In Johannesburg's fast-paced film industry, intimacy work is still carving out its place. For Mpolokeng, the role of intimacy coordinator emerged naturally from a background in theatre and a longstanding commitment to storytelling, care, and truth-telling. She speaks to Loren Loubser with a mix of candour and generosity, weaving stories from early...
Safeguarding children and young people on set is integral to ethical filmmaking. Safe Sets is launching its Young Performer Support Specialist (YPS) course. A YPS is an on-set professional focusing specifically on diffusing traumatic, difficult, sensitive and possibly harmful content for minor actors through imaginative play, acting coaching and...
Authentic, Open, Fun: Loren Loubser on the Craft of Intimacy Coordination. On South African film sets, the presence of an intimacy coordinator is still relatively new. The role is often misunderstood—sometimes seen as a box-ticking exercise, sometimes feared as an intrusion into the director's vision. Loren pushes back against that. An actor,...
On set, Samantha Murray's job is part science experiment, part tightrope act.
As an intimacy coordinator, she works in the space between safety and risk – where trust can turn choreography into something that feels like magic.
Maude Sandham on intimacy, improvisation, and making space on South African sets
The intimacy coordinator is usually a department of one. In Johannesburg, where productions move at breakneck speed and budgets stretch thin, that can mean juggling fire-fighting with cappuccino breaks, choreography with quiet resistance. For Maude Sandham, one of South...
Katie Groves on Safe Character Work and Mental Health in Performance
Intimacy coordinator and newly trained mental health coordinator Katie Groves talks about why personal trauma shouldn't be a prerequisite for emotional truth, the small sensory tools that keep actors grounded, and how connection—not isolation—is the secret to great performances.
De-Roling The act of being able to step away from your character and return to self.
As an actor taking care of your mental health is vital for a long and healthy career in an industry that is emotionally draining, financially unstable, judgemental, superficial and generally precarious.
Is an intimacy coordinator a legal requirement? Is an intimacy coordinator part of the creative team? Does an intimacy coordinator direct or choreograph intimate scenes? Should an intimacy coordinator just monitor for safety? Does the intimacy coordinator work directly with the actors?
