logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
17m 59s

Co-ordinating intimacy

Bbc World Service
About this episode

There is a new job on film sets, a job that has grown out of the #MeToo movement. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Ita O’Brien, the woman who created the guidelines for the role, about why every film set needs an intimacy co-ordinator.

Could their inclusion as members of the production team become a legal requirement? We hear from Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety magazine's senior correspondent in Los Angeles.

Producer: Sarah Treanor and Benjie Guy

(Photo: Actors Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in the film Fifty Shades of Grey. Credit: Alamy)

Up next
Yesterday
Spain's power blackout: what went wrong?
On the morning of the 28th of April, Spain lost electric power equivalent to that generated by ten nuclear plants, leaving the whole of the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal and parts of France, without electricity for up to 12 hours. We examine the cause of the blackout that ... Show More
17m 28s
Aug 21
Business Daily meets: Spencer Horne
The South African entrepreneur tells us about his experience growing up under the apartheid regime, before securing a scholarship that would take him to Harvard University in the US.He's now returned home to set up Cloudline, an airship company which aims to deliver goods and car ... Show More
17m 29s
Aug 20
Are you a personality hire?
The trend has taken off on social media as it's resonated with office workers around the world. So what value does an extroverted colleague bring to a company? And is it fair, or even legal, for businesses to recruit for specific personality types?Produced and presented by Imran ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Intimacy on screen
Whether it’s a stroke of a cheek or a sex scene, filming intimate content for movies and TV is a delicate business. When badly handled, it can even cause the actors harm. Kim Chakanetsa talks to an Indian movie director and to a pioneering intimacy coordinator about ensuring acto ... Show More
27m 25s
May 2022
Film Week
Lights, camera, action! The team dives into the world of film directing & editing. One team member currently works as an intimacy coordinator on film sets to make sure sex and nudity scenes remain fictional. Could you walk away from a multimillion-dollar job? A “Fast & Furious” f ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 2024
Let’s Talk About Sex (On Screen) With a Team of Intimacy Coordinators
Should you hire an intimacy coordinator for your next project? What exactly does an intimacy coordinator do? Does having this person on set ruin spontaneity? How can having more structure around intimate scenes, actually encourage freedom and creativity during the storytelling pr ... Show More
1h 21m
Jan 2024
33. Sex Scenes
Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated choreographers who make sure everyone is comfortable. Zachary Crockett fast-forwards straight to the good parts.  SOURCES:Alicia Rodis, intimacy coordinator.Matthew Swanlund, founder ... Show More
18m 49s
Mar 2023
Women in Hollywood: Who runs the film industry?
There is an impressive list of female creatives on this year's Oscar nominees list – actors, producers, costume designers - but no female directors. In fact, in the Academy’s 94-year-history, only seven women have ever been nominated. Why is that? And what is getting in the way o ... Show More
27m 40s
May 2024
Where’s all the sex gone in movies?
Challengers. Poor Things. Saltburn. Three Hollywood movies released in the last six months which haven't held back on sex. However, the stats tell us movies in America are actually getting less steamy…A study from The Economist suggests that sexual content in movies has dropped b ... Show More
15m 8s
Apr 2021
'Rain Soaks a Field in Autumn': Storytelling and Sex in ‘Bridgerton’
In this episode we learn how the revolutionary role of intimacy coordinators enhance the way directors and actors tap into the most delicate parts of performance. Guest-host Jess Brownell and executive producer Shonda Rhimes break down some of Shondaland's perspectives on storyte ... Show More
38m 40s
Nov 2018
Sisterhood Is Power
Women will be a stronger force against sexism and racism at work if we know and trust each other. We talk through best practices for listening to, learning about, and advocating for women who are different from us. Guests: Tina Opie and Verónica Rabelo. Our theme music is Matt Hi ... Show More
51m 48s
Mar 2018
Work After #MeToo
While once accusations of sexual harassment would be met with — at most — a monetary settlement and a non-disclosure agreement, today they are more likely to be publicized and investigated. Now, the challenge is, how do we harness this new attention to sexual harassment to make w ... Show More
54m 30s