Magna Carta Film

I am Pauline and I have the chance to appear in my first film after years of being a working stage actress. But I knew that my husband Chris would have issues about me being nude and simulating wanking.

FINDING MY RIGHTS

I read the 4,000 word "Advice From Intimacy Coordinators For Actors Considering Nude Or Intimate Scenes".

In brief it said "We are not anti-nudity. Intimate content can create something of real beauty. But it's important you're aware of your rights and set your boundaries. Be it regarding nudity, simulated sex or touch, you must make a series of positive decisions. Intimacy coordinators make people give you respect. We interrupt the film world's power dynamics of directors having absolute powers of hiring you.

Overstepping your boundaries can cause long-term psychological and emotional damage. You must make informed decisions about roles that ask for nudity or intimacy.

We help you make those informed, empowered and autonomous decisions. For instance, we help you find out about the director's reputation and the tone of his or her work."

AWARENESS

My agent had been up front about the nude scenes. But it was in his interest for me to take the role. Not only did he get 10% of my fee but he might be able to say "Agent to Best Supporting Actress award winner." I was the one who would show her body off to the world.

Porn sites have a sections for "celebrity nudes". My body might be included merely for salacious effect. People who watch these clips aren't interested in plots and social commentary. Its tits, arse, blowjobs, ejaculations and so on.

My agent had made me aware that the film had a message. In principle, I had accepted that nude and intimate scenes were the best way to tell that story. It wasn't gratuitous. I was happy to give that nudity and sexual content in service of that storytelling.

MY NEW INSIGHT

What I hadn't appreciated was that I needed to continue to look how my nudity served the storytelling.

A person watching the monitors on my behalf can make sure that the cameras support the artistic endeavour and doesn't descend into pornography.

PORNOGRAPHY OR ART?

There is no absolute line between pornography and art.

The best example is the husband and wife scene in Don't Look Now. It involved Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland. I didn't realise it contained a depiction of cunnilingus, though I have seen the film 6 times.

Apparently and understandably, Julie Christie found the scene difficult to film. Her mind went blank and she just followed the director's shouted instructions.

The shots of the couple having sexual intercourse are intercut with scenes of the couple post-coitally getting dressed to go out to dinner. Apparently the intercutting techniquencame about through Roeg's attempt to accommodate the concerns of the American censors. If this is so, then the censors aided art.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

In the end, Roeg only cut nine frames from the sequence, and the film was awarded an R rating in the United States.

But the British censors judged the uncut version to be "tasteful and integral to the plot", and a scene in which Donald Sutherland's character can be clearly seen performing oral sex on Christie's character was permitted.

This shows how camera angles and editing can make things art or gratuitous porn.

NUDITY RIDERS

I had not heard of the term "nudity rider". It is part of an actors contract negotiated before he or she appears on set. For example, you may agree to show you're ok showing a breast but no nipple. You can say that the camera can only be on your naked body for four seconds. I had to do this for each intimate scene. The Intimacy Advisers can check in with the actor each day to see how they're feeling on the day about a scene.

I didn't realise that I can revoke my consent, even though I had previously agreed to it. For instance I may be suddenly triggered by something. I have the right to pull my consent. The production then has the right to hire a body double, provided I had given my previous consent for a body double.

Intimacy Advisers help to facilitate bringing an ally or peer at an audition or on The Intimacy Adviser, and my ally, will sit by the monitor and make sure everything on screen is exactly what I agreed to do.

IT APPEARS I HAVE BEEN IN A PORN FILM

An infamous example of a film being made which didn't meet the actors and actresses expectations was Caligula. A few weeks after filming had concluded, Guccione and Lui "hired a skeleton crew, snuck back into the studios at night, raided the prop room" and shot a number of hardcore sex scenes to be edited into the film. The new film contained hard core sex scenes.

Penthouse pets Anneka Di Lorenzo and Lori Wagner performed a lesbian scene together. There was also a part of a scene where actual sperm is seen being expelled into a cup from the penis of a well endowed man.

One of the stars of the film, Sir John Gielgud, was asked what he thought about Caligula. He said "It appears I have been in my first ever porn film."

From what I gathered nowadays it is unlikely that this could happen.

GENITAL CONTACT

I wasn't aware that genital on genital contact is never allowed. There are various modesty garments to make sure that never happens. They even have prosthetic penises if a scene calls for an erect penis. There are ways to choreograph simulated sexual intercourse to make it "real" for an audience.

They dealt with student, indie films with smaller budget films. But that didn't apply so i speed read it.

THE KEY FACTORS

In summary the 6 key factors are

Appropriate notice of nudity and simulated sex required from a role and audition process;

An opportunity to provide meaningful, written consent free of pressure or coercion;

Written riders that outline the parameters of nudity or simulated sex; and

Safe and secure working conditions that are not detrimental to their health, safety, morals and career.

There are suitable harassment protections including mechanisms for reporting inappropriate conduct.

No footage or still photography of a performer in the nude may be used for promotional material unless they have provided prior written consent. C

Not being an expert it seemed that they had all the bases covered.

HOW IT WOULD AFFECT CHRIS.

I had assumed, wrongly, that I would do whatever the director required of me. Now I knew that was false. I had to provide a shopping list of what parts of me that could be shown. It wasn't either accept the part or not. It was all up for negotiation. That meant that Chris was more likely to accept me being nude, say for 4 seconds.

I decided that now was the time to broach the subject with my husband.

My plan of action was to get Chris to agree that the film was artistically valid. That was not a problem. He agreed that my part might even get me an Oscar.

MARITAL AGREEMENT

But he was concerned that, in the course of auditions and production, the subject matter night trigger him and or me. I assured him that there were procedures for me to withdraw consent. My Intimacy Adviser would enforce my choice to withdraw consent.

For the key intimate scenes my husband would be on set and see the monitors. He could signal my Intimacy Adviser to intervene. Chris was happier that I intended to hire an Intimacy Adviser. We agreed that it should be a lady. We also agreed that we should appoint her together.

I can't claim that he was 100% convinced. But he loved me and wanted what was best for me. He agreed that I should attend the first audition. He reasoned that the director might want to employ another actress. We both knew that I would easily get the approval to go to stage 2. That would be a head to head competition between me and perhaps 3 other actresses. Again the audition would be fully clothed. Chris and I agreed that he should be at this audition, but be alongside our choice of Intimacy Adviser.

THE FIRST AUDITION

The first audition was a simple read through of the scenes I would be involved in. Then I would have to act out a specific scene fully clothed. Although it didn't involve nudity Chris and I agreed that he should attend my first audition. It gave him a chance to see the director. After all the director would be the main man who would see me naked and get me to simulate sex acts.

We agreed that once I got past this stage, we would try searching for an Intimacy Adviser.

All seemed set but I hadn't factored in the psychological problems that it would cause both of us. In due course we would have need to involve a couple counsellor.