Nicole Perry demonstrates the side the pelvis to actors Marlo Rodriguez and Denzel McCausland, while Assistant Director Kunya Rowley looks on. Photo by Ryan Arnst for New City Players’ production of Lungs. October 2021.
An Intimacy Professional, whether an Intimacy Director (for live performances like theatre) or Intimacy Coordinator (for recorded performances like film) is a growing role in the entertainment industry!
Learn more about the path below.
Intimacy Professional FAQs
What is the difference between an Intimacy Director, Intimacy Coordinator, Intimacy Choreographer, and Intimacy Professional?
ANSWER: An Intimacy Director is for LIVE performance: theatre, dance, opera, etc.
An Intimacy Coordinator is for RECORDED performance: film, tv, etc.
Intimacy Choreographer and Intimacy Professionals can be either/or, both/and.
I usually ask the company I am working for to match titles. For example if they have a Fight Director, then I am an Intimacy Director.
2. Do I have to be certified to be an Intimacy Professional?
ANSWER: Certification is one way to show the training an Intimacy Professional has received. It is not the only way to become an Intimacy Professional. However, you do need training in: movement, power dynamics, consent, trauma, and in your specific medium. Check out this list of required training for SAG-accredited Intimacy Coordinators (of which I am one) that we have at FLIP.
I choose certification as a way to honor myself for the time and money that I put into training to be an Intimacy Choreographer. I am a certified Intimacy Director and Intimacy Coordinator. I am a certified Intimacy Director and certified Intimacy Coordinator with IPEC, but I have done trainings with IDC, IDI, IPA, TIE, and Intimacy Stage and Screen (UK).
Currently, IDC, IPA and IPEC offer certifications. See other training organizations here.
A side note (because this actually has come up…): being involved as an actor in a scene of intimacy, or observing an intimacy director working with other actors does NOT constitute training as an Intimacy Professional.
3. How long does it take to get certified?
This depends a bit on your background and experience, and the program you choose. But consider this like a Master’s degree- it’s advanced training. So plan on a year to three years of study.
4. How much does Intimacy Coordinator training cost?
Again, this depends a bit on what you bring into it and where you are training, and also where you are located and if you need to travel for in-person training. But again, think advanced degree, and plan on $5k-15k for your training.
At IPEC, we are committed to accessible training for Intimacy Professionals, and offer our program on a sliding scale.
5. How much does an Intimacy Director / Intimacy Coordinator make?
The answer, like almost everything in this industry is— it depends!
Working on a SAG production is different than working on a student film. Working for an established regional theatre is different than working at a new theatre company. Working with a small modern dance company is different than working with a long-established, well-endowed ballet company.
A few guidelines you can keep in mind:
For live performance (theatre, opera, concert dance), an Intimacy Director should be paid what they pay your Fight Director, Music Director, and/or Dance Choreographer.
I, and other members of the Florida Intimacy Professionals Collective use the SDC tiers as a reference point for live work.
For film, an Intimacy Coordinator should be paid comparably to your Stunt Coordinator and/or other Department Heads.
For SAG productions, these minimum rates are set.
For live performance (theatre, opera, concert dance), prep work is built into my rate. You are paying not only for me to be in the rehearsal room, but for me to have read, researched, conversed, shopped, and/or designed all of the things necessary for my work that day.
For film, prep work is billed as a separate day, as is industry standard.
I have a lot of free information on intimacy choreography in my blog and on this site. If you have questions beyond this, please book me for a consultation or request me for your welcome call at IPEC!
6. Can I shadow/assist you? Can someone on our set/in our company train with you?
That is certainly possible (but not very likely for SAG productions)! However, I do have some requirements for those wishing to assist or shadow:
Have completed IDC Levels 1 and 2 Foundations or the Accelerator Program, IPEC Modules 1, 2, and 3, and/or TIE Best Practices and Intimacy Choreography or Intimacy Coordination (whichever fits the media we are working in) workshops, or a similar configuration of trainings from other organizations.
Be certified in Mental Health First Aid and/or have significant Trauma-Informed Practices training.
Not be in a position of power in the set or rehearsal room (ie the director, producer, etc) we will be working in together.
Be willing to enroll in mentorship and/or lab hours with IPEC for your shadowing/assisting time.