Industry welcomes new intimacy guidelines

Australia’s first Intimacy Guidelines for Stage and Screen have been released by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance for stage and screen.

The guidelines advise on work involving nudity, intimacy, simulated sexual activity and sexual violence.

After 18 months of consultation by union with performers, directors, producers, writers, educators, agents and casting directors, the guidelines are believed to be the most comprehensive anywhere in the world.

“I’m very proud our union has led the way on the development of these guidelines because they have been needed for a long time,” said Australia actor, director, producer and MEAA Equity president Jason Klarwein. “The expectation is that these guidelines are used on every production in the country”.

Equity national director Andrew Crowley said, “Our former president Chloe Dallimore and our dedicated Intimacy Committee has done a remarkable job of creating clear procedures for intimate work that still keep play, trust and goodwill central to the creative process.”

Actor and Intimacy coordinator Michala Banas (pictured) added, “Finally, with the Intimacy Guidelines, we have an essential tool to support the navigation of intimate content in our industry,

“Creatives across the board are relieved to know that now there is a pathway to make our sets safer for everyone. I look forward to seeing them put into practice.”

Dave Newman, president of the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) said, “These common sense guidelines provide a clear path forward that should be adopted by all aspects of the industry from amateur productions to professional environments. The CGA also encourages individual artists to be empowered by these guidelines, to know your rights in relation to scenes involving intimacy – and to call out bad practice where necessary.”

“It is so crucial that informed consent is at the heart of intimacy work on screen and stage,” said filmmaker and Australian Directors’ Guild president, Samantha Lang. “I am encouraged that our industry guilds have worked together to create these Intimacy Guidelines. When observed they will benefit all those who work in our profession. The Australian Directors’ Guild fully supports the guidelines and will certainly advise directors to adhere to them on all future projects”.

“Screen Producers Australia is pleased to support Equity’s Intimacy Guidelines for Stage & Screen so that everyone on set knows what to expect and performers can do their best work from a place of informed consent,” says Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner.

The guidelines encourage the participation of an intimacy coordinator or intimacy director where appropriate and guide best practice, particularly when a production does not engage an intimacy coordinator or intimacy director.

The guidelines were created in consultation with and are endorsed by MEAA, Screen Producers Australia (SPA), Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG), Casting Guild of Australia (CGA), MEAA National Stunt Committee, in addition to consultation with individual performers, fight directors, theatre directors, stunt coordinators, intimacy coordinators and intimacy directors. The Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) was also consulted throughout the process.

The comprehensive guidelines cover all instances for a stage or screen production that may require intimate work; auditions, preproduction, rehearsals, preparation, performance and post production.

When it comes to auditioning, the guidelines stipulate that there are no circumstances where nudity or semi-nudity should ever be required and that the casting director or producer will provide the performer and/or their agent with the audition script at least 48 hours in advance of the audition with the required action of the intimate scenes detailed.

Open communication and “informed consent” lie at the heart of the guidelines, which require performers’ consent for each and every intimate action. The guidelines point out that in order to genuinely consent “a performer must be informed of the intimate scene and its specific requirements in advance.”