Warning: This article contains references to rape and sexual assault.
Players in the gaming industry have expressed concern about being asked to depict explicit sexual content without warning.
In a recent BBC News report, actors said that “cultural secrecy around projects” means that scripts are not shared until the day of filming.
Professional casting director Jessica Jefferies, who also has experience as a motion capture performer, said the only information studios would provide would be an email or call when needed.
She told the BBC she once turned up for a shoot that included a sexual assault without being told beforehand.
“I showed up and was told I was going to film a very graphic rape scene,” he said. “The act could be viewed for as long as the player wanted through a window and then a player could shoot this character in the head. In my opinion, it was totally gratuitous.”
Jeffries refused to act in the scene and was the only woman on the set. As a result, the scene was not filmed.
“There's no nudity involved, but it's still an act and there's an intimacy in that act and also a violence in this situation,” Jeffries added.
“So yes, there may be a layer of spandex between us, but you're still there and you still have to truly immerse yourself in this scene.”
Jeffries said artists should be aware of this type of content beforehand so they don't feel pressured to do something they don't want to do.
A voice actress and Equity member had a similar experience, where she had to film an “entire sex scene” that she was not aware of beforehand.
“I had to adapt (vocally) to the scene and through the glass of the booth there was the whole crew, all men, watching me,” she said. “It was unbearable.”
“I had been in the gaming industry for a while at that point and I had never felt so affected. What bothered me most about the situation was that I was put in an awkward position, no one bothered to ask me if I was okay and no one made sure I was okay afterwards.”
She added that she feared she would be labelled a “troublemaker” for speaking out.
Equity has developed a guide to filming explicit or intimate scenes, in consultation with Jeffries. These include:
- A story outline, scene breakdowns, and scripts should be distributed to all cast members in advance.
- Artists should be able to request a closed set where access is kept to a minimum.
- A competent privacy coordinator should be hired.
The union has also shared guidance on minimum wage and working conditions in the industry, having recently issued its support and guidance on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
“These guidelines simply serve to further align it with best practices in the film and television industry,” Jeffries said.
An example of this in practice is Baldur's Gate 3, where Larian hired intimacy coordinators to voice actors and act out intimate scenes.