- 5 days ago
#shortfilm
#reelshort
#dramabox
#short
#shortdrama
#kalostv
#fyp
#film
#shortmax
#tv
#movie
#movies
#reelshorts
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Welcome to Real Talk where it gets hot, spicy, and to the drama. I'm Tess. You may
00:05know me from real short hits such as Surrender to My Professor, How to Tame a
00:09Silver Fox, and Swimming My Way Back to You with more to come. And today I'm here
00:14with Olivia Koo. Hi, I'm Olivia Koo and I am the intimacy coordinator on a lot of
00:19your favorite shows such as Faded to My Forbidden Alpha, Quarterback Next Door,
00:24Snatched a Billionaire, and Tess and I got to work on Surrender to My Professor
00:28together. And we're here to talk about some interesting facts about your job
00:33and how we work together. So exciting.
00:50Hi Olivia. Hi. It's so good to see you. Good to see you too. The last time we saw each
00:57other was when? Oh, a week ago. A week ago. A week ago. We got coffee together because we loved
01:02working with each other so much. We did. It was amazing. Olivia, I don't think everyone knows you
01:07that well because you're usually not in front of the camera. You're behind it. So can you tell the
01:12people about yourself? Yes. So I'm Olivia Koo and I'm an intimacy coordinator. For those of you who
01:18don't know what that is a little bit about my background, I actually used to be an actress. So
01:23that informs a lot of my work. And then I spent years working in health and wellness as well as
01:30survivor advocacy. So all of that kind of brought me together to intimacy coordinating. My first
01:36experience around that was my sister's boyfriend at the time actually sent me an article on intimacy
01:43coordinators during the pandemic. And I was like, oh, this makes sense. I think I want to do this.
01:48And basically started doing a lot of training and everything because we were all stuck at home.
01:54And once that started happening and I realized I really loved it getting on back on set in the role,
02:00like was like everything. I was like, wow, like I feel like I naturally have all these skill sets from
02:05just like my history of trying to find the thing that I love. So now I get to live it. It's pretty cool.
02:11When you work with people who are not on the acting side of things, but used to be,
02:16it's just so clear because a lot of the stuff that like we have to do with our jobs is ridiculous.
02:22It's a ridiculous ask. And some people don't kind of have that empathy just because they've never
02:27been there. And so it was really a blessing that you had the background that you did.
02:32I think it's also like how you talk to actors too. Like, I think sometimes like adjustments with
02:38certain things of like choreography or something like that, letting the actor know like why we're
02:43doing that. Like what is, what it means. I'm such a Y girl. Like I'm such, I'm like, why? Why? I'm
02:49like a little kid. I'm a three-year-old. Foster. You and I worked together on a little project called
02:55Surrender to My Professor. You were the intimacy coordinator on that one. That was actually my
03:01first real short that I did. Yeah. So I had not worked with real short before I had done other
03:08verticals, but I had never done anything, um, sort of of that tone. It was all very traditional,
03:16like billionaire mistaken identity. So this was like definitely a new world for me. Had you done
03:24anything like that? So I feel like I've done nearly like every vertical genre. So actually I started
03:30with real short on one of the very first ones Faded to My Forbidden Alpha. And I remember there was
03:37like one camera. I remember I was with the director. We're in the bathroom. I'm in the bathtub. The set
03:42is so small that I'm like curled up in the bathtub trying to watch the monitor. And I was like, what are
03:48we filming? Because the lines were also so funny. Like she was really into fried chicken for some reason.
03:55And then she also bathed from a bucket. And I think that's one of the classic social media lines now from that
04:02show. Um, and then eventually I started working on other things like Snatched by a Billionaire, um,
04:07recently like Quarterback Next Door that came out, True Heiress versus Fake Queen Bee. So just a lot of different
04:14shows. And ours was definitely one where they amped up the intimacy. That's for sure. For people who don't know what
04:21intimacy coordinating is, it's basically a newer role in the industry. So if you think of a stunt
04:27coordinator, it's very similar to that, except we're dealing with intimacy. So that means that
04:31we're prepping everything ahead of time in pre-production. We're having conversations with
04:37directors, with actors, with different department heads. We're looking at contracts and nudity writers
04:42and all of those things like logistically to make sure that everything is well prepared by the time
04:48that we get to filming. Um, that way everyone also has informed consent at the top. So actors know
04:54what they'll be performing, what they're want to negotiate, like that sort of thing. We're kind of
04:58a liaison between everybody. Um, we also help production in general reduce risk overall.
