intimacy – USMAIL24.COM https://usmail24.com News Portal from USA Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:24:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://usmail24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Untitled-design-1-100x100.png intimacy – USMAIL24.COM https://usmail24.com 32 32 195427244 Ewan McGregor says he and his wife needed an intimacy coordinator on set of new TV series – and they’re not the first Hollywood couple to find filming racy moments ‘uncomfortable’ https://usmail24.com/ewan-mcgregor-intimacy-coordinator-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/ https://usmail24.com/ewan-mcgregor-intimacy-coordinator-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/#respond Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:24:23 +0000 https://usmail24.com/ewan-mcgregor-intimacy-coordinator-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

If both you and your significant other are actors, shooting an intimate scene seems like a great idea. After all, who else would be a better scene partner?  But it would appear that chemistry in the bedroom doesn’t necessarily translate to the technical, arduous love scene filming process on set – as many actors have […]

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If both you and your significant other are actors, shooting an intimate scene seems like a great idea.

After all, who else would be a better scene partner? 

But it would appear that chemistry in the bedroom doesn’t necessarily translate to the technical, arduous love scene filming process on set – as many actors have revealed. 

Most recently, Ewan McGregor and wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead admitted to using an intimacy coordinator to help choreograph their sex scenes in forthcoming Paramount+ series A Gentleman in Moscow.

Despite being married for nearly two years and in a relationship since 2017, the couple were happy to be guided through the amorous scenes as they believed it was ‘still necessary’.

Most recently, Ewan McGregor and wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead admitted to using an intimacy coordinator to help choreograph their sex scenes in forthcoming Paramount+ series A Gentleman in Moscow 

Despite being married for nearly two years and in a relationship since 2017, the couple (pictured earlier this month) were happy to be guided through the amorous scenes as they believed it was 'still necessary'

Despite being married for nearly two years and in a relationship since 2017, the couple (pictured earlier this month) were happy to be guided through the amorous scenes as they believed it was ‘still necessary’

According to Ewan, 52, who met his wife, 39, on the set of Fargo, it was still ‘odd’ to be naked and intimate around other people.

‘If you were doing a dance scene, you’d have a choreographer,’ he told the Radio Times.

‘It’s an important part of the work now, because it’s somebody that the director and actors meet in the middle.’

And the actor may well have had a point, as celebrities over the years have admitted that they’ve felt ‘strange’, ‘awkward’ and ‘uncomfortable’ about shooting love scenes with their partners despite thinking it would be easier.

Riley Keough – whose husband played a one night stand on Daisy Jones & The Six – admitted that the discomfort arose from the fact that she’s never had ‘pretend sex’ with him before, whereas Kyra Sedgwick said it’s ‘weird’ to shoot intimate moments with her husband Kevin Bacon because it blurs what’s ‘real’ and isn’t.

Elsewhere Angelina Jolie has before branded it ‘the strangest thing’ to make love on camera with her then husband Brad Pitt. 

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at what real-life Hollywood couples have said about tackling steamy scenes together…

Riley Keough & Ben Smith-Petersen

The star of Daisy Jones & The Six revealed that it was ‘awkward’ to shoot a sex scene with her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, in episode two of the series.

In the show, the pair have a one night stand as a distracted Daisy thinks more about song lyrics than her bed partner.

The star of Daisy Jones & The Six revealed that it was 'awkward' to shoot a sex scene with her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, in episode two of the series

The star of Daisy Jones & The Six revealed that it was ‘awkward’ to shoot a sex scene with her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, in episode two of the series

In the show, the pair have a one night stand as a distracted Daisy thinks more about song lyrics than her bed partner. Pictured earlier this year

In the show, the pair have a one night stand as a distracted Daisy thinks more about song lyrics than her bed partner. Pictured earlier this year

Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers last year, Riley, 34, admitted the producers thought ‘it would be so funny’ if her husband of nine years starred in the cameo.

‘I think they were thinking it would be less awkward and then we got there and they’re like, “This is really uncomfortable”,’ she explained.

‘For one, I’ve never had pretend sex with my husband.”

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

In 2015, a newly married Angelina Jolie, 48, and Brad Pitt, 60 – who have since split up – shot intimate scenes in By the Sea, a romantic drama.

Angelina also wrote, directed and produced the film – later admitting it felt unusual to simulate love making with her husband on camera.

According to Yahoo, she told Entertainment Weekly: ‘It’s the strangest thing in the world to be lying naked in a bathtub with an iPad that’s showing you the shot outside, while your husband is at the door and you’re directing him to come in and make love to you in front of a bunch of other men with cameras.

In 2015, a newly married Angelina Jolie, 48, and Brad Pitt, 60 - who have since split up - shot intimate scenes in By the Sea, a romantic drama

In 2015, a newly married Angelina Jolie, 48, and Brad Pitt, 60 – who have since split up – shot intimate scenes in By the Sea, a romantic drama

Angelina also wrote, directed and produced the film - later admitting it felt unusual to simulate love making with her husband on camera. The pair pictured in 2014

Angelina also wrote, directed and produced the film – later admitting it felt unusual to simulate love making with her husband on camera. The pair pictured in 2014

‘I couldn’t get out of the bathtub to get to the monitor because the director is naked. 

‘We’re artists and want to be free, but Brad – it’s his wife. He was on towel duty. He’d hold the towel over me.’

She added it was also ‘strange’ to ‘do a love scene with a person that you really have sex with’, explaining that the only way to tackle it was to ‘talk about the absurdity of it’.

Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick

This Hollywood It-couple have been married for 36 years – but early into their marriage, in 1991, the pair decided to do a wacky sex comedy called Pyrates together.

And speaking to Yahoo last year, Kyra, 58, revealed that it’s ‘much harder’ to do sex scenes with her real-life partner than a fellow actor.

She and Kevin, 65, have also since filmed intimate scenes together for other projects, including Murder in the First (1995) and The Woodsman (2004).

