Marci Liroff is an Intimacy Coordinator working in Los Angeles, California

MAKING FILM AND TELEVISION A SAFE PLACE FOR ACTORS

Photo by MIA HARVEY

What is an Intimacy Coordinator?

The Intimacy Coordinator (IC) collaborates with the production team and the actor to craft intimate scenes of simulated sex and nudity.

An Intimacy Coordinator acts as a choreographer, an advocate for actors, and a liaison between actors and production for scenes that involve nudity/hyper-exposed work, simulated sex acts, and intimate physical contact⁠.⁠

It is the job of the IC to make sure that the actor is safe in all scenes and has clearly given enthusiastic consent.

• As an advocate for the actor (and often the entire cast and crew for an intimate scene) we assist the creatives to mitigate the power dynamic that sometimes appears on set. We add an extra layer of safety and communication for cast and crew.

• We collaborate with the actor and production on descriptive language for nudity riders.

• We ensure a closed set by SAG-AFTRA standards assuring that only essential personnel are on set and watching the monitors.

• We work with the director as a choreographer or movement coach for the scene, if needed.

• Throughout the shooting of the scene, we can assist the actor with modesty garments, barriers and prosthetics.

• We check-in with the actor throughout the scene to make sure that they are comfortable and feeling safe.

• Working along with the director, we assure that the scene looks realistic and tells their story.

  Scroll down to find out more about Marci.

  
  

Liroff is one of a small group of Intimacy Coordinators who are recognized by Sag/Aftra as meeting the requirements of work experience (minimum 60 days) and training requirements. Click here for the list.

Liroff spoke to Variety about a controversial scene in “The Idol”. Click here for the story .

Interview with Muher no Cinema’s Luisa Pécora

About:

There are too many stories about actors feeling violated and being highly vulnerable on set. Marci Liroff (she/her) wants to help create a safe space for actors to do their best work.

From her decades of experience in audition rooms as a casting director and on set as a producer and acting coach, Liroff has seen firsthand how this industry can treat actors. With the #MeToo movement and #TimesUp movement, Intimacy Coordination has been created to ensure that the actors, filmmakers and crew are kept informed, educated, and safe during scenes of intimacy and nudity.

Her years of work in film and television production, along with her communication skills and keen eye, make Liroff a perfect in the world of Intimacy Coordination.

Liroff has completed an extensive training course with the premier Intimacy Coordinator, Amanda Blumenthal of Intimacy Professionals Association (IPA) and is a Certified Intimacy Coordinator.

Control Freak - Indie film - Hulu - Kentucky

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story - Netflix - Los Angeles

The Host - Indie Film - Los Angeles

Double Exposure - Indie Film - Los Angeles

Mafia Spies - docu-series - Paramount+ - Los Angeles

Choose You - short film - Los Angeles

Bosch: Legacy - series - (episode #203 “Inside Man”, episode #205 “Hollywood Forever”) - Los Angeles

General Hospital - covering IC - Los Angeles

Sugar (starring Colin Farrell) (series - 6 episodes) Apple TV + - Los Angeles

Hightown (Season 3 - 7 episodes) for STARZ/Lionsgate - Wilmington, N. Carolina

Love Me Forever - indie film - Los Angeles

Kate’s Story - short film - Los Angeles

This Is Us - series (Episode 602 “Yellow Brick Road” )- NBC - Los Angeles

Coercion - pilot - Showtime - Los Angeles

Hightown (Season 2 - 10 episodes) for STARZ/Lionsgate - Wilmington, N. Carolina

From Scratch (Episode 104 - Bitter Almonds) for Netflix - Covering IC - Los Angeles

The Virgin of Highland Park - feature film - Los Angeles

Figure 8 - web series - Los Angeles

Liaison - short - Los Angeles

Fallout - Feature Film - Los Angeles

As part of her training, Liroff has shadowed Blumenthal on The L-Word (Generation Q) Season 1

Additional Training and Continued Education:

• Disability and Intimacy by Emily Goodson

• Working With Minors by Chantal Cousineau

• Introduction to Kink and BDSM by Heath Pennington

• Kiss and Masking Choreography by Rachel Flesher

• Intro To Trauma-Informed Practices for Artists by Mae Early

• Intro to Kink and BDSM for Film and Television by Dr. Timaree Schmit

• “Disentangling Gender, Sex and Sexuality,” “Let’s Talk About Transition,” and “Moving Beyond Heteronormativity” by Terra Anderson of Embody Emerge.

• Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis for Stage and Screen from National Society of Intimacy Professionals

• Sexuality and Pleasure in Performance from National Society of Intimacy Professionals

• Anti Racism Training from IC Amanda Blumenthal of Intimacy Professionals Association

• Sexuality: Core Erotic Themes from IC Amanda Blumenthal of Intimacy Professionals Association

• Intimacy Movement and Choreography workshop from IC Rachel Flesher

Background

A veteran Casting Director, Liroff has been casting film and television for the last 40+ years. Her extensive credits span more than 50 films.

While working at the renowned office of Fenton-Feinberg Casting she, along with Mike Fenton, cast such films as Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story and Porky’s; the Academy Award-nominated film Poltergeist; Steven Spielberg’s E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.

After establishing her own casting company in 1983, MARCI LIROFF CASTING, Liroff cast many successful films including Footloose, St. Elmo’s fire, Pretty in Pink, The Iron Giant, The Spitfire Grill (which she produced as well), Untamed Heart, Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, Insomnia, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and Vampire Academy. For the feature film, Magic Camp for Disney +, Liroff teamed up with director Mark Waters for the 8th time.

For the last 12 years, Liroff has been coaching and teaching actors to prepare for upcoming auditions and jobs. A small selection of clients past and present: Dave Franco, Rosie Perez, Margaret Qualley, and Andie MacDowall.

As an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, Liroff has supported the national group GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) which works to ensure that LGBTQIA+ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Liroff has coached their student ambassadors along with the president of the organization, Eliza Byard, for their yearly GLSEN event.

Affiliations:

Intimacy Professionals Association

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences

Casting Society of America (served on the executive board)

Hollywood Teamsters 399

Liroff is fully vaccinated along with the booster vaccinations as of June 2023.

Scroll down to find out why you need an Intimacy Coordinator on your project.

Photo by DAINIS GRAVERIS on sexualalpha

Why do you need an Intimacy Coordinator on your set?

When a production executes a stunt, it hires a stunt coordinator who makes sure that every member of the crew remains safe, is educated and has given consent to the stunt at hand. This requires interviews with the production team to determine exactly what is called for in the scene down to the smallest detail. It also requires extensive choreography, planning, and safety meetings.

When an intimate scene is called for, the actors are often left to their own devices to map out how the scene should go. There is a high risk of blurred lines and abuse in a workplace where workers are required to kiss and simulate sex. To combat this, it’s becoming best practice to hire intimacy coordinators.

Now, with the introduction of the Intimacy Coordinator, the same thoughtful attention to detail can be given to create a safe environment for the actors involved in the scene as well to ensure that the vision of the director is met, thereby saving the production time and money.

In pre-production, the IC meets with the production team to determine what is specifically called for in the scene, and how best to tell the story to keep the creative vision and to keep the actors safe. After meeting with the director to determine their needs, we meet with the actors one-on-one to discuss ideas for the scene. During this time we confirm what areas of their body - in line with their nudity rider - they are comfortable revealing. In addition, we discuss consent for potential choreography for intimate scenes.

We then ensure that the actors and the production team are on the same page about the intimate scene at hand. We make sure that the nudity riders reflect the actors’ boundaries, and we facilitate getting them signed.

These detailed meetings ahead of the shooting day keep everyone up-to-speed on what is expected on the day so that precious time (and money) is not wasted.