INTIMACY COORDINATOR
ABOUT
Karuna Tanahashi is an intimacy coordinator who is currently completing her training with the Intimacy Professionals Association - one of the first organizations to receive SAG-AFTRA accreditation for their intimacy coordinator certification program. She has 20 years of experience working in film. Originally an actor, Karuna decided to expand her skill set with the intention of empowering herself as a storyteller. She has worn many hats, including director, producer, DP, writer, AC, gaffer, and set stills photographer. Her experience spans a wide range of genres - including comedies, dramas, documentaries, tutorials, and music videos. Whatever the project may be, her end goal is listen, collaborate, and support the needs of each individual production.
Storytelling is at the heart of Karuna’s work as an intimacy coordinator. Intimacy work is the most unique form of storytelling she has encountered thus far. On one level, intimacy work is about storytelling through body language. At the same time, the work examines the storytelling process through a longer lens. What stories are being told? Whose creative voices have the privilege of heard? Are the stories of underrepresented people being told respectfully and accurately? How is identity being discussed and portrayed? Is communication happening behind the scenes, and not just between the characters on screen? How can we protect actors during moments of exposure, intimacy, and vulnerability?
WHY WORK WITH ME?
Karuna is deeply committed to the comprehensive, multi-layered, wholistic process that intimacy coordination requires. She sees intimacy work as a revelation and a revolution. IC’s are at the helm of a great paradigm shift in the world of film and television. As an actor, she knows firsthand how physically and emotionally demanding it can be, especially when filming scenes that involve intimacy and vulnerability. She recognizes the trauma they could potentially face when scenes of this nature are not executed properly. As an IC, she strives to create an environment of safety, communication, and consent. Her mission is one of advocacy and compassionate collaboration.
As a mixed race woman raised in a Buddhist family, Karuna brings her life experience, as well as her experience as a filmmaker, to the table. Mindfulness and Somatic Experience Therapy have played a huge role in her personal journey. It is an honor and a privilege to integrate these modalities into the film industry, in order to ensure actors receive the proper care. She is beyond excited to be a part of a movement where directors can tell powerful stories and performers can step into challenging roles and scenes, and no harm is done in the process.
KARUNA TANAHASHI
INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Karuna Tanahashi (she/her) is a Los Angeles based intimacy coordinator. She calls upon two decades of experience on both sides of the camera, as well as a lifetime of personal work in mindfulness, movement, and the body-mind connection. Her ultimate goal is to collaborate in service of telling stories that are diverse, trauma-informed, and provide a safe space for performers while helping the director realize their creative vision.
WHAT IS AN IC AND WHY WORK WITH ONE?
An intimacy coordinator is a crew member who advocates for actors during moments of intimacy, nudity, and simultaneous sex while helping the director realize their creative vision. They are a neutral party that operates outside the power dynamics between the actors, director, and producers. They are present on set, as well as in the preparation process, to facilitate communication between the actors and the director and make sure that the production is compliant with union regulations, protocols, and laws. They are there to set a professional tone for actors and crew during scenes involving intimacy, maintain boundaries and consent with performers, and choreograph scenes of sex and intimacy upon the director’s request.
If a production has scenes of nudity or simulated sex, sexual violence, or kissing between minors, an IC is required to be on set. An IC is also recommended for kissing scenes between 2 adults, kink or BDSM, familial affection, or scenes involving sex toys. Having someone who can use the proper terminology and take the shame out of sensitive topics will help create a positive, professional work environment for the cast as well as the crew. Their purpose is also to ensure an atmosphere of inclusivity and safety by reporting sexual harassment, being mindful of how we discuss race, and honoring people’s sexual orientations and pronouns.
Working with an IC has many benefits. They protect actors from physical and emotional harm by having conversations and helping them regulate their nervous systems through the creative process. They offer support to the director. They help the filming of scenes involving intimacy run smoothly and efficiently. They protect studios from potential lawsuits. They are also trained to choreograph intimate scenes in a way that looks realistic, reads well on camera, and is unified with the characters and the greater arc of the story.