This Hollywood It-couple have been married for 36 years - but early into their marriage, in 1991, the pair decided to do a wacky sex comedy called Pyrates together

This Hollywood It-couple have been married for 36 years – but early into their marriage, in 1991, the pair decided to do a wacky sex comedy called Pyrates together

She and Kevin, 65, have also since filmed intimate scenes together for other projects, including Murder in the First (1995) and The Woodsman (2004). Pictured in October

She and Kevin, 65, have also since filmed intimate scenes together for other projects, including Murder in the First (1995) and The Woodsman (2004). Pictured in October

‘It’s weird because we’re always like, “Is this real or is it not?”,’ she explained.

‘As an actor, you sometimes have these dreams when you start a job where you’re sleeping and they’re filming you.

‘With Pyrates, I was [sleeping] with my husband and they were filming it! It’s like, “This can’t be real — I’m having a dream.”‘

Chris Hemsworth & Elsa Pataky

In 2018, Chris Hemsworth, 40, and his wife Elsa Pataky, 47 – who have been married for 14 years – played husband and wife in action thriller 12 Strong. 

The movie tells the story of the first Special Forces team that’s deployed to Afghanistan following the events of 9/11. 

Appearing on breakfast TV show Sunrise to promote the film, Chris said his wife would ‘boss him around’ on set.

In 2018, Chris Hemsworth, 40, and his wife Elsa Pataky, 47 - who have been married for 14 years - played husband and wife in action thriller 12 Strong

In 2018, Chris Hemsworth, 40, and his wife Elsa Pataky, 47 – who have been married for 14 years – played husband and wife in action thriller 12 Strong

However, when it came to filming the film's love scenes, Chris told Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David 'Kochie' Koch that it wasn't exactly the kind of environment they were used to. Pictured earlier this month

However, when it came to filming the film’s love scenes, Chris told Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David ‘Kochie’ Koch that it wasn’t exactly the kind of environment they were used to. Pictured earlier this month 

‘We had about seven or eight year’s rehearsal time to play these characters,’ he said.

‘If we didn’t have any chemistry we’d be in trouble.’

However, when it came to filming the film’s love scenes, Chris told Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David ‘Kochie’ Koch that it wasn’t exactly the kind of environment they were used to.

‘How do you do a love scene with your own wife with a crew standing around?’ Sam asked the star.

‘Yeah, that’d be the big difference,’ Chris replied adding ‘the cameras and the lights… that we weren’t accustomed to.

Sam cheekily added: ‘Well we should hope so’.

‘It’s not a usual setting for us definitely,’ Chris said.

Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart

Robert Pattinson has in past opened up about how ‘strange’ it was to shoot intimate scenes with Kristen Stewart – who he was in a relationship with – during the Twilight series.

In 2011, he told Parade: ‘I think the more comfortable you are with each other, the harder it gets to do any kind of really intense relationship scene.

Robert Pattinson has in past opened up about how 'strange' it was to shoot intimate scenes with Kristen Stewart - who he was in a relationship with - during the Twilight series

Robert Pattinson has in past opened up about how ‘strange’ it was to shoot intimate scenes with Kristen Stewart – who he was in a relationship with – during the Twilight series

The pair - who used to be in a relationship as well being co-stars - pictured together in November 2012

The pair – who used to be in a relationship as well being co-stars – pictured together in November 2012

‘You’re kind of thinking, “I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of this person,” “I know what she’s thinking now,” so it becomes ridiculous after awhile.

‘Watching other people have sex is never going to be that spectacular anyway. It’s a strange thing when there’s so much hype about it.’

Viola Davis & Julius Tennon

Viola Davis’s husband Julius Tennon plays one of her on-screen love interests on the hit show, How to Get Away with Murder.

And while Viola, 58, admitted she felt ‘safe’ doing intimate scenes with her partner of nearly 20 years, there were some awkward moments during filming.

And while Viola, 58, admitted she felt 'safe' doing intimate scenes with her partner of nearly 20 years, there were some awkward moments during filming

And while Viola, 58, admitted she felt ‘safe’ doing intimate scenes with her partner of nearly 20 years, there were some awkward moments during filming

Viola Davis's husband Julius Tennon plays one of her on-screen love interests on the hit show, How to Get Away with Murder

Viola Davis’s husband Julius Tennon plays one of her on-screen love interests on the hit show, How to Get Away with Murder

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2017, she recounted: ‘He had to take my panties  off at one point and then I had to keep resetting them because you know, you’ve got to keep doing the scene over and over again.

‘But I forgot to reset them once and so we got to the point and he went to pull them off and his face went “V, you’ve to put your panties back on!”‘

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Candid quotes from stars about working with intimacy coordinators https://usmail24.com/stars-candid-quotes-about-working-with-intimacy-coordinators/ https://usmail24.com/stars-candid-quotes-about-working-with-intimacy-coordinators/#respond Thu, 07 Mar 2024 05:49:05 +0000 https://usmail24.com/stars-candid-quotes-about-working-with-intimacy-coordinators/

Foreigner, Sex/life and more TV shows and movies have done so hired intimacy coordinators to manage sex scenes. “My job early on in season No. 1 was to reach out to them and say, ‘Okay, so you guys are together this season, how can I help you feel safe?’” Sex/life intimacy coordinator Casey Hudecki told […]

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Poor Things' intimacy coordinator reveals she was kicked off sets because production staff didn't think she was 'helping' and admits Emma Stone didn't see the need to have her on board https://usmail24.com/poor-things-intimacy-coordinator-emma-stone-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/ https://usmail24.com/poor-things-intimacy-coordinator-emma-stone-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/#respond Wed, 14 Feb 2024 03:46:09 +0000 https://usmail24.com/poor-things-intimacy-coordinator-emma-stone-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

The Poor Things intimacy coordinator has claimed she was kicked off sets in the wake of Hollywood's #MeToo movement, revealing that even Emma Stone questioned the need for it during filming. Elle McAlpine, 33, from London, founded her company EK Intimacy with her drama schoolmate Katharine Hardman in 2022. In recent years, the former actress […]

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The Poor Things intimacy coordinator has claimed she was kicked off sets in the wake of Hollywood's #MeToo movement, revealing that even Emma Stone questioned the need for it during filming.

