Faking It with Ariel and Morgan
Two intimacy coordinators reveal what actually happens behind the scenes of film and TV's most iconic intimate moments.We're Ariel and Morgan, two professional intimacy coordinators who choreograph sex scenes for film and TV. We pull back the curtain on how intimacy is really made—from the awkward logistics to the craft that makes it look effortless.On Faking It, we break down:Heated Rivalry: the back arch, the bed share, and why good gay sex wins over hockeyThe hottest no-contact scene in cinema history (Secretary)Why Brokeback Mountain's tent scene needed more lubeThe invisible Buffy sex scene that required fl...
Moonlight: Soft Touches, Hard Masculinity, and Queer Awakenings
Moonlight intimacy scene breakdown from intimacy coordinators: first kisses, hand in the sand, and the softest head cradling in cinema.
An intimacy coordinator's take on queer intimacy, masculinity, vulnerability, and making simulated sex feel beautifully human.
This week we're breaking down two pivotal intimacy scenes from Moonlight (2016), Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning exploration of Chiron's sexuality and identity. We're talking dream sequences, boxer briefs, modesty, choreography, actor boundaries, the challenges of filming intimate scenes with young performers, and how Jenkins uses subtlety, silence, and physical touch to tell a story.
Moonlight (2016)
Chiron: Ashton Sanders...
Carrie: 50 Years of Horror & Period Panic
Carrie shower scene breakdown from intimacy coordinators: first periods, body horror, the male gaze, and a whole lot of plasma.
An intimacy coordinator's take on nudity, vulnerability, bullying, and how the same iconic scene has changed over 50 years.
This week, we're breaking down the infamous shower scene from Carrie (1976), the 2013 remake, and the 2026 Netflix series. We're talking period representation, actor boundaries, modesty garments, camera work, the male gaze, and how each version uses nudity, vulnerability, and body horror to tell a different story about young women and their bodies.
Plus: we put the 1976...
American Psycho: Business Cards & Bloody Chainsaws
American Psycho sex scene breakdown from intimacy coordinators: chainsaws, sex workers, modesty garments, and a very confused Patrick Bateman.
An intimacy coordinator's take on satire, simulated sex, and making the absurd feel intentional
This week we cover Patrick Bateman's two infamous intimacy scenes with Christie, Sabrina, and Elizabeth, including the iconic mirror moment and that very memorable chainsaw chase. We get into staging, modesty garments, masking, choreography, actor boundaries, power dynamics, and how Mary Harron and Christian Bale intentionally made the sex scenes feel strange, disconnected, and completely unsexy.
Plus: we put both...
Hacks: Hot Showers, Stage Fright, & Fake Gay Panic
Hacks intimacy scene breakdown: nudity, nightmares, a fake lesbian relationship, and the intimacy coordinators behind them.
An intimacy coordinator's take on comedy, nudity, and chemistry
This week we cover Ava and Ruby's shower scene, Deborah's bizarre no-clothes nightmare, and that kiss between Ava and Deborah. We get into staging, body doubles, actor boundaries, power dynamics, chemistry, and why sometimes an intimacy scene just doesn't quite... sync up.
Plus: we put all three scenes through the Spice Scale, and one of them somehow got a D.
Hacks: Season 3, Episode 2 & Season 5...
The Invite: Consent, Chemistry & Couple Swapping
The Invite (2026) intimacy scene breakdown: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton's sexy, cringe swinging comedy.
An intimacy coordinator's take on consent, chemistry, and couple swapping
This week on Faking It, intimacy coordinators Morgan Smith and Ariel break down The Invite (2026), Olivia Wilde's A24 comedy about a married couple, Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde), whose upstairs neighbors Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) invite them into something far outside their comfort zone. It's one of the most deliciously awkward sex scenes we've covered, and we're her...
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 [PLAYBACK]
![Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 [PLAYBACK] episode artwork](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/3940rwwkv0u6ql482ojz9gq2ioa7?.jpg)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 sex scene breakdown, from the vault: Edward and Bella's meadow, wedding night, and honeymoon.
An intimacy coordinator's take on vampire romance
We're on vacation, but this episode was too good to stay in the vault.
We're revisiting our breakdown of Edward and Bella's unforgettable Twilight scenes, from that infamous meadow moment to the wedding night, the honeymoon, and all the continuity questions that still keep us up at night.
Two intimacy coordinators unpack why these scenes work so well emotionally, where the choreography gets… questionable, an...
