Sex and Consent with Film & TV Intimacy Coordinator Jessica Steinrock

As part of our For the Love of Sex series, we are talking to a Hollywood intimacy coordinator about the nitty gritty of consent, the emerging role of intimacy coordinators in Hollywood, and the future of creating consent culture on film and TV sets. There are ripple effects into the wider culture at large that happen when we prioritize safety and consent.

A viral content creator on TikTok and CEO of her own company, Jessica Steinrock is helping change the way we understand consent on TV & film sets. Our favorite quote of hers is ‘’‘Yes’ means nothing unless ‘No’ is an option.”

In this episode, Jessica and Jen discuss:

• The historical context of consent in film and TV
• How intimacy coordinators cultivate consent
• Jessica’s definition of consent
• The power of pairing media literacy and sex education

With her own company, Jessica is providing a framework for how we can experience consent in a variety of workplaces and helping change the way an entire industry approaches consent.

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Thought-Provoking Quotes

"When actors have a sense of what's going to happen to their bodies, they know the arc of the scene. They have a time to think about how their character would want or move in those positions. They then layer on their acting onto this movement scaffold. And we create a better story. Because when actors are safe, they do their best work." - Jessica Steinrock

"I love steamy scenes. I love spicy scenes. I am a romantic connoisseur in my media. I love it all. And I think what makes me love it though is knowing that these actors are safe while doing that, these actors are excited to tell those stories. That they weren't coerced into doing it because they think it's going to give them their break." - Jessica Steinrock

“[intimacy coordination] is a relatively new field and a rare field where women are the majority. What we need to see is a more diverse pool of intimacy coordinators. So, that we have more of those voices impacting and supporting women of color, black trans women, actors who have historically marginalized characteristics.” - Jessica Steinrock

Jessica’s Links

Jessica's Instagram - @intimacy_coordinator_

Jessica's TikTok - @intimacycoordinator

Books & Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Intimacy Directors and Coordinators Website

SAG-ATRA Intimacy Coordinator Resources

Connect with Jen! Jen’s Website

Jen’s Instagram

Jen’s Twitter

Jen’s Facebook

Jen’s YouTube