Elle McAlpine, 33, from London, founded her company EK Intimacy with her drama schoolmate Katharine Hardman in 2022.

In recent years, the former actress has worked as an intimacy coordinator on TV shows like It's a Sin and The Great, supporting the stars and helping choreograph sex scenes.

Speak with The guardthe mother of one opened up about having to “sell herself” and continually explained the role of intimacy coordinators around the time of #MeToo.

Seven years ago, Elle agreed that there was an “undercurrent of sexism” surrounding her job – because she was a woman in her 20s working with “very experienced” professionals who had never had to deal with “this red tape” before had during filming.

Elle McApline, 33, has worked on It's a Sin, The Great and Poor Things and became an intimacy coordinator after a bad experience filming a sex scene as an actress

Pictured: Emma Stone films a sex scene as Bella Baxter in Poor Things, which won a Golden Globe for Best Picture

Pictured: Emma Stone films a sex scene as Bella Baxter in Poor Things, which won a Golden Globe for Best Picture

She explains: “In the beginning, when we were trying to vouch for ourselves, I felt so much pressure: the scene had to be good.”

Looking back, Elle said she often faced hostility on sets and was even occasionally removed from productions.

She added: “I obviously got kicked out of a few sets because I wasn't helping.”

Without naming the production, Elle recalled how she crossed the line and shouted “cut” when she saw an actor feeling “really uncomfortable.”

But since the Screen Actors Guild mandated intimacy coordinators on sets in 2020 in response to #MeToo, Elle says directors have been more welcoming and first meetings are “more like a chemistry lecture.”

In August 2023, Emma Stone said she didn't think she would need Elle's support “as much” when filming of Poor Things began.

The La La Land actress said: “I couldn't have been more wrong. She was so gentle and passionate.

'She was so helpful. It changed the whole energy of the set and the feeling of safety.”

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo depicted as Bella Baxter and Duncan Wedderurn in the film Poor Things

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo depicted as Bella Baxter and Duncan Wedderurn in the film Poor Things

Emma Stone (pictured) previously said she didn't think she would need Elle's support 'as much' when filming for Poor Things began

Emma Stone (pictured) previously said she didn't think she would need Elle's support 'as much' when filming for Poor Things began

Although the film received critical acclaim, some sex scenes – including one in which Bella Baxter lets two boys watch her work as a prostitute – shocked viewers.

Looking back on that day of filming, Elle said the children's presence made taking photos “quite difficult.”

Before filming, Elle informed the children's parents on site, prompting one of their mothers to reassure her, “Oh, he watches Game of Thrones all the time, so that's fine!”

In the Directors Note podcast, Elle explained how she explained her position to Emma Stone at the beginning of filming.

Elle said: 'I remember saying to [Emma]your character has many intimate relationships with men she doesn't know.

What is the #MeToo movement?

In the wake of the sexual misconduct revelations about Harvey Weinstein, millions of people shared their stories of sexual harassment and assault.

The movement started in October 2017 after actress Alyssa Milano followed a suggestion from a friend of a friend and tweeted: “If you have been sexually harassed or assaulted, write 'me too' in reply to this tweet.”

The hashtag was tweeted almost a million times in 48 hours.

The slogan came after activist Tarana Burke first started using the phrase a decade ago to raise awareness about sexual violence.

It is linked to the Time's Up movement, which was founded last year after #MeToo to provide funds to women taking legal action against alleged abusers.

Time's Up also wants to introduce legislation around the world to punish companies that tolerate persistent harassment, and to discourage the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims.

It is supported by more than 300 women in Hollywood, including Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Oprah Winfrey.

'And by default we have a lot of supporting artists coming in.

“My job can be to help them because they're also coming into a space where there's a huge power dynamic going on, where you have a very famous actor and a very famous director […]

“There's a huge amount of pressure that these supporting actors will feel when they walk into a room like that.

“So let me just do my job to give them a space where they can feel safe and let me be in the space.”

In the wake of the sexual misconduct revelations about Harvey Weinstein, millions of people shared their stories of sexual harassment and assault.

The movement started in October 2017 after actress Alyssa Milano followed a suggestion from a friend of a friend and tweeted: “If you have been sexually harassed or assaulted, write 'me too' in reply to this tweet.” The hashtag was tweeted almost a million times in 48 hours.

In a previous interview with the Daily Mail, Elle revealed that she decided to become an intimacy coordinator after having a bad experience filming a sex scene as an actress.

She said: 'I remember at the age of 21 I was filming a sex scene that wasn't choreographed and the entire crew was men, so I had to drag a make-up artist onto set for moral support.'

'The crew were equally embarrassed and tried not to look, and that made me even more ashamed. If I could go back in time, I would have asked for some time to go through what was expected – what would be shown, what parts of my body could be touched and also asked for female support.

'The relationship between director and actor is unique and actors often only want to please.

“If they don't feel comfortable going to their director and saying, 'I don't want this,' they can go to the intimacy coordinator, who will initiate a dialogue with the director.

'When the director explains why something is part of a scene, why it is part of the character, the actors are often fine with that or say: “I don't want to do that kind of sex. Can we please change it?” That's a slightly more complicated conversation, but we'll get there. Overcoming obstacles in this way often creates better sex scenes.'

With It's A Sin, Elle worked with intimacy coordinator David Thackeray to draw the shapes they wanted to emulate in the 'sex montage' – 11 separate scenes at the start of the drama.

“Those guys were all very comfortable with each other and so embodied in their characters that it was a dream to work with,” she says. 'Russell T. Davies is very detailed and he writes so beautifully, but in other productions it might say, “They're having sex” and we can help them work through that in a very choreographed way.

“What's hard is when an actor, who knows he's meant to do these sex scenes, doesn't want to do them. This happened on a set that Ita and I came in late in the day and the content of the sex scenes was a bit of a work in progress.

