UK Directors’ Body Launches Nudity & Simulated Sex Production Guidelines

Tom Grater

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Directors UK, the association for filmmakers, has launched a series of ‘Directing Nudity & Simulated Sex’ guidelines backed by leading bodies including BAFTA and the BFI.

The move comes one day after Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke told a podcast hosted by the actor Dax Shepherd that she would “cry in the bathroom” before certain scenes on the HBO show that required nudity, though she also added that it would sometimes happen “whether there was nudity or not.”

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The Directors UK document, which is the country’s first to provide on-set best practice guidelines specifically relating to nudity and sex scenes, 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.”

The organization said in a statement that it was “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 guidelines were produced in consolation with members of Directors UK and various industry bodies including BAFTA, the BFI, the Casting Directors’ Guild, Equity and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain as well as industry advocacy groups ERA 50:50 and Time’s Up UK.

“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,” said Directors UK Film Committee Chair and a BAFTA-winning director Susanna White.

“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,” White added.

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