05:03Yes.
05:04And also facilitate those like really difficult conversations sometimes about certain things
05:09that maybe the production wants to ask of actors to do. And then when we get to set,
05:15it's very much like supporting like the team choreographing. Ideally we have a separate
05:19rehearsal day, but a lot of times because of the fast pace of vertical environments,
05:23rehearsals like right before we shoot the scene. So helping the director with choreography,
05:29supporting the team with like any technical adjustments and notes and stuff like that. And
05:33I like to cater my work to each individual. So some actors, I feel like want a lot of choreo support
05:42and then other ones rather find it. So we'll define boundaries, of course.
05:45It's a very sensitive situation to be in. And I think that you do such a good job of just being
05:53such a safe space.
05:54Oh, that's so sweet.
05:56I think also like, it's about like creating that environment so that everybody has the tools
06:01so that if they need to take a halt or if you just need some water, we can do that.
06:06I get so lightheaded doing especially like heavy, heavy breathing and they love the heavy
06:14breathing. So I'll like always get the note that's like more breathing, more breath. So
06:19I'm sitting there like hyperventilating and then they'll call cut and I'm like,
06:24I'm really lightheaded. And so like I always have water on standby and sometimes you're not
06:30wearing very many clothes. So like I can't go get my own water. So like the intimacy coordinator
06:34bringing me water. I like, I'll have a piece of candy and water so that my blood sugar is all good
06:40and I'm staying hydrated.
06:43Or sometimes just like, they need a five. Here's your robe. Let's, we'll take a five and then come
06:47back.
06:48Yeah. So Olivia, what do you have on standby?
06:52So I have my IC kit with the emotional support, low boo boo. Basically, this is a kit for intimacy
07:00coordinating and just like hair and makeup would have their kit. This is mine. This is the basic
07:06kit that I will always wear and bring to set. I also have additional stuff depending on like what
07:11we need for different types of scenes, whether we need like a Pilates ball or...
07:17It's surrender to my professor and Tess needs to be wearing five pairs of underwear.
07:22Yeah. Because I was wearing five pairs of underwear like at all times that entire shoot.
07:28Or like barriers or just all different pillows, like all different kinds of things. But some of
07:33the highlights of this bag, mints, of course, like so many mints. And then also in the kit, I have
07:41deodorant wipes. We love that because sometimes intimacy is at the end of the day and it's nice
07:48to freshen up. I have not found a single deodorant that can last me through a 12-hour shoot.
07:54Right. Exactly.
07:55So gum tends to be a big one.
08:00That one's hard for me because like then you have to spit it out before the take.
08:03This is, this is the usual.
08:07Okay.
08:07Sometimes I'm like, also these, these are something I found recently, which you might love. Do you know
08:13what this is? No. To-go mouthwash. Oh, where do you spit it? Just on the ground?
08:20Usually. So if I had the to-go ones, I'll hand it ahead of the scene. That way you can mouthwash
08:26and then like when, by the time you get to set, like we're all good to go. Yeah.
08:30But sometimes, as you know, like spit it back in the cup and hand the cup back to Olivia.
08:35Listerine. This is also the number one.
08:37Actors just love this.
08:39Don't ever put three in your mouth. Don't ever do that.
08:43Yeah. So those are, those are fun. I think I also have scissors in here.
08:47One of also the most used items, and it's now in like a little Ziploc baggie because I use it so often.
08:57It's like drinking out.
08:58Topstick. Topstick.
09:00Topstick.
09:01So topstick, for those that don't know, is actually men's toupee tape.