Fifty Shades of Grey [PLAYBACK]
![Fifty Shades of Grey [PLAYBACK] episode artwork](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/630rqixg9lj890b8d5qxpm4cja2n?.jpg)
Fifty Shades of Grey sex scene breakdown, from the vault: what the film gets wrong about BDSM.
An intimacy coordinator's take on consent and power dynamics
In their PLAYBACK series, the cohosts revisit two fan-favorite episodes from The Hoa Hoa Universe while Ariel and Morgan take their summer break. They’ll be back in September with new episodes of Faking It.
Ariel and Morgan break down the infamous first Red Room scene. What was supposed to be mainstream BDSM became basically vanilla, questionable choreography, and music doing the heavy lifting.
...
Fifty Shades of Grey [PLAYBACK]
Two intimacy coordinators revisit Fifty Shades of Grey's infamous Red Room scene and ask the question we've all been thinking: is this really the movie that introduced mainstream audiences to BDSM?
Ariel and Morgan break down the choreography, consent, power dynamics, and why the scene relies on moody lighting and a killer soundtrack to sell chemistry that never quite shows up.
Watch along:
Red Room scene: 1:22:10–1:29:34
Have you rewatched Fifty Shades lately? Did it age better... or worse?
This episode of Fifty Shades is part of the Playback Se...
Off Campus: The Greenest Green Flag in TV?
Off Campus sex scene breakdown: is it really the greenest green flag on TV?
An intimacy coordinator's take on consent as chemistry
Consent can be hot. Who knew? (Us. We knew.)
What starts as a classic hockey romance somehow turns into one of the healthiest, hottest conversations about intimacy we've seen on screen.
Together, Ariel and Morgan discuss why this scene works so well, how consent builds chemistry instead of killing it, and why emotional safety might actually be the sexiest thing a character can bring to...
Obsession (2025): The Horror of Non-Consent | Intimacy & Stunt Coordinator Jen Albert
Obsession (2025) intimacy scene breakdown with the film's intimacy and stunt coordinator, Jen Albert: its most disturbing intimacy, violence, and non-consent scenes.
An intimacy coordinator's take on horror and non-consent
Together, they explore how Obsession evolved from script to screen, where the line between stunt coordination and intimacy coordination begins and ends, and why one of the film's most unsettling moments is terrifying without relying on gore.
In this episode:
Why the infamous bedroom scene is so disturbing How intimacy coordination differs from stunt coordination The theatrical cut vs. the s...Pose: Directing Intimacy & Queer Love | Co-Creator Steven Canals
Pose intimacy scene breakdown with co-creator Steven Canals: how the FX series directed queer love and its groundbreaking sex scenes.
An intimacy coordinator's take on directing queer love
They discuss how the scene evolved from script to screen, the challenges of directing intimacy before the role of intimacy coordinator was fully established, and why portraying queer love with tenderness, not spectacle, mattered so deeply.
In this episode:
The collaborative process between director, actors, and intimacy coordinatorBalancing choreography with actor freedom and authenticityHow intimacy coordination has evolved over the...Sense8 Finale: Going Out with a (Cluster) Bang [Bonus]
![Sense8 Finale: Going Out with a (Cluster) Bang [Bonus] episode artwork](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/k3e3zn8dc7xb5tuxjj3nt7lrnwwc?.jpg)
Bonus episode: Sense8 finale orgy scene breakdown, how it was choreographed and why it remains one of the most ambitious intimacy sequences ever filmed.
An intimacy coordinator's take on ensemble intimacy
From choreography and consent practices to lighting, camera movement, and the challenge of coordinating a massive ensemble scene, they break down how the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski created a sequence that feels emotional, sensual, and deeply connected rather than purely explicit.
In this episode:
Why foreplay matters for the audience, not just the charactersThe logistics of...Sense8: The Psychic Orgy | How the Cluster Sex Scenes Got Made
Sense8 psychic orgy breakdown: how the cluster sex scene was actually made.
An intimacy coordinator's take on ensemble intimacy across continents
From gym workouts and hot tubs to morning cuddles and group intimacy across continents, they're unpacking what makes this sequence so memorable and why it still feels unlike anything else on TV.
They get into it all:
The surprisingly complicated consent questions that come with sharing other people's experiencesThe challenge of choreographing a massive multi-location orgy without rehearsalThe actors' experiences behind the scenes and how an intimacy coordinator could...The "Sens8" Psychic Orgy | How The Cluster Sex Scenes Got Made
This episode we're breaking down one of the most ambitious intimacy scenes ever put on television.
Ariel and Morgan are diving into Sens8, the Wachowskis' globe-spanning sci-fi drama that somehow turns a psychic orgy into one of the most emotionally connected scenes we've ever covered.