“The actors were quite young, early 20s, and had a lot of courage and said, 'I'm not doing that,' and we had to communicate that to the director. It worked well in the end, but I think it's important to write out sex scenes at the beginning so they know what they're signing up for.”

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What is an intimacy co-ordinator? From simulating raunchy acts with a deflated netball, to serious conversations about consent, here’s how these professionals make sex scenes work https://usmail24.com/what-intimacy-coordinator-simulating-raunchy-acts-deflated-netball-conversations-consent-heres-professionals-make-sex-scenes-work-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/ https://usmail24.com/what-intimacy-coordinator-simulating-raunchy-acts-deflated-netball-conversations-consent-heres-professionals-make-sex-scenes-work-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/#respond Thu, 08 Feb 2024 18:03:24 +0000 https://usmail24.com/what-intimacy-coordinator-simulating-raunchy-acts-deflated-netball-conversations-consent-heres-professionals-make-sex-scenes-work-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

As raunchy scene become more and more commonplace in films and TV shows, intimacy co-ordinators (ICs) become a much more familiar presence on sets. These are professionals who help cast and crew through choreographing and coaching talent through shooting sex sequences, including discussions on boundaries and comfort. Many actors – including Emma Mackey of Sex […]

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As raunchy scene become more and more commonplace in films and TV shows, intimacy co-ordinators (ICs) become a much more familiar presence on sets.

These are professionals who help cast and crew through choreographing and coaching talent through shooting sex sequences, including discussions on boundaries and comfort.

Many actors – including Emma Mackey of Sex Education, Emma Stone of Poor Things and Rachel Zegler West Side Story – have in recent years expressed their gratitude for ICs they worked with, insisting they’re an important cog in the machine of the modern movie-making process, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Most recently the role of ICs was brought into the spotlight after viewers were left uncomfortable when 21-year-old Jenna Ortega’s character – an 18-year-old student called Cairo Sweet – slept with her teacher, played by 52-year-old Martin Freeman, in the movie Miller’s Girl.

Viewers were quick to express their unease at watching the young star – most known for playing school student Wednesday Adams – engaging in ‘uncomfortable’ sexual scenes with the Sherlock actor who is 31 years her senior.

Most recently the role of ICs was brought into the spotlight after viewers were left uncomfortable when 21-year-old Jenna Ortega ‘s character – an 18-year-old student called Cairo Sweet – slept with her teacher, played by 52-year-old Martin Freeman , in the movie Miller’s Girl

However Jenna insisted she was ‘sure of what she wanted to do’ – and was completely supported during filming, according to the movie’s intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona, who has clapped back at claims the raunchy on-screen moment was ‘gross.’

‘There was many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do,’ she told Dailymail.com.

But what does it take to make a sex scene work? Everything from technicalities – including the simulation of intimate acts – to emotional comfort and the actors’ performance has to come together perfectly.

Here’s how ICs make it work…

THE ‘TOOLKIT’

The toolkit of a film intimacy coach – put on set to ensure actors are comfortable and scenes look realistic – is a diverse one, as Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, shared in 2022.

Speaking to the Radio Times, the actor who plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, revealed that he’d been instructed to use a half-deflated netball when acting out lustful scenes with the character of Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley, in season two of the show.

The semi-flattened sporting equipment, he said, enables actors to move against each other in a realistic manner, without intimate parts of the body touching.

The toolkit of a film intimacy coach - put on set to ensure actors are comfortable and scenes look realistic - is a diverse one, as Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey, shared in 2022

The toolkit of a film intimacy coach – put on set to ensure actors are comfortable and scenes look realistic – is a diverse one, as Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, shared in 2022

Jonathan explained: ‘It’s amazing how that whole industry has just come on, even in a year. There are new tricks to the trade – little cushions – and it’s amazing what you can do with a half-inflated netball.

‘If there are two people doing a sex scene, the rule is they must have three barriers separating them and there are certain acts where a half-inflated netball can allow for movement without having to connect physically.’

Jonathan has also praised IC Lizzy Talbot’s work on set, saying: ‘It’s pretty silly really and we have some hilarious moments, but it makes it less awkward.’

It’s not the first time the actor has lifted the lid on some of the show’s intimacy co-ordinators’ secrets.

Appearing on Lorraine to promote the first series last year, he had also told the daytime TV host how his underwear-covered derriere had been painted with flesh-coloured make-up for an al fresco love scene against a tree.

Other tricks commonly used to make raunchy scenes sing include aloe vera to prevent chafing – particularly if actors spend hours re-filming, breath mints to ensure kissing tastes palatable to both parties and nipple daisies to allow intimate scenes to take place with some modesty preserved.

The intimacy coordinator’s toolkit

Intimacy co-ordinators will often devise a choreographed routine where the actors know exactly whose hands are going where and when.

Other times they’ll take a looser ‘paint by numbers’ approach where one section of the body, like from the neck to the lower back, will be free to work with.

But both performers in the scene will know that beyond that designated area is off limits… 

Half-deflated netball – used on series two of Bridgerton, a half-deflated netball keeps a distance between the two actors involved but allows intimate scenes to look realistic 

 Nipple daisies  to cover an actor’s areola, ensuring only side breast is visible

Hibue/shibue – strapless thongs, in a range of skin tones, that stick to the pelvis and prevents genitalia from touching

Aloe vera gel is considered a helpful lubricant to stop chafing between actors filming the same scenes many times

Mints are used to freshen an actor's breath between takes

Aloe vera gel is considered a helpful lubricant to stop chafing between actors filming the same scenes many times… and mints are used to freshen an actor’s breath between takes

Merkins – a pubic wig, often used in period dramas or to provide additional covering

Flesh-coloured underwear – these can be long enough to cover the thighs and, with the right colour, match remain invisible

Small cushions stuffed with lambswool  to create a barrier between the actors’ genitalia during sex scenes

Mints  to freshen breath for kissing scenes, especially after one actor has taken a cigarette break

Glycerine and water spray to create the illusion of beads of sweat during/after vigorous sex scenes

Heat pads – used under robes to keep actors warm between takes

Aloe Vera gel – soothes skin chafed or irritated by modesty garments

REHEARSAL

This week Sophie Rundle has said that actresses still want to film sex scenes, but that intimacy coordinators are ‘vital’.

