'How to Shoot a Sex Scene in a Pandemic: Cue the Mannequins' diff viewer (1/2)

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How to Shoot a Sex Scene in a Pandemic: Cue the Mannequins	How to Shoot a Sex Scene in a Pandemic: Cue the Mannequins
2020-07-15 04:10:19 UTC	2020-07-15 17:20:27 UTC (about 13 hours later)
Of all the weird ways that Covid-19 has affected life in this country, one of the most bizarre is taking place on a soundstage in Los Angeles. That’s where actors on the CBS soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” have been shooting intimate scenes with mannequins.	Of all the weird ways that Covid-19 has affected life in this country, one of the most bizarre is taking place on a soundstage in Los Angeles. That’s where actors on the CBS soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” have been shooting intimate scenes with mannequins.
“At first, we took out the love scenes, and the show was falling a little flat because we’re all about romance and family interactions,” said Bradley Bell, the executive producer of the CBS daytime drama. “One of the first ideas we had was to bring in mannequins for the intimate scenes and hospital scenes, and it’s working quite well — we’re shooting it from a great distance or in a way you can’t see the form is inanimate.”	“At first, we took out the love scenes, and the show was falling a little flat because we’re all about romance and family interactions,” said Bradley Bell, the executive producer of the CBS daytime drama. “One of the first ideas we had was to bring in mannequins for the intimate scenes and hospital scenes, and it’s working quite well — we’re shooting it from a great distance or in a way you can’t see the form is inanimate.”
How are the performers reacting to their lifeless co-stars? “We’ve had a lot of strange looks and questions like, Do you really want to do this?” Bell said. “But everyone is game. They are getting their first latex kiss.”	How are the performers reacting to their lifeless co-stars? “We’ve had a lot of strange looks and questions like, Do you really want to do this?” Bell said. “But everyone is game. They are getting their first latex kiss.”
Viewers will judge for themselves how realistic this appears when new episodes of return on July 20. “The Bold and the Beautiful” was one of the first TV series to restart production after the coronavirus caused an industrywide shutdown in mid-March. Since then most TV creators have been meeting with their staffs in “Zoom Rooms,” penning plotlines and episodes, not knowing whether — and when — they’ll be able to safely capture them on camera.	Viewers will judge for themselves how realistic this appears when new episodes of return on July 20. “The Bold and the Beautiful” was one of the first TV series to restart production after the coronavirus caused an industrywide shutdown in mid-March. Since then most TV creators have been meeting with their staffs in “Zoom Rooms,” penning plotlines and episodes, not knowing whether — and when — they’ll be able to safely capture them on camera.
Covid-19 has been particularly vexing for the writers of TV’s sexiest and most romantic series as they try to figure out how to portray physical intimacy — the scenes that draw in viewers and spark Twitter hashtags — while keeping their performers safe. So far, producers of shows like “Riverdale,” “Dynasty” and “The L Word: Generation Q” are planning on a combination of safety protocols and narrative tricks. These include aggressive testing of cast and crew, quarantining, on-set medical professionals, camera wizardry, illusion and innuendo-laden scripts with subtext reminiscent of 1970s TV. (It was an open secret, for example, that Mary Richards of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was sexually active, even though the series never addressed it.)	Covid-19 has been particularly vexing for the writers of TV’s sexiest and most romantic series as they try to figure out how to portray physical intimacy — the scenes that draw in viewers and spark Twitter hashtags — while keeping their performers safe. So far, producers of shows like “Riverdale,” “Dynasty” and “The L Word: Generation Q” are planning on a combination of safety protocols and narrative tricks. These include aggressive testing of cast and crew, quarantining, on-set medical professionals, camera wizardry, illusion and innuendo-laden scripts with subtext reminiscent of 1970s TV. (It was an open secret, for example, that Mary Richards of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was sexually active, even though the series never addressed it.)
And yes, the occasional mannequin.	And yes, the occasional mannequin.
“Riverdale,” for example, shut down during the final moments of its characters’ senior year in high school — a prom was filmed; graduation was not. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the showrunner of the CW series, has plans to feature mannequins in the audience at graduation, but not in love scenes. In fact, it’s likely the program’s performers will be showing a lot less skin.	“Riverdale,” for example, shut down during the final moments of its characters’ senior year in high school — a prom was filmed; graduation was not. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the showrunner of the CW series, has plans to feature mannequins in the audience at graduation, but not in love scenes. In fact, it’s likely the program’s performers will be showing a lot less skin.
“There’s a weird retro 1950s vibe to ‘Riverdale,’” Aguirre-Sacasa said. “One of the things we sometimes do is suggest sex through coded language — I think we’ll almost lean into that melodrama and suggestive behavior.”	“There’s a weird retro 1950s vibe to ‘Riverdale,’” Aguirre-Sacasa said. “One of the things we sometimes do is suggest sex through coded language — I think we’ll almost lean into that melodrama and suggestive behavior.”