From gym workouts and hot tubs to morning cuddles and group intimacy across continents, we're unpacking what makes this sequence so memorable and why it still feels unlike anything else on TV.
They get into it all:
• The surprisingly complicated consent questions that come with sharing ot...
Dicks: The Musical | The Incest Factor Explained
Dicks: The Musical sex scene breakdown: the "incest factor" and what the film is really doing with it.
An intimacy coordinator's take on absurdist comedy and taboo
Megan Thee Stallion. Nathan Lane. Puppet penises. A gay sex scene between twins that somehow becomes a camp masterpiece.
The A24 musical is absurd, offensive, and genuinely hilarious. They go behind the scenes that are not safe for work, unless your work is really cool.
In this episode:
Why unrealistic sex can be funnier than realistic sexWalking 69s and...Secretary: What It Gets Right About BDSM | A Sub Is Born
Secretary sex scene breakdown: what the film gets right (and wrong) about BDSM, plus the sexiest no-contact scene in film history.
An intimacy coordinator's take on power, kink, and consent
Maggie Gyllenhaal. James Spader. A desk. And a worm that somehow becomes the hottest moment in the movie.
Secretary changed how Hollywood talked about kink on screen. But does it hold up? Ariel and Morgan break down the iconic, controversial, and deeply weird BDSM film that people are still arguing about 20 years later.
In this episode:
<...Brokeback Mountain: No Lube, No Warning
Brokeback Mountain intimacy scene breakdown: from the tent scene to what the choreography leaves unsaid.
An intimacy coordinator's take on tension, pacing, and queer love
Brokeback Mountain changed queer representation forever. It also left audiences with a lot of questions about how these scenes actually function.
From the infamous first tent scene to the long-awaited reunion, Ariel and Morgan break down what's working, what's not, and why these moments feel so tense without ever fully landing.
In this episode:
The reality of prep, lubrication, and pacing...PEN15: Hormones Gone Rogue
PEN15 sex and puberty scene breakdown: how the show films painfully awkward intimacy with adult actors playing kids.
An intimacy coordinator's take on awkward, honest adolescence on screen
PEN15 (Season 1, Episode 3: "Ojichan") is one of the most honest depictions of first arousal ever put on screen.
From the very first moment of "wait... what is happening to my body?" to the full spiral of can't-stop-won't-stop self-discovery, this episode captures the chaos, confusion, and intensity of discovering desire with absolutely no roadmap.
In this episode:
The painfully...Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Hardcore Vanilla Sex Scenes
Buffy the Vampire Slayer sex scene breakdown: the show's unhinged sex scenes and what makes them work (or not).
An intimacy coordinator's take on supernatural romance
The Buffy reboot isn't happening. It's devastating. To soothe their wounds, Ariel and Morgan talk about Buffy and Spike in season 6 — where things are darker, messier, and include a whole lot more property damage.
From literally breaking a house down during sex to invisible hookups to whatever is happening on that balcony at The Bronze, they have notes.
In this episode:
...Barbarella: Sci-Fi, Striptease & Orgasms Against the Machine
Barbarella sex scene breakdown: how 1968's most famous erotic sci-fi film staged its striptease and sex scenes.
An intimacy coordinator's take on 1960s sci-fi spectacle
Jane Fonda strips out of a spacesuit in zero gravity. Later, she defeats a villain using an orgasm machine. Yes. Really.
Barbarella (1968) is one of the most bizarre and brazen films of a generation. Ariel and Morgan break down how the cult classic uses erotic spectacle, camp, and absurdity to create scenes that are wildly objectifying and oddly revolutionary for their time.
In...
Booksmart: Diving Into Intimacy with Brooke M. Haney
Booksmart intimacy and sex scene breakdown with Brooke M. Haney.
An intimacy coordinator's take on coming-of-age intimacy
Olivia Wilde's directorial debut proves awkward queer intimacy doesn't need to be polished to be powerful.
This one's about awkward first times. Skinny jeans. Bad geometry. Zero game.
In this episode:
Why awkward intimacy can still be choreographed and is not an excuse to skip processThe storytelling power of wardrobe choices, body language, and the messy logistics of skinny jeans and ConversesWhy representation of imperfect queer intimacy matters when...Insecure: The Sex Scenes Have Range | From Nightmare to Nirvana
Insecure sex scene breakdown: why the show's intimacy has real range, from nightmare to nirvana.
An intimacy coordinator's take on range in on-screen intimacy
Morgan introduces Ariel (who has never seen the show) to two wildly different intimacy moments from Season 4: one jealousy-fueled nightmare fantasy and one slow-burn reunion that might be one of the most emotionally satisfying TV hookups ever.
