Providing Safety and Freedom for your Production
hello@intimacycoordination.eu
hello@intimacycoordination.eu
                                                               Kasia Szustow, Intimacy Coordinator
An intimacy coordinator (IC) ensures the comfort and safety of actors on the set while shooting intimate scenes requiring nudity, simulated sex or challenging emotional states.
⢠At the stage of script work, the IC supports the director in developing concepts for intimate scenes by, for example, providing visual references or alternate ideas for choreography.
⢠The IC initiates a dialogue between the director and cast on the concept and the character of intimate scenes.
⢠The IC identifies hotspots, calls risk. The IC is a mediator between all involved in the shooting of an intimate scene. You will get Risk Assessment from pro IC in advance.
⢠Once the director’s artistic vision and the actors’ needs have been clarified, IC will liaise with the producer’s legal department and the cast representatives on the Nudity Riders.
⢠The IC develops with the director and cast the choreography of simulated sex scenes that will look credible in the final cut.
⢠When shooting a scene, the IC ensures consent forward practices which means that the boundaries previously established with the actors are not exceeded. IC will implement Nudity Riders. It is more common for European actors to sign Consent Agreements. If you want to know more, ask me.
⢠The IC is responsible for coordinating work with other departments (costumes, makeup) to ensure the maximum comfort of the team (like adequate modesty barriers).
⢠The IC shares their knowledge of the diversity of intimate relationships, additionally providing the visual codes recognisable by minorities (like the LGBTQIA+ community).
⢠The IC prepares documents which aim to define the ground rules for actorsâ safety (Risk Assessments, Closed Set Protocols, Nudity Riders, Consent Agreements, Final Feedback) as well as rules for the subsequent use of recorded materials (e.g. for promotional purposes).
Who needs an intimacy coordinator?
If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest that the presence of a professional, trained IC on set could potentially make your job easier. But look for trained professionals (ask about their obligatory training, mentors).
There are no unified European guidelines, as each country within Europe has its own distinct culture and faces unique challenges. Until the end of 2024, only four European countries have established guidelines: Finland (Fall 2020), Sweden (Spring 2022), Poland (Summer 2022), and Spain (Fall 2024).
Poland is the first country in the world to develop the document âGuidelines for the Production of Intimate Scenesâ in a collective process representing all film departments involved in intimate scene production. This was achieved through the involvement of 18 representatives proposed by 11 key Polish film organisations: the Directors Guild of Poland, the Polish Casting Directors Guild (PCDG), the Polish Screenwritersâ Guild, the Producers Guild of Poland (PGP), the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC), the Polish Filmmakers Association (SFP), the Female Filmmakers Association, Women In Film, the Union of Polish Stage Artists (ZASP), the Polish Actors’ Union (ZZAP), and the Filmmakers’ Trade Union (ZZF). The process was guided by two certified intimacy coordinators (Marta Ĺachacz, Katarzyna Szustow).
The âGuidelines for the Production of Intimate Scenesâ were presented on the 13th of September 2022 at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
Kasia Szustow â certified intimacy coordinator (affiliation: Netflix, Sefe Sets, 2022), member of the European Intimacy Practitioners’ Guild, facilitator of safe creative processes. An Initiator and co-author of the “Polish Guidelines for Intimate Scenes”. Graduate of the Theatre Academy in Warsaw (MA Theatre Studies) and the Warsaw School of Economics (post-MA: Project Management, post-MA: Coaching). Since 2011, she has been hosting the program âBetter late than neverâ on Radio TOK FM focused on sexuality and queer culture.
She lived in Zurich for 7 years (2016-2023) before moving to Cologne. She was born in Warsaw during the Communist era.
EXPERIENCE & TRAINING AS AN IC:
As an IC Kasia has worked on over 25 international film and series productions in Europe, coordinating over 130 intimate scenes. She knows how to implement the SAG-AFTRA protocols with respect to director’s artistic vision and actorsâ boundaries, while understanding the set culture of European film crews. Familiar with the film set culture in Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Greece, Czech Republic, Spain and American producers shooting in Europe. She has worked for leading streamers such as Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime, as well as for top producers of arthouse cinema in Europe: The Match Factory, augenschein Filmproduktion, Kineo Filmproduktion, Gaumont, Constantin Film, No-Mad Film.
Among others Szustow has worked on film productions such as:
Szustow has worked for Schauspielhaus ZĂźrich on two productions as an Intimacy Coach with unsimulated scenes for “Kurze Interviews mit fiesen Männern â 22 Arten der Einsamkeit” based on David F. Wallace, directed by Yana Ross (2021), and as Consent Coach for the production “Wilhelm Tell” by Milo Rau (2022).
She finished one-year Safe SetsâNetflix Apprentices developing Intimacy Coordination talents for Netflix across the EMEA region. The course was a part of Grow Creative global fund created by Netflix to support Inclusion & Diversity initiatives in the industry (certificate: 7.06.2022).
In addition to Netflix&Safe Sets training Kasia took part in series of seminars and courses organized by Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (US), Intimacy on Set (UK), Intimacy For Stage And Screen (UK), Theatrical Intimacy Education (US) listed below.
Besides of 220+ hours intimacy coordination training Kasia passed certificated courses:
Intimacy Coordination additional training:
â Consent in Academia â 6 weeks course with Judi Lewis Ockler (Certified Intimacy Director), Renee Redding-Jones and Guest Teaching Artists with Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (Los Angeles)
â Stage Managing Intimacy â 3 weeks course with Alexis Black (Certified Intimacy Director) and Tina Newhauser (AEA Stage Manager) with Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (Los Angeles)
â Modesty Garments, Barriers, and Masking with Chelsea Pace (Theatrical Intimacy Education)
â Best Practices with Chelsea Pace (Theatrical Intimacy Education)
â An introduction to Intimacy for Producers working in Film and TV with Ita O’Brien
â Introduction to the world of Intimacy Coordination for the screen with Intimacy Coordinator for shows on HBO and Netflix Lizzy Talbot
â Webinar Let’s Talk About Sex, Maybe with Amanda Blumenthal, Olivia Troy, and Michael Mohan at Sundance Festival
â Facilitating Group Closure with Mitchell McCoy, Certified Intimacy Director
â Content Warnings for Theatre for Intimacy Directors and Coordinators with Gaby Labotka, Certified Intimacy Director
â Staging Intimacy with Young Actors for Educators with Intimacy for Stage and Screen
â Intimacy in Opera with Tonia Sina, Doug Scholz-Carlson (Certified Intimacy Coordinators)
â Intimacy Across Borders with Lizzy Talbot nad Claire Warden
â Birth and Other High-Exposure Scenes with Carly Zien (Actor, Intimacy Coordinator) Elan Mcallister (Maternity Care Policy Expert), NYC Women Filmmakers (NYCWF)
â Digging Deeper into Boundaries with Samantha Kaufman, Certified Intimacy Director
â Mental Health Check-In & Wellness Workshop by NYC Women Filmmakers
â Intimacy from page to screen with Mia Schachter a Certified Intimacy Coordinator of “Insecure” & “Perry Mason”
