Advantages of an open set
The devil’s in the detail. Productions do not hire a single camera operator, gaffer and audio engineer to manage each scene: teams are brought in. A single episode from HBO’s Game Of Thrones credited 68 crew members in the camera and electrical department. Each crewmember will have been assigned task(s) that elevated the whole.
Imagine being in a situation where the best the industry has to offer is on standby to produce an amazing scene but 75% of them have to operate from another room. That is the reality of the closed set.
Closed sets cost money because of the additional time needed for everybody who would usually be in the room to try and make their contributions meaningfully while the performers are either robed or off set entirely. There is also increased risk that the small team left inside with performers may fail to capture all the elements as effectively as the full team would have, leading to additional reshoots or a drop in quality.
When filming sexual scenes with principle cast members, closed sets are an important necessity: performer comfort and respect come first. While highly skilled in their craft, it is unlikely many mainstream actors will have the background to feel confident performing nude or sexual content in front of a large audience. These limitations, however, should not exist beyond those scenarios.
When casting extras and bit parts, especially those that will form the texture of large scale scenes, the logical choice is to draw talent from professionals who are not phased by performing nude or sexual content in front of large groups of people.
Despite the stereotype popularised in the 70s, adult actors are highly skilled individuals who know how to follow direction, deliver lines and are experienced at nude work. Similar to stunt performers having certain personality traits which draws them to the craft, adult performers are built for this work, they flourish when there is an audience and, most importantly, they understand the art of sex.
Pairing adult performers with mainstream cast in sexual scenes gives additional support to the main cast: they are in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing, they can take the lead and ensure the experience is as comfortable as possible. This set up was well employed by a large production in 2023 when they paired a principle male actor with adult performers for a scene involving nipple stimulation. The selected adult performers were there to offer support and guidance along with their physicality. They were the calm, they were able to bring an everyday normal feeling to events as for them, it was another normal day at work.
Hiring adult performers gives directors options, confidence and ensures they can have access to the full talent within their production as they create.