The actress, 35, is most known for her roles as Ada Thorne in Peaky Blinders and Ann Walker in Gentleman Jack, where she had lots of intimate sequences.

Speaking to The Radio Times Podcast, she explained that intimacy coordinators are ‘really important’ for safeguarding actors and crewmembers.

Sophie insisted that women are very willing to film steamy scenes, but that they can be made more ‘interesting’ for the camera with the help of trained coordinators.

She said: ‘Putting in intimacy coordinators as an element of safeguarding is really important.

‘Having someone assigned to oversee the process is vital because it allows for a neutral third party and anonymity if you feel uncomfortable.’

Sophie has previously opened up about filming sex scenes, gushing about the impact of having intimacy coordinator Ita O'Brien on set for her raunchy scenes with co-star Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack (both pictured)

Sophie has previously opened up about filming sex scenes, gushing about the impact of having intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien on set for her raunchy scenes with co-star Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack (both pictured) 

She continued: ‘Women are allowed to be sexual. We’re not saying no more sex scenes!

‘Can we do them in a way that isn’t just titillating for someone else to watch? There are more interesting ways of exploring that narrative than just boobs.’

Sophie has previously opened up about filming sex scenes, gushing about the impact of having intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien on set for her raunchy scenes with co-star Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack.

Speaking to You Magazine in 2019, she said: ‘It was amazing, because usually when there’s a sex scene you turn up knowing there are some flesh-coloured pants waiting for you in your trailer and you just have to get on with it.

‘And so often you hear terrible stories about it all going wrong and people feeling exploited.

‘But with Gentleman Jack, we were determined to make things different, so we all sat with Ita and talked about our past experiences [of sex scenes].

‘Everyone was like, “God, this horrible thing once happened to me on set”, so everything was out in the open and that really calmed the nerves.’

Ita also insisted all sex scenes were carefully rehearsed, with the women enacting specific moves selected from manuals such as The Lesbian Kama Sutra – rather than improvising, as is often the case on TV and film sets.

Sophie explained: ‘It meant that we felt so much more empowered than we would normally, and that was important because we also wanted to tell these women’s story in a way that represented them and wasn’t simply for titillation.’

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BOUNDARIES

This week, intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona – who worked on Miller’s Girl with Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman – has exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com that Jenna was involved in decisions about the curation of the racy moments, as she insisted that at no point were any ‘boundaries surpassed.’

‘I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed,’ she stressed.

‘And again, making sure – especially with someone who’s significantly younger – that they are giving continuous consent.’

The film sees Cairo and Jonathan become entangled in a very complex and inappropriate relationship, with Cairo choosing to pen a sex story after being given a creative writing assignment by her tutor-turned-love interest.

Kristina discussed the ‘level of nudity’ with Jenna and Martin, as well as which ‘simulated sex scenes’ were required, before talking them through modesty garments and the ‘additional barriers’ they could use to ensure an ‘appropriate distance’ was maintained.

Kristina Arjona told DailyMail.com that 'informed consent' was 'consistent' throughout filming with both Martin and Jenna

Kristina Arjona told DailyMail.com that ‘informed consent’ was ‘consistent’ throughout filming with both Martin and Jenna

This information was also given to the actors in a written format 48 hours before the scenes were filmed, but Kristina stressed that they ‘also have the option on the day to change their mind if they don’t want to do any of the elements that we’ve discussed.’

She revealed there were ample discussions between cast and crew before the scenes were shot and that test audiences were used to give bosses an idea of what was ‘too much.’

‘For this film, in particular, because of the sensitivity of the content, they had some different variations of how they wanted to shoot these scenes so that audiences could watch them at test screenings to see what was too much.’

However, viewers were quick to voice their disdain for the intimate scenes that ultimately ended up in the movie, with one simply writing: ‘I’m uncomfortable.’

Another wrote: ‘I think I am finally done watching these age gap movies. They are all gross and I am tired of it. No amount of Jenna Ortega or Martin Freeman could save this one for me [sic].’

Others defended the film – which was directed and written by Hollywood newcomer Jade Halley Bartlett, with one writing: ‘An erotic thriller starring Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega lol like what were people expecting.’

Another wrote: ‘Apparently people are freaking out because Jenna Ortega kisses a girl in once scene, and assumes the doggy style position with Martin Freeman in another. Like guys, it’s a movie, she’s acting. Chill.’

A source also told DailyMail.com: ‘People need to get over the fact that Jenna is not Wednesday Adams and that she is a grown woman who is exploring serious roles as a talented actress.

‘The fact that this stirred the pot and is being labelled as gross is incredibly misogynistic.’

EDUCATING YOUNGER, NEWER SET MEMBERS

ICs can also be useful when working with a cast which has varied experiences when it comes to sex scenes.

In 2022, West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler, shared: ‘I was extremely grateful for the one we had on [West Side Story] – they showed grace to a newcomer like myself and educated those around me who’ve had years of experience. Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe.’

In 2022, West Side Story 's Rachel Zegler, shared that she was 'extremely grateful' for the IC they had on set

In 2022, West Side Story ‘s Rachel Zegler, shared that she was ‘extremely grateful’ for the IC they had on set

Dame Emma Thompson has also hailed coordinators as ‘absolutely essential’ saying on LBC: ‘It’s all very well, if you’re a bloke it’s a different kind of thing.

‘I think if you’re a young woman on a set, which is largely peopled by men, the crew will be 90 per cent men and the women won’t be on the set with you, because generally speaking we do not have parity on any level on film sets, it’s all men.

‘And that’s a very uncomfortable position for a young woman who’s starting in the industry, but it is absolutely essential that there is someone there to protect them. Absolutely essential.’