09:07And the reason I carry this is because it's double-sided tape.
09:10It's the adhesive is skin safe.
09:12I mean, if you have a skin sensitivity, it might be a little bit.
09:15I am someone who is allergic to a lot of adhesives and topstick and me are like that.
09:19It's like my bra strap keeps coming out.
09:23And so that's the situation in which I would use topstick.
09:27Take a piece of topstick.
09:28I love topstick.
09:29I've been in like bras that just straight up don't fit.
09:32But, um, and so topsticking them to myself.
09:36Okay.
09:37Here we go.
09:39This is, this is what it's used for.
09:40Usually very last minute on set where we have to just like stick something down.
09:44And I will, I will thank Olivia Koo for like topstick as a solution to everything.
09:50It's like the duct tape.
09:51The middle, you can pull it.
09:53There you go.
09:54There we go.
09:54It's like the duct tape, I feel like, of the intimacy coordinating world.
09:58Yes.
09:58Oh, do you know what?
09:59A lot of times what I've been using it for is also, this is like a, like, I feel like
10:04a movie magic problem where there's so many buttons on a men's shirt.
10:11So we'll unbutton it and then topstick it down.
10:14So then you'll unbutton one and then they can just go like this.
10:17And that, that tends to be.
10:19I can't unbutton shirts.
10:21I feel like costume has their own vision of what all of the characters look like and everything.
10:27And sometimes it doesn't, it's not the best for the intimacy scenes because you'll have
10:32like 20 layers on and we're like, okay, we're just.
10:35So there, in comes topstick.
10:37Yes.
10:38In comes topstick to solve our, all of our problems.
10:42So those are like the most used items in my kit.
10:45I also have like lotion.
10:47You have hand sanitizer.
10:48Hand sanitizer.
10:49Because like that's always, if anybody has to touch my face ever, I'm like.
10:53Sometimes they have like.
10:54That's all hand sanitizer.
10:54A lip situation, those types of things.
10:58Or wet wipes because I believe there was a chocolate moment also on our project.
11:03There was a chocolate moment.
11:03It wasn't there.
11:04There was a chocolate moment.
11:06There was a chocolate moment.
11:06I've actually, so I've learned from you in that like I now have essentially a mini kit
11:11in my set because in my set bag because not every intimacy coordinator is as like bulletproof
11:18prepared as you are.
11:20So like I have my own Listerine mouth spray.
11:23I have spray hand sanitizer.
11:25I always keep at least two pairs of underwear in my bag.
11:28That's one, because liquid gets spilled on us all the time.
11:31And two, because you never, like if there's a scene where I don't maybe feel like completely
11:37good about the coverage.
11:39It's like, great, just pop on another pair of underwear.
11:42Yeah.
11:42Good.
11:43The modesty shorts.
11:43I have modesty shorts.
11:45I also have, I just noticed, little Polaroids from like different sets.
11:50This is one from Aaron.
11:53Is that the car?
11:55That is the car.
11:57Is that the notorious car?
11:59Yes, it is.
11:59The car.
12:00You can like sort of see us.
12:02You can sort of see us.
12:03I know it was really dark that day.
12:05Speaking of which, shall we?
12:08I think we should take a trip down memory lane.
12:09Yeah, we should.
12:10I think so too.
12:14Inappropriate.
12:16You're really going to use that excuse with me?
12:19Do I have to remind you of everything we did back in that room at the club?
12:25We started in the front seat and we talked for a long time.
12:28I feel like sometimes it's difficult when it's like intimacy and a lot of dialogue that's
12:33happening.
12:34Yes, definitely.
12:35That's been the thing that I've come into the most issues with is because like now you're
12:40remembering not only your lines, but all the things you have to do.
12:44Yeah, I feel like what's really interesting is like when there's a whole bulk of dialogue
12:49and the intimacy moments are happening in between all of it.
12:52So it's like, say this line and then your hand goes into her hair.
12:56Say this line and then your hand has to land over here on his chest.
