1st Edition
A Best Practice Guide to Sex and Storytelling Filming Scenes with Sex and Nudity
A great deal of storytelling in film and television involves narratives that include sexual situations and nudity. The increased amount of on-line and streaming content outlets has in turn increased the number of narratives that involve these once-taboo subjects. Often, even though directors and producers desire to handle such issues with professionalism, sets become awkward when producing these scenes. A Best Practice Guide to Sex and Storytelling serves as a helpful tool for guiding creators through these waters.
Even as the practice has become more common, the environments in which individuals on both sides of the camera work to create sensitive content have not become any more comfortable. To date, there have been no industry guides and little practical instruction on how to approach such important yet delicate scenes. Sex and Storytelling offers theoretical and practical approaches to creating the most effective content, while honoring the dignity and humanity of everyone involved on-set when sexuality and nudity is a part of the story being told.
Drawing on John Bucher’s professional experience in both high- and low-budget environments and including interviews with players from both sides of the camera, this book provides an essential guide to handling sex and nudity for film and television in a professional manner.
PREFACE: A New Era
INTRODUCTION: An Overview of How to Use This Guide
CHAPTER ONE: A Brief History of Sexuality and Nudity in Film and Television
PART I: NAVIGATING NUDITY AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS
CHAPTER TWO: Sexual Situations
CHAPTER THREE: Nudity
PART II: A GUIDE FOR PRODUCTION DEPARTMENTS & POSITIONS
CHAPTER FOUR: Directing Sexuality and Nudity
CHAPTER FIVE: Producing Content with Sexuality and Nudity
CHAPTER SIX: Sexuality and Nudity for the Cinematographer and the Camera Department
CHAPTER SEVEN: Sexuality and Nudity Issues in Post Production
PART III: A GUIDE FOR PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES
CHAPTER EIGHT: Acting in Sexual and Nude Scenes
CHAPTER NINE: Feminist and LGBTQI+ Perspectives
Biography
John Bucher is an award-winning writer and narrative consultant based out of Los Angeles, California. He teaches filmmaking at the LA Film Studies Center and has guided students, independent filmmakers, and professionals through the treacherous waters of bringing their stories to the screen, while continuing his own career as a content creator. He is also the author of several books including Storytelling for Virtual Reality, Master of the Cinematic Universe: The Secret Code For Writing in the New World of Media, Storytelling By the Numbers, and The Inside Out Story. He can be found on-line at his site, tellingabetterstory.com
"This is a thoughtful guide for film and television creators hoping to make sexual content that serves the cast, crew, and audience. Its innovative format offers practical resources for navigating each step of the production process. Bucher will convince you that ethical work practices make for better storytelling."
Heather Berg, Lecturer, Gender Studies, University of Southern California
"A timely record from a writer embedded in the film industry, which will serve both as a cautionary tale and ethical guide for future projects."
Lalitha Gopalan, Associate Professor, Department of Radio-Television-Film, The University of Texas at Austin
"This book is an excellent and much needed guide for clear communication and professional practices in the execution of sexual content for film and television. Designed with an intent to honor everyone involved in the production process, this a must read for any filmmaker or actor preparing to shoot scenes of a sexual nature."
Christine Krebsbach, Filmmaker, Actor and Co-Director of the LA Film Studies Center
"Bucher has done a great service for the industry and the art form, addressing an egregious gap in cinematic education and practice. With insights from on-set professionals, scholars, and his own cogent approach, this guide is essential for every screen artist and student."
Michael C. Smith, Associate Professor of Media Production, Pepperdine University
