intimacy:coordinator
A professional intimate scene begins with a good setup – not only cameras, lighting, and blocking, but above all relationships, communication, and creative awareness.
The INTIMACY SETUP workshop is a practical guide for directors and cinematographers who want to create intimate scenes with respect, safety and a full understanding of film language for everyone on set.
Facilitators: INTIMACY DUO – Kaja Wesołek-Podziemska, Marta A. Zygadło
Duration – workshop: 3 days x 6 hours (clock hour – 60 minutes)
Workshop objective:
The aim of the workshop is to equip directors and cinematographers with practical tools for planning, directing and shooting intimate scenes in a professional, safe and artistically conscious manner – respecting the boundaries of actors, the principles of consent and cooperation with the intimate scenes coordinator.
You will learn:
• what an intimate scene is
• what the language of communication about intimate scenes is
• how to build proper communication with the team and actors
• how to manage your creative process
• how to build safety in discomfort
• what choreography tools are used in the realisation of intimate scenes
• what the process of coordinating intimate scenes is and how to work with an intimate scene coordinator
• how to plan shots while respecting the boundaries of actors
• how to translate emotional tension into images – without crossing boundaries.
Artistic vision + empathy + technique = a professional setup for every scene.
After completing the workshop, participants will acquire the following skills:
1. Conscious planning of intimate scenes
– creating concepts and visual language while considering the boundaries of actors and safety requirements.
2. Effective collaboration with the intimate scene coordinator
– understanding their role, processes and tools, and how to best integrate them into the creative team.
3. Communication with actors in the context of sensitive scenes
– conducting conversations about consent, setting boundaries and needs without pressure.
4. Practical directing and cinematography tools
– framing, camera placement and blocking techniques that support the narrative without exploitation.
5. Recognising and avoiding risks on set
– in the context of intimacy, emotions, hierarchy and responsibility.
6. Building a safe creative atmosphere
– in which all team members can act with respect, openness and awareness of boundaries.
:staffmarta:zygadło
Marta Zygadło is a certified intimacy coordinator, accredited by Safe Sets. Previously, she worked as an actress and second director on dozens of film productions. She became familiar with the specifics of filming intimate scenes by working on both sides of the camera.
Over more than 20 years in film production, she has gained an understanding that everything is a process that can be planned step by step, allowing time and space for bold experimentation to find tools and solutions that support achieving creative goals.
One of these tools is effective communication, which opens us to others and collaboration, building what is known as “chemistry” and the most satisfying state of flow in work. Her aim is to provide artists with the conditions for safe and creative performance.
Read on...
:staffkaja:wesołek-podziemska
Kaja Wesołek-Podziemska is a certified intimacy coordinator, accredited by the IPA (Intimacy Professionals Association) and Safe Sets. Two passions led her to this profession.
The first is dance and acting: as a child, Kaja performed in contemporary dance theatre, and as a student, she appeared at the National Theatre in Warsaw in the play Cinderella (Kopciuch), directed by Will Pomerantz. The second passion is psychology, which she studied at the University of Warsaw and later deepened through a cognitive-behavioural therapy school.
Alongside her work as a therapist, she consulted on castings for feature films and assisted children in performing emotionally challenging scenes. Kaja joined the team of the series Sexify, the first show in Poland to formally employ intimacy coordinators. She hopes that soon all intimate scenes will be created with respect for everyone involved and become an integral part of the creative process.
: locationłódź:film:school
The Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź, established in 1948, is one of the oldest and most prestigious film schools in Poland and the world. Every year, it ranks among the top film schools in the world according to The Hollywood Reporter. The School educates directors, cinematographers, animators, lighting and vision specialists, photographers, editors, screenwriters, producers, and actors. Students acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge and create their own original films in digital and analog formats on 35mm film, under the artistic supervision of distinguished lecturers.
Each year, nearly 300 film projects are produced at the Łódź Film School, making it the largest film production centre in Poland. Student films are presented at over 300 international film festivals annually, earning numerous awards and distinctions. The School also organizes two major festivals every year: the National Festival of Theatre Schools in Łódź, showcasing the best graduation performances, and Łodzią po Wiśle in Warsaw – the Student Film Festival.
Both Polish and international students learn from successful alumni who return as lecturers, creating a unique and enduring master–student tradition, resulting in outstanding artistic achievements.
Among our alumni are world-renowned filmmakers such as Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polański, Jerzy Skolimowski, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Małgorzata Szumowska, Jan Komasa, Magnus von Horn, Jerzy Wójcik, Adam Holender, Witold and Piotr Sobociński, Sławomir Idziak, Ryszard Lenczewski, Dariusz Wolski, Hoyte van Hoytema, Paweł Edelman, Jolanta Dylewska, and Łukasz Żal – laureates of Oscars, BAFTAs, and awards at Cannes, Berlin, and Venice.
Additional information:
The Łódź Film School places a strong emphasis on practical, hands-on learning, providing full professional support for the production of student films. We believe that true filmmaking skills, experience, and independence can only be developed on a real film set.
Students have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including digital cameras, lighting, and sound technology. Our soundstages, editing rooms, and postproduction studios are designed for everyday workshop use. Experienced cinematographers and sound engineers assist students in producing their first short films.
What truly sets the Łódź Film School apart is the opportunity to work with traditional 35mm film stock. The school provides professional film cameras, editing tables, and numerous practical exercises to help each student bring ambitious ideas to life and develop their artistic potential.
The Film Production Department manages and organizes the production of approximately 300 student projects per year, including fiction and documentary films, cinematography exercises, animated films, television productions, and class workshops. Each project is supported by departments specializing in camera, sound, editing, and set design, accompanying the process from shooting to final copies.
We continuously update our facilities and equipment to keep pace with modern film technology, purchasing new gear each year and upgrading studios and soundstages so that our students can experience the realities of professional film production.
The Łódź Film School offers programs across four faculties:
Faculty of Film and Television Directing
Faculty of Cinematography and Television Production
Faculty of Acting
Faculty of Film Art Organization
Fields of study and specializations include: Film and television directing, screenwriting, cinematography, acting, animation and
visual effects, film editing, photography, and film and television production management.