EASING ANXIETIES

Emma Stone recently revealed how having an IC on Poor Things helped her take moments away from the scene to help ease anxieties.

In the movie, the star plays lead character Bella Baxter, who is resurrected by an eccentric scientist in Victorian London.

One controversial sex scene in the film involves two young boys watching Bella (Emma) work as a prostitute after their father hired her to teach them how to have sex.

Defending Poor Things, Emma told BBC Radio 4: ‘Bella is completely free and without shame about her body.’

However, she also NPR how working with a coordinator for such scene comforted her.

‘I remember reading something once, that an actor on stage doing a very dramatic scene, and having meltdowns and doing monologues for 90 minutes a night just in theater, your body feels like it’s the equivalent of going through something like a car crash, because your heart is racing, you’re having these big physical reactions to these emotions that you’re kind of asking yourself to go through,’ she explained.

Emma Stone recently revealed how having an IC on Poor Things helped her take moments away from the scene to help ease anxieties

Emma Stone recently revealed how having an IC on Poor Things helped her take moments away from the scene to help ease anxieties

‘And I think even when you know you’re acting, when you know none of this is real, there’s no real sex happening, this is all choreographed …you sometimes underestimate what your body is going through separately.’

The film is currently certified 18 in the UK, however only after the controversial sex scene was modified to meet the criteria. 

A statement by the British Board of Film Classification read: ‘We originally saw this film for advice. We informed the distributor we would be likely to classify the film 18 on condition that changes be made to one short sequence depicting sexual activity in the presence of children.’

They added: ‘This is in accordance with the Protection of Children Act 1978. When the distributor submitted the film for formal classification, the scene had been re-edited, and we were able to classify the film 18.’

The picture contains over a dozen explicit sex scenes and a huge amount of foul language.

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Jennifer Aniston is facing backlash for saying she didn’t want to work with an intimacy coordinator for The Morning Show: ‘She’s really living in the past!’ https://usmail24.com/jennifer-aniston-faces-backlash-saying-didnt-want-work-intimacy-coordinator-morning-really-lives-past-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/ https://usmail24.com/jennifer-aniston-faces-backlash-saying-didnt-want-work-intimacy-coordinator-morning-really-lives-past-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/#respond Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:07:41 +0000 https://usmail24.com/jennifer-aniston-faces-backlash-saying-didnt-want-work-intimacy-coordinator-morning-really-lives-past-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

Jennifer Aniston has been criticized for saying she didn’t want an intimacy coordinator for her sex scene with Jon Hamm on The Morning Show. In one episode of season three of the AppleTV+ series, we see the actors getting very playful under the sheets. In an interview with VarietyJennifer, 54, revealed that she and Jon, […]

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Jennifer Aniston has been criticized for saying she didn’t want an intimacy coordinator for her sex scene with Jon Hamm on The Morning Show.

In one episode of season three of the AppleTV+ series, we see the actors getting very playful under the sheets.

In an interview with VarietyJennifer, 54, revealed that she and Jon, 52, were asked if they wanted to work with an intimacy coordinator for the scene, but she turned the suggestion around, saying she was “old school.”

However, her comments quickly sparked outrage on social media as many felt her comments were “cringe-inducing” and an example of “living in the past.”

On are…’

Jennifer Aniston has been criticized for saying she didn’t want an intimacy coordinator for her sex scene with Jon Hamm on The Morning Show

In one episode of season three of the AppleTV+ series, we see the actors getting very playful under the sheets

Jennifer revealed that she and Jon were asked if they wanted to work with an intimacy coordinator for the scene, but she turned the suggestion around, saying she was

Jennifer revealed that she and Jon were asked if they wanted to work with an intimacy coordinator for the scene, but she turned the suggestion around, saying she was “old school.”

‘Rees [Witherspoon] would say women’s stories matter, but every time it’s a Jennifer Aniston story… cringe… Why are all her interviews so ‘old man shouting at the sky?’

‘…Progress? No thanks. I’m old fashioned. How about we stop asking and just make intimacy coordinators a standard practice for products that contain sex scenes.”

However, others defended Jennifer’s comments, saying she was absolutely right not to want to work with an intimacy coordinator, something that has only become common in the film and TV industry in recent years.

Some users wrote: ‘I think this is not a problem. She has enough self-confidence, I hope he does [Jon] also had the same opinion.’

‘People seem offended because the actress involved in a very intimate sex scene preferred not to have one or more strangers in the room. That’s all she says, about HER experience. Sometimes I forget that this is Twitter and everything is a very sensitive subject.’

‘She said filming a sex scene is hard enough. Can you leave her alone, God! And what’s wrong with living in the past? People are so looking forward to the future that they don’t realize that not everything new is good.’

In her interview, Jennifer said, “They asked us if we wanted an intimacy coordinator. I’m from the old days, so I thought, ‘What does that mean?’ They said, ‘When someone asks you if you’re okay,’ and I said, ‘Please, this is awkward enough!'” she began.

“We’re seasoned – we can figure this out,” she told the Oscar-winning actress.

her comments quickly sparked outrage on social media as many felt her comments were

her comments quickly sparked outrage on social media as many felt her comments were “cringe-inducing.”

She stars in the show as news anchor Alex Levy, while Jon plays Paul Marks, a technology billionaire.

In an episode of the third series, The Stanford Student, which aired in October, Alex interviewed Paul at his Hamptons mansion.

The exciting and intense interview caused sparks to fly between the two and afterwards they ended up in bed together.

The raunchy scenes saw the two actors get completely naked, with Jennifer looking just as sensational as she did in her first nude scene in 2006’s The Break Up.

The Friends star recently revealed how she stays in such impressive shape in a candid interview last month.

Others defended Jennifer's comments, saying she was completely right not to want to work with an intimacy coordinator

Others defended Jennifer’s comments, saying she was completely right not to want to work with an intimacy coordinator

She explained how she stays looking slim and toned in her fifties, while listing her four most important rules she lives by.

