Since 2014, O'Brien has been developing best practices when working with intimate moments, scenes with sexual content, and nudity in film, TV, and theatre. 'Of course it's going to be pretend, that's what we're in the business of, and so there's techniques in order to teach you so that it's done safely, but believable and exciting,' O'Brien told moderator, actor and director Madeleine Sims-Fewer. O'Brien said intimate scenes have the potential to create a deeper understanding of the film's characters and 'enrich storytelling' when they involve more than just the physicality of the moment.
'The day on set is the tip of the iceberg, and actually what makes the day on set go well is all that preparation,' O'Brien said during a virtual talk over the weekend during the Toronto International Film Festival's Bell Digital Talks program. Intimacy co-ordinator Ita O'Brien, who is known for her work in series featuring powerful sexual content such as 'I May Destroy You,' 'Sex Education' and 'Normal People,' says the key to a believable sex scene is preparation and ensuring the actors involved feel safe on set.
