Australia’s award-winning studio Lightsouthern has decided to implement a Professionalism Agreement for performers and producers involved in Lightsouthern films moving into 2019.
After gathering information for the company's annual Performer Feedback survey to ensure continuation of better on-set standards, Lightsouthern has created a lengthy Professionalism Agreement to assist performers know their rights and expectations on-set, helping to reduce unsafe work practice, miscommunication and unethical conduct of performers and producers alike.
“It has been something we have wanted to implement for a long time; after our feedback, it became clear that it is a priority moving forward,” said Michelle Flynn, Lightsouthern’s Director. “We will also be employing a Safety Officer for our larger productions. This person will be responsible for managing consent between performers, ensuring a safe workplace where communication and safety is paramount, where no consent lines can be blurred”.
The Agreement includes such clauses for performers as:
2e) I have the right to shower alone before and after my scene, be provided with fresh towels, and have a space on-set to relax alone if I need it.
2f) I have the right to access a first aid kit, safe sex barriers and accessories (lube etc).
This comes after a large production period for Lightsouthern, the company having produced two features and a short film in the second half of 2018.
“We had some issues we needed to not only resolve, but also formulate a system so it doesn’t happen again,” Flynn advised. “A large part of being ethical is being able to see where things went wrong, be accountable and fix them. Ethics need to evolve”.
Lightsouthern encourages other producers in Australia and worldwide to follow suit. “There are no on-set safety standards for porn in Australia. We need to self regulate.”
Lightsouthern has made the document downloadable from its website lightsouthern.com. Lightsouthern is set to release a new two-part film series, Super Host, starring Blake Wilde, in 2019.
