In film, television, digital media and the interactive world, nudity, intimacy and simulated sex often have an important role to play in the telling of a story. Although performances in these scenes convey strong feelings and powerful emotions to an audience, which can be integral to a storyline, we also recognise the unique vulnerabilities that might arise for Performers, and indeed all Production Team involved, when engaged in hyper-exposed work.
The high level of sexual violence and trauma in South Africa calls for a responsible approach to this sensitive topic. The following set of protocols and standards -for those creating intimate content Âestablish specialised support mechanisms that empower and protect Cast and all Production Departments pre-, during and post-production.
The policies are designed to provide a safety net for Performers while allowing for a more efficient production.
The SA Guild of Actors has been working with several other industry bodies on standards and protocols to provide a framework for working with intimacy. Professional Intimacy Coordinators (ICs) can be employed throughout the entire production process (pre-production, on-set and post-production). They are trained to protect both the Performers and the Production Team as a whole and to facilitate exchange and collaboration with the least disruption to the production. However, these protocols are equally applicable to productions that include scenes with intimacy whenever an IC is not available, not required or not an option.