Speaking in the Number 23 of CR fashion bookshe said, “I drink a lot of water, exercise my body daily, try to eat whole, fresh foods, and make sure I get as much sleep as possible.

‘The latter is a challenge for me, but so important. I feel it when I don’t get enough rest. I also try to be very aware of what I let into my head.

“Our world is really going through some challenges, and I know we all care a lot, but sometimes I think it’s imperative that we turn off the noise.”

The scene raised eyebrows as Jennifer was completely naked as she rolled around with the Mad Men actor in the steamy scene

The scene raised eyebrows as Jennifer was completely naked as she rolled around with the Mad Men actor in the steamy scene

In the new issue of Variety, Aniston told her co-star Reese Witherspoon that she was asked if she felt good when she hugged the Hollywood hunk.

In the new issue of Variety, Aniston told her co-star Reese Witherspoon that she was asked if she felt good when she hugged the Hollywood hunk.

“They asked us if we wanted an intimacy coordinator.  I'm from back in the day, so I was like, 'What does that mean?'  she said

“They asked us if we wanted an intimacy coordinator. I’m from before, so I was like, ‘What does that mean?'” she said

They said,

They said, ‘When someone asks you if you’re okay,’ and I said, ‘Please, this is awkward enough!’ she started.

Jennifer added: ‘We’re seasoned – we can figure this out’

Steamy: The exciting and intense interview caused sparks to fly between the two and afterwards they ended up in bed together

Steamy: The exciting and intense interview caused sparks to fly between the two and afterwards they ended up in bed together

Jennifer added that she uses Pvolve for her workouts, saying, “I love it so much!

‘Pvolve is a unique approach to fitness that I’m excited to share with others. I leave every workout feeling energetic and strong, but not beat up.

‘I encourage people to try it and see for themselves. Whatever your fitness level, it is a training where you can really start where you are now.’

She added: “I’m motivated to train in a way I haven’t done in years. I look forward to the challenging classes and feel stronger and more comfortable in my body when I do them. It’s different every time, I don’t think I’ve had the same lesson twice.’

The Morning Show has already received an early renewal for season four, and also stars Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson and Billy Crudup.

The Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice Award-winning drama follows the characters and culture behind a network-broadcast morning news program.

Teasing the third series, Jennifer told People: “It’s a good, juicy series. Everyone gets into trouble. Everyone has a secret. And everyone just walks along the line. This year it’s a lot more sensual.’

Apple TV+ shared this season three synopsis: “Season three questions the network’s future and pushes loyalties to the brink when a tech titan takes an interest in UBA.

Also in the Variety interview, Jennifer and Reese were asked if The Morning Show is camp.  Reese said, “Like Dynasty Campy?  I don't have a good perspective on that.  I think we're the wrong people to ask!  I love Dynasty

Also in the Variety interview, Jennifer and Reese were asked if The Morning Show is camp. Reese said, “Like Dynasty Campy? I don’t have a good perspective on that. I think we’re the wrong people to ask! I love Dynasty

“Unexpected alliances form, personal truths are weaponized and everyone is forced to confront their core values, both inside and outside the newsroom.”

Also in the Variety interview, Jennifer and Reese were asked if The Morning Show is camp.

Reese said, “Like Dynasty Campy? I don’t have a good perspective on that. I think we’re the wrong people to ask! I like Dynasty. I like powerful women in a nice outfit having a verbal argument.’

Jennifer added, “Give me something good Below Deck: Down Under. That’s all I can stomach sometimes!’

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When the clothes fly off, this intimacy coordinator steps in https://usmail24.com/intimacy-coordinator-sex-scenes-film-jessica-steinrock-html/ https://usmail24.com/intimacy-coordinator-sex-scenes-film-jessica-steinrock-html/#respond Fri, 12 May 2023 06:53:57 +0000 https://usmail24.com/intimacy-coordinator-sex-scenes-film-jessica-steinrock-html/

‘Transforming Spaces’ is a series about women driving change in sometimes unexpected places. It takes a lot of people to make a movie. You have the director for the overall image, the lighting maker, the decorators to add texture to the world of the movie, and the costume designers to imagine the looks of the […]

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‘Transforming Spaces’ is a series about women driving change in sometimes unexpected places.


It takes a lot of people to make a movie. You have the director for the overall image, the lighting maker, the decorators to add texture to the world of the movie, and the costume designers to imagine the looks of the actors.

What if those costumes come off and things start to get a little silly? That’s where Jessica Steinrock comes in.

Ms. Steinrock is an intimacy coordinator—or intimacy director, if she’s working on theater and live performance—that allows for the production of scenes involving nudity, simulated sex, or hyperexposure, which she describes as “something someone else wouldn’t discover in public, even if it’s not legal nudity.” Like a stunt coordinator or a fight director, she makes sure the actors are safe throughout the process and the scene looks believable.

The role has come to prominence over the past five years. As the entertainment industry reeled from the litany of abuses exposed by the #MeToo movement, many productions were eager to publicly demonstrate their commitment to safety. Hiring an intimacy coordinator was one way to do that.

“A lot of places were really excited about the possibility of this work and leading the way — showing that their company cared about their actors, cared about permission,” Ms. Steinrock said in a Zoom interview from her Chicago home.

Mrs. Steinrock — who has worked on projects including the critically acclaimed survival drama Showtime “Yellowjackets,” Netflix’s teen drama “Never Have I Ever,” and the Hulu miniseries “Little Fires Everywhere” — has been involved in intimacy coordination from the very beginning. The industry boomed thanks to the widely published work from the intimacy coordinator Alicia Rodis on the HBO show “The Deuce” in 2018. At the time, Ms. Steinrock, whose background is in improvisational comedy, was working toward a master’s degree in theater from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, focused on navigating the permission questions in that space.

“In the improv world, I was picked up or kissed or grabbed a lot, or jokes were made about me that I didn’t agree with,” she says. recalled in a TikTok video. “And I was really curious if there were ways to better navigate that.”