In this episode:
How a comedic sex scene can be intentionally not realistic — and why it worksThe universality of the phrase, "pop the tags"The crackling eye co...Heated Rivalry: Queer Joy & The Craft of Intimacy with Chala Hunter
Heated Rivalry sex scene breakdown with Chala Hunter, the show's intimacy coordinator: the craft behind its queer sex scenes and finding joy in the work.
An intimacy coordinator's take on queer joy
From her early days of learning the job during #MeToo to stepping onto a set packed with choreography and high emotional stakes, Chala pulls back the curtain on what it takes to build intimacy that feels grounded, safe, and electric.
In this episode:
How she found her way into intimacy coordination when the field was still...She's Gotta Have It: Church, But Make It Gay
She's Gotta Have It sex scene breakdown: why the show's intimacy feels like a religious experience.
An intimacy coordinator's take on queer intimacy
Some shows open quietly. Season 2 of She's Gotta Have It opens with a bang — literally.
Ariel and Morgan break down the iconic simulated sex montage from Season 2, Episode 1, focusing on how lighting, space, and who's in control radically reshape how intimacy is experienced and understood onscreen.
In this episode:
How Spike Lee uses daylight vs candlelight to reflect different emotional statesWhy this scene fe...The Handmaiden: Rewriting Sapphic Sex on Screen
The Handmaiden sex scene breakdown: how the film rewrites sapphic intimacy on screen.
An intimacy coordinator's take on sapphic intimacy and choreography
This episode is a love letter to immaculate choreography, devastating eye contact, and enough sapphic tension to power a small city.
Ariel and Morgan dive into the two iconic intimacy scenes from Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden — scenes so explicit, so intentional, and so beautifully constructed that they still feel radical nearly a decade later.
In this episode:
How the film uses restraint, pacing, and PO...Fifty Shades of Grey: What It Gets Wrong About BDSM
Fifty Shades of Grey sex scene breakdown: what the film gets wrong about BDSM.
An intimacy coordinator's take on consent and power dynamics
Ariel and Morgan are kicking off the new year by breaking down the infamous first Red Room scene. What was supposed to be mainstream BDSM became basically vanilla, questionable choreography, and music doing the heavy lifting.
In this episode:
Why the Red Room reads more like spectacle than negotiated intimacyHow the film confuses dominance with control and intensity with compatibilityHow music, montage, and production design...Heated Rivalry: Why It Gets Queer Sex Right [BONUS]
![Heated Rivalry: Why It Gets Queer Sex Right [BONUS] episode artwork](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/dxfo25pnc46lb6h3ohslfbay3eai?.jpg)
Heated Rivalry sex scene breakdown: why the show gets queer intimacy right.
An intimacy coordinator's take on queer sex on screen
In this very special Bonus Episode, Ariel and Morgan dive headfirst into Heated Rivalry, the wildly requested gay hockey romance that dropped on November 28 and immediately set the internet on fire.
Based on Rachel Reid's beloved romance novels, the series follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two elite professional hockey players whose rivalry turns into a secret, years-long love affair. What starts as a teenage hookup evolves into a deeply...
Eyes Wide Shut: A Christmas Orgy
Eyes Wide Shut orgy scene breakdown: the voyeurism and staging behind the film's most infamous sequence.
An intimacy coordinator's take on power, performance, and voyeurism
The masked orgy scene is one of the most infamous in cinema history. But it's not about pleasure. It's about power, performance, and male insecurity.
Ariel and Morgan unpack the ritual, the choreography, and what Kubrick was really doing beneath the cloaks and candles.
In this episode:
Why the orgy functions as theater, not eroticismHow masking and voyeurism guide the audience's gaz...Carol: The Motel Scene with Amanda Holland
Carol motel scene breakdown with director Amanda Holland: the film's sapphic centerpiece, beat by beat.
An intimacy coordinator's take on sapphic longing on screen
From tension you could pour over pancakes to the robe pull that changed lesbian cinematic history, the trio breaks down why this scene still feels like a masterclass in sensual restraint, visual storytelling, and character vulnerability.
They unpack it all:
How power dynamics shift without a word, told only through body languageWhy the simulated oral moment works… and where it gets a little thigh-heavyHow Cate Blanchett sed...Twilight Breaking Dawn: Rough Romance
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 sex scene breakdown: the wedding night and all the, well, breaking.
