Let’s talk about sex. A thread.
It’s the responsibility of the showrunner to make sure your cast and crew feel safe at all times. The only way to achieve this is to open the lines of communication and keep them open throughout production.
Earlier you begin the conversation with your actors about sex scenes, the better. Which means as soon as you conceive them and before they make it into script. If actors are learning about requisite sexytime at the table read, you done fucked up.
In premium cable, the first conversation happens in advance of signing an actor to series. They need to know what you expect of them before they commit. You need to know their comfort level before you break story. Often they must sign nudity waivers as part of their deal.
“Where are we getting the premium in our premium cable?” is a refrain I’ve heard from more than one studio/network honcho. When it’s a mandate, it’s on you to be frank with your cast upfront. If you wait until they sign to spring it on them, that’s gross misconduct.
Talk through the scenes with your actors while you’re outlining them. Do it before the outline goes to the studio/network so they don’t have an expectation of something later that you can’t deliver on because your actors aren’t comfortable with it.
Once you have a script, talk through them with your director and actors together if at all possible. Make sure everyone is on the same page as to what is emotionally required from the scene and how that will be achieved. Demand specificity from your director re: choreography.
If you’re too embarrassed to have these conversations, you’re not ready to be a showrunner. You may never be.
If due to a personality disorder you’re unable to empathize with another human being’s discomfort, you should’ve never been hired. Managing people is 80% of the job.
If you’re a male boss whose instinct is to assign a female writer from the staff as your Sex Scene Surrogate, only do so if you’ve first had a conversation with your actors and it’s what *they* prefer. Ask if they have a preference for a specific writer.
HBO is trying to take a leadership position where this is concerned by hiring “intimacy coordinators” on set. This is a solid first step. But it’s still up to the showrunner to check in with your actors to make sure they’re comfortable. All other suggestions above still apply.
Whether it’s a writer or intimacy coordinator, whomever is acting as supervisor must be empowered by the showrunner to shut down production if necessary.
Even if all these steps are taken, there is still the risk of an actor feeling bullied on set or becoming uncomfortable once they’re under the lights.
They don’t want to be labeled as “difficult” and so may end up going further than they intended. Or their scene partners might be... overly encouraging. Or they may feel pressured by the director, who in television is often a hired gun and someone they barely know.
On the day of production, at minimum I want to be there for my actors at the start of the day to make sure there are no last minute changes to 1) their comfort level; 2) the choreography based on set or location logistics; 3) wardrobe; 4) the crew complement.
Close the set. Even if the actors claim to be comfortable with keeping it open. Only one monitor for the director and DP. All other monitors must be turned off without exception. If you can get away with only one camera operator, make it happen. Kick everyone else off set.
Empower your actors to stop the action at any time. Let them know that they are in control of the scene and if at any point they feel uncomfortable they can call cut.
Bottom line. The showrunner is the first and last line of defense for every member of the cast and crew. If they’re unable to fulfill that role, they should be dismissed.
