Intimacy Professional

Intimacy Coordination and Direction For Screen and Stage

What is an Intimacy Professional?

An Intimacy Professional (IP) serves as a resource for a production in realizing the story and creative vision. They do this by acting as a facilitator for scenes of intimacy, nudity, simulated sex, and other hyper-exposed scenes that may draw on a performer’s identity. IPs are trained in numerous topics (including choreography/movement, mental health first aid, consent and boundaries, gender & sexuality, anti-racism, conflict resolution…) in order to better serve a productions needs. 

 

What sets Cheek to Cheek Apart

Dynamic Storytelling

We are committed to realizing the show’s creative vision with an emphasis on authenticity, dignity, and compassion. We practice cultural humility and an intersectional approach to crafting scenes of intimacy. This allows us to serve the story and honor the full humanity of the people telling that story. 

Collaboration

We are here to support. Support the performers, director, producers, creative team, crew, and everyone involved in the process so that they can do their best work. We facilitate open communication across departments, provide useful consent-based frameworks, and act as a resource to production.  

Empowerment

We meet people where they are at. Through ongoing, informed consent and bodily autonomy, we help performers cultivate their own felt sense of agency and safety to allow them to show up fully in their character, serving the story. We provide accessible options, tools for reducing stress, and foster an environment of choice.

Advocacy

We help make the working environment a welcome space for all bodies, identities, genders, intersections and orientations. We acknowledge people’s cultural and historical experience through anti-racism practice, emphasizing dignity, neutrally navigating power dynamics, consultancy, and acting as an emotional support during production. 

 

How Can We Help your project

Some of our services include:

  • choreography to enhance believability

  • ensuring adherence to union safety protocols (including closed set protocols)

  • consultancy on numerous topics including consent-based practices, stress, conflict resolution, gender, sexuality, and how they intersect with other aspects of society and identity (including trans+ experience)

  • acting as an onset advocate and emotional support

  • reducing risk (financial, insurance, or market-related) and helping to avoid unnecessary production delays

  • ensuring the informed and continued consent of performers and facilitating agreements and expectations between performers and production

  • coordinating across departments and ensuring the process runs smoothly from pre to post production

  • facilitating open and clear communication while neutrally navigating power dynamics

  • and more!