered,” she said. “That place of feeling safe and thus free creates really beautiful, intimate content.”

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Stylecaster: What Does an Intimacy Coordinator Do? They Make Actors Feel Safe ‘Just Like In A Fight Scene’

15/2/2023

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Intimacy is a powerful and valuable storytelling tool, but it requires a great deal of care and can become problematic if not handled properly. When Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan’s film 50 Shades of Grey came out in 2015, it created a great deal of buzz around its steamy sex scenes and encouraged healthy conversations about kinks and consent—even though the film’s portrayal of such as been criticized by some experts.

Intimacy is a complex concept. At the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien, author Lisa Taddeo (Three Women, Ghost Lover) and Barry Jenkins (Producers, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Moonlight), participated in a frank discussion about what intimacy looks like in artistic collaboration and how to navigate a space of great closeness in a professional environment.

When talking about intimacy, we’re not just talking about sex. “There are different levels of intimacy,” said Jenkins at the panel. “It’s important to break down and distinguish the levels and kinds of sexual, spiritual, intellectual and emotional intimacy that exist and what they look like on screen.”

To ensure that certain scenes are shot in a way that is safe, respectful and consensual, many productions are now turning to intimacy coordinators, like O’Brien, to oversee the process. Intimacy coordinators are professionals who meticulously work with actors, directors and production teams to plan and execute “choreography” that all participants feel comfortable with. This also means creating scenes that follow the fundamental tenets of the Intimacy on Set Guidelines.

“The most important aspect of the guidelines is that intimate content is akin to a stunt or a fight. Just as in a fight scene, preparation, rehearsal and bringing good technique is vital,” O’Brien told StyleCaster. “An Intimacy Practitioner (IP) will work creatively with the director, just as a stunt coordinator does, to serve their vision and create a brilliant piece of work.”

When it comes to intimate content involving nudity, or simulated sexual content, O’Brien explains that there is a risk of participants feeling harassed, abused or awkward if not handled professionally. Therefore, the fundamental tenets of the guidelines are open communication and transparency, and agreement and consent of touch and consequently creating clear steps so that the actors are all aware of what will happen.

Even with clear instructions and choreography, coordinating intimacy onscreen can be intimidating for talent who are often shooting scenes where a number of people (cast, crew, lighting, camera operators, etc.) are watching or involved. Content that involves darker content like sexual assault or rape differs from coordinating consensual, loving moments between actors, in that it requires heightened awareness and care concerning the actor playing the victim and the actor playing the perpetrator.

“Before the filming of any non-consensual scenes begins, all of the discussions exploring areas that might make an actor feel vulnerable have already taken place and we create the risk assessment accordingly. Of course, there’s a possibility that this could be triggering and not just for the people who are performing, but possibly anyone who’s involved. It’s important that everyone involved feels safe and that actors can ask for ‘time outs’ during filming,” she added. She also intentionally checks in with the actors for any support they need a few days after the filming.

O’Brien is the implementer. She brings her skill and knowledge of anatomy and choreography to work with all involved participants to create a scene that is realistic. Sometimes that means creating scenes that are not frequently seen. “I worked with Michaela Coel on I May Destroy You and choreographed all the different intimate encounters and explored the different aspects of consent, power play and boundaries. The period sex scene was so exciting, showing the reality and the paraphernalia of engaging with intimacy whilst we are menstruating. This is rarely seen and yet is a fundamental part of all women’s lives. It’s this kind of content that really excites me as a practitioner and it’s so important this reality is shown on our screens.”

O’Brien’s work is not limited to adults, either. As part of her work with the hit show Sex Education, she worked with parents and guardians of minors to navigate the scenes and ask for their guidance. “I must remain open and flexible if it’s not quite right for that production or only a part of the process is required. I must then adapt to support the actors or director in a way that is right for them. Our job is to serve, to be a conduit and to facilitate open conversations,” she explained.

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LBC: Intimacy coaches on Hollywood film sets are 'absolutely essential' to protect young women, says Emma Thompson

10/2/2023

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'The crew will be 90% men...'

Emma Thompson says there is absolutely no 'parity' on film sets, which makes it so important to introduce intimacy coordinators on set to 'protect' young women and help them feel comfortable.@AndrewMarr9 pic.twitter.com/TbbbUtNqG7
— LBC (@LBC) February 9, 2023

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Time: Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?

3/2/2023

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Last Dance is the first post-#MeToo Magic Mike. It contends male strippers help women feel empowered. An entire dance is set to the song “Permission.” “We wanted to reflect the conversation that we’re hearing,” says Soderbergh.

Because sex scenes have long been made by and for men, studios may fear that sexy movies are inherently sexist movies. Revelations like Maria Schneider’s story of feeling violated while filming Last Tango in Paris changed the way Hollywood shoots a sex scene. Filming safely now involves hiring an intimacy coordinator to choreograph the scene and ensure the actors’ comfort.

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There’s more sex on TV than ever. The high schoolers on HBO’s Euphoria are having messy sex, joyless sex, and, occasionally, satisfying sex. White Lotus interrogated the interplay of desire, money, and power. On Netflix’s Sex Education teens explore their urges and sexuality. “Television for decades had to contend with standards and practices and pretty strict censorship,” says Kidman. “With streaming, there’s no ratings, no limitations.” TV has also broken out of the bounds of the straight, white relationships that still dominate film.

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Intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien, who was on set for Last Dance, says it can be hard to tell a tale of intimacy in a two-hour format. She points to Hulu’s Normal People, which she also worked on, about young people who fall in and out of bed with each other as their circumstances shift. “Can you imagine that being a film?” asks O’Brien. “Twelve episodes allow you the chance to get at the depth, the complexity, the intensity of that relationship.” Similarly, Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You needs six hours to explore the gray areas of consent.

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Yahoo Entertainment: We Talked to Intimacy Coordinators About Penn Badgley’s Viral Anti-Sex Scene Comments

Stylecaster: What Does an Intimacy Coordinator Do? They Make Actors Feel Safe ‘Just Like In A Fight Scene’

LBC: Intimacy coaches on Hollywood film sets are 'absolutely essential' to protect young women, says Emma Thompson

Time: Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?

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