What does an intimacy coordinator do? We speak to Louise Kempton about her key role on film sets, making her intimate scenes safe.
Featured image credit: Ruth Crafer
WARNING: The following contains discussion of sex and sexual violence that some readers may find disturbing.
The role of intimacy coordinator is relatively new, but it's something people are talking about. Actors such as Michael Caine, Sean Bean, and Emma Thompson have all publicly commented on whether such roles are necessary on film sets.
So what is an intimacy coordinator? Well, the simple answer is that they are there to assist with any kind of intimate scene, whether it involves nudity, sex, sexual violence, or anything that is considered intimate. They ensure that the scenes are filmed in a safe environment and take care of the health of the talent performing the scenes.
There still seems to be an air of mystery and perhaps even ignorance about the Intimacy Coordinator. So we went straight to the source and asked Louise Kempton about her work as an Intimacy Coordinator.She recently appeared in a tennis drama on Prime Video. Fifteen LoveWe'll talk about this a little later.
First of all, how do you become an intimacy coordinator? For Louise, the idea came from her training as an actor and in movement, but more from the need to work regularly than as an actor. was also born.
“Basically, I got a little older and kind of thought, 'Oh, when I'm not acting, I can't waitress anymore.'” I always learned the art of acting from a sense of movement. “I was fascinated by it,” says Louise.
Louise still sometimes receives backlash on set, but now more people understand what her role is when she steps into a production, and she feels the need to explain her position there. states that it is gone. She also compared her role to that of her stunt coordinator, and she said this analogy is often used.
“We believe we are choreographers, movement directors, and movement coaches, but we are also fundamentally part of the safety team. We work with stunt coordinators and other staff to reduce risk. Many are employed at production sites. [whose] My job is to create truly beautiful battles. We're there not only to create really beautiful and romantic sex scenes and make them look good choreographically, but also to keep you safe. ”
According to Louise, younger actors tend to seek out intimacy coordinators more often. This makes sense, especially after reading Sir Michael Caine's rather tone-deaf comments about just putting in the work when it comes to intimacy. But viewers also got to know more about what's going on behind the scenes.
We've all heard the story about Sharon Stone being gassed to remove her underwear in that infamous scene in the movie. basic instinct. Harvey Weinstein's name has become synonymous with abuse, even though he's no longer on the set. Many actors have commented on how awkward filming sex scenes can be. Louise's job is to make sure the situation is as safe as possible and that everyone is comfortable with the scene and how it unfolds.
“I want to be a conscientious viewer,” she says. “I think people are now aware that scary stories can happen, but given the worst-case scenarios that have happened in the past, you can't avoid it. Now, once you know, you can't take it back. You can not.”
Louise tells me about a time when her filming schedule changed and she was no longer able to participate in an intimate scene. As anyone would do, she arranged for another intimacy coordinator to take her place, but one of the actors on set said he wasn't used to having someone new on set that day.
“And that's absolutely within their rights, because it was important to them,” Louise points out. “[Trust is] That's a big factor. For some people, they'll be inside themselves, in their bodies, and show up that day and be incredibly professional and meet that person. That trust has to be built very quickly, so actors are often very good at it, but it may seem like a given in terms of how they're receiving the work. yeah. Building trust is very important and hopefully it starts as early as possible in the pre-production process. ”
Louise hopes they can be called up as soon as possible, but points out that it could still be a last-minute thing.
We also ask Louise what being safe actually means when filming sex scenes. To many, the fact that the actor has (presumably) read the script and knows the intimate scenes seems like automatic and tacit consent. Louise emphasizes that when actors are considering taking on a job, they need to ask themselves whether a particular scene violates their personal boundaries.
“Just because you can say no, it doesn't mean you're not a good actor. It doesn't mean you won't get work afterwards.”
In episode 6 of Fifteen LoveThe film, starring Aidan Turner and Ella Lily Hyland, includes scenes depicting sexual violence. It's a tough scene to endure, especially as a woman, but it adds so much to the story.
This scene appears at the end of the series and is, in many ways, the high point of the relationship between the two characters played by Hyland and Turner. Preparation for the scene began early in pre-production and required a lot of movement work.
“Rather than doing things as an attack, we decided to make it more abstract, but they wanted to really physicalize what that sense of space would feel like.” says Louise.
“I worked with them all that afternoon, doing very detailed movement sessions with music, observing their rhythm and breathing. And they really worked at it, and that gave us a scene. It gave me a whole language.”
Although this scene is a flashback, Louise once again credits the words made in pre-production as a key element to successfully filming such an emotional moment.
“We used their bodies to physically sketch out what their relationship was like and how it was touching each other. So by the time we did that scene, We had already completed the whole arc, the whole journey to get there.”
Finding the right moment to shoot such scenes during production can also be difficult.
“I knew that scene was coming up and I knew it was going to be a challenge, so I didn't want to wait until filming was over and suddenly do it. But I didn't want to shoot it too quickly. There wasn’t.”
For this scene, Louise collaborated not only with episode director Toby McDonald, but also with stunt director Guiomar Alonso due to its “physical violence”.
“Intimate content like that is really choreographed beat-by-beat. There have been other scenes that are looser and we agreed with the idea of positioning and touching, but in the scene with Ella and Aiden, the step-by-step I tried to make the choreography look like the dance I created.
So where does Louise's work end and the actor's work begin?
“They add a flavor of breath and a quality of touch or tone. When does it go from something romantic to something pretty dark? [There’s a] It was really clearly choreographed because it's a real change of power. ”
Like most intimate scenes on this day, this scene was filmed on a closed set. Louise also highlights that such scenes can be difficult for the crew. Fifteen Love, The first assistant director spoke to them before the scene to make everyone feel comfortable about what was about to happen in front of the camera.
However, the job doesn't end when the camera stops rolling. Louise always follows up with the cast after a scene to make sure they're okay. It's hard to find such moments on a busy movie set, but she likens it to cooling down after a strenuous workout.
“Closing is very important in this kind of work. Later, after a few days, you can have problems. Actors are great, they live in the moment, and it's very intuitive for them. They're not robots. They really get into the place, and even if the actor can switch off afterwards, they're still physically going there.”
Intimacy coordinators are essential to making actors feel safe, but it's not that simple.
“We strive for safety, but we cannot guarantee it,” says Louise. “Floors or ceilings may fall, there may be an earthquake. I cannot guarantee you a safe place. What can I guarantee you that I will try to put in place structures that can support a sense of safety? ” she added.
“You don't know how you're going to feel that day. Something might trigger something in you. Consent is a process, an ongoing process that needs to be continually checked, but People might find it a little difficult because it's part of the job. But just because you did a scene fine one day doesn't mean it's okay to do it again a few weeks later.”
Fifteen Love is available to stream on Prime Video. You can find out more about Louise's work on her website.