Normal People is anything but your normal TV first-love story. The adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel streaming now on CBC Gem , which follows its protagonists Connell and Marianne from high school to adulthood, has received attention for it's long and explicit sex scenes. The show is revolutionary in the way it depicts consent, setting boundaries, and a balance between female and male pleasure and desire on screen. This is largely thanks to the work of the show's on-set intimacy coordinator, Ita O'Brien. Sex on screen matters for actors and audiences alike.

This website uses cookies to help us give you the best experience when you visit our website. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of these cookies. At For four minutes and 40 seconds, Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones — playing the tortured young protagonists, Connell and Marianne — delivered a performance, complete with full-frontal male nudity, which generated breathless headlines the following morning.

Subscriber Account active since. Contrary to how effortless, natural, and erotic they can seem on-screen, Hollywood sex scenes take a great deal of thoughtfulness, hard work, and preparation to create. And since the subject matter of love scenes is so personal, those involved have a variety of tricks and techniques up their sleeves to make scenes convincing for audiences and as comfortable as possible for actors.

There are contract stipulations, censorship requirements, and of course, the actual filming of the sex scene; which can sometimes be awkward for the actors involved. Sarah Treem, creator of the Showtime series The Affair , claimed that sex was one of the trickiest aspects of the storytelling process. Most sex scenes are planned out before the cameras start rolling. The actor and producers must agree on the usage of the footage and the specific kind of nudity that will be needed before the contract that is signed.