Game performers demand more support from studios over 'graphic' scenes

Video game performers are demanding studios provide more support when asking actors to work on intimate and explicit scenes.

In a wide-ranging BBC News report, multiple actors working in the game industry recalled feeling "shaken” and "upset" after being cast in scenes that involved scenarios such as sexual assault and "full-on" intercourse.

They claimed the industry has normalized a culture of secrecy around projects that means actors are often unaware of what they're signing on for until the very last minute. it means they might not know they'll be asked to perform intimate or explicit scenes that could be distressing.

"We'd get an email or a call from a studio saying we need you on these days for a shoot," said professional casting director Jessica Jeffries, who largely works in the game industry, speaking to BBC News. "That was all the information we'd get."

Jeffries explained she was once asked to act out a "graphic rape scene" with no prior warning. "This act could be watched for as long or as little time as the player wanted through a window, and then a player would be able to shoot this character in the head," she added. "It was just purely gratuitous in my opinion."

She refused to participate and eventually convinced the studio involved to ditch the "disgusting" moment.

"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," she continued. "So yes there may be a layer of Lycra between us, but you are still there and still having to truly immerse yourself in this scene."

Lax practices can turn working on explicit scenes into an 'excruciating' experience

Another actor who spoke out anonymously explained those working in games are "told almost nothing" when signing on to projects and must accept non-disclosure agreements to secure work. It's an approach that resulted in them having to record a "full-on sex scene" without any prior warning.

"I had to [vocally] match the scene and through the glass in the booth was the entire team, all male, watching me," they recalled. "It was excruciating. At that stage I had been in the games industry a while, and I had never felt so shaken."

They felt "upset" at being put on the spot and explained "nobody thought to ask me if I was okay with it, and nobody checked to see if I was okay afterwards." As a freelancer, they also felt uneasy voicing her concerns for fear of losing work.

UK performing arts and entertainment trade union, Equity, has echoed those calls for more protections and support. The union recently published two new guides (Best Practice for Video Game Companies and Working as a Video Game Performer) that aim to combat common issues for performers working in games–including a lack of notice for explicit and intimate scenes.

"A full summary and outline of the story, scene breakdown and scripts (where possible) should be distributed to all cast members ahead of shooting or recording," reads the guide for game companies, which also calls for intimacy co-ordinators and closed sets.

"Any explicit scenes with explicit language or content should be flagged up to a performer before recording. A safe line of communication should be in place between talent and production should the performer have any concerns or questions about content."

Read the full article on BBC News for more insights. For additional resources, visit the Equity website.