Intimacy on Set Ft. Intimacy Coordinator Ita O’Brien

We’re diving into one of my all-time dream jobs: Intimacy Coordination in film, TV and stage. Niki and I adore shows that push boundaries in themes and ideas – but we are 100% against pushing anyone’s healthy personal boundaries to get there!

I was ecstatic to speak with Ita O’Brien, the woman who pioneered intimacy coordination! Despite being a vital part of the film industry, it’s still a relatively new field! Ita has worked on shows such as Sex Education and Normal People. We chat to Ita about the Intimacy on Set guidelines, setting boundaries, and how sometimes if you want something done, you just have to do it yourself.

.

210315 Ita O'Brien IMAGE-min

Ita O’Brien is an Intimacy Coordinator and Movement Director for film, television, and theatre. Since 2014, Ita O’Brien has been developing best practice when working with intimacy, scenes with sexual content, and nudity in film, TV, and theatre – the ‘Intimacy on Set’ guidelines. Ita pioneered the role of Intimacy Coordinator, which is gaining adoption in leading production houses, including HBO, Netflix, and the BBC. Ita’s work has been featured widely in the media, including The Guardian, The New York Times, The Telegraph, The Irish Times, Cosmopolitan, The Evening Standard, The Stage, The Sunday Times, BBC, NBC, Radio New Zealand, ABC, and RTE.

 

Resources and Links

  • Ita’s website
  • Intimacy on Set

Season Three of Bad Behavior is sponsored by