An intimacy coordinator's take on vampire romance
Marking the end of hoa hoa hoa season, Ariel and Morgan finally tackled the honeymoon scene: the headboard-shattering, pillow-exploding, furniture-destroying moment that launched a thousand fanfics and exactly zero realistic intimacy expectations.
They break down why Edward and Bella's "rough sex" falls flat. From supernatural metaphors to YA-safe choreography, they unpack how a scene expected to portray feral passion somehow ends up looking like a vampire renovation.
<...
Love Lies Bleeding: For the Love of Muscle
Love Lies Bleeding sex scene breakdown: the film's celebration of athletic queer bodies.
An intimacy coordinator's take on queer desire and the body
This one's flexing in all the right ways.
Ariel and Morgan break down the sweaty, gritty, gloriously unhinged intimacy of Love Lies Bleeding. In this film, bodies don't just collide—they transform. From gym-floor lust to desert-heat devotion, they explore how the movie uses athleticism, desire, and danger to tell a love story that's as physical as it is emotional.
In this episode:
Ho...It's Always Sunny: Danny DeVito's Couch Scene
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia intimacy scene breakdown: Danny DeVito's infamous couch scene.
An intimacy coordinator's take on comedy, nudity, and vulnerability
Ariel and Morgan break down one of the most chaotic intimacy scenes in sitcom history: the moment Danny DeVito emerges from a couch, naked, sweaty, and reborn, at a Christmas party in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
From the logistics of modesty garments to the ethics of public nudity (fictional or otherwise), they dive deep into what happens when comedy, discomfort, and vulnerability collide.
In this...
Sinners: How to Turn Up the Heat Without Nudity [BONUS]
![Sinners: How to Turn Up the Heat Without Nudity [BONUS] episode artwork](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/150tc35eguenbc2q9o54tbvzujsf?.jpg)
Sinners sex scene breakdown: how the film turns up the heat without any nudity.
An intimacy coordinator's take on vampire eroticism
For our first-ever BONUS EPISODE, Ariel and Morgan sink their teeth into something perfectly suited for spooky season: Ryan Coogler's 2025 gothic horror hit.
This one has it all: vampires, sensuality, Southern heat, and double the Michael B. Jordan heat. Ariel and Morgan break down two pivotal intimacy scenes—one tender, one terrifying—and unpack how Sinners turns eroticism into a matter of survival.
In this episode:
Wh...Teeth (2007): She Bites Back
Teeth (2007) intimacy scene breakdown: the infamous gynecologist scene, examined beat by beat.
An intimacy coordinator's take on horror and intimacy
The bite heard 'round the world.
From questionable medical protocol to perfect camp choreography, Ariel and Morgan break down what works, what really doesn't, and why this movie about vagina dentata still manages to make audiences laugh 17 years later.
In this episode:
How Teeth flips the horror trope of sexual violence on its headWhy good choreography and body awareness make this scene disturbingly effectiveThe line between...Lie with Me: Is This Sex Scene Too Real to Be Fake?
Lie with Me (2005) sex scene breakdown: are these scenes too real to be fake?
An intimacy coordinator's take on the blurred lines of on-screen sex
Do actors ever actually have sex on camera? Ariel and Morgan tackle the blurred line between mainstream filmmaking and pornography.
Get ready for one of intimacy coordinator's most asked and most controversial questions: Do actors ever actually have sex on camera? In this episode, Ariel and Morgan diving deep into the blurred lines between filmmaking and pornography.
Ariel surprises Morgan with a deep dive...
The Room: Breaking Down the Infamous Sex Scene
The Room sex scene breakdown: why Tommy Wiseau's infamous, unintentionally hilarious scene is the best lesson in what makes a good one work.
An intimacy coordinator's take on what makes a sex scene fail
Ariel and Morgan, two professional intimacy coordinators, pull back the curtain on how intimacy is really made for film and TV.
In Faking It's first episode, they kick things off with wild on-set stories (yes, one involves a horse — don't worry, it's fake), break down what it really means to choreograph intimacy, and tackle the infamous simulated se...
Faking It with Ariel and Morgan [TRAILER]
Two intimacy coordinators reveal what actually happens during sex scenes. No Hollywood magic. Just the real (and ridiculous) behind-the-scenes truth.
Full description:
Maggie Gyllenhaal and a worm. Jane Fonda and a sex machine. Spike and an invisible Buffy.
We're Ariel and Morgan. We choreograph intimacy for film and TV. And we're spilling everything.
On Faking It, we break down:
• The hottest no-contact scene in cinema history (Secretary)
• Why Brokeback Mountain's tent scene needed more lube
• The invisible Buffy sex scene that required flawless pantom...