The series, like others, will also feature more “bottle episodes” — a term that describes an installment that dives deep into the story of one or two characters, often with a limited number of sets — in order to help manage the number of people present during filming. But don’t expect to see Archie and Veronica practice social distancing.	The series, like others, will also feature more “bottle episodes” — a term that describes an installment that dives deep into the story of one or two characters, often with a limited number of sets — in order to help manage the number of people present during filming. But don’t expect to see Archie and Veronica practice social distancing.
“We’ve done mysterious diseases, so my hope is that ‘Riverdale’ will be an escape from the real world, rather than a reflection,” Aguirre-Sacasa said. A previously planned five to six-year time jump in the plotline will also help skirt the coronavirus issue.	“We’ve done mysterious diseases, so my hope is that ‘Riverdale’ will be an escape from the real world, rather than a reflection,” Aguirre-Sacasa said. A previously planned five to six-year time jump in the plotline will also help skirt the coronavirus issue.
“Legacies,” a young adult drama about vampires and the vampire-adjacent, did not have a chance to film a long-anticipated romantic reunion between two of its main characters before production ceased. (To name them would spoil the show and inflame millions of fans.) That’s been weighing on the mind of Julie Plec, an executive producer who is strategizing how to deliver this payoff in a pandemic.	“Legacies,” a young adult drama about vampires and the vampire-adjacent, did not have a chance to film a long-anticipated romantic reunion between two of its main characters before production ceased. (To name them would spoil the show and inflame millions of fans.) That’s been weighing on the mind of Julie Plec, an executive producer who is strategizing how to deliver this payoff in a pandemic.
“Twenty episodes is a long time for nobody kissing, so we have to look at the logistics of how we could make it work, “ Plec said. “Maybe we can mount a separate intimacy unit that has its own quarantine and its own testing. Maybe we could just hire a crew that’s going to shoot our intimacy.”	“Twenty episodes is a long time for nobody kissing, so we have to look at the logistics of how we could make it work, “ Plec said. “Maybe we can mount a separate intimacy unit that has its own quarantine and its own testing. Maybe we could just hire a crew that’s going to shoot our intimacy.”
This thinking is consistent with the suggestions in a “The Safe Way Forward” a 36-page document crafted in tandem by four major Hollywood unions: SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Teamsters. Among its recommendations is a “zoned” approach to production that limits the number of actors and staff on sets where the use of personal protective equipment isn’t possible. The unions also call for capping workdays at 10 hours to allow for more cleaning time, and Covid-19 testing for all cast and crew that ranges from weekly to rapid (in which results are delivered in 1-12 hours) for actors performing intimate scenes.	This thinking is consistent with the suggestions in a “The Safe Way Forward” a 36-page document crafted in tandem by four major Hollywood unions: SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Teamsters. Among its recommendations is a “zoned” approach to production that limits the number of actors and staff on sets where the use of personal protective equipment isn’t possible. The unions also call for capping workdays at 10 hours to allow for more cleaning time, and Covid-19 testing for all cast and crew that ranges from weekly to rapid (in which results are delivered in 1-12 hours) for actors performing intimate scenes.
It’s the first time in decades that the four groups have released joint protocols. “We’ll definitely see an increase in specially trained professionals on set,” says Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief operating officer and general counsel of SAG-AFTRA. He adds that intimacy coordinators — who became fixtures on many productions, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, to ensure the comfort and safety of actors — may also be trained in Covid-19 prevention techniques.	It’s the first time in decades that the four groups have released joint protocols. “We’ll definitely see an increase in specially trained professionals on set,” says Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief operating officer and general counsel of SAG-AFTRA. He adds that intimacy coordinators — who became fixtures on many productions, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, to ensure the comfort and safety of actors — may also be trained in Covid-19 prevention techniques.
Of course, these problems are not just the province of teen shows. “The L Word: Generation Q,” Showtime’s revival of the groundbreaking series, premiered in December with a graphic 1 minute 20-second long sex scene. These types of moments that can only be depicted on premium services have become a hallmark of the program, which has presented a challenge to the showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan as she and her staff plan the second season.	Of course, these problems are not just the province of teen shows. “The L Word: Generation Q,” Showtime’s revival of the groundbreaking series, premiered in December with a graphic 1 minute 20-second long sex scene. These types of moments that can only be depicted on premium services have become a hallmark of the program, which has presented a challenge to the showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan as she and her staff plan the second season.
“I try to write in two different phases.” Ryan said. “I write the dream first and then somebody tells me ‘Your dreams can’t come true.’ Then I try to figure out: What is it about this dream that really matters to me? And I make adjustments from there.”	“I try to write in two different phases.” Ryan said. “I write the dream first and then somebody tells me ‘Your dreams can’t come true.’ Then I try to figure out: What is it about this dream that really matters to me? And I make adjustments from there.”
“My independent film background is going to be really imperative, because in that world you hear ‘no’ all the time,” she added. “I do like puzzles, so maybe it’ll be OK.”	“My independent film background is going to be really imperative, because in that world you hear ‘no’ all the time,” she added. “I do like puzzles, so maybe it’ll be OK.”
