Latest / Besties Do Verticals / Episode 25 - Interview with Olivia Ku

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Episode 25 - Interview with Olivia Ku · Besties Do Verticals

• Aleta: Hello and welcome to Besties Do Verticals with your besties, Alita and Lucy. And today we have a special guest. Hi, I'm Alita. Lucy: And I'm Lucy. Olivia Ku: And I'm Olivia. Lucy: As you know, the aim of our podcast is to promote and support queer verticals, actors, and all the other creatives that go into producing the projects we love. We are so thrilled to have our eighth interview guest with us today. Aleta: Besties, we are so happy that Olivia agreed to speak with us this week. She is the intimacy coordinator behind so many verticals, including Olivia Ku: Ha ha. Aleta: several of our favorite boy loves. Most notably Straight Until He Kissed Me. The rock, the foundation of our fandom and our podcast. We literally wouldn't know each other without Straight Until He Kissed Me. Lucy and I met in Greg's subscriber chat. So. and of course, the Prince's First Love as well, which is my my tied for my personal favorite with with Succum. Usually I say we're gonna put all the verticals in the description box, but Olivia has worked on so many that we'll just put the queer ones and then say, please go look at her lengthy IMDb. It is particularly timely to speak with Olivia this month. as the first anniversary of Straight Until He Kiss Me is coming up on September second. Welcome, Olivia. We have prepared a lot of questions, but before we get into them, would you like to tell the listeners a little bit about yourself? Olivia Ku: Yeah, thank you so much for having me. So I'm Olivia Coo. I'm a SAG AFTRA certified intimacy coordinator. We could get a little bit more into that later. but basically I've been working in the vertical space for I think now thr three years, over three years, since like twenty twenty three early days. worked on Faded to My Forbidden Alpha, which kinda kick started all of these verticals here in the US. So it's been quite a journey. I think I'm either at a hundred and fifty verticals or very, very close to that or I'm over it. I don't know it's Aleta: Wow. Olivia Ku: somewhere in there. Yeah. So it's it's been wonderful to be able to be intimacy coordinating on them. There's a lot of spicy scenes as we know. Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: And it's been really great to work with such incredibly talented people. Like that's some of my favorite part is being creative with others and it's been such a great journey. Lucy: That's amazing. I can't wait to get into this with you. This is this Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: is awesome. We before we actually get started with questions, we with guests, we usually start with a little game. Would you be up for would you rather questions for an icebreaker? I'm down. Yeah. Olivia Ku: Okay, I'm down. Yeah, let's go. Lucy: Yeah. Okay. You haven't seen these. These are a surprise. So let's Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: go with it. Okay, and then Alita and I will play as well. So Olivia, would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak. Olivia Ku: Read. 'Cause actually, you know, I'm an auditory learner, so I I think read. Yeah. Lucy: That's fair. Okay. What about you, Alita? That's gotta be hard for you. Aleta: Look at my wall here. yeah, I don't know. Probably speak, I guess. I can't imagine not being able to read. Lucy: Understandable. Okay. For me, I would rather lose the ability to read as well. I'm a talker and I just gotta say what I gotta say. So I mean I could probably be expressive in other ways, Aleta: Can write it down. Lucy: but yeah. Olivia Ku: Ha ha. Lucy: Okay. Would you rather have all traffic lights you approach be green or never have to stand in line again? Olivia Ku: Never have to stand in light again. Yeah, that would be amazing. Lucy: That would be amazing. What about you, Alita? Aleta: Agreed. I mean where I live there's very little traffic anyway, so it it's n not a big delay. I'd but yeah, never having to stand in line. Ugh go to your favorite restaurant and not have to wait outside for an hour for a table. Amazing. Lucy: I think you're both right. I agree. I was like, hmm, I thought that question was so good, but it was too easy. Too easy. All right, our last one. Would you rather this one's ridiculous. Okay. This is so ridiculous. Okay. Aleta: It is. Lucy: Would you rather trees scream occasionally for no reason or spiders? Be big enough and smart enough to open doors. Olivia Ku: trees. I don't think I want giant spiders. Lucy: You know, I randomly got these questions. I was like, they're great at the time, and then now I'm like look I'm like, I forgot I even picked these. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: What about you, Alita? Aleta: yeah, yeah. I mean tr it they're both terrifying, but but spiders that can open doors, no thank you. Lucy: No. I I am very scared of spiders as well, but I might die of a heart attack, you know, with the trees screaming occasionally. It's it's just I might just go out one way or another. I'll just hang out inside. Fair. Aleta: Better than being eaten by a giant spider. Lucy: Completely fair. Alright, so hopefully that kinda broke some ice, loosened us up a little bit. my apologies for Forgetting how unhinged some of these were, but that's okay. Olivia Ku: Ha ha Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: We will jump into some questions. Okay. Olivia, we are so interested in the work that you do. We've heard so much about its importance to actors. What made you decide to get into this field? Olivia Ku: my gosh. So I used to be an actor actually. still dabble in it a little bit. I'm actually in verticals the movie coming out September 1st. Fun fact. but I hadn't acted in maybe like, I don't know, a decade or maybe more. So I was a young actor back in the day and of also experienced moments where it's like, Can you just make out with him? And you're like, What? Like right now? Like on my very first thing that I ever booked as an actress. It was crazy, yeah. And so I always remember that moment and like just what I felt and like just kind of you know being a deer in headlights and ultimately thankfully I didn't have to but that kind of really just like stayed with me like just feeling like my gosh like I want to say no but how do I say no to this director and like I want to keep my job like a lot of these kinds of feelings and then for years I also held space for survivors who did a lot of survivor advocacy stuff and that kind of eventually Led to now where I work as an intimacy coordinator. So I was still very much working on major studio projects doing stand-in work. I just couldn't find the department that I wanted to be in. I enjoy acting as like you know for a side hobby, but like I work with so many incredible actors, as you all know, who are doing it 12, 14, 16 hours a day and every day, and they love it, and you have to love it, right? And I was like, Yeah, Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: I don't. Think that I'm that passionate about it. I I would love to do like day players or like a small supporting on here and there, like that would be fun. But I just knew that wasn't like my full passion. But I love being in TV and film, I love being around other creative people and just like creating things and collaborating. And so eventually, when this role became came into existence, because that's still very new. I think the first credit. Intimacy coordinator was either 2017 or 2018. So it's still a very, very like new position in the industry. And it was actually during the pandemic for me when I started training because we're all at home, you know, and I was like, What Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: what can I do? And they're like intimacy coordinating. that's interesting. Maybe I would be interested in that. So I started training, and very quickly discovered that I really loved it, and so I started. working and then the verticals all kind of took off and then here I am now like working on Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: verticals on you know feature films like all s all sorts of things so it's been a really really incredible journey Lucy: That's amazing. And I don't even know if we have actually, I think it is in our next question. I was like, what is the training like? So I'm Aleta: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lucy: gonna segue into the next question. so okay, so intimacy coordinator being a fairly new profession, can you yeah, can you tell us a bit how this role came into being and what does training maybe look like for people who might be interested in it? Olivia Ku: Yeah, so I think just in general it kind of existed in different forms with like different people, right? So back in the day a lot of the times like hair and makeup and costumes were trying to essentially protect performers. so there was a lot of that or just the performers would have to do things that they were not necessarily comfortable with because they couldn't say no. So there was a lot of that and then in theater they you know, there's some form of that as well that has always existed. It was kind of when the Me Too movement came into play that what there was a really big push to have intimacy coordinators. I will also say like the vertical space has been doing such a great job also pushing our department forward because this has been, I think, one of the most welcoming spaces for intimacy coordinators. A lot of the producers and teams that are working in this space are like younger, usually like in their 20s or early 30s. And so consent is kind of built. Into just life in general, I feel like. I feel like the younger generations have just more understanding of it. I think from you know, where technology, just learning information. And so for them, it's very much like a what do you mean we didn't have that before? Not so much like, we don't need one, Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: but just like, yeah, this is this is like a normal thing, right? because Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: I know like in mainstream media sometimes there's like push pack and Everything and I will say a lot of times it's also because they haven't worked allowed the intimacy coordinator to actually fully do their job. There's a lot of assumptions that you know we're gonna come police the set or we're gonna make things like not as sexy, quote unquote, and all of these other things, and that's not actually our job. Our job is just to have conversations in pre-production, get aligned with the director, with the actors, any kind of conversations we need to have, maybe with the legal team. get everything into a writer into the contract and so that we know and have a plan of what we're gonna shoot on the day. Like that's you know ideal. and I will say in terms of like training this is such an important part of it. There are because verticals are non-union sometimes they're they they're just like we will hire whoever could do whether it's makeup, costumes, intimacy coordinating stunts they'll just hire you know not all the teams do that. A lot of teams have been really Good about making sure that they hire certified andor qualified people. how you do that is if you go on the SAG website, there is SAG qualifications and protocols for hiring intimacy coordinators, and it'll tell you all of the different training areas in which you need to train in, and it will also list out the SAG accredited organizations. And so that is the way in order to know Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: if you're actually hiring someone who is qualified to do the Job. SAG also has an intimacy coordinator registry. So if you're on the registry, it means you've also worked as an intimacy coordinator on union projects for at least 60 days. So I'm on the registry. And they also make sure to check that you are certified or have and met all the qualifications underneath SAG. So that it there is there's stuff out there where people are like, no, you could just come take my program. And those are great, like for supplemental training, because part Of our job is also ongoing training, but the foundation of everything is all on the SAG website, and it actually includes diversity, it includes like fat liberation, it includes anti-racism work. So there's a lot of things that go into it, like power dynamics, things that would really be needed in spaces to fully support people, whether somebody is disabled or they're queer or whatever it is, like it's really Really an a pro like pr the programs really have to touch on all of those aspects as well. Lucy: My mind is blown. That is beautiful. