Supporting Survivors in The Production Phase
Creating safe sets cannot wait, and this includes prioritizing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of survivors and Silence Breakers. Hiring survivors and Silence Breakers is an essential step in remaking Hollywood to be equitable for all. However, it is essential that the work environments you bring survivors into are safe, trauma informed, and equitable.
“The industry tolerates bad behavior by powerful people. Producers, actors, and above the line individuals are rarely held accountable for tyrannical behavior. A production works at the whims of those in power, and those below the line have very little recourse to complain or to have their complaints addressed. I have seen people relocated, fired or pushed out rather than have the powerful aggressor censured.” – Anonymous Hollywood Commission Survey Respondent
“It’s no secret that our industry was very unsafe for actors. A lot of it wasn’t malicious, but it was uninformed. If you don’t have intentions to keep actors and actresses safe when they’re simulating sex, or info on how to do that, then everyone is sort of winging it. My goal is that you don’t have to feel someone else’s genitals at work if you don’t want to; we make sure we advocate for actors and actresses when they feel too vulnerable or unsure to do it themselves.” -Elizabeth Talbot, Intimacy coordinator, Intimacy Directors International
Here are some SAG-Aftra Intimacy Coordinator Resources.
Here are some quantifiable steps you can take to ensure you’re creating a safe set. Hire Survivors Hollywood can assist with these steps, or connect you to the people and resources you might need to complete them!
Steps For A Safe Set Part 1
- Meet with self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions:
- It is essential to make it known that your project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- Hire trauma trainers/educators to train all cast, crew, office staff, etc. in trauma informed practices prior to production beginning and at regular intervals for both new hires and current staff. This allows for “power with” – not “power over” – dynamics (a concept introduced to HSH by Louise Godbold) in which survivors have autonomy and safety and allows for common agreements to be reached amongst all co-workers. It also creates clear guidelines and reduces opportunities for abuse.
- Update your sexual harassment trainings to be trauma informed and survivor focused. Ensure that there are independent, confidential ways for any person to report any type of abuse or safety issue in the workplace.
- Hire intimacy coordinators for nude, intimate, hyper-exposed work. Intimacy coordinators should be hired for all forms of intimacy (sexual, familial, fraternal) and should also be utilized in post-production.
Steps For A Safe Set Part 2
- Hire accessibility coordinators. An accessible set is a safe set for everyone, disabled or not. However 25% of American adults are disabled. It should also be standard to ask for accommodation requests for all hires after contracts have been signed.
- Have an on set therapist/mental health professional available to help those who may become triggered from sensitive subjects that the stakeholder’s project/production may be dealing with.
- Have a “safe zone” in your post-production spaces for people to go to for rest, decompression, or taking a few moments to deal with a trigger or activation that may come up. Have a “safe zone” on set for people to go to for rest, decompression, or taking a few moments to deal with a trigger or activation that may come up. If safe zones are not practicable for any reason – build breaks into the schedule for all cast and crew after working on any hyper-exposed, intimate, or potentially traumatizing material. Build in regular breaks for all cast and crew in general throughout the day to ensure the physical and mental safety of all.
What Hire Survivors Hollywood is doing is shining a light in those dark corners, and trying to take away that shame, and trying to create sets – and other places – that are safe.” – Lisa Zambetti, CSA Casting Director
On-set Training and Pipeline Programs Part 1
- Many survivors and Silence Breakers have not gotten the same opportunities to train or be mentored as those who have not faced abuse. Additionally, survivors are a very diverse group of people and are often from more than one traditionally marginalized group. Creating opportunities for training and shadowing within your company or production will ensure that survivors are being considered for exciting job opportunities because they have gotten the opportunity to train, network, and be exposed to those in positions to hire them.
- Meet with self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions:
- Encourage self identifying survivors to submit to all of your existing DEIA programs. Survivors are a historically marginalized group and should be treated as such. In addition, stakeholders should add the “A” (accessibility) to their DEI programs and initiatives. The lack of disability representation in our industry is something that needs to be addressed, and many survivors are also disabled, sometimes becoming disabled as a result of their abuse and trauma.
- Create new initiatives to bring in survivor (and other traditionally marginalized) talent such as director shadowing programs, talent searches, showcases, writers room apprenticeships, and more. Ensure that these programs actually offer tangible benefits to those participating and are not simply glorified unpaid runners or assistants. Consider adding a stipend or pay to these new programs (and existing programs) and create showcase and hiring opportunities at the end of these programs.
- Create training to hiring pipelines in which folks who have been a part of your DEIA, or similar programs, have active opportunities to be considered and hired for jobs at your company/on your projects.
- Create an active alumni group for all participants in such programs with peer support, mentoring from industry professionals, access to job listings/casting announcements, etc.
On-set Training and Pipeline Programs Part 2
- It is essential to make it known that the stakeholder’s project, company, production, etc. is committed to training and hiring survivors and to creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- Put out a press release indicating your partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood with a call to action encouraging survivors and Silence Breakers to actively submit to your company, projects, or programs, etc.
- Send out a similar notice to all appropriate professionals such as agents, managers, unions to encourage them to submit their clients – and inform their members – of your new efforts.
- Professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should also be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
I was very concerned going into our shoot featuring several brave women who had agreed to be photographed in a story about their abuser. I did not feel equipped in ensuring the shoot environment would be safe and not cause more harm, and was beyond relieved to be introduced to Sarah who sourced hair and makeup artists who were not only survivors, but very talented, as well as a specialized counselor to be available for the subjects. Each of these people were incredible assets to the shoot, and invaluable in making it feel as safe as possible. I am thrilled to know Sarah now as a resource for amazing talent who can be trusted on set.” – Ash Barhamand, Visual Media Director at The Hollywood Reporter speaking about her experience organizing a Hollywood Reporter photoshoot featuring survivors that Hire Survivors Hollywood helped facilitate