how to hire an Intimacy Professional

It’s crucial that qualified professionals are hired for specialized work.

Neglecting to do so can open the door to liability concerns, filming delays, insufficient results, and unsafe working conditions. 

SAG currently has the following documentation regarding what qualifications to look for in vetting and hiring and Intimacy Professional for your next project, union or not! 

SAG Standards and Protocols for the Use of Intimacy Coordinators

and SAG Standards for Qualifications, Training & Vetting of ICs

Please keep in mind as you build out the budgets for your next project that medical scenes, PSAs, commercials, documentaries, photoshoots, music videos, and social media campaigns may all benefit from an IC! 

Equally, an IC supports storytelling involving intimacy. While we often work alongside Stunt Coordinators, Mental Health Coordinators, Studio Teachers, and Health & Safety Officers, these are all unique positions which require equally high-level specialized training. 

Here are some additional important things to know when looking for the right intimacy coordinator or director for your project. 

These questions have been adapted from TIE's guide to "Asking Better Questions" by Chelsea Pace and Laura Rikard.

Ask how much they charge (and what that includes)

Cheap doesn’t mean bad, and expensive doesn’t mean good. Artists deserve to be paid for their time.

Ask about their training and experience. 

Asking about certification or looking for the longest resume isn’t the best way to find the right intimacy pro for you. Also, remember - short resumes aren’t always a red flag. Every expert had a first gig. 

What intimacy specific tools and techniques have they been trained in? There are lots of intimacy specialists who have taken lots of workshops from a particular training organization or a few workshops from everybody. That commitment to the discipline may be exactly what you are looking for, and formal training absolutely has its advantages. However, training can be inaccessible, expensive, and time-intensive. Be thoughtful in how much weight you give their answer. A lack of formal training doesn’t mean a lack of qualification, and training with an organization doesn’t equal endorsement. 

Other good training to look for (from everybody, not just intimacy pros): Mental Health First Aid, Bystander Intervention, Anti-Racism.

Ask how they handle problems.  

Cast problems. Director problems. Crew problems. Give them a hypothetical to troubleshoot. Ask about what makes you nervous. What is their process for getting things back on track? 

Ask about how their practices are anti-racist, inclusive, adaptable, accessible, and culturally competent. 

They may be great, but if they aren’t anti-racist, inclusive, adaptable, accessible, and culturally competent, they shouldn’t be working. 

Ask for references. 

One of the most important pieces of information you need to make a good hire doesn’t come from the hire - it comes from their former and current collaborators. Ask for contact information from not only former directors, producers, or artistic team members, but also from stage managers, production managers, and actors they have worked with. 

Ask about their process.

Do they have a codified process? Is there a technique, or do they improvise and solve as they go? Do they think it’s the same as fight or stunts, but with nudity? (Spoiler: it’s not.) 

Ask about their collaborative style.

Ask when and how they want to be included, what their communication practices are, and how they develop their creative material in response to the vision and direction of the project. Does their style fit with yours?