Thursday, May 14, 2020

How Normal People Pulled Off Its Sex Scenes

It takes a lot of time, effort, and trust to design a successful sex scene—particularly in a post-#MeToo-era Hollywood. That’s where intimacy coordinators come in. These consultants work with actors, directors, and crew members to ensure that everyone involved in a production’s intimate encounter feels comfortable and safe, from the rehearsal process all the way until the final scene is shot. “I always say my work on set is the tip of the iceberg,” Normal People intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien tells contributor Abigail Glasgow in a revealing interview. “There’s agreement and consent of touch. We’ll check it out and go, ‘Are you happy to kiss today? Are you happy to kiss today?’ We’ll [start] with a peck so that they get that lip-to-lip contact. Someone said [to me once], ‘Do you teach people how long they’re going to kiss?’ No, it’s how they kiss, which comes from what their kiss is about.”
Elsewhere in HWD, Sonia Saraiya debuts a first look at the long-awaited third season of Search Party; Anthony Breznican examines Unhinged, the Russell Crowe film that wants to welcome moviegoers back to theaters this summer; Christopher Rosen parses Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt special for Easter eggs; and Josh Trank opens up to Julie Miller about the dark years that led him to make Capone.