12:59So when you come from live theater, like I do, that's everything.
13:03I'm remembering blocking as part of the whole gig and music theater, especially there's
13:08dance there.
13:09So I feel like that's one of my strong suits.
13:11That's why I'm able to pick up the choreography so fast because that's what it is.
13:15It's choreography.
13:17Choreography.
13:17And so like interspersing dialogue with it is not as much of a challenge for me, but
13:22I know that like it's tough.
13:23It's definitely tough on these long days when you're shooting so, so quickly.
13:27That's one of the hardest things.
13:28Definitely.
13:29I feel like what is very interesting is a lot of folks actually come from stunts or
13:34dance into IC work just because there is so much choreography.
13:39There is so much body movement and like learning about how to storytell in that place, like
13:44shifting power between the two characters, which means shifting weight between the two
13:49characters and like where hands land, what works for each person.
13:54Breath, of course.
13:55A lot of breath.
13:56You're having to remember so many things at once.
13:59And I think that like just huge kudos to our team and to like Aaron for all the hard work
14:06that we put in, because that was like for the strip club scene.
14:09Well, Sylvia, say something.
14:11I don't have anything to say to you.
14:13You're my professor, for God's sake.
14:16This is my life.
14:17You can't tell me what to do.
14:20So just leave me alone and let me work.
14:22That was a long day.
14:24That was a whole sequence.
14:26There was a sequence and it was like, boom, boom.
14:28We're here.
14:28We're on the wall.
14:29We're turning around.
14:30We're moving to the couch.
14:31It's like, and we made it flow.
14:33And I genuinely don't think it could have happened with any other team, like in the way
14:38that it did and with the result that it had.
14:40Yeah.
14:40Shall we watch the rest of this?
14:41Let's see.
14:46Smoochies.
14:46I also feel like what I would love audiences to know is like we talk about how many beats
14:53a kiss lasts and how intense it is, like one out of 10, like how intense it is.
14:57That way we can adjust numbers up or adjust numbers down.
15:00I know a lot of intimacy coordinators use skin contact versus muscle contact.
15:05So like skin contact would be just like brushing the face, whereas muscle contact, that's you're
15:09gripping.
15:09And a lot of what makes something look more intense is just like fingertips pressing into
15:16skin.
15:18Right.
15:18And so there's a lot of that involved.
15:20Like molding clay.
15:21I like to use that analogy.
15:22Now we're moving into our sexy times.
15:33Olivia, if you would explain how we sold this.
15:38So I think for scenes like this, a lot of people don't know that everything is so meticulously
15:46choreographed.
15:47So when I say this, it means like all of the close up shots were designating where hands
15:52are landing.
15:52Like, does it go here?
15:53Where on the thigh?
15:55How many seconds is there a motion where the fingers are going to squeeze a little bit?
15:59We talk about all of those details.
16:02That way we can nail it.
16:03Yeah.
16:04And it's on, it was like Aaron moving his shoulders.
16:07Right.
16:08So that we can sell things with the actors doing the least amount as possible.
16:12I like to always have like an anchor point.
16:15Anchor point.
16:16I was going to say you're big on anchor points.
16:17I love anchor points.
16:19So basically for anchor points, what that is, and we've worked together on this, is
16:24having a hand land on a scene partner within a designated boundary so that we can coordinate
16:29the reactions.
16:31So for something like this, where we're seeing mostly your faces, like it's maybe a hand on
16:36a leg.
16:37And then I think his hand was my knee.
16:38Like, I genuinely think that when we were on the faces, his hand was on my knee because
16:42also like him having to go any closer to my hip area would have been awkward and he couldn't
16:49cheat out towards camera.
16:51So that's another thing is like, it's not only selling it to camera.
16:54It's also making sure that your face is out.
16:57Right.
16:57That you could see, see what's happening.
17:00And then, so with the anchor point, it's like, okay, if you squeeze, that means that's
17:04the moment for the reaction.
17:05So you both can be in sync with it.
