{"id":623,"date":"2026-05-19T13:59:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pomegranatemag.co.uk\/?p=623"},"modified":"2026-05-20T10:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T09:48:28","slug":"lights-camera-boundaries-inside-the-world-of-intimacy-coordinators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pomegranatemag.co.uk\/?p=623","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0Lights, Camera, Boundaries: Inside the world of intimacy coordinators"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We all love a steamy scene – but what makes it work?  Behind the camera Intimacy Coordinators are redefining film and TV, making consent and boundaries sexy across the industry. Brooke Haney takes us into their world on what exactly goes on behind the camera. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From scandalous Bridgerton, the lust of Rivals, and the shock factor of Fifty Shades of Grey the sex on our screens keep us hooked, but behind these heated moments is a carefully crafted choreographed process led by an intimacy coordinator. They take these mechanical movements and create a moment of true desire on screen, all while keeping the actors safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what exactly happens behind the scenes? Intimacy coordinators collaborate with the directors before and on set, but before action is called they are there to make sure boundaries aren’t overstepped and the actors can feel confident whilst filming a steamy or erotic scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany people think that we’re just there to be like the sex police and us being on set will make it less fun or less sexy. When, honestly, it’s often the opposite because we’re looking at how absurd we can go,\u201d  says intimacy coordinator Brooke Haney,  \u201cfor example I’m going to literally have the actor sit on a ball and bounce up and down, their scene partner’s not even there and we are shooting them from the waist up and this is them having sex, it’s absurd.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brooke M Haney is a queer and non binary New York based intimacy coordinator who was one of the first 50 intimacy coordinators to be recognised as qualified by The Screen Actors Guild Guide (SAG) in America, a union which represents 160,000 media professionals including actors, writers, directors and now intimacy coordinators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brooke M Haney <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to and defined by the Screen Actors Guild <\/a>an Intimacy coordinator is  \u201can advocate, a liaison between actors and production\u2026in regard to nudity and simulated sex and other intimate scenes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In more simple terms they are a voice for the actors’ boundaries and to make sure they are comfortable whilst on set. Without them and their creative vision the intimacy within a show can be lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWithin TV and film the camera tells the story. You get these moments of intimacy on screen  where you almost feel like you’re in the room,\u201d says Brooke, \u201cand I really love that but the viewer has no idea how technical they actually are.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First starting out in acting, Brooke was cast in roles where their character experienced trauma, but they wanted to be able to go deeper but not be trapped there. Through the lack of guidance from their teachers,  it made them realise a safe space for actors was needed in order for them to take ownership within their roles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI never once was taught by a teacher on how to come back from a traumatic role. I was only taught how to get there, how to cry and how to be afraid,\u201d they say, \u201cI started teaching at a college in New York and as I was teaching, I realised that I wanted to do better for my students and I wanted to do better for myself and then eventually actors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working on popular shows like Harlem on Amazon Prime, Pretty Little liars: Summer School on HBO Max and with well known actors like Dylan O Brien, Nick Robinson and Bel Powley. Brooke has built a strong reputation and is proving consent within the world of film and TV isn\u2019t killing desire but sharpening and reshaping it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Dylan O’Brien and River Gallo in Ponyboi<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Nick Robinson and Bel Powley in Turn Me On<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI find if actors know what is expected of them, they’re much more able to consent. In fact, they’re much more able to make bold acting choices and do their best work, because they’re not worried about what is going to happen,” they say, \u201cthe actor should leave the conversation knowing what to expect and knowing that their boundaries are going to be respected when we start filming. In fact, I heard the actor I was working with say, I feel really good about this now. That just made my heart feel so good.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a closed set with only the most necessary people there, just before the actors touch or make out everything pauses not to break the mood but to define it. However, the process starts way before the director shouts action, for Brooke the creative process starts with those first conversations with the actors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was working with an actor recently in a scene of self-pleasuring which made them the most nervous out of everything in the project. So the actor and I talked really in depth about the character and we found the story that justifies the actor’s boundaries. I taught them about how you can choreograph the sounds of an orgasm focusing on breath and voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“During that process I might ask them to pant and I might ask that pant to get deeper. I might say, can you give me a high note, can you give me something low and through choreographing that, we were able to talk through what sounds made her feel like the character, not like herself.\u201d Says Brooke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brooke on set, holding a monitor and overlooking the scene <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Intimacy coordinators, like Brooke, are keeping consent alive within the industry, so for us the viewers can enjoy what is on our screens. Making it so we can\u2019t look away intertwined with a lustful embrace but making it a priority the actors have enjoyed the experience once cut is shouted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIts all about giving them those tools. The actors we all really admire, like Emma Thompson, Meryl Streep, they completely transform for each character they play. And so they should be able to do that with the intimacy too, right?,\u201d says Brooke, \u201cFilming intimate scenes, it’s about the actor’s character’s experience, not their personal sex life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all love a steamy scene – but what makes it work?\u00a0Writer Niamh speaks to intimacy coordinator Brooke Haney<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22,53],"tags":[41,101,102,104,32,103],"class_list":["post-623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-must-reads","tag-culture","tag-intimacy","tag-intimacy-coordinator","tag-pretty-little-liars","tag-relationships","tag-sexonscreen"],"yoast_head":"\n\u00a0Lights, Camera, Boundaries: Inside the world of intimacy coordinators - Pomegranate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We all love a steamy scene - but what makes it work?\u00a0 Behind the camera Intimacy Coordinators are redefining film and TV, Brooke Haney tells us what exactly goes on behind the camera.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pomegranatemag.co.uk\/?p=623\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u00a0Lights, Camera, Boundaries: Inside the world of intimacy coordinators - 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