The problem was especially thorny in improvisation, which is based on a philosophy of accepting and building on whatever your scene partner gives you.

“You’ve been put in these uncomfortable or even harmful positions because the whole culture is ‘yes, and…’,” said Valleri Robinson, the head of the university’s theater department, who advised Ms. Steinrock on her master’s degree and Ph.D. . “It really started to come to the fore for her that this was a problematic way of making art.”

Mrs. Steinrock and Mrs. Rodis met through Mrs. Steinrock’s then boyfriend, now husband, who is a fight director. Ms. Rodis recognized a kindred spirit, with all the makings of a great intimacy coordinator, in Ms. Steinrock. She accompanied Mrs. Steinrock on her first appearance: a 40-person orgy on the TNT show “Claws.” “She was thrown into the lion’s den and she absolutely smashed it,” recalled Ms. Rhodes himself.

Ms. Steinrock quickly rose to become a leader in the fast-growing field, and she now spends much of her time educating people about it. In April 2022, she started her TikTok bill, which now has more than 700,000 followers. In her videos she criticizes ‘spicy’ scenes television shows (her current favourites include “Bridgerton”, “Sex Education” and “House of the Dragon”); collapses how such scenes are filmed; and answers common questions about her work, such as “What do you do when an actor gets an erection?” or “If two actors are in an offscreen relationship, do they still have to follow the same protocols?” She not only demystifies her job, but also involves people broader conversations about intimacy and consent.

The role of the intimacy coordinator can be a tricky balancing act between choreography and caregiving, and Ms. Steinrock brings to the work an academic foundation in feminist and performance theory coupled with innate social skills.

“She’s very patient,” says Karyn Kusama, a director and executive producer of the Showtime drama “Yellowjackets,” who worked with Ms. Steinrock on the show’s pilot. “She’s listening. She’s looking to the actor to take the lead in terms of… making them feel most cared for.

The “Yellowjackets” pilot features several intimate scenes, including one in which two high school students, played by Sophie Nélisse and Jack Depew, have sex in a car, and another in which a housewife, played by Melanie Lynskey, masturbates. It was essential that Ms. Steinrock was on set for those scenes, Ms. Kusama said.

As a director, Ms. Kusama said she has always felt a deep empathy with how vulnerable actors are in these scenes and she does everything she can to check in. But even when she asks a question, it can be difficult for an actor who feels uncomfortable to answer honestly knowing how much is at stake. As a neutral party, an intimacy coordinator is more likely to receive an honest answer.

“Societally, sex is very hard to talk about,” Ms. Steinrock said. Her role is to “create more communication paths,” she explained, so that the actors feel safe to discuss any issues, big or small, that may arise.

Not only does having an intimacy coordinator create a safer environment, Ms Kusama said, it also makes for better, sexier art.

“It requires you to take responsibility for your story with the actors, to really say yes, we are portraying sex and this is what it should mean – that is, it should mean something,” she said. “And conversely, I can say to an intimacy coordinator, ‘You know, it feels like I’m watching two people peck each other on the cheek, and there’s no warmth here.'”

This is where the choreography piece of Ms. Steinrock’s work comes in: She can offer ways to use breath or adjust positions to make a scene more suggestive.

In just five years, intimacy coordinators have become an essential part of the entertainment industry. HBO has required them for all their productions since 2019 (Ms. Rodis oversees their program). At the moment, Ms. Kusama said, it’s hard for her to imagine signing up for a project with intimate scenes without it.

The discipline’s explosive growth has led coordinators to create standards in real time, such as building the rails of a roller coaster as it rockets into the air. “We first need to define this role and agree on what it is,” Ms. Steinrock said. “That is step 1 of building a new profession. And then we have to define what being qualified for that role looks like.”

In 2020, Ms. Steinrock, Ms. Rodis and another intimacy director, Marie Percy, formed Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, with Mrs. Steinrock at the helm. She had never been CEO, but she taught herself on the job, quickly growing IDC into the leading training and accreditation organization in the field. The four-level program includes a mix of virtual and in-person classes. It is the only organization to offer certification in both intimacy coordination and directing, and it also hosts workshops for other artistic professionals, such as actors or directors, who want to integrate these practices into their work.

“Jessica created the accountability structures so we can say, ‘This is what our certification means. Here’s all the teaching behind it. Here’s the fair practices we have, and here’s the responsibility we have towards these artists,’” Ms. Rodis said.

Ms. Steinrock sees advocacy for these standards as an important part of IDC’s mission. She was part of a working group organized by the Screen Actors Guild to establish new safety standards for intimacy published in 2020; in 2022 the union launched a register of vetted intimacy coordinators and announced that it would happen creating a pathway to union membership for these professionals.

“Intimacy coordinators are not a panacea for an industry that has historically abused its actors — and, frankly, has historically abused most of the people in it,” Ms. Steinrock said. But integrating it into productions is a clear step that institutions can take, as part of a broader pursuit of security and justice.

On Ms. Steinrock’s part, that commitment includes working to diversify intimacy coordination. While it’s a rare female-led discipline in an industry dominated by men, it’s still predominantly white and straight—one of the pitfalls of a young profession that relies largely on word of mouth to grow.

Ultimately, the hope is that intimacy coordination becomes standard in the entertainment industry, and “that it helps us see each other and the role of sex in our lives differently, as something richer and with more possibilities,” Ms. Kusama said.

Ms. Robinson is delighted to see her former student bring these issues out. “She improves our vocabulary and gives us ways outside of the industry to tackle these topics that people find so difficult,” she said. And while much of that awareness has happened through TikTok, Ms. Robinson noticed that too Ms. Steinrock’s dissertation was downloaded over 700 times – another sign of how much interest there is in this area.

Inviting people to re-examine how sex works in the media they consume, Ms Steinrock said, could improve the way they approach sex in general.

“Media is the first experience of intimacy for so many people,” she said. “And when we care about how things are made, it starts conversations about how things work in other spaces, and I think that can have a huge impact on what people expect in their day-to-day lives.”

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