#intimacy direction

[pav-lova]

hey so i am so so pleased they hired an intimacy coordinator this time around! and you can tell that the actors are much more comfortable too! the intimacy is much much better!!

let's do a lil intimacy breakdown from my knowledge as an IC in training and a director just in general

(this is a long post so it's under the cut)

fact is, there's some awkwardness in the ed/stede s1 kiss, which i am ninety percent sure is due to body placement. i'd wager there was a discussion on set that was like "hey this is a stunning shot, we love what it looks like, let's get the actors in" and they got the actors in and got to the blocking for the kiss and everyone was like "hey this is a bit awkward but we'll muscle through" - cause that awkwardness fits the character arcs.

but it's not actually all that easy turning all the way to one side to kiss someone without moving where your legs are! it's weird! it's an awkward angle! - or more accurately, it's the angle that two people would kiss at if it was a very impulsive, awkward surprise; or if your two lead actors are very good friends faced with playing lovers for the first time and not sure what to feel about that (we've all been there) - there's reticence, but it fits the scene so it's fine.

(Lucius and Pete and Olu and Jim also have moments of intimacy, which for the most part are fine, and I suspect that's a combo of a) their staging is SO MUCH BETTER, b) character choices, c) different directors and d) less of that "OMG WE'RE PLAYING LOVERS NOW" anxiety)

~~onto season 2~~

for the record, intimacy direction isn't just for kissing/sex scenes, ICs can come in for intimacy building exercises and additional blocking, as well as things like nudity, childbirth or any similar sensitive work, but I'm going to be talking mostly about kisses in this. anyway!

Beautiful! Kind, lovely, tender! The backdrop is super nice too. Honestly, the Lucius/Pete stuff has really been so nice all the way along; that's great casting! Especially in S2E5, everything reads as very earnest and space is used very well.

Archie and Jim. Now, we don't have anything to compare it to from S1, but I'm flagging it cause yeah, they definitely have similar staging to Ed/Stede from S1E09. I would say there's a much better range of movement in this one, likely because they're sitting on the floor, braced against the bed, so they can compensate for the weird angle better than E/S could. This might come off as a lil rude but it's also more likely that these two actors are slightly more flexible and can make this staging work better than Taika and Rhys.

Cannot for the LIFE OF ME find a gif of their hug, but they have fantastic chemistry! despite only showing up for like 2/3s of one episode. I've seen people whining about how they absolutely should have kissed - and you know what, I would have liked that too!

however, I suspect that what happened here was that one or both of the actors didn't want to kiss on screen, and voiced their objections to the IC, who found a work around. It was likely not cause of any kind of ill will or homophobia, for the record - sometimes you just don't want to kiss people. Maybe you're sick, maybe you're feeling weird, maybe you're just not in the right headspace, but a kiss might be off the cards that day.

This is behaviour we want to encourage, btw. The goal is to ensure that actors feel comfortable and that the shot isn't be all end all. I've done something very similar, we had 20 mins to get the blocking done and the actors weren't at a point where kissing felt comfy, so we did a kiss on the cheek and a hug.

it is better that the actors are comfortable than your ship is fulfilled.

Hey yknow what I was saying about how ICs aren't just used for blocking, they're used for chemistry building? That's what they've HIT ON HERE. This is genuinely a very lovely kiss. It's deeply appropriate for the characters, and it's private and simple. things get a little more raunchy, and hands start moving, but then it's stopped, for a narrative reason, and the chemistry remains with the hand hold. It's really very nice, well blocked and well performed. the hand placement! the tenderness! it's great. there's none of that s1 reticence, whether that was from characters or actors.

I think the intimacy work, much like the writing and the characterisation is much, much stronger in this season, and that's to the show's benefit. I know we're only halfway through, but I'm thoroughly interested to see where things go in the remaining episodes. I will update this post if anything exciting crops up in the final five.

and this is why you need to hire ICs! they make life easier for actors, directors and crew alike!!

[shakespearenews]

Interview: ROMEO + JULIET Intimacy Director Claire Warden on Crafting Safe, Authentic Spaces

BroadwayWorld interviewed Broadway's Romeo + Juliet Intimacy Director Claire Warden. In the interview Warden discusses her commitment to saf

[whatislifebesidesrehearsal]

ASM: I’m just reading Mary Oliver poetry like the gay bitch I am

Intimacy Director: I love that for you. I’m reading smut like the gay bitch I am

[thatidicchick]

Okay.

So.

Holy shit. Vanessa Coffey did some amazing work on 6.01.

In general, like I said before, you can FEEL a higher level of comfort and confidence in characters with intimate relationships this season. It’s 100% palpable.

I’m sure I’ll have more time to talk about that later.

For today —

And I mean, sort of spoilers below —

We’ll talk about the scene of intimacy between Jamie and Claire.