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: I'm I I didn't know this, and I'm so excited we're getting to speak with you because I did not know how seriously this was being taken. And it is so true. You've you everyone's heard the stories, you know, of what you just have to do what you gotta do if you wanted to make it in Hollywood and to just know that these protections are being put in place and celebrated. It's amazing. I'm I love it. Excited. Aleta: Alright. Well you talked about being an actor before you moved behind the camera. Was it I would think that would give you great perspective to for your role, but was it difficult to transition into this? Like in terms of No. Olivia Ku: No, not at all. I think I think one of the my greatest gifts is having been an actor because I know what it's like being an actor. So I know how to talk to other actors and help them understand maybe what a certain note is. Because directors are not always actors, right? Producers are not always Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: actors. So they're coming from that lens and coming from a different type of like language, in which is not always actor language. So I'm able to really translate that into like motivation for the characters. Why are we doing this? And explaining things in that way. And that tends to really help an actor understand what is actually being asked of them. and also just knowing that feeling of like how vulnerable it can be working on intimacy scenes. I actually love working with actors who are, you know, coming to work on intimacy scenes for the first time. That is is like I think the most incredible part of my job that I've I've loved, I think because of my background in advocacy work is a big part of that for me is like creating a ripple effect, right? If you are able to give somebody all of these tools, they're gonna take those tools and go to the next set and pass it on to other people and they know how to advocate for themselves and I like to set the bar really high so that they know what to expect next time and what they should be expecting. And I think that's Also, a very like I just personally like such a thing that I'm very grateful for is to create that ripple effect, is to really like be like, hey, like actually we don't have to do that. I I one of the things that I find actors do a lot is they apologize for having boundaries, and I'm just like, absolutely not. You do not get to say sorry Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: to me for having a boundary. A boundary is a boundary. There doesn't need to be a why, no is a full sentence. Like That is it. So I I I really love that. Lucy: Give me emotional. That's amazing. Yeah, no is a complete sentence. Come on. well, actually you touched on this a tiny bit. when you are working with a new actor or on a new set, how do you prepare for the shoot? Olivia Ku: So with the new actors, that's like one of the areas that I love working with is folks who are coming to intimacy for the first time. and just because I think having a background in survivor advocacy and a I really believe in like the ripple effect. So if you have new performers that, you know, are a little bit more nervous, feeling vulnerable or feeling awkward or any of those things, I love being able to hold space for them and provide them with tools so that they could succeed in working on These scenes for the very first time, and a lot of times they tell me, my gosh, that wasn't so bad. And I'm like, Amazing. Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: and and also so they could bring it to their next set. So if I set the bar really high for them, that allows them to also take it with them to the next set and impact other people in a positive way. I think one of the things I've also learned is that a lot of like my male identifying performers, they always are like, I'm good, just worry about her. And I'm like like no you get to have boundaries you get to have like you know what tell me what it is that you're gonna need how will you feel supported and it's kind of funny sometimes because I'll ask them a question and they're like actually yeah I do have a boundary about that and I'm like see and that's okay so I think it's like a you know everyone gets to learn in that space as well and learn about themselves and what works for them what doesn't work for them and then you have these performers who you know I'll I'll see them on a vertical like their first one And then I'll see them like 10 verticals later, and they're like, I got this. This is no big deal. And I'm like, Yes, like because that's the goal, Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: right? Is to really give people all of the tools to succeed and for them to impact other people also in a positive way. and in terms of like preparation, that looks very similar whether I'm preparing a performer for the first time or if it's someone who's very seasoned. So pre production is where most of the intimacy coordinating work goes. And I think a lot of times that's a big misconception. Folks think that we just go to set and we just stand around and like make sure nothing is happening. But that's like much more HR's job. Our job is to talk with the director, meet with the actors one-on-one, have conversations about what the director's vision is, bring that back to the actors, tell them what they're gonna be performing in the scene, what type of intimacy it'll be, asking them details of like what they're they may have boundaries around, what level of undress. what type of intimacy in terms of simulated sex or implied, like whatever it is that works for them. and asking all of those questions and if we need to make any adjustments, then I bring it back to the director and the team and let them know like, hey, like X, Y, I, and Z may not work. And then creatively we try to come up with solutions together to make everything work so that we are telling these stories that are very authentic to what the writers have written on the page, but also within the actor's boundaries. So I think It's also really beautiful place because you get to be really creative sometimes, right? I've had performers that are like no lip to lip kissing, and I'm like, Great, we'll mask everything, or maybe how do you feel about a net kiss? Like, great, I'll do a net kiss. So it it allows people in that space to really come up with new creative ideas, and you have really magical moments that we would have never had before, and I think that's also like why AI is not that great because you'll never get those moments because you have one person just like prompting stuff, right? So it's It's really such a beautiful aspect of it. And okay, once all of that pre-production stuff has taken place and the conversations, we're on the same place. I'll check in with costumes, I'll check in with the first AD costumes, mostly to talk about like coverage garments, barriers, anything that we may need for any of the scenes that have intimacy that is costume related. So if someone is taking clothing off, if a zipper is coming undone, if we're sticking hands into pants, whatever it may be, we gotta connect on those. Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: things with the first AD it's it's to get on the same page about closed set protocols so who's gonna be in the room who's gonna be on monitor for these scenes so after all of that if I sometimes need to also connect with the production design department that's if we have any props right so if there's like condoms in the scene or any types of like toys or anything like that that would require me to connect with the production design department that's something that I do as well so it just every project really depends on which departments that I need to connect with. Sometimes it's also hair and makeup because there's a lot of scenes in which actors are getting wet whether they're in a pool or they're getting sprayed down or like if we're gonna have a lot of making out and we need a reset like lips that sort of thing. So just connecting with different people and then once we get to set then on verticals we don't have a separate rehearsal day. On a few of them I have Had separate rehearsal days on Drive and Wild, we had a separate rehearsal day, but most of the time on verticals, because of the way that the schedule works, the rehearsal will happen right before we film the scene. So that's private, that's usually with the director, the director of photography, and myself and the actors. And this is after having even individual conversations with folks on the day just to see if anything changes, if we need to do a boundary check-in, like all of those things, and then we'll rehearse. rehearse it, talk through all of the beats and the choreo of everything, and then once that's done, we go and film it. So that's that's kind of that. post-production, we also can help with post-production. So part of that is if we accidentally see a coverage garment or we accidentally see a mic pack or, you know, things like that, or just making sure the content is working within the actor's boundaries and what's agreed upon in their writer and their contracts. However on verticals it's very, very rare that they'll bring on the IC for the post production part. Mostly that happens like on bigger studio projects. Yeah. So that's kind of like the overall. There's so many other things, but Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: that's the overall workflow. Lucy: My mind is blown because I'm just I have this image of you running around like a chicken with your head cut off and just like Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: working with so many different departments and it made me think of another question. Do so are you only there when there are intimacy scenes or do you usually stay for the whole shoot? Olivia Ku: Just for the intimacy scene. So where I'm Lucy: Okay. Olivia Ku: yeah, so the I mean I can if I want to just to like watch and sometimes there are scenes that happen between intimacy scenes, so I'll be there as well. but everything is talked about during pre production. So and I get the whole script. So I know like what's happening in the in the whole story. Yeah. Lucy: That's amazing. wow. Okay. Aleta: Well, I think I think you've answered the next one pretty much. yeah, yeah. So you wanna move on? Lucy: you're right. Okay. Ooh Well, I'm excited about this one. What are Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: the main differences, if any, between working on a queer vertical versus maybe a straight story? Olivia Ku: I think the main differences are there are different kinds of stereotypes, whether that is with a story with straight people, there's a lot of stereotypes in the vertical space. Same thing with queer verticals. There's like what mainstream media thinks is like what queer sex looks like. Or for example, this happens a lot on verticals, is like BDSM is like not a representation at all on the verticals and it it's like I could give them so much education and all of that but I can't change the script, right? So it's like there is a lot of that. And I think the differences are it comes down to a lot of folks not really knowing what queer sex looks like. And so a lot of times it's like having conversations with folks on like, hey, like this position wouldn't work because of anatomy. So like a little bit of that kind Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: of stuff. Lucy: Just laughing because we've watched Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha. Lucy: almost all the Western BLs and we know exactly what you're talking about. Aleta: Ha ha ha Olivia Ku: And you know what? And it's it's y usually not because the intimacy coordinator and the actors haven't said something. It's just they're Aleta: Ha ha ha Olivia Ku: like, No, this looks better and they're like, Okay, well okay then. Aleta: Yeah. And we're watching we're watching things and going How? Lucy: Yeah there's a head tilt. We head tilt a little. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes I'm like, I just got destroyed by the edit. Lucy: Apologies, Olivia Ku: Ha ha Lucy: that just came to mind like that. Olivia Ku: That i no, that is exactly it. I I I hope this is one thing that I I wish the fans would just please take a take it with a grain of salt that sometimes the editors they're just like, We'll just take the first take and you're like, No Lucy: Ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: We don't 'cause like we I could have like we could have like eight or nine amazing takes where everything is like looking great and for some reason they just end up taking the first take. Maybe it's a like, you know, coloring issue, lighting issue, I don't know. But just know that we are we're fighting for the good takes. Lucy: I love this like BTS though. Like, okay, we're taking that into consideration. Beautiful. Aleta: Yeah, 'cause we know d we watch a lot of verticals, we notice a lot of little things that it's like, how did they l Why did they leave that in? Lucy: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Or sometimes like they'll completely just get rid of like an entire intimacy sequence and you're like, okay. Okay. Yeah. Lucy: We've we've seen a few where it'll just it looks like there's an episode missing. So in driving Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: wild it happened. Actually, yes. Okay. It was when Brady got kidnapped randomly, but it never Aleta: yeah, yeah. Lucy: showed him getting kidnapped. They were in the hot tub, just chilling, enjoying their romantic time, so you were probably there. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: I don't know if there was something in the script afterwards, but just all of a sudden Brady's tied to a chair. And we don't know how he got there. Olivia Ku: It's a tangent, I don't know. Lucy: It's just just and then you know Marvin comes in and he's like, Hey, I'm saving you. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha Lucy: So we aren't sure how that happened, but yeah, occasionally. I've only seen it in I think two BLs where I'm like, you missed something. But Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: we do take on verticals, we do take quite a bit, I think, you know, with what a grain of salt, is that what I want to say? We're we're very Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: we're forgiving. Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha. Lucy: But occasionally we're like, huh. Aleta: But we do notice little things, and especially like those of us who do edits, because we literally pick the entire thing apart, you know, to to make an edit, cutting little pieces and stuff. and so yeah, it'll there'll be lots of little things. There's one in Straight Till He Kissed Me when when Miles and Hunter finally come together after the the scene with Tammy and There's like a hair on Greg's chin that falls. It's just like Lucy: We all see it. It's there every time, and we zone in like right on it. Every Aleta: Hey Lucy: time. That's so true. Olivia Ku: I just when I remember reading that script I was like, why is he tied with a belt to a lamp? Like I just didn't Aleta: Ha ha ha! Olivia Ku: I was like, okay. Lucy: It was a very expensive Aleta: Hundred thousand dollar Lucy: lamp. Aleta: lamp from Amazon. Yeah. Yeah. Olivia Ku: Yeah. It's probably like fifteen dollars maybe or something. Lucy: Right. What I just love Evan so much because he's so dramatic with his physical comedy, right? And so he's just like tied to it and he's like, it's just in our head. It's like branded because we've seen it so many times. Aleta: Yeah. Yeah. We yeah. I don't wanna even think about how many times we've seen that. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Aleta: All right. So yeah, this is something we were talking about before. How we have heard from actors about how they trick the camera in order to produce certain si spicy scenes without crossing boundaries. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Olivia Ku: Yeah, of course. So I guess w I have a question for you all in Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: regards to this. What is there like a a type of scene or a type of like intimacy that you've seen in like how do they do that? 'Cause I could probably break it down for y'all. Lucy: I know you got one, Alita. Aleta: Well no, I had that one, but then that wasn't one of Olivia's verticals. Lucy: Call b talk about callboy. Olivia Ku: No, it's okay. Any any any scene. Aleta: Well, yeah, yeah. Well Lucy: Yeah. Aleta: Yeah, there they're well, there's there's quite a few in Callboy, but particularly the one where where James, Greg's character, is pulling down the zipper with his teeth. And it's looks very realistic, but obviously not. So I think that's it's interesting to to trick things like that. And there's a few where, yeah, as you say, hands going down pants where they're very obviously not going to be doing that, right? But presumably that's camera angles and things like that that they work. Olivia Ku: So a couple of cheats that we love, high waisted pants that are a size or two too big. So it's Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: very easy to slide a hand in. also usually actors will wear barriers within the the pants. And if they want one, sometimes they don't, or we'll cheat it using something else like a mannequin or pillows, something else where they can do it. if we're are using the actor, if it's high-waisted pants. It's so easy just because there is so much room at the top that basically you're going from like an inch or two above the belly button just to the belly button. Like we're not even getting anywhere like near the pelvis. And usually it's on like a close-up, so you can't really tell exactly like where it is. so a zipper would work in the very same way. if the zipper doesn't have to be on their scene partner, if Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: if the performers have boundaries around that. and any time we're doing stuff where it is hands into pants and they need it to go like very quickly, we could always set the hand, place it where we want it to end up, pull out, and then they run the shot backwards. So there's a lot Aleta: that's Olivia Ku: of yeah, a lot of different tricks we can do. Aleta: That's a good idea. Lucy: Movie magic. Wow. This Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: is great. Okay. Aleta: Yeah, they they really they do look so realistic, which I think is, yeah, a testament to your work and as well as the actors and the camera work. are you do you feel like you're kind of a go between, negotiating between the demands of maybe the app and the director and what the actors are willing to do? Is that part of your big part of your job? Olivia Ku: Yeah, yeah. Our yeah, big part of our job is definitely like conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation. Ideally all of that happens during pre production so that we Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: can all get on the same page and have a plan. once in a while there there have been like new asks on things and so I'll just pull the actors, have a conversation with them, see how they're feeling about certain things. Sometimes it's like, yeah, sure, I could do that or sometimes it's like, No, I don't wanna do that and then so we'll have another conversation. With the team and that sort of thing. Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: So there's a lot of that that happens. A big part of my job is holding all of those pieces together, like the director's vision, the producer's timeline, the first AD being like, hey, we only have 20 minutes to shoot this, Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: the performers, you know, boundaries and like what they're willing to show on camera, and and also helping choreograph things, and yeah, so it is a lot of juggling, but I really like it. I I find Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: it to be like like my brain is like yes let's problem solve Aleta: Ha ha Lucy: I just have this image of you, like your headshot, and it's just the negotiator. And you're Olivia Ku: Haha. Lucy: just, my goodness, I can't imagine like the puzzle pieces you have to try to work through. And the whole time you were answering that, I just kept thinking, My gosh, this is why people are like, Why didn't we always have this? Like, what kind of chaos or just no protections were happening before intimacy coordinators? This is amazing. Olivia Ku: That and I get a lot of feedback from from performers that are just like, you know, just you being there gives me peace of mind. And I think that's like beautiful is because you just n like it's like you're able as the performer to, you know, work on all of these scenes, but it's so nice knowing that if something does happen, you have somebody in your corner that's gonna go and advocate for you and Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: have just like like a safe space to be able to actually tell somebody like what they're you're feeling about certain things and then have that person go and like, you know, tell the team and then come up with a solution all together. to figure out something that works for everybody. And I think that has been so special. That's like one of my favorite parts of the job is just like, you know, sometimes people just want to know that someone's got their back. Yeah. Aleta: Yeah, I think too often in the past people were just pushed into doing things that they didn't want to do and the if there's if you're just there and you're the it's only you arguing, it's you don't Olivia Ku: Right. Aleta: have any backup. That must be so much harder. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Aleta: But Lucy: Well, just like learning more about like the role. Like I'm just like feeling this like rise in my chest. Like you're like an unsung hero. And I'm Olivia Ku: Awww. Lucy: really glad we're doing this with you because we are my mind is just getting blown the more we go through this. Like Aleta: Mm. Lucy: just hearing about what you're doing and like how it's it's helping others. Cause we the the actors we have spoken with or we've watched their lives or they've engaged with fans, they Gush about the intimacy coordinators. Like they're so grateful, but we don't get like a lot of details, right? So to hear about all the hard work that goes into this, it's really amazing and like just it's making me emotional. Like I Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: there needs to be an army of you. good, good. Olivia Ku: There are there is an army of us actually. Yeah. So I actually co-founded Intimacy Collective Los Angeles. So there's I think of now over a hundred intimacy coordinators here in LA. So what we do is community events, like we have one coming up. because we're a department of one a lot of the times and we have a very difficult job. Like I would say this job is very much not for everybody because there is a lot of conflict that you have to deal with. There's a lot of stress, there's a lot of, you know, different types of personality. And it's a lot of soft skills and being able to hold all of that while staying calm and really being able to like use language that people can receive bad news sometimes, right? and so it is a really tough job, and then when you're one person, you're just like Does anyone else know what I'm going through? So Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: Ha Olivia Ku: that's what our collective does is we like have a lot of meetups and community events and all of the ICs I know in community, we support one another, you know, we talk to each other and you know, sometimes we're like, Hey, like, did you work on the production? Like how was it? Like it's really nice to be able to have all of that. Lucy: like a support Aleta: Great. Lucy: group. That's amazing. I can't believe Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: you've founded that. How how how long ago did you find like create that? Olivia Ku: I think two years now, yeah. It kind of was just Lucy: My gosh. Olivia Ku: like something where we were like, let's, you know, start hosting meetups and things like that and then more and more people kind of wanted to join and then I was like, This is a thing now. Like now Aleta: Ha ha Olivia Ku: it's kid So it's it's been really incredible because I think it helps so much to build community and I think that's one of the things that also is really great about the vertical space that there is such a sense of community in all different types of departments and like whether it's even the fans, like they're such great communities, like what you all are doing is incredible. Aleta: Ha ha. Olivia Ku: And so we we also have our little intimacy coordinators in LA that have that. Yeah. Lucy: That's amazing because it sounds like they're covering Aleta: Yeah. You have a l I had sorry. Lucy: all the sets, right? Hopefully a lot of productions are being covered, not just verticals anymore. Yeah. Olivia Ku: yeah, definitely. Aleta: Yeah, you have a l I had a little poke around when I was look researching before this. You have a lot of information on your website too for people who might be interested in in getting into this. Yeah. Olivia Ku: Yes, we do. Lucy: Okay, so it seems that there is a drive to create increasingly spicy content. As fans we're in favor as long as it's Aleta: Ha ha. Lucy: safe and within the actor's boundaries. How have you seen your work evolve over the last year or since you began this career? Olivia Ku: Yeah, that's a great question. I feel like within the vertical space when I first started it was very the intimacy was much more implied. A lot of like, they make out and then fade to black. Like we're not even removing any layers of clothing. And then I I think it's increased now. Now we're removing clothing. Now it's simulated sex. One of the projects that I did, surrendered to my professor. That one was like multiple simulated oral sex scenes. there was like a six position sex montage. Like that was Was the first one that kind of exploded all the simulated sex into the space, and so I'm like, hell yeah, I did that. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: But I there is definitely a lot more. And I think part of it is also because these scenes are what they're using for marketing. So a lot of times they're creating more intimacy content so that they have more marketable content. it is a lot tougher, I will say, for performers because it's a lot. Intimacy scenes are emotionally and physically like can be very draining, just like stunt stuff can be. You know, it is 'Cause you're do you're doing choreography, you're heavy breathing, you're doing all of these things that require so much of your physical body as well. So that could be like a lot for performers, when we're working on those scenes, and especially if there's let's say like five of those scenes a day, it's it's gonna be a lot on a ten day shoot, like every day. I will say w I find right now it's kind of a mixture with the newer platforms that are coming into the space from like traditional Hollywood, acts like producers and things like that. It the intimacy is much more story and character driven. Whereas I feel like the verticals that we've traditionally been seeing there sometimes is just like, let's just put extra intimacy scenes here. Cause I think like in Drive Aleta: Ha ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Him Wild, I was like, Whoa, hands go into pants so many times. Like it just like became like this like ongoing thing. Kind of like slapping was a thing at the beginning where we they just ever Everyone was slapping each other and I think Aleta: Too much slapping. Olivia Ku: I think it was part of it is because the data that a lot of these companies 'cause they do a lot of tech and stuff that they're seeing is like, this gets people's attention, so then they wanna do Aleta: Hm. Olivia Ku: a lot of it. I'm Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: all for super spicy scenes as long as people are consenting to it, as long as we're telling incredible stories. I I love all that. I mean I'm an intimacy coordinator, like Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Aleta: Yeah, Drive and Wild is really gets Lucy: You gotta love it. Yeah. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Aleta: gets unhinged from the very beginning. Lucy: That is the best way to describe it. So we recapped Drive Him Wild and we had to record it twice. And it was because the first recording was so insane. Because just every other scene it was just chaos. And I feel like Greg and Jeff just at least to our eyes, like they killed it. They did a great job. It was hilarious and funny and sexy. And But the lines and just the chaos of it, like it it was a very chaotic recap. Olivia Ku: Do you Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: remember that one scene where they're dancing with like their other partners and Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: then they're just like Lucy: Yes. Olivia Ku: staring at each other? That scene was so funny. Like I c I was dying on set, Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: like just them giving each other the side eyes and stuff. I was like, my god, this is so great. Lucy: It had the intended effect. I mean it looked it looked good, but Aleta: Ha ha Lucy: they were good with the intensity. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha. Aleta: so getting into kind of the nitty gritty of the filming process, some scenes I feel like could be really tricky for you to oversee up close. one that was I was thinking about was in Prince's First Love when they're in the lake and they're making out in the lake. I was imagining you in a rowboat next to them. You're presumably on shore spectating through the through the camera, right? Not not right in there. I love it. That's what we want to hear. Olivia Ku: No, definitely in a no, definitely in a robo. No, just kidding. No, so y usually Lucy: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: we are behind monitor during takes Aleta: Hm. Olivia Ku: so that we could see what's happening. So just part of my job is also making sure like we're not revealing anything that we are not consenting to on camera. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: and so I like we'll look for any type of like costume slippage or like if certain movements movements or selling on camera with that angle. So if I don't see the monitor, I can't adjust anything. So the Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: intimacy coordinator is usually on the monitor and the the monitor would usually not be in the water. Usually. On a vertical probably not. Aleta: No, no. Darn it. Lucy: Next time they can put you out in a rowboat, but yeah. Olivia Ku: You know what's okay, this is this is a fun piece of BTS for y'all. There are so many times where we're stuck in a bathroom and me and the director are just by the toilet. One of us is sitting on the toilet, the other one is like standing behind the toilet looking at the monitor. Cause we shoot in a lot of bedrooms, right? So like Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: the closest way to put the monitor is just usually in the bathroom. Sometimes we're in the shower. So I have stood in shower. Yeah, Lucy: Stoop. Olivia Ku: yeah. Lucy: Goodness, that's amazing. Like how often do you say this happens? Olivia Ku: maybe every other vertical. Yeah, that's like a Aleta: No. Lucy: Wow. Olivia Ku: what the one of the very first the Faded to My Forbidden Alpha, that first vertical that I did, I was in the bathtub in the bathroom because that was the only space because they were shooting from the bathroom into the bedroom for the intimacy sequence and I was like, Well, guess I'm getting in the bathtub 'cause there's nowhere else to be. Like the DP's like right next to me, the director's right next to me, and I'm in the bathtub. Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Yep. Lucy: That's amazing. Wow. Okay. Well, and a question. I know this wasn't wasn't on our ones we sent you, but I'm really excited about this idea. So how often do you find yourself maybe watching the monitor and having to readjust? Because I know they don't do too many takes. Olivia Ku: It really depends. So with intimacy, because a lot of the intimacy scenes are what they're using for marketing, they actually spend the most time on those scenes. So Lucy: Okay. Olivia Ku: yeah, so it is likely that they will take way more takes than needed for those scenes. and with adjustments, it's mostly for me is if something is selling or not. So if we're doing like a simulated manual stimulation scene, such as we did like in Drive and Wild. And things like that, where hands are going into pants and things like that. I'm making sure that that camera angle and where their arms are going and where you know the fabric of the clothing is and things like that is selling from the angle that we're shooting at. And that is one of the things that if there is a conversation that I could have with a director of photography, I will let them know like, hey, this angle will work better. Very similar to like what stunts do where stunts will be like this angle will stack and this won't work. Like same thing with me for intimacy. Having done so many of these scenes before, I can tell them like it's not gonna work from this angle. If Aleta: Hm. Olivia Ku: we're gonna mask it, it needs to be from this angle. And so those are kind of the things that I'm adjusting. And I think adjustments, I don't know exactly how often they have feel like I try to adjust things maybe as I see them and maybe like sometimes every take just for like little tweaks, nothing like crazy. Cause I try Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: to explain to the actors how to do the simulations ahead of time so they can at least like practice on themselves in terms of like this is what your arm movement would look like. This is where your anchor point would be. Anchor point is like where you're landing a hand and that's like where you're gonna anchor to whether it's on their scene partner or on themselves depending on what the intimacy is. So I try to be very detailed in explaining that to them so that they can actually know what it feels like because honestly, when you I I don't I I said this on a like another like like fan meeting thing before and and it kind of disappointed the fans, so hopefully it doesn't disappoint all of you, but Aleta: Ha ha Olivia Ku: like When you're performing intimacy in an intimacy scene, it does not feel intimate. It feels really weird because Aleta: No. Yeah. Olivia Ku: what you're doing is not actually that, right? Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: So a lot of times, like let's let's for instance, if we're doing a simulated oral sex scene, really a lot of times someone's ear is anchor anchored to the inside of somebody else's thigh and they're literally drawing figure eights like this to s to the air. And so just imagine like right? Like you just have to react. Like the person that Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: is, you know, the camera's facing, you're just gonna have to throw in a lot of breaths and a lot of like sound and a Aleta: Ha Olivia Ku: lot of like, you know, throw the head back and arch, right? Like that's so yeah. But they make it look good. Yeah. Lucy: They do that r so okay, when we had Declan on, he talked about Waterboy 2, I think, and it was a simulated scene, and he was like, Yeah, Sky was just chillin' on the ground. actually he might not have even been in the shot. He's like, I don't even remember. And Aleta: Ha ha Lucy: so Declan's just sitting there trying to figure out how to look like something's happening. And I mean I I'm not an actor or anything, but I'm just imagining like you know, anyone who takes classes or has gone to school for this or any kind of training, like, yeah, that's so vulnerable to have to, you know Olivia Ku: Well y usu oops, sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off. Lucy: No, please, yeah. Olivia Ku: usually performers are learning for the first time through their intimacy coordinator on set. Usually Lucy: Wow. Olivia Ku: because there is I I there are classes for actors to learn how to like work on intimacy scenes like positions and things like that. But I don't think those are as popular as let's say like cold reading classes or auditioning classes and things like that. And because not every script has intimacy. I mean on verticals most of them do. But Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: just in general, like that's not usually a part of like education. thankfully now you know a lot of the universities are starting to have intimacy courses and programs and things like that. So I think that's incredible because it is a skill. It is, you know, very different than your real life intimacy, like completely different. It's a different skill set. Lucy: That's amazing to to hear that, you know, schools, you know, acting schools would be putting that in the curriculum because just hearing you kind of discuss this this this last part, it did make me like 'cause we've been told by some of the actors, yeah, this was kind of weird or this was kind of awkward. And I think my assumption at least has just been you're just doing your thing. You're just, you know, I I I didn't even realize how like I even if they've told me that it's vulnerable, I don't think it clicked until you were just breaking it down for us. And just to imagine being a new actor, never having done that before, and then having to be on a set like that, and no one's even there with you. It's just you and the camera. Like, that sounds really intense. And her and I break down so many of these verticals, and we do talk about the spicy scenes. So I almost see this changing some of my views on what I am pulling apart in the vertical too, just thinking about what they're going through. I I just think this is so important for a lot of fans to hear, including us, 'cause we just didn't know so many Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: so much of this. Olivia Ku: Yeah, a lot of performers tell me actually like just like solo scenes are much harder than having somebody to work off of because you're just like Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: by yourself and I and I think one of the things that performers ask me like the most is just did it look good? Like Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: And it's true, right? 