Directors UK, the professional association for screen directors, has today launched its Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex guidelines, the first of their kind in the UK.
The new Directors UK guidelines are born of the need to set clear and shared professional expectations that apply to everyone involved in making sensitive content, with the aim that they will become standard working practice within the industry.
The Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex guidance provides best practice for directors working with producers, writers, performers, casting directors, wardrobe and makeup, agents and intimacy coordinators. It covers rehearsal techniques, directing scenes of sexual violence, planning shots so they adhere to individual contract clauses, and finding creative solutions to challenges that occur on set.
Susanna White, Directors UK Film Committee Chair and a BAFTA-winning director whose work includes Generation Kill, Parade’s End and Bleak House, said: “The director, as the creative lead on a production, should set the tone for a professional and respectful on-set environment. We are all here because we want to tell compelling and impactful stories, and no member of a cast or crew should ever be put in a position where they feel unsafe, exploited or mismanaged — especially when making sensitive material. Throughout my career, I have seen how vitally important it is to know how to approach sensitive content with professionalism. The guidelines created by Directors UK set the standard for directing intimate scenes, and will help to foster a safe working environment for everyone on a film or television set.”
The guidelines were produced in consultation with Directors UK member directors, industry bodies and with professionals from across the disciplines to ensure standardised best practice throughout the industry. The guidance is supported by BAFTA, BFI, the Casting Directors’ Guild, Equity and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain as well as industry advocacy group TIME’S UP UK.
Directors UK Campaigns and Engagement Manager Natasha Moore added: “We created these guidelines to encourage directors to think twice about the environment they create in auditions and on set. Directors can use their influence to nurture a safe working environment for all, and this is keenly felt when rehearsing and filming vulnerable and sensitive scenes. The guidelines equip everyone with everything they need to do their job without concern, and it is in this spirit of collaboration that we can all make our best work.”
The Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex guidelines are available for download on the Directors UK website.
More information can be found at directors.uk.com/campaigns/directing-nudity-and-simulated-sex.
Staff Reporter
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