There are A TON of positive things I can say about this scene. Masterfully staged, shot (having an IC in the room does actually make a difference with cinematography), and performed… truly, no notes.

Two elements I want to acknowledge in particular —

Gaze and destination.

Gaze refers simply to eye contact. Making and breaking eye contact (often related to the ideas referred to as “seeking and avoiding” in the IDIC world) is HUGE in telling the story of intimacy. Sam Heughan’s unwavering gaze as Jamie, and the way the cinematography captures it is PERFECT for the storytelling of this moment and the emotional state of the character. Beautiful, beautiful work.

When we talk about destination in IDIC work, we’re thinking about where a body part starts contact vs where it’s headed. It’s important this is specific — without specificity, we get a lot of half movements, flappy hands, and generally very messy storytelling (in intimate performance as a whole — not calling out anything in particular in OL, to be clear). Not so in this episode at all. Here, we saw a lot of really lovely destination work with noses, lips, and hands, esp. at the beginning of the sequence here… very focused movement that, you’ll notice, felt neither “overly choreographed” (a common concern) or unmotivated. It read as honest, real, emotional, focused… perfect. Pacing was also gorgeous — compared to some of the intimacy in season five, NOTHING was rushed. Hand placement and destination work at the end of the moment of intimacy was also beautiful as well and very, very strong storytelling.

I just want to point out again that, on a film set for a show like this, you do not just do things once. We know for a fact that OL scenes of intimacy involve multiple takes. Choreography performed by highly skilled actors keeps that consistency so we get a beautiful, specific, powerful end product like what aired tonight. (And yes, we do know that the IC worked with Sam and Cait [the reference to the “safe word”/self care cue in that interview], even if she was there also to help newer performers. There is no actor so experienced they don’t benefit from an outside eye or learning a cutting edge technique.)

I’m so very excited to see what else Ms Coffey does in this season….. and I sure hope that episodes like tonight will help people see that an IC is only there to help the actors and it can seriously, seriously pay off with some awesome storytelling.

[pav-lova]

OFMD intimacy breakdown eps 6-7

Oh hey, it's me! Back again with an intimacy breakdown for episodes 6-7. prefacing this, once again, that I'm not a certified intimacy coordinator, I'm an IC in training, choreographer and director. I'm also not affiliated with the show, just have interest in the subject.

Check out episodes 1-5 here.

Massive spoilers so it's under the cut.

(I do note that there's not an IC credited in these episodes - I know there's one attached to the project so perhaps they weren't utilised in these ones, or were uncredited. Who can say!)

Let's start with - I don't know why these two episodes were so deliriously fucking fast. Potentially scheduling issues with Taika? Alternatively I heard that they lost some budget, which would have cut things a bit.

HBO Max I am in your walls.

regardless, not a fan! I think the acceleration of the relationship worked, just because of what we know about their characters, but the wider plot was too fast for my liking. Hoping in the event of a season three they take that to heart.

Anyways, onto the intimacy!

Calypso's Birthday

On a whole, I found this episode deeply charming. I love a bit of whimsy, and the ep felt like a tribute to their queer audience. Felt very seen!

It's quite challenging interpreting intimacy in these scenes as an interloper, cause I don't know how much is purposeful, vs how much is staging. Regardless, we will forge on.

One -

I would have loved a little more closeness during Izzy's first singing scene! There's what feels like a metre of space between them; something as simple as arms brushing or leaning against each other helps build that intimacy. I am guessing the gap is for shooting space - you need to see what's going on behind them - but it really loses something. It's not bad intimacy, I just would have liked more.

An alternative character interpretation is that Ed & Stede are still trying to fumble their way through things and public displays of intimacy are too much for them - which could also be the intended effect.

But as we all know - a hand touch can ignite a thousand feelings, and I would have liked a little more.

Two -

Lucius and Black Pete emerging after their day-long fuckfest. I've said it in the past and will happily say it now - I think Matthew Maher and Nathan Foad have the best chemistry out of this entire cast. It's so sweet, and so honest in a way that's very grounded compared to the rest of the cast - which is surprising considering who their characters are!

Lovely positioning! Very simple staging but effective, it makes the moment feel so, so private and intimate. It's really lovely.

Three -

Ed and Stede finally get it together and have sex. Okay, so this is obviously intercut with Izzy singing, so I'll lay it out in stages.

First, the jacket grab.

What does this say about Stede? He's been buoyed by his weird night and he wants to do something about it. What does this say about Ed? He's willing to go along with it, but it is not necessarily his first reaction. He's clearly feeling qualms about something - whether that's his relationship, or being a pirate - and he's not the one to initiate. This comes back later.

Regarding the staging, more technically - this is pretty common. A grab using the lapels or jacket is a very easy way to show intensity and passion. Does Ed respond with the same passion? Not quite.

