Have you ever seen your favorite actors going at in on screen and wondered how authentic it is? I mean, certain parts are definitely enhanced, right? Or are they? Are they actually having as much fun as it seems on screen, or do they have any ‘slip ups’? It looks effortless, but it takes a great deal of effort indeed. With so many questions around how to pull off a flawless sex scene, we decided to answer them all.
Are they really having sex?
They are called actors for a reason. The sex is as real as Christian Bale is batman. Sorry to burst two bubbles at once but let’s move on!
Do the actors’ genitals ever touch?
If they did, it would be a different kind of movie! While to make it as authentic as possible, they may get dangerously close, they rarely touch. There are also special skin coloured garments available to act as a barrier or even hide the family jewels.
Are exercise balls ever used?
As surprising as that question is, the answer is even more so. Exercise balls are often used to recreate scenes where the girls are on top. This allows for the right camera angle minus all the awkwardness.
Your gym workout’s never going to be the same again, is it!
Are the directors all masters of trigonometry?
No, but they need to be equally well-versed with angles – they can make or break a shot! To really sell a sex scene, it is all about the point of view, baby!
How do they make it look so real if it’s actually all fake?
The magic lies in post production. Once the scene is filmed, editors work tirelessly to make the scene seem flawless and infuse different camera angles to trick the viewer.
How many people are on set?
Obviously, to keep the comfort of the actors in mind, these kind of sets are open strictly for required personnel only. This is more commonly called a closed set, but many actors have recalled horrifying experiences of having to perform these intimate acts in front of a full crew, so it depends largely on the discretion of the director.
How many takes do these sex scenes require?
As many times as it takes for the perfect scene to be achieved. However, the director is nice enough to usually break the scene into many fragments so the actors do not have to be completely naked the whole time. Boy, are you thankful for your job yet?
Do the actors really work up a sweat?
Well, this does require a great deal of physical activity and therefore a little perspiration occurs. But, most of the time the combination of rose water and glycerin is used to give that natural effect.
Do actors enjoy doing sex scenes?
Remember that dream you have where you show up to work naked? That is what these actors have to endure for the duration of these sex scenes. They are bound to feel vulnerable knowing their bodies are exposed for everyone to see. So no, nobody really looks forward to this.
How much of the scene is improv?
Like all other scenes, these scenes are planned well in advance and agreed by all actors involved. But, sometimes the actors have fantastic chemistry off screen and sometimes just wing it!
Do they use body doubles?
Oh absolutely! As often as they can. If you cannot see their face in scenes, it is usually because a double is stepping in to save the day.
What’s going on under the sheets?
If the scene involves a lot of scenes under the covers, you can bet your bottom dollar on the fact that they are fully dressed underneath. It just makes for a better working environment. Don’t you think?
What about prosthetic?
As if these actors did not get enough attention as is! They would like to keep their privates, private. So sometimes they opt to use fake genitalia.
Don’t the actors become sexually aroused?
Imagine if you had to do the same task over and over again with a whole bunch of people watching, how much would you really enjoy it? The same logic applies here. It is hard to imagine an actor sporting wood no matter how hot his co-star is.
Is there a name for all of this?
If you must take all the fun out of it – the term is called “stimulated sex”.
Hope you got all your answers…