17:07So like, it's, it's really funny to me because also cars are so hard for intimacy because
17:13you have a center console, but then you have to be like so close to one another for the,
17:18for the shot.
17:19It's very meticulous.
17:21What do you want, Miss Parker?
17:23I want you.
17:26Oh, I didn't catch that.
17:28I want you, Professor Calhoun.
17:31So I think what is also interesting is for all of these close-ups, it happens separately
17:37from everything else.
17:39So like, if there's any moments of like removing of underwear, we're literally putting the underwear
17:45here.
17:45You have modesty graphics on.
17:46Right, because I'm sitting, that was, we did a lot of underwear removal in this one.
17:50Yeah.
17:50So like, I'm sitting on the underwear in the scene because that's how it works.
17:55So it, it's awkward if I have to go like this and like, then my body is leaving frame
18:01because we're in a vertical frame.
18:03So we do inserts of like insert of the hand going up the leg, insert of the underwear
18:10removal.
18:11And we designate like where the underwear is.
18:13And it's usually right about here, like mid thigh.
18:16Like it wouldn't normally be all the way up here because it would take forever.
18:19It would be like so funky.
18:20You have to move out of frame.
18:22The frame is too tight to do a lot of like, a lot of that blocking consecutively all the
18:28way through.
18:28So this is like really chopped up into chunks depending on what they want.
18:33Because also intimacy scenes are physically exhausting, especially a heavy level of intimacy
18:41or an up to simulated sex is they're, you're physically very demanding.
18:47So having to run them through top to bottom for as many times as they need the shots for
18:52every angle wouldn't be possible.
18:54Right.
18:55Um, I also would love to talk about the underwear on the rear view.
18:59Oh yeah.
18:59So yeah, this insert of him pulling the underwear.
19:01That was an accident.
19:07It was like a, Aaron, can you do this?
19:10And we're like, we'll try.
19:11And then he does it.
19:12And makes it.
19:14It was, it was lovely.
19:15Yeah.
19:15And then the fog on the window was Aaron and I going before the take, we had to fog it
19:23up ourselves.
19:25And I, what I love is just like those movie magic moments happen when everybody feels safe
19:31and they feel comfortable.
19:33Because I feel good about trying things because I feel good about the environment that I'm in
19:39and the environment that you created.
19:41I feel like I'm able to try new things.
19:45And when someone, I'm, I'm much more likely to say yes to something because I feel like
19:50the floor is kind of open and I'm protected.
19:52I remember for, for that back of the car, the actual simulated sex, we tried many positions
19:59to figure out what was right.
20:01Yeah.
20:01I feel like with cars, it's so difficult, like choreographing things because of the kind
20:06of.
20:06The backseat is not as long as a human body.
20:08Right.
20:08The tiny spaces of everything.
20:11So really when you get the frame like here, the two actors' bodies can be so far apart.
20:17And I think that's one thing that audiences may not know is like, I feel like most of my
20:22job is having actors do the least amount while making it look like they're doing the most.
20:26Yeah.
20:27There was probably what, like a solid foot of space between us just to get the framing
20:32right.
20:32Yeah.
20:33Because I'm also somewhat tall.
20:36And so that was definitely a worrisome thing when we're like, we're going to do what in
20:39the back of the car?
20:40Right.
20:40And I think a lot of it is also just selling the performances, you know, that, that when
20:45you have incredible actors like yourself, like to sell those performances to like really
20:51engage into that moment.
20:52That's what really makes all of that.
20:54Yeah.
20:54That shoot was really just a prime example of like best case scenario and like everything
21:01worked out and, and you see it with the product like that.
21:05We got such good footage.
21:09We got such good footage of everything because of how hard everyone was working and also how
21:16much respect there was on that set just for professional opinions and safety.
21:23I feel like sometimes actors tell me they're like, Olivia, I don't know why you're having
21:28me do.
21:29So for example, right, if we're talking about a simulated oral sex scene, a lot of the times
21:34what's happening is there is, let's say this is a thigh, someone's ear is mid thigh and they're
21:41just doing this.
