Pittsburgh Magazine: Hollywood has fallen hard for Pittsburgh’s many charms, so close encounters with Oscar winners like Viola Davis, Tom Hanks or Christian Bale are a possibility on any given day. And with each new project comes a growing list of job opportunities, including several involving safety and boundaries — and one that might make you blush.
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This is a topic I have always wondered about when witnessing intimate scenes in the tv/film industry. As a stage manager, my first thought always goes to the safety of actors and I always wondered if there was a person delegated to that position in these particular scenes where it is extremely warranted. I appreciate how this article is referencing productions being filmed here right in Pittsburgh as that information was new to me when I moved here. It is nice to know that there may be some local film work here for me in the future as that genre of production is an interest of mine. This article mentioned an interesting point in that in theatre, there are weeks of rehearsal where actors are in a safe space to become comfortable with such scenes before being presented to an audience, but in film, it is a quick rehearsal and then “actors must perform a scene over and over until the director is satisfied”. This is something to consider when making sure a production is being considerate of their actors and the emotional stress that may be caused from repetitively doing a scene. For example, this article mentions a production needing to use a safe word during filming, which could be a system implemented in other fields as well.
This is such an important part of theatre training, specifically for acting, that I almost never think about it. The most important part of a production is ensuring that everyone is safe, whether cast, crew, or audience. This does not only include physical safety, which immediately comes to mind when I think about production safety but also mental. This covers a vast range of things. Feeling safe around your coworkers, feeling safe to express your identity, feeling safe in the location of the theatre, feeling safe to express un comfort, feeling safe to leave without repercussions, and etc. I know there is intimacy training in place, I've heard actors mention it in the hallways, I've heard my dad mention it in reference to the film industry, but I never knew what exactly it entails. This article was super helpful in providing me with proper information to understand how productions approach sex scenes. I have no interest in working in this area, as I want to work in design, but I found it fascinating to learn about.
My biggest takeaway from this article is that there are techniques used by these professionals that everyone can use within their lives to create a safer environment. Normalizing behavior that keeps people safe is the best way to ensure that everyone is on the same page. In addition, everyone on a production can benefit from the practices that come with intimate work. I also think it was interesting to see the use of “button” as a safeword, which is something that Carnegie Mellon School of Drama also uses. I strongly believe that an intimacy choreography should be required for every production. The extra safety net provided by these practices is something that is incredibly valuable to me as a stage manager. The burden of safety is something that should always be focused on but by having professionals who have studied the correct techniques everyone is able to protect themselves. Overall, more emphasis should be put on mental and physical wellbeing while working on productions.
The concept of keeping sex safe involves more than setting physical boundaries. It has to do with emotional and psychological safety. Intimacy directors/coordinators are, thus, of the utmost importance. Yet they are sadly (perhaps) the most recent additions to stage and screen productions. Thinking about the historic background behind the establishment of intimacy coordinator as a formal position, one can trace it back to the #MeToo movement and the demands for production companies to establish a safe and communicative environment to explore intimacy. Knowing when are where to draw physical and psychological boundaries is vital, and having a trained professional on the subject present aids the process.
On another note, Tomé Cousin is in the article! As a certified Theatrical Intimacy Educators (TIE) through the Intimacy Coordinators of Color, he speaks to the trauma actors undergo when they go uncared for. Drawing on the example of Anita (from West Side Story), he notes the actress having to go home every night post the attempted rape scene. Without properly unwinding from the action on-stage and appropriately addressing the subject in rehearsal, the effects might be catastrophic. Let’s just say, I am excited at the possibility of working with Tomé at some point in my Carnegie Mellon academic career.
I really enjoyed reading more about intimacy coordinators. It is a little odd looking back and remembering that this role did not really exist outside a few spaces as early as five years ago or so. I really appreciate that as we are all learning how to be kinder with one another the industry has generally responded. There have been conversations about the matter, even if they have been of varying degrees and therefore of varying efficacy. This is an important step in making rehearsal rooms and sets a safer place for the actors and production crew. I think it is a good sign that workshops and places to get this kind of training are increasingly becoming more accessible. I am all in for creating a better working space and environment. If someone is reading this I hope you have a lovely day. Using our resources! This is a great example of that.
I think it is insane that intimacy coordinators did not exist until the past decade or so when this industry is over a century old. To me having a professional present making sure the actors are comfortable and safe within the rehearsal space but also when they leave is a no brainer. I love seeing Pittsburgh and specifically cmu faculty, Tome Cousin being a forefront to making this an industry norm. I know previously this task would be split between partly the director and partly the stage manager but both of those roles already have a ton on their plates and are also not trained to handle these sorts of situations. I hope to see this practice become more standardized with perhaps a rule book or a standard way of doing things when it comes to intimacy. I also hope actors equity makes it a required part of a production when it comes to intimacy.
I remember someone told me intimacy coordinators were like fight choreographers and how everything is planned ahead of time. Like every movement and every gesture, touch, action is rehearsed to the point of like doing a routine. The consent between two actors to perform scenes with explicit and sexual moments can so easily be something taken advantage of. it's important to always understand what's happening to you and you're in control of what's happening at the rate of detail that intimacy coordinators rehearse scenes. I hope this trend of hiring professionals to help alleviate any kind of margin for potentially dangerous situations continues. If we leave no room for harm, we can focus on the creative parts of work that make it so much more beautiful. Like, someone's art was showing an audience how people can be vulnerable together and that's wonderful. It's also always wild to read about a professor that teaches at the university I go to.
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