Oh hey, an up against the wall kiss! Very fanservicey, consider me impressed. I think this is a fun bit of staging, I suspect they were given very strict hand placement, cause nothing moves that much, it doesn't look particularly improvised.

Rhys Darby does something very specific with his hands when kissing that I've noticed now and I will never not notice, which is deeply annoying.

It's a very nice moment, but honestly, I would have loved a pause? There's something very sexy and very charming in a scene like this where one character makes the other character wait for it. A little holding back, breathing together, finding the moment. More of a seduction than this brute force omg we need to do this now thing.

I saw someone on Twitter say "Ed and Stede fucked but haven't made love" and that's the vibe I'm getting off the scene. Both of these characters have had a weird day, they're probably tipsy, there's been a lot of emotions and this is a desperate spilling over I need to feel your skin against mine now thing, from two people who don't really know where they both are yet. There isn't seduction cause it's not the place for seduction, cause no-one here properly knows how to communicate yet! They're saying everything but saying nothing.

I hope, in the event of further scenes like this, they have the moment to breathe.

And finally, the third piece - the closing of the curtains.

What does this say about the characters? Hey this is a private moment, you're not allowed to witness this. It's the same as Ed/Stede other moments of intimacy. Everything is private, it's hidden, it's on a remote beach on an island or unobserved under the moonlight.

These dudes might talk about each other constantly and are unashamed to say they like each other, but they sure as shit can't show it publicly. There's also clear reticence within Ed - which echoes him saying he wants to take things slow, as well as his hesitance in the next episode.

This reticence is also shown in their costuming. This isn't a we spent care and time taking each other's clothes off energy, this reads more like Stede Bonnet is emboldened for one of the first times in his life and got naked way too fast. Hey, he's the one taking charge. He's the one closing the curtains.

Man On Fire

Not a whole lot of intimacy in this one. I'm not going to spend long on it, because it's not particularly meaty, but I think the Olu/Zheng hand grab over the table is adorable and a perfect way to show two people on the same page after going through it. It's balanced and sweet.

Now, the other thing:

This staging is suuuuuuch a missed opportunity, but I also think it works considering the later context of the scene.

Y'know how you'd usually show a morning after? Snuggling up together, shoulder to shoulder, legs intertwined. Hazy and precious and lovely.

It's a bit harder with this particular set piece - you can't shoot them from the reverse, cause of the window, so everything needs to be pointed out towards the camera, making snuggling side by side harder to shoot. In theatre you'd just angle the prop differently, but you can't do that on film in a room that has established locations.

Initially when I watched this, I was like "okay rookie move, they've missed the obvious".

But.

It makes sense with the characterisation of this episode. Stede's killed a guy. He's had probably the first bit of pleasurable intimacy in his entire life. Man's ego's the size of the room. He's got his chest out cause he feels good.

Ed, however. He's fully clothed. He's doing the good thing, doing the right thing, getting breakfast in bed but it's still not quite right in the way "it should be" (the twine), and he's buttoned up to the neck. No swagger, no body showing. What does that scream? Avoidance. Weirdness. Maybe even a bit of discomfort.

Keep in mind that in the last 12 hours he's seen Stede, who he fell in love with because of his whimsy and difference from other pirates kill a guy. He's seen him threaten other peoples' lives. He expressed the desire to take things slow and instead, in a feat of piqued emotion, they hooked up, and they probably shouldn't have.

They're not cuddling because it's weird. The whole moment is weird. It's almost a walk of shame but they're on the same damn ship together. They might have hooked up, but the pair of them clearly still aren't on the same page.

I doubt we'll see it next week, but I hope these two can find their peace. This is a genre comedy, not just a romance, so I doubt it'll be anything explicit, but I would love to see a scene that's deeply passionate, building the intimacy without building the pace. Take us in closer, let us feel what the characters feel without immediately cutting away.

Loathed as I am to link some of these clips because of their nonsense dialogue, here's some moments in other mlm media that do well at building that intimacy.

This Bill/Sam clip from True Blood that doesn't even have a kiss but holds the tension really well. Another nonsense dream sequence scene from True Blood that still has nice staging. Agron and Nasir from Spartacus have incredible chemistry with a variety of clips to choose from. There are so many options and I would love love love to see them explored in the final episode of S2 or in S3. Very excited to see them both on the same page - ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT FOR THE WIN.

Thanks for reading! Reblog if you liked. If there's anything juicy in ep 8 I'll cover it as well.

[thatidicchick]

From the man himself…

Proof that Vanessa Coffey DID work on the Jamie/Claire scenes. He also goes on later in the interview to say that her work helped enrich their scenes, which is EXACTLY it… in addition to safety work, IDICs are there to support an actor’s instincts and strengthen the storytelling in a safe, dynamic and repeatable way through choreo or movement coaching, not to be a puppet master. I still fail to understand why some of y’all think this is a bad thing.