21:42Yep.
21:42And it's like everything from certain camera angles just makes it look real.
21:46Even in our project, we had that.
21:48And I'm amazed that you all just trust in me.
21:52You're like, sure.
21:53There should not be a moment in which in, in specifically like simulated sex, simulated
22:02oral sex penetration of any sort that an actor is like, whoa, what did you just do?
22:09Even if it wasn't distinctly inappropriate, I don't want to be surprised.
22:12I do not want to be surprised.
22:14We don't, not in this.
22:15We don't want surprises.
22:16Yeah.
22:16So making sure that everyone is on the same page and very clear is, I would say, of the
22:22utmost importance.
22:24Yeah, for sure.
22:26Does anyone ever like misunderstand what your role is?
22:29All the time.
22:31I feel like-
22:32What do they think you do?
22:33What do they think?
22:33Be so honest.
22:34I like to say this is like, I think sometimes they think we're COVID compliance as in like
22:40bring on the intimacy coordinator as long as someone's standing there, like we're compliant
22:44with everything.
22:45And I think a lot of the misconception is that they think intimacy coordinators are just to
22:51stand there and like to be there on set when the bulk of our work happens during pre-production.
22:56Like I need my pre-production days because that's where we're planning for all of these
23:02intimacy scenes.
23:03On the day, it's going to take forever if I have to facilitate all of these conversations.
23:08Yeah.
23:09And there's just no time, especially when we're working on verticals, things are moving so fast
23:14in such a fast paced environment that there's no time to sit down for two hours and have
23:19these detailed conversations.
23:20So all of that needs to happen during pre-production.
23:23And then also talking to different departments, such as like, you know, costumes, like, hey,
23:28we need modesty garments.
23:29We need barriers.
23:30Like these are all the things that we need.
23:32We're going to have multiple changes for this.
23:34We need a bare back moment.
23:35So maybe we need sticky bra or pasties and like thinking through all of those details
23:40and sending it off to different departments is the bulk of my work is pre-production.
23:46And I think that is something that is really misunderstood.
23:49There's SAG guidelines and how that works is as of 2024, anytime an actor requests an intimacy
23:56coordinator, production has to do their best to provide one.
23:59So that's like a safeguard.
24:00And also, I think one of the other misconceptions is like, we're not only just there for the
24:06actors, we're there to reduce risk for production, which is a huge thing that we do because we
24:11are looking through the contracts and the nudity writers and all of that stuff for production,
24:16making sure all the boxes are checked, making sure all the things like are squared away before
24:21we get to set to reduce the risk of anything happening, preventing legal issues, all of that
24:27stuff.
24:28And I think that's something that people may not understand.
24:32And sometimes I've also run into the case of where one actor isn't really into working
24:37with an intimacy coordinator, but the other one is.
24:39And I'm all for it because of my advocacy background.
24:42For me, it's about how best to support each individual.
24:46So I'll meet you where you are, whether you're a director or an actor, I meet you where you
24:50are.
24:50And I think that's something that is often misunderstood is that there are also so many other
24:56people, the crew, the background.
24:58You're an intimacy coordinator, not an intimacy director.
25:02Right.
25:03And all of those other folks also need to have informed consent.
25:07Right.
25:08So if we have background and then they're witnessing the two lead actors in intimacy, they should
25:15be...
25:16They should know that that's happening.
25:17Yeah.
25:18I'll be calling these...
25:19Sometimes background doesn't get the script.
25:21Right.
25:21They don't.
25:22So they don't actually know what they're watching or they see the call sheet and they're
25:26like, who and who have sex?
25:29Right.
25:29And I'm in that?
25:30Right.
25:31And I think the other thing is, is like, I think some people are steered away because
25:35they think that having an intimacy coordinator makes things like less spicy or less passionate
25:40when it...
25:41I would argue it's the opposite.
25:42It's the complete opposite because you're creating an environment where the risk is
25:46reduced.
25:47We're creating comfort.
25:48We're...