'Cause it's such a vulnerable place to be. You're like, I'm doing this weird thing. My arm is moving like this. I got someone's ear on my thigh right now. Like Does this even look good? And I I just feel so grateful that the performers trust me. And I'm and Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: they're and they're like, Olivia, how did it look? And I was like, it was great. It was amazing. Like Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: that was incredible. And they just trust me because when you're doing it, it feels so awkward. So part of the training program that I went through, we have to take all of the training programs you have to take in-person choreography and core coverage garments and masking. So that it that has to be in person. That can't be on Zoom or anything like that. A lot of like the beginning level courses, you can definitely take in like a Zoom course through one of the programs on the SAG accredited list. But part of my program is you actually have to do the positions, at least one. Because they want Lucy: Wow. Olivia Ku: you to understand what it would feel like as the performer because it does feel ridiculous. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Yeah. So after that moment it like really clicked for me. I was like, wow, these actors trust me so much that I'm telling them like this like position that does not feel like that it looks good is selling so hard on camera right now. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: I feel like the queer verticals that we've known that you've done, they have all looked good. They Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: have all been like to an and and that's why I think we were so excited to learn more about you because straight until they kissed me, you know, it was one of the earlier ones. And I think knowing I think that falls into my next question too, but just knowing What I do know about Evan and Greg, and that was their first time ever having to do intimacy scenes. Like they did such a good job. It was it sold so well. And and and thinking of like driving wild. Like it was spicy. It did have the intended reaction of the audience. And it's beautiful, like knowing that's it's you helping to, you know, choreograph that basically. Like it's is it like a dance? Aleta: And you can really see their comfort level increasing as Lucy: Yeah. Aleta: they with each project, right? In terms of of that, I think, as well. It's it seems to me Olivia Ku: Yeah, I Aleta: that you can see that the actors are much more comfortable you know, a couple projects in. Olivia Ku: Yeah. I loved working on that project. I was so excited to s that once they started doing queer stories, I was like, Where? I need to be on them like immediately. Aleta: Ha Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: and that that project was so much fun and it was incredible. Like, and I loved working with Evan and Greg. And I've gotten the opportunity to work with Greg again quite a few times. And it's just it's been so great. I'm waiting until Evan and I can get back on set together. We like text sometimes like, Hey, are you on this? Like Yeah. Aleta: No. Olivia Ku: Yeah. They're and they're just such great people and that that has been also really, really incredible is like, you know, having worked on things with folks and then getting to see them and their careers like start taking off has been such a beautiful thing too. Lucy: That has gotta be amazing. 'Cause you've worked with so many people, you've done so many verticals and then just to see where someone was however long ago and where they are now, like it's gotta be mind blowing 'cause I don't know, if I was an intimacy coordinator, I'd like, You're my babies, like look at you growing up Olivia Ku: No exactly. yeah. I'm always like I will mama bear this situation. Aleta: Ha Lucy: It's perfect. It's perfect. Well Aleta: Well, we love them so it's great that you're looking out for them. We we appreciate that. Lucy: Yes! Feel so much love for you right now. We're so appreciative. okay, let's see. Actually, you did kinda answer our next Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: one. So Alita Aleta: So yeah, we were some things are very often glossed over or completely left out in verticals like consent issues and protection. as someone who's done advocacy work in the past, what do you do to ensure that those things are conveyed in a scene? Is that something you're able to influence? Olivia Ku: flag all I could do is flag. Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: I don't get creative like the final creative say, but I can always flag things and I always have from the very beginning. Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: especially around consent because a lot of the verticals it's like okay this I I'll ask the question, I was like, is this scene meant to be consensual? And they're like, yes and I'm Aleta: Hmm. Olivia Ku: like, well she says no like five times here. And they're like, yeah, Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: but she loves him and I'm like, that's not how that works guys So it's like Lucy: No. Olivia Ku: having a lot of like education conversations, anything from consent to what I talked about a little bit earlier, like BDSM stories, because if there is no consent in BDSM, it's just abuse, like it's physical abuse. So Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: I like try to flag that to the team. Like how can we tell this in a way that is a little bit more toward the direction of what it's actually like being in that community? Because there's so many like misconceptions and And I think that is really important to address, but that doesn't mean that every time I flag it anything really changes, unfortunately. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: also Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: working with minors like children, there's a lot of verticals that have children reacting to intimacy or like walking into Lucy: wow. Olivia Ku: a room where there might be like intimate props and I always flag it. I'm like, you can't do that. Like these are children, they're actual minors, like that we cannot be doing that. And so Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: Those are types of things that I will always flag. I've had some great teams that have adjusted things. and that's been wonderful. And I do feel very proud that I've probably in my career have made maybe 50 non consensual non-consensual scenes, but consensual scenes into actually consensual scenes. So that Aleta: Hmm. Olivia Ku: that I always try to do that because if we can't change a line, maybe we can have the person smile. Maybe they can nod, maybe they can grab them by the necktie and pull them closer, you know, so anything that I can build in whether it that's like any type of physical like tell that there is Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: this moment of consent happening between the two characters. Yeah. Lucy: My apologies. I have to deviate again a little because Drive Him Wild just went off in red. Okay, Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: so I have seen Olivia Ku: Mm-hmm. Lucy: that script three times. So originally it was Dr. Perfect and Mr. Racer Doctor something like that. And then it was hard shift and those scripts and how it was performed is almost identical. And they were hard to watch. The consent was like almost non-existent in them. And so when I saw Drive And Wild, I was like, crap, this is hard shift almost to the T. But I was so excited for several reasons. One, they aged Jeff down. I was like, thank you. They're about the same age. That's huge because the originals had a huge age gap and an abuse of authority, right? He's an actual doctor. So at this, he's an intern. It's a I mean, it's still kind of like sketch, but it was so much easier for me to handle. And there was so much comedy incorporated into it and like that really I think broke a lot of the tension. But I remember Greg and Jeff, I think on a live, talking about how I I I don't know if they said that they were proud, but there was some input on try to how to make that more consensual. And so now I'm thinking like how I'm assuming that a huge part of that was you too, like getting to help get that to a place that doesn't feel Scary for that script. Olivia Ku: Yeah, there was a lot of conversations about that because it's like, okay, like how do we approach these things in a way that is still going to tell the story in which the writer and the, you know, platform has intended, but also trying to make it better in a way where we are telling more of a consensual story. So it's not like I feel like some of the scenes played more in the gray consent area more than anything. and sometimes that's the best we can do on the verticals, right? Like we can't, they won't let us completely just make it fully enthusiastic consent because there's not that much drama to it or whatever Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: it is. and yeah, there was so many conversations throughout the entire project about that, starting way early in pre-production. Yeah. Lucy: I like to hear that. That well, and that's cool because we didn't even they they probably did drop your name and did say that, but it just didn't like compute to me like how Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: much of a group effort that probably was to get that to where it need we appreciated it. As somebody who's seen all three and there's probably that script has probably been sold to other apps and has been shown maybe not in a queer story, I don't know, but it those those first two were difficult. To watch. They're just not something that we as fans would like to rewatch, but Drive Him Wild Olivia Ku: Right. Lucy: gets rewatched all the time because there's so much joy to it and a lot more consent. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: Okay, so what is an ideal set for you to perform your job to the best of your abilities? What do you need from producers to make sure everything goes smoothly? Olivia Ku: Ooh, this is a great question. I think I would just say adequate prep time. Like really understanding what the intimacy coordinator's job is is actually to make their lives easier and reduce liability for producers. Like that's also a big part of our job. Because if we can all get on the same page and have a plan going into filming, everything is that much more safer for everybody. And that reduces risk, that reduces liability, all of those things. And so sometimes I just wish producers would really fully understand that that's a big part of our job and We're out there trying to save your butts too. Like that's, you know, Aleta: Ha ha. Olivia Ku: like yes, of course, like it's we are advocating for actors and we're advocating for boundaries and any adjustments that we need. But part of that is also just making sure that we are reducing all of those risks and coming up with a solid plan that works for everybody on that team. Whether it, you know, the writer's vision, director's vision, the actors boundaries and all of that, like everything working together. Yeah. Lucy: That's a lot. That's a Olivia Ku: Ha ha Lucy: lot to deal with. my. I was looking at your next question, Alita. I don't know. I think she answered that one. Aleta: Yeah, we've already covered that. Lucy: Ooh, is there Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: a show or movie that you wish you had the chance to work on? Olivia Ku: my gosh. okay, so I'm like a very big fan of like the Marvel universe. So I would love to work on like Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: a a Marvel show or a movie in the future. That that's probably on my my bucket list. Yeah. Lucy: That would be really fun. Olivia Ku: And I think in general though, like a dream show, I don't even know if this show exists yet, but just like any type of like young adults type of stories. and I really love that space. Again, it goes back to like, you know, working with younger performers who are coming to intimacy for the first time and really supporting them at the highest level that I possibly can. Like that's I think just a big part of me. Like that is one of the biggest reasons I I love what I do and I'm so grateful that I get paid to do what I love. So that Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: that is probably another one of the the spaces that I wanna be in. Lucy: We need the CW back. That's what we need. Olivia Ku: Yeah, that is what we Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: need. A hundred percent. Lucy: I miss those shows. I really do. I'm rewatching the vampire diaries with my kid right now. It's been a blast. But I'm thinking about it. I'm like, they didn't have intimacy coordinators on there. What were they doing? Is it a the makeup artist? Like who was it? Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: They're they're just I I don't know who liked was working it out, I guess. Lucy: My goodness. Well I think they have more at least more time between takes, so there's that at least. Olivia Ku: Ha ha. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Have you ever tr had to work on a set where there truly was no chemistry? And how do you deal with that and still make it look great on camera? Lucy: Question. Olivia Ku: a hundred percent. Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: And that is so with intimacy the way that when we're going through training and all of that, we learn a a lot about different movement qualifiers. meaning like breath, eye contact, closing the distance, sharing weight, hi like hip direction, like all of these different tools that we could physically create in the choreography to make something look like people have really intense chemistry. Or not. Not right, like if it's a scene where like two people hate each other and you don't want them to look like that, different kinds of eye contact, different kinds of breathing. Breath and eye contact will help you build so much chemistry, like it's crazy. Like if you just have people shallow breathing and staring at each other, Like it's just you know? 'Cause Aleta: Ha ha ha Olivia Ku: it's I think as on camera you can get away with a lot more because you really get to decide what goes in the frame and what does it, right? So you're able to cheat a lot of things and sell a lot of things through different types of movement. Yeah. Lucy: in a class right now. I'm learning. Olivia Ku: Ha ha Lucy: This is like I should be paying you because I am learning the coolest stuff right now. This is this is amazing. And I'm assuming this the I well Olivia Ku: And and fun go no, go ahead. Lucy: I was just gonna say, I'm assuming this is in a lot of like the education. Like this is how, you know, for new intimacy coordinators, like my mind is like exploding. Olivia Ku: fun fact, actors yeah, I may have a new career. Aleta: New career? Olivia Ku: but actors forget to breathe a lot during intimacy scenes. I don't know if it's nerves or what it is, and it's like and sometimes the director be like, Something doesn't feel right and I was like, they're not breathing. Let me go fix that Aleta: Ha ha ha. Stress. Lucy: Why I probably couldn't make it a career is you have to be so detail oriented, you have to be so on point. And I think if I was younger, like if I was 15 years younger, I think my focus, like I could focus like that, but I just think about like where I'm at in my life right now. I'm a hot mess constantly. Like I'm running around with a chicken, like with head cut off all the time. We don't even remember the day of the week sometimes, or like it's her and I, it's our own fault. But I just think that happens more. Like the older you get. I hope I don't get in trouble for saying that, but Olivia Ku: Haha Lucy: it's kind of true, at least in my case. so I I feel like you have to be so sharp and and and just really focused and and thankfully you are because you have to notice these Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: crazy little details. Olivia Ku: I love it. I'm like a detailed Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: oriented person. I don't know if you're all into astrology, but I'm a Virgo, so if that tells you anything Aleta: well there you go. Lucy: We so so we dabble and it's so funny Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Lucy: because in a lot of the interviews we do have a question like, hey, do you astrology? You know, like what do you think about the zodiac? Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: And we never get to ask it. So it's kind of cool to talk about it. So I'm a Libra, and I like to think I'm like a poster child Libra. I but my best one of my best friends in the world is a Virgo, and like she is really detail-oriented and she's so chill. Like she's just like Easy going, doesn't freak out. I'm the I freak out. I'm like, And then she is just like, okay, so. Olivia Ku: I I get that a lot, especially on set. I get the the feedback that I get often is you are so calm and I'm like, okay. I'm like, we're making Lucy: I get it. Olivia Ku: movies. We're not sending I don't know, it's not rocket science, it's not brain surgery. It'll be okay. Aleta: Ha ha ha Olivia Ku: also one of my best friends is a Libra, so I understand. Lucy: Yes. We can be a lot. I mean we're fun, but we can be a lot. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha. Lucy: And Alita's a cancer. So and I don't know Aleta: a cancer so I'm a little introverted crab and and I require Libras to pull me out of my shell. Lucy: I don't know how I end up with so many cancers in my life. I have one Virgo in my life, one Virgo, and then just a buttload of cancers. And I was talking to some friends recently, like new friends, because I've made lots of new friends in the fandom. Apparently, like my my people are supposed to be like Geminis, Aquarius, Aries, and Leos. And I have I only met like my first Aquarius ever. I'm I'm in my forties. And I've only Olivia Ku: Haha. Lucy: met my very first one that I know of. just in the last few months. I'm like, how how and and we have a blast together. She's like the coolest person I've ever met. And it's not that cancers aren't cool. It's just th they are like so Aleta: Yeah. Geez, thanks. Lucy: intellectual. And I I think it's like an opposite thing, right? Like we just balance each other out. I don't know. Olivia Ku: I have a have another fun fact. so there was one intimacy coordinator training like weekend that I attended and seventy-five percent of the intimacy coordinators were earth signs. That was like Lucy: What? Olivia Ku: the icebreaker question, and it was just like I was like, okay. Well I'm I'm a triple earth, I'm a Virgo Capricorn Capricorn, so Lucy: Whoa. So is it true then that like probably those in front of the camera are probably what, like Geminis, Leos, Libras, right? Like I would imagine that would be Aleta: Aries. Olivia Ku: Maybe. I don't know. I'll I'll Lucy: a sign that usually maybe? I don't know. Olivia Ku: have to I'll have to ask now. Like that'll be my tally. That'll that'll be my homework that I take away from this podcast. It's just every set I go on, I'm gonna do a tally of what the two leads Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: are. Lucy: The two leads Yes please. Aleta: Well Lucy: Well we know like the Aleta: what's Yeah, Greg's a Leo, Evan's an Aries, Andrew's a k Libra. What's Declan? But Declan's not super outgoing. he's an Aries too. Lucy: Yep. Andrew's a Libra. Yep. Declan is an Aries. Skye Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: is a Taurus. And I don't know. Olivia Ku: I just worked with Skye. my gosh, Skye is incr he's so great. Yeah. Aleta: he is. Lucy: I am so excited for that vertical, that's all I'm going to say. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: Did you find out what Felix is? What's Felix? I don't know who Felix. Olivia Ku: I don't know. But he is incredible too. Felix is so talented, it's crazy. Like the performances, Lucy: Real. Olivia Ku: my gosh, like incredible. It's gonna be incredible. That's all I gotta say. Lucy: We're waiting. I I was I was tagging Candy Jar in a lot of their BTS. I was like, edit fast, please. Like just assuming Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: it's gonna take two months. I'm assuming October, but we'll see. Olivia Ku: Yeah, my friend Hailey does a lot of the candy jar productions and there was a few days that she couldn't do on that one and I was like, put me in. I'm ready. 'Cause the story is just like darling. I can't tell you what it is, but it's just darling. Yeah. It's Aleta: No. Ha ha Yay. Olivia Ku: gonna be a a really great one. It's gonna feel good. It's gonna yeah. I think every the okay, the the end scene Lucy: My face hurts. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: my gosh, like everyone's gonna die. It was so beautiful, like the way that it was shot and everything. Yeah, that's all I'm gonna say. Lucy: Okay I'm so excited right now I'm Aleta: Something to look forward to. Lucy: counting down everything. this is Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: great. Thank you, my lady, you're amazing. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha. Lucy: All right, Alita. I think we got a few more. Aleta: yeah, sorry. Do you ha you've told us a couple, but do you have any fun behind the scenes stories that we may not know? And that you can share. Olivia Ku: Oof. Fun behind the scenes stories. I'm trying to think. What fun behind the scenes stories Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: do we have? I have a fun one about Evan. I don't you all may already know this, but Evan makes balloon animals and balloon and Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: on the last day of Straight Until He Kissed Me, like Evan brought all the balloon and everyone got like balloon animals and that was like super fun and adorable. Aleta: What Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: What did he make you? Olivia Ku: I th what did I ask for? I think it was like A dog, I wanna say? Yeah. Yeah. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: I I was yeah, I just thought it was and then I remember Evan telling us about like how he travels, and hypnotizes people and that's on my bucket list to go to one of those I was like, I wanna be hypnotized Aleta: He's got like seventeen shows coming up here, he posted today. A whole list. Olivia Ku: Okay. Okay, Lucy: He's doing them right now. Yeah, he's at one tonight. Olivia Ku: I'm I I I'm going. I wanna Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: Right. Olivia Ku: know what it's like. Lucy: Go on his Hypnotist Evan website or or even his Instagram and he listed out like a lot of the shows. Yeah, I'd love to do it too. It's I think a lot of are in on for college and university. So I don't know. It's I it might not it might be hard to get into some, but we were joking today. We were like, would Evan just allow some of us to be his crew? Like we could go in with like crew gambardella hats and we'll just like help him clean up or like Brush off his suit, you know, just so we can get Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: in. It'd be cool to see. but yeah, he does a lot of really neat work. Like he's like a magician as well, and I think it's really great that he brings that to sets. And I feel bad I was like, what did he make you? And that was a year and a half ago, so I thank you for trying to Aleta: He does some really Olivia Ku: No, it's okay. I Aleta: complicated ones. Like he made a beautiful horse for the like fire horse for the year of the horse that was like this big. Like it's Lucy: yeah. Huge. Aleta: incredible. Lucy: Yeah. If we ever get on the podcast Olivia Ku: I'm I'm Lucy: we need to ask how long it took to make that. Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: Yes. Evan is so great. I actually recently also worked with Andrew. yeah, not not a queer store. Aleta: Aww. On the football one? No. Olivia Ku: No no, not a it's not a queer story. But it was so Aleta: okay. Olivia Ku: great to see Andrew. that was really fun. Yeah. yeah, like it's Tuesday? What day was that? Saturday, maybe? Yeah. Aleta: just just recently, recently, yeah. Okay. Yeah. okay. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Aleta: Aw, he's such a sweetie. Olivia Ku: I'm trying to think if there was anything that happened on any of the other shoots that I could like share. Aleta: Drive him wild must have something. Lucy: Right? That's gotta have a lot. Aleta: Or it's just everything on camera. All the Lucy: Ha ha ha ha. Aleta: wild stuff ended up in the edit. Olivia Ku: okay, this is like I remember that. This is like a n I don't know, I'm just gonna tell you. Also, there was Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: an intimacy scene in a bathroom and we had to actually use a bathroom that people were using. Yeah. Yeah. Lucy: Is that in drive him wild? Was that the scene where they're like alone, like in this glass shower? Olivia Ku: No, in it was in just like a regular bathroom. Like yeah. Aleta: The like the cause so there's the one right after they meet for lunch that's like a orangey brown l Lucy: We know too much. Aleta: we know too much about this. And then there's one that's like in the closed bathroom that that was was Olivia Ku: So it it happens. There's a hands in the pants moment for that one. the scene that I'm talking about. And yeah, Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: it was in a actual bathroom right after lunch, after people had used the it was a men's bathroom by the way. Lucy: I see. Yes. Okay. Aleta: no. Olivia Ku: I just remember like Lucy: There's such Olivia Ku: them going in there with the air fresher and I was like, god, all of us are gonna have to like be in this tiny bathroom. Aleta: No, God Olivia Ku: Yeah. Lucy: Okay, that's Olivia Ku: And of course they had to like close the door because they have to come into the bathroom and like shut the door. Make sure like nobody Lucy: The snow hair? Olivia Ku: is there in the scene. I'm like and w of course like the monitor is in the bathroom stall. So we're Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: in the bathroom stall, like Aleta: no. Lucy: This is officially Olivia Ku: You had the the the the Lucy: my favorite BTS. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: the we had like the sound guy next to the urinals like holding the boom. It was just a whole thing. Yeah. There you go. Lucy: You win, Olivia. This is Olivia Ku: Ha ha Lucy: the best one we've ever heard. And then moving Aleta: Ha ha ha ha ha. Lucy: forward, if we ever talk to another person, we ask this question, we'd be like, it's just not as good as this one. It's just the best. my gosh, okay. Besties we have just a few more questions, then we're gonna let lovely Olivia get back to her evening. So I'm excited for this one. How would your closest friends describe what you do? And how does that maybe differ from what your parents think you do? Olivia Ku: My parents are so confused about what I do that Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: I'm just like, It's fine, I just coordinate Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: things, like don't worry about it. my closest friends, a lot of them are actually also in film, so they have a really good idea of what I do. I think the funniest like person that knows the most about what I do is my husband. And it's hysterical because he does not know anything about film. Like this man like has worked in tech like n like just like completely opposite regular, like nine to five. So I come home and I'm like telling him things and he's just like Like I like, what you did that today? I'm like, yeah. like there was a this is like a crazy scene that like I worked on like pretty recently and I was just like telling him like all the details of it was like a horror film basically. So you just imagine it's like gory plus like intimacy plus orgasm, right? And he was just like Lucy: When that film comes out, just drop us the name, okay? Just Aleta: Boy. Olivia Ku: I think it's it's gonna come out in October and that scene Lucy: Okay. Olivia Ku: I I'm like people are incredible the things that they come up with. Like I yeah, it was in cr I was like, Wow, okay, let's do this Lucy: So in October I'm gonna remember. I'm gonna be like Olivia Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha ha. Lucy: Okay, what are your long term goals for your career? Can you paint us a picture of what that might look like five years from now? Olivia Ku: This is such a great question. I think for me, because I love what I do so much, like I truly feel like I found the thing that like is my calling and what I'm meant to do. So honestly for me, whatever the next five years looks like, as long as I get to continue impacting people and like doing this work, like that is 'cause I'm like truly like I'm living the dream. Like I love this job so much and I think that is also one of the reasons why why I've been able to like work in this space for like, you know, over a hundred fifty projects because I genuinely love it so much. So even when I have a hard day, for me it's like, okay, but I'm still getting to do what I love and having a hard day is just a part of that. And that is like I just keep going because it's it's what I wanna do. It's like, you know, and I get so much positive feedback from folks as well. And that's incredible, you know. And to be like, my gosh, yeah, like you were my first intimacy coordinator, and now I like know what to ask for on my next project, or when performers request me for things, or if they find out I'm the intimacy coordinator, they're my god, thank God. Like, those are just Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: such incredible things and moments to have. And I think what has been really, really cool about the vertical space that is kind of different than working on features and on studio projects for me is that I get to work with a lot of the same people and watch them grow as well. So we're all kind of growing at the same time. And there is this like beautiful magical thing about it where you're all constantly like learning and like trying to create more magic and do your jobs better. And that's been absolutely incredible. Like I very much feel like a mama bear that's like, my God, Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: like just everyone's blossoming. It's it's incredible. Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: Yeah. So I guess just just doing what I do now and more of it. Lucy: Well, and I almost feel like since you have the collective, it's it's like you kind of are leading a lot of it in in in a sense, right? In in the sense of it's a safe space for others who do what you do. Because like it's it's really sticking with me what you said. You said sometimes on set when things get a little crazy, you're looking left and looking right, and it's just you having to figure it out. So That's amazing that you created such a great support system for others like you as well. Cause that's gotta be lonely Olivia Ku: no. Lucy: sometimes. Olivia Ku: And we I mean, I feel like if we were like a little like arnie. We're like we we really take our Aleta: Yeah. Olivia Ku: our jobs like seriously and like we're like, let's go to battle. Like we have little like cute battle cries and things like that. Yeah. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: True heroes, dammit. Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Yeah. Yeah, word travels fast. If someone is being a little suspect, everybody knows like right away. Aleta: Mm. That was something Lucy: Hehehehe Aleta: that I I actually asked you in a comment on or I didn't I asked a comment and you answered one of my comments. Sorry. on Greg's post when he posted his and Andrew's initial chemistry read and we were talking but he was talking about intimacy coordinators and and I I was wondering if there was proper, you know education and accreditation 'cause it seems like something that some sus people might want to get it. Olivia Ku: Ha ha Lucy: yeah. Aleta: Do you know what I mean? Like I I I'm so glad that there is. They're not just getting random creepy Olivia Ku: a hundred percent. It's and the Aleta: people trying to get into it, you know? Olivia Ku: Yeah, Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: and with any type of like union projects they do ask like who the intimacy coordinator is and ask for their resume, check if they're on the SAG IC registry. So there are definitely protocols and on the non union side, like on verticals, like since the very beginning, like I've been reaching out to like producers and things like that and being like, Hey, this is what you need to look for like 'cause Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: it's very rare they'll ask for your resume, but I just send it anyway because I'm like, look, like you should looking out for these things because it's liability Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: for you and also so that you're making sure you're bringing people on who's gonna know how to do the job and know what the role actually is. Yeah. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Not just someone who thinks, yeah, I wanna I wanna be involved in these these types of scenes. Yeah. Mm Olivia Ku: Yeah, or I can do it and you're like Yeah. Aleta: hmm. Do you have any projects coming out anytime soon that you can tell us about that you're very excited about or everything's still very Olivia Ku: I d I do have one project that I'm really excited about. is they are starting to green light some more Asian led projects in the vertical space. And that's really exciting because I think, you know, any type of just like like different and more diverse stories I think are necessary in this space. Aleta: Yes. Olivia Ku: whether they're queer stories or like more sapphic stories, because we need more of that as well. Like or Lucy: Yes. Olivia Ku: just like different types of relationships and all of that. We're not quite seeing so much of that as we're seeing like the very like traditional, like straight stories and CEO alpha billionaire kind of situations. And so or mafia, mafia, toxic love. Aleta: Or mafia. Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: is have in a moment right now. but yeah we're they're starting to do that and that's been really nice. I've gotten to work on at least my first Asian female lead story for Candy Jar and so that Aleta: wonderful. Olivia Ku: one should be coming out pretty soon which I'm really excited about. And then they're I think they're starting to film one later in September, October that I'll be on which from my understanding is going to have like a f like both leads will be also Asian. So any time to be able to tell different types of stories, but those I'm I'm very excited about. Lucy: Can I tell you like one of my new dream pairings? And like I haven't like Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Yes. Lucy: I haven't shouted it from the rooftops fully yet, but okay. Do you I assume you know Didi Harlan? That so Olivia Ku: No, I know. Lucy: he directed my secret agent husband, I think. And he's also Olivia Ku: Okay. Okay. Lucy: a singer, and so I would love eventually to get him on the podcast too, because and he's told queer stories and he recently he knows Jeff. Lawless and he did a BL music video to one of his songs and they look so good together and I just I want them in a BL together so bad. I don't know if Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: Didia would ever do that. I don't because he sees like a director and obviously a singer. Like maybe he would be an actor. I know I assume Jeff would, but they looked amazing. And so when you said that, like I I have been wanting that ever since I saw that music video. And and you're right. It's we don't They're I mean we're like slowly getting some diversity. But yeah, it's not I would love Aleta: So white Yeah. There's no Lucy: to see them together. It would make me so happy. And so I kept trying like it when the music video came out, hey, this would be really cool to see. But I Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: don't know, I'm I'm letting it be known on the podcast. Can we can we cast them together if they're Aleta: Yeah Olivia Ku: Maybe you need to write the script and then the rest will just follow. Aleta: yeah. We have some friends who are writing Lucy: We do, we do. I Aleta: scripts, yeah. I'm thinking about Lucy: wonder if she would do it. Olivia Ku: Incredible. Aleta: what Skye said when they were on that live when they were filming that Love Whispers thing and and the boys went live for a few minutes and somebody was like, Can you be in this together? And Sky's like, You guys love to give us your pitches. We have no control. You know? Tell the tell the apps. We're always telling them, We want to see you in this. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Aleta: And they're like, We'd love to too. Lucy: All right, Besties. We're gonna wrap up with one last question here. Olivia, what are some things you are currently grateful for? Olivia Ku: I love this question. I think Coming top of mind, I'm very grateful for podcasts like this. because in general, what we've been like touching on too is just like representation is so important for people who have different identities, and whether that you know is like you know, where you're from, where your family's from, or like how you identify as a person, who you fall in love with, like all of those Aleta: Mm mm. Olivia Ku: things matter. And so I'm very grateful that the Vertical space is starting to really hopefully embrace that more and more with different types of stories. Very grateful for that. Very grateful for my family, for my dog, because she's adorable. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Olivia Ku: She's like the best. Like if I'm having a day, I come home and it's like the moment I see her and she's like wagging her tail. I'm just like, my gosh, like everything's gone. Like it's it's Lucy: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: the best time ever. Super grateful for her. very grateful just in general. I think for like my job and the community that has been like just all the pockets of little different communities that have have become such like beautiful places of people connecting with one another. I think human connection is such an incredible thing and we all like need more of it just in general. so it's that's been so beautiful, like seeing all the pockets of communities and And being grateful to be part of communities as well. because I think in the vertical space is like a very special place where you have like actors that are consistently like working project to project to project, and then you get to work with the same performers and crew and directors and things like that, which doesn't always happen in other Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: forms of TV and film, right? Like s sometimes they'll have like people that they keep bringing, and so that that's been a really amazing amazing part of that community is to have that to like know the people that you're gonna be working with and that's been really great. I am also grateful for just being alive. I think, Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: you know, that what more can I say? Like Aleta: Ha ha Olivia Ku: being alive right now, I mean there's crazy stuff happening out there, but just being alive, having a home, having family, like that's yeah. Amazing. speaking of dogs Aleta: Go. Lucy: We got a visitor. This is Corbin. Olivia Ku: Ha ha Lucy: and there's my palm in the back. My ginger. I've got gingers. I love gingers. Olivia Ku: They're like Olivia talked about her dog. What did you say dog? Aleta: Hahaha We need to come in and say hi. Lucy: You sit, Corbin? You sit? let's see if I can get him up here. Yeah, the babies. Let's see if I can get the palm. I'll I'll might as well just show people. Come here. Come here. well no I tried. That's okay. I could I can show you after the recording. I don't know if I'm gonna get it, but we can Olivia Ku: Hehehehehe Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: Ha ha ha Lucy: wait, wait, wait, hold on. Hold on. AK There we go. Aleta: Oooooh cutie. Lucy: So we got both the gingers. Yes, to babies. But yes, this is Oko. Aleta: Awww fluff ball. Lucy: Thief of Crowns, so for any of those who love Magic the Gathering, that is who he's named after. Do you? Aleta: Ha ha Olivia Ku: Magic the Gathering. That's another f I do I love my gosh. Yes. my Lucy: There are not many female players. This is amazing. Olivia Ku: now this is like also a very random fun fact, but like I think it was like maybe a year, year and a half, two years ago or so, like The guy that my sister was dating, like started bringing over a Magic the Gathering cards and then like gave us a few decks and we started p playing and I like, I frickin' love this game. I think it's the attention to detail and the planning which makes me a really good intimacy coordinator because they didn't want to play with me after like a few weeks because I kept winning. Lucy: Yes! I am not that detail oriented. I try. So, okay, like Commander. Okay, we're nerding out, guys, real quick. So I I know so many people love Commander, but I can't tolerate it for very long because those games go on forever. And so I have to stick with like Olivia Ku: They do. Lucy: stand Yeah, I have to stick with standard because I'm like, nah, my game can't last more than an hour. Or I'll start to like go on my phone or daydream. Aleta: Ha ha Lucy: And then My ex, because I got into it with my my ex loved it and he's the one who like got me into it. And he would make like sliver decks or something like that. And so you have to like build on like like there would be like Island Walk where, you know, you'd be able to pay for the blue cards easier and then you would be able to create he a Merfolk deck and it would just compound and you would have like thirty creatures on your you know, right in front of you and I'm like, it takes fifteen minutes just to set up in like upkeep. You Aleta: Ha ha. Lucy: know what I mean? Like you can't I don't know. So I can't I usually like to play fast and hard, honestly. So like r red decks, you know, maybe and I I tried to play green and I'm just the big stompy characters. Olivia Ku: really like I like green decks and then the dinosaur deck was really great too. It's like a killer. I I swear you bring out the dinosaur deck and it's like, okay the game's over. Vampires Aleta: Ha ha. Olivia Ku: are also fun. Those are super fun. You're just like, okay, well people get reincarnated and things are happening. Like it's it's really cool. Yeah. Lucy: Do you ever play Arena online? Have you ever done that? Olivia Ku: No I haven't. No. Now I'm gonna have to. Lucy: You should do it. It's really cool. And you know, if you're dealing with like in between takes, you could like do well, sometimes the games can go along. But it's kind of cool for those who aren't heavy into attention for detail because it'll do some of the it'll remind you to do your upkeep. It'll remind you to, you know, reset your cards. So Yeah. Olivia Ku: Like do the things, yeah. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: That's helpful for me because I'm pretty flighty. But Aleta: Ha ha Lucy: Very cool. And then last how long have you said it was a few years ago you started playing? Olivia Ku: Yeah, a few years ago. Lucy: My gosh, this is great. Well, that is that so we deviated again, but yes, Oko, Thief of Crowns, because Aleta: Ha ha Lucy: the fairy tale series was one of my favorite. And they banned his card. I don't know if you knew that. So he's a planeswalker. Olivia Ku: No. Lucy: Yeah, they banned him because he was too powerful because you can use like cost I know, sorry, totally nerding out. But you can turn like ten Olivia Ku: No, no, no, I love it. Lucy: ten creatures into like three, three elks. And then you can create food tokens and yeah, and you get like it's just it was Olivia Ku: the cycle was just too strong. Yeah. Lucy: too strong. And I was like, you just can't Aleta: Mm. Lucy: handle Oko. And then they left like another Oko that's just not as good. But and then Corbin, the other one is from the fifth element. I'm like fifth element fanza. So good. Corbin Dallas. Olivia Ku: That was such a great movie. Yeah. Lucy: And on his date dog tag it says multipus. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: Anyway, I'm so sorry that I nerded us out there when we needed to get you Aleta: CD. Olivia Ku: No, it I loved it. That was incredible. Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Lucy: I'm serious, there's not many female players, so I'm really excited to know that you play. That is very cool. Olivia Ku: yes, I love it. Aleta: My husband used to play like a long time ago before I knew him. He sold all his good cards and now he's like like early cards from when it was pretty new. He's like Lucy: Yeah. Aww You can make a lot of money off of Yeah. Aleta: I wish I'd kept them. Lucy: Some of them are worth really good money now. One last thing, you know who Aleta: Well, he got good money for them, but now they're worth even more, right? Yeah. Lucy: absolutely. Olivia Ku: Mm. Lucy: Absolutely. I don't know if you might know her, Olivia. I only know her as a fan, but I got really excited on her social media. Abigail Stanton, I think, is her l how I pronounce her last name. She Olivia Ku: Okay. Lucy: plays D D and she's a big female vertical actor, and she completely shocked me because Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: she DMs for it too. She's the d like the master who does all the storytelling. And she told me how she does like an all girl one, two. So 'cause you feel safe, you know, it's like a safe space to just be with your girlfriends and imagine. I'm like, this is cool. So just more girls getting into things like this is beautiful. Aleta: Mm. Lucy: That's what I'm trying to get at. Olivia Ku: this is reminding me of a like a little BTS moment-ish kind of BTS thing too. so Tess Deinerstein Aleta: Mm. Olivia Ku: came up with cards against verticals. Aleta: yes. Olivia Ku: but it was like all of the lore as like someone who works on verticals that you can imagine. And we had a girls' night and we played and it was just like the best. Like it was crazy. Like cause the sum of the cards, like you would just get like certain actors or like actresses' names and like put them in or like directors. Like it was just hilarious. Lucy: You know, she'd probably make a lot of money. She should make a version like for the fans, 'cause we would buy it. You know what I mean? Olivia Ku: I think I think she's going to. Yeah, yeah. No, it was so good. Yeah. I think one of Aleta: Awesome. Lucy: She'll make lots of money. Very cool. Olivia Ku: the cards was like the most unhinged thing my intimacy coordinator has said to me was blank. Lucy: What is the most unhinged thing you've ever said, Olivia? Olivia Ku: Yeah. feel like it's like unhinged when it's out of context, right? It's like, this Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: Yeah. Olivia Ku: is the moment your hand will go into his pants. Okay, great. yeah, Aleta: Ha Olivia Ku: right. So you're gonna pick up the prop dildo and wave it around three times like this before the simulated oral sex. Like you know Aleta: Ha ha ha ha Olivia Ku: like like I swear my my like messages between me and performers sometimes just There's just like ongoing jokes. Like there's Aleta: Ha ha ha. Olivia Ku: yeah, like I've held some very interesting things on set, let's just say that. Lucy: And then you go home and you explain this to your husband and like I said this today. Olivia Ku: Exactly. It's like yeah, I was holding a rainbow dildo in condoms today. Lucy: I don't want to stop. We're just getting the greatest information. the best. Okay, no, we really do gotta r we gotta end it though. Send us off a Lita before I talk about something else nerdy. Aleta: sadly we have to wrap up. Olivia, we can't thank you enough for joining us to share a bit about yourself and the important work that you do. The fans have a lot of love for these actors, and I for one would like to thank you for your role in keeping them safe while still producing some amazing super spicy love stories. And I guess that's it, besties. We hope that you learned a lot today and gained a new appreciation for the role of intimacy coordinator. We have some special things in the works for the first anniversary of Straight Until He Kissed Me, so stay tuned. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Bye besties. Lucy: Bye besties. Olivia Ku: Bye besties. Aleta: Mm-hmm.