rossum rider

“I will show side boob for three seconds in a moving shot. I will show the left cheek from the left side in a dim light...”

Shameless star Emmy Rossum gave the world a glimpse into the world of nudity riders in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying that when she first signed on for the role, she and the producers discussed specifically what she would show, how long she would show it, and even what the light would be like in the scene.

Now the women's career blog The Grindstone (of all places) has launched a full-scale SKINvestigation into the phenomenon, and have dug up some honest-to-goodness entertainment lawyers to explain the ins and outs (heh) of the nudity rider.

Attorney Neal Tabachnik of the firm Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman and Rabkin