25:48Well, because there are so many things that I just wouldn't do if there weren't an intimacy
25:52coordinator.
25:53Oh, yeah.
25:54Because I would be like, well, that's too...
25:57Like, that's a...
25:58That's a liability.
25:59That's a risk for me because I don't know exactly how it's going to happen.
26:04Like, there's nobody here that is, I don't know, overseeing that.
26:09And even if the director's like, well, I'll oversee that, will you?
26:13And also they are doing...
26:14Everybody else is doing so many other things.
26:16You have other jobs.
26:17Right.
26:17Like, you're watching the acting.
26:19I don't really need you to tell him where to anchor his hand to look like he's digitally
26:26penetrating, you know?
26:27Right.
26:28That's not your job.
26:30And so to have a designated person whose job it is, is really valuable.
26:36I love my job.
26:39I love your job.
26:40I love your job.
26:42Real Short is always super good about having intimacy coordinators, stunt coordinators
26:46on every single set.
26:47I've never had to be like, hey, why don't we have an intimacy coordinator for this?
26:52I love to be a self-advocate personally.
26:56And so I would always say something.
26:58But I have been on sets with other companies that have, like, tried to get away with not
27:04having an intimacy coordinator for certain things.
27:07And my co-star expressed discomfort with that.
27:10And so I was like, hey, where's the intimacy coordinator if you guys want us to do this?
27:14You want to straddle?
27:15Oh, we should have an intimacy coordinator for this.
27:18Um, and so it's, it can be hard, but I think at the very least, everyone should ask for
27:26one.
27:27I think so too.
27:28I think there's even a question in your mind of like, am I comfortable with this?
27:31I've also noticed like, usually the crew feels a lot more relaxed when there is an intimacy
27:36coordinator on set because though a lot of the crew don't necessarily have, you know,
27:42any training in the, in intimacy coordinating or just in general, knowing how to approach
27:47these sensitive scenes.
27:49Or a lot of them, um, don't understand like a closed set.
27:53So can you explain to us what a closed set is?
27:56So closed set is minimizing the amount of crew to pretty much who just needs to be in
28:00the set for filming.
28:03So it's usually the camera, obviously, um, sounds, and then usually the monitors are
28:09outside of the room with the director, scripty and intimacy coordinator.
28:13Um, once in a while, depending on the project and depending on actors, comfort levels, we'll
28:18have a producer behind the camera, like that sort of thing, but just minimizing it to just
28:22whoever absolutely needs to be there to do the job for it to be filmed essentially.
28:29Yeah.
28:29And it creates an environment where actors, I feel like also feel more comfortable because
28:35otherwise it's like 30 people just staring at you and some people are on their phones
28:39or like they're doing other things and it could be really distracting.
28:42I, whenever the question is asked, do you want to close set?
28:46I pretty much always say yes, even if it's like not necessarily needed, just because if
28:52you're asking, that means there's probably an element of this scene that might feel a little
28:56vulnerable. Cause like, you know, people love to rip each other's clothes off in a mean
29:01way in verticals. And so I feel like, um, whenever there's a scene like that, it's not necessarily
29:07intimacy. It might just be like one button popping off, but I'll always say like, yeah,
29:11I'd like a close set because you know, maybe there's a costume malfunction and the whole shirt
29:15comes off by accident. And so I just think that like asking is always okay. And like having an
29:23intimacy coordinator there to actually enforce it because as an actor, I sometimes am like,
29:29I don't know who's in the room. I'm not, I can't pay attention to that because I have to ignore the
29:33giant camera in my face. Right. So it's, it's really nice to just have an advocate there to
29:39support that. And I think that, um, another really important aspect of intimacy coordinating is
29:45consent and informed consent, like you said. Um, because for me, I, I don't love the language and
29:54verticals of, um, like in written in the script, when they get a little dicey with consent, like when
30:02the female lead is, is saying no or something adjacent to no, and the male lead is being intimate
30:09with her. Um, so I will tell every intimacy coordinator I worked work with, like, I want to
30:15make this scene as consensual as possible with the dialogue that we've been given. Um, cause I am not
30:22interested in telling a story of someone who does not want to be intimate with someone having intimacy
30:29forced upon them and then ending up with that person. I don't think that that's healthy. I don't
30:34think that that is with the amount of, of like platform that we have as actors, that is not a
30:42story that I want to tell. And that's an absolutely like a hard boundary for a lot of folks. I feel
30:48like, and what I think a lot of my job also is building in consent, because even if the dialogue
30:53hasn't built that in, we can build it in physically. Like maybe she closes the distance and maybe she's
30:59the one that initiates, maybe she pulls him closer. And those are all these beautiful micro moments. I
31:04feel like on verticals that I've been able to choreograph and add in so that we go from this
31:10like murky consent space to a fully consensual. Well, there wasn't a ton of that in Surrender
31:14to My Professor, because I do feel like Sylvia was the one initiating a lot of the intimacy, but
31:20there, there was some of it because very often the female characters are written as more meek and
31:26and passive. And as everybody knows, I am not meek and passive. I'm big and loud and hitting things.
