Directors UK, the United Kingdom’s association of screen directors, is taking steps to make the shooting of nude scenes and simulated sex safer. The organization has published “Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex.” Created with the support of Time’s Up UK, ERA 5050, BAFTA, BFI, and more, these guidelines provide best practices for directors filming nudity and sex scenes. They are the first standards of their kind in the UK, a press release announced.
“Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex” breaks down how directors should handle rehearsals, filming scenes of sexual violence, planning shots in accordance with performers’ contracts, and finding solutions for any challenges that come up. The guidelines also feature recommendations for how directors should collaborate with producers, writers, actors, casting directors, wardrobe and makeup professionals, agents, and intimacy coordinators when filming sex scenes.
“Everyone deserves the right to feel safe at work – this is just as true when working on a Hollywood blockbuster as it is on a prime-time drama or a debut short film,” the press release stressed. “When stories of unprofessional conduct in film and TV are brought to light, it is always a concern for the industry at large. The new Directors UK guidelines are born of the need to set clear and shared professional expectations that apply to everyone involved in making sensitive content, with the aim that they will become standard working practice within the industry.”
And although the of hiring intimacy coordinators — i.e. on-set mediators that make sure everyone is protected when filming sex scenes — has become more widespread, nudity and sex scenes are still often situations when harassment or abuse arise. Emilia Clarke, for example, has recently spoken about being pressured to go nude in her non-“Game of Thrones” work just because she did so as Daenerys Targaryen. And even then, she was a just-out-of-drama-school actress when she joined “GOT” and didn’t really know how to advocate for herself yet. “I’d been on a film set twice before then, and I’m now on a film set completely naked with all of these people, and I don’t know what I’m meant to do, and I don’t know what’s expected of me, and I don’t know what you want, and I don’t know what I want,” Clarke recalled.
Hopefully, as the new Directors UK guidelines are adopted on film and TV sets, stories like Clarke’s will become a thing of the past. But in order for that to happen, directors must step up as leaders and set the example.
“The director, as the creative lead on a production, should set the tone for a professional and respectful on-set environment. We are all here because we want to tell compelling and impactful stories, and no member of a cast or crew should ever be put in a position where they feel unsafe, exploited, or mismanaged — especially when making sensitive material,” said filmmaker and Directors UK Film Committee Chair Susanna White. “Throughout my career, I have seen how vitally important it is to know how to approach sensitive content with professionalism. The guidelines created by Directors UK set the standard for directing intimate scenes, and will help to foster a safe working environment for everyone on a film or television set.”
Natasha Moore, Directors UK Campaigns and Engagement Manager, added, “We created these guidelines to encourage directors to think twice about the environment they create in auditions and on set. Directors can use their influence to nurture a safe working environment for all, and this is keenly felt when rehearsing and filming vulnerable and sensitive scenes. The guidelines equip everyone with everything they need to do their job without concern, and it is in this spirit of collaboration that we can all make our best work.”
You can download the “Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex” guidelines or find more info at the Directors UK website.