Ryan, like many of the other producers interviewed for this story, is considering limiting guest stars and background actors — it’s going to be a tough time for anyone who makes a living as a television extra — and hiring cast members’ real-world partners. (“The Bold and The Beautiful” has already done this.) Multiple “L Word” stars are dating or married to people who “also happen to be very good actors,” Ryan said.	Ryan, like many of the other producers interviewed for this story, is considering limiting guest stars and background actors — it’s going to be a tough time for anyone who makes a living as a television extra — and hiring cast members’ real-world partners. (“The Bold and The Beautiful” has already done this.) Multiple “L Word” stars are dating or married to people who “also happen to be very good actors,” Ryan said.
“Our joke is I’m going to have a lot of wigs, and I’m just going to be in every scene,” she added.	“Our joke is I’m going to have a lot of wigs, and I’m just going to be in every scene,” she added.
Wigs aside, TV’s showrunners are examining how some cinematic sleights of hand could give the illusion of intimacy. Avoiding romantic situations really isn’t possible on Netflix’s series, “You,” which stars Penn Badgley as a hyper-literate, unhinged stalker with a mounting body count in constant pursuit of his “true love” — so far a different woman each season.	Wigs aside, TV’s showrunners are examining how some cinematic sleights of hand could give the illusion of intimacy. Avoiding romantic situations really isn’t possible on Netflix’s series, “You,” which stars Penn Badgley as a hyper-literate, unhinged stalker with a mounting body count in constant pursuit of his “true love” — so far a different woman each season.
“Smoke and mirrors,” the “You” showrunner Sera Gamble said, “are basically the entire job description of making cinematic entertainment. Everything requires fakery.” (Gamble knows something about cinematic shenanigans — she also ran “The Magicians.”)	“Smoke and mirrors,” the “You” showrunner Sera Gamble said, “are basically the entire job description of making cinematic entertainment. Everything requires fakery.” (Gamble knows something about cinematic shenanigans — she also ran “The Magicians.”)
“You’ve definitely watched a scene where two people are speaking intimately and not noticed that you’re looking over a stunt double’s shoulder, for example,” she continued. “This season, our particular job is to say, ‘Everybody think of 100 percent of everything you’ve ever done to make something look a certain way on camera, because we’re going to work our way through all of it.’”	“You’ve definitely watched a scene where two people are speaking intimately and not noticed that you’re looking over a stunt double’s shoulder, for example,” she continued. “This season, our particular job is to say, ‘Everybody think of 100 percent of everything you’ve ever done to make something look a certain way on camera, because we’re going to work our way through all of it.’”
~~Updated July 7, 2020~~	Updated July 15, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
The past offers lessons on how not to handle the filming of intimate scenes during an epidemic. The last time Hollywood confronted this issue was in the early 1980s, before many people fully understood how AIDS was spread.	The past offers lessons on how not to handle the filming of intimate scenes during an epidemic. The last time Hollywood confronted this issue was in the early 1980s, before many people fully understood how AIDS was spread.
One of those people was Rock Hudson, who had joined the cast of “Dynasty” in 1984 as a love interest for Linda Evans’s Krystle. After reading a script in which his character was supposed to passionately kiss Evans, he agonized over whether to tell the series producers and his co-star that he had AIDS, according to his autobiography, “Rock Hudson: His Story." Ultimately he did not — instead he gargled lots of mouthwash and performed the kiss with a closed mouth.	One of those people was Rock Hudson, who had joined the cast of “Dynasty” in 1984 as a love interest for Linda Evans’s Krystle. After reading a script in which his character was supposed to passionately kiss Evans, he agonized over whether to tell the series producers and his co-star that he had AIDS, according to his autobiography, “Rock Hudson: His Story." Ultimately he did not — instead he gargled lots of mouthwash and performed the kiss with a closed mouth.
As Evans wrote in her own memoir, “Recipes for Life: My Memories,” her puzzlement about “why his kiss was so passionless” gave way to clarity “when the news broke that he had AIDS. In retrospect, it was incredibly touching how hard he tried to protect me.”	As Evans wrote in her own memoir, “Recipes for Life: My Memories,” her puzzlement about “why his kiss was so passionless” gave way to clarity “when the news broke that he had AIDS. In retrospect, it was incredibly touching how hard he tried to protect me.”
This piece of television lore hasn’t come up in conversation among the actors of the CW’s “Dynasty” revival, the showrunner Josh Reims said. Like its predecessor, the show, which was forced to end its third season without filming an eagerly awaited wedding, is known for its sexy, soapy antics. This has Reims and the other writers reaching for creative solutions.	This piece of television lore hasn’t come up in conversation among the actors of the CW’s “Dynasty” revival, the showrunner Josh Reims said. Like its predecessor, the show, which was forced to end its third season without filming an eagerly awaited wedding, is known for its sexy, soapy antics. This has Reims and the other writers reaching for creative solutions.