31:37So kind of marrying my own personality with that of this character that's been written to be more
31:44naive is like, no, I don't want to play someone who just lets things happen to her.
31:50So I'm going to work with the intimacy coordinator about making this, making this as clear as possible
31:56via physicality that like I'm an active participant. I'm an active and willing participant
32:02because I think that, and just like you and your role helps merge that performance aspect too.
32:11Right. And I think a lot of times it's also having informed consent and ongoing consent for actors.
32:17So pre-production is like talking about every little detail. So you're informed on what you're
32:23going to be performing.
32:23I'm also like constantly pushing back against the like corruption of innocence trope. I'm like,
32:31Minus, why do I have to be dressed like that? Like I love a modest fit. I feel like I can,
32:36I can pull off a little, a little like skin coverance, but I'm like, but you can't have bare skin
32:42skin if you're not showing bare skin. Right. And so we're having like someone like you on my team
32:50where you foresee that problem happening before I get to set. Oh, it makes my job easier.
32:57And that's on consent and that's on consent and it's ongoing. Like, I think that's something
33:02that's really important for folks to know as well is that yes, you may have signed the contract and
33:08agreed to do it. But if on the day it's like, you don't want to do it, you still have the right
33:13to say, okay, actually like, I'm not. If that doesn't feel good in your body.
33:17Yeah. And I've been in that position before where I've started to do an action. I've been like, no,
33:22this actually doesn't feel good in my body. Whatever reason it is. I was just like,
33:25I don't have to justify this. Right. I, I just don't feel good doing it.
33:29Yeah. I tell actors that all the time. I don't need to know why you have that boundary.
33:32I feel like we always, we always are like, well, it's because of, and I'm like, no,
33:35just honestly don't care. You don't want your hair touch. Great. Okay. Let's, we won't do that.
33:39Yeah. And then it's like finding those moments where I go back to production and like renegotiate,
33:44like, Hey, like, so we can tell the story in this other way. Does that work for you?
33:48Or figuring out because often like a lot of these productions will be very stubborn about exactly
33:53what they want. They want a hair pull. They want a hair pull, but you know, I'm not good getting my
33:57hair touched. So then you get the very, very tricky, difficult job of figuring out how can we
34:04meet both of these people where they're at? Right. Exactly. Like it, it doesn't, it's not a
34:10compromise. It is, we are going to respect each of the people's desires and, and you're going to
34:16make it happen. You're going to do, you're going to do something. It's a lot of creative problem
34:20solving for sure. Well, it's just so clear, Olivia, that you're incredibly gifted and good at what you
34:28do. And I love working with you. Working with you too. Thank you. And I love chatting with you.
34:33And I think we should commemorate our time on Real Talk together. Do you think we should
34:38take a selfie? We should take a selfie. Should we take a Real Talk selfie? Real Talk selfie.
34:43Okay.
35:03Bye.
35:03Bye.
Recommended
17:42
1:45:10
1:51:28