Outlander's Sam Heughan on season 6's sex scenes – and Jamie and Claire's future

"They just want a quiet life, don’t they?"

[thatidicchick]

When filming a scene of an intimate nature, there is so much more that goes into composition of the finished product than just acting! Here is some basic info about how filming intimacy works (and a small amount about film sets in general, if you’ve never worked on one).

A given scene — even if the actors do everything perfectly — will likely be filmed over and over and over. Why? Angles. Framing. The editor will want to have lots of options to piece a scene together. So for one take, it may be a wide shot where all involved actors are visible. For the next, perhaps a closeup on one actor’s face. The next time, the other. Perhaps a mid shot that’s slightly closer than the first; perhaps then a tracking shot that follows movement. Perhaps a tight shot on one actor’s hands if they are doing something significant. And so on and so on.

How does this factor into the job of an intimacy coordinator?

Firstly, as we’ve previously established, intimacy coordinators create nudity riders which record where the actors’ boundaries are and guarantee that they are respected. These are, again, highly specific documents — at the risk of sounding crass, sometimes they are specific down to the amount of inches of butt crack that are allowed to be visible. When the camera is moved around to get all these different takes, the IC has to make sure that all boundaries are still honored — does an article of clothing need to be taped in place so as to avoid showing something that isn’t meant to be shown? Should furniture strategically be placed? A sheet catching a hip at just the right angle? A cutaway shot right as a particular body part would otherwise be exposed? The intimacy coordinator will help compose the shot in a way that suggests as much nudity/intimacy as the scene needs, but doesn’t show too much and, as always, protects the actors.

Secondly, the positioning of bodies. Particularly with simulated intercourse, there are a lot of factors to consider. Because there is no real penetration, the intimacy coordinator helps the actors cheat (which is theatre/film speak for fake) their positioning to make it look as though their pelvises are lining up exactly right. They can also coach the actors through completing the movements in a way that looks believable on film, though of course, it’s just movie magic. Sometimes this positioning is really awkward in person, but looks great on film — for instance, it’s sometimes the case that more space needs to be created between the actors’ torsos for a shot to be composed correctly where in real life, they would be very close together.

Thirdly, the intimacy coordinator helps with modesty garments. Sometimes this is helping the actors put them on (general held in place with athletic tape), other times it’s helping make sure they stay hidden. These are a necessity; in addition to covering the actors to strategically block parts of their bodies they do not want shown, they also create a barrier so that bodily fluids do not go from actor to actor for obvious health concern reasons. In some instances, performers who identify as male have to “tuck” (Also using athletic tape). The IC also often coordinates with the costume dept. on robes for between takes and ensures that they are worn in a way that protects everyone on the set (an actor may be comfortable leaving their robe hanging open, but that doesn’t mean the director is comfortable with that while giving notes, etc).

Lastly, in addition to and combination with all of the above, the intimacy coordinator will often help with the choreography of the intimate moment (s). Sometimes they lead this, other times they facilitate and support the director’s vision. Generally this works with the actors’ instincts and character work (no, we are not there to make it less sexy; nor do we come in with a dry list of instructions we force the actors to obey. It is a collaborative process); the IC will work with the director and actors, work through the arc of the story, and help create a sequence of distinct, repeatable, character driven movements that are interesting, look good on camera, and help tell the story… and as different shots are completed, we may have to re-stage/change positioning slightly to aid in the audience seeing the story they were meant to see. This may also include choreographing the removal of clothing, which can often be very complicated, particularly in a period piece where actors wear lots of layers that are not standard dress today. (Also with this, an IC may work with articulations of intimacy — the vocal and breath work that creates the soundscape for the intimacy. This is generally not a top priority but is important work nonetheless).

All of this while protecting the mental health of the actors, making sure they have breaks when they need them, watching the monitors to make sure all shots are kosher for actors’ boundaries….

And then doing a ton of paperwork on top of all of that. 🙃

[shakespearenews]

And then I guess in terms of how we looked at the scene, it’s tricky to sort of dissect. I guess the first thing that we really identified that’s clear in the scene is that Isabella and Angelo are not meeting, Isabella doesn’t quite understand until the very last moment exactly what Angelo is doing with this pursuit of her. I also think in terms of me as Angelo, it was helpful not to think of this character just as pure evil, despite it being a despicable thing that he does. But we talked a lot about the fact that I think, for him, because he’d never quite been in this situation before and didn’t quite understand physically, psychologically, what was happening– that for him, it wasn’t a calculated decision that happens at the beginning of the scene. I don’t think he quite knows how the scene is going to end and that’s the big issue with the situation and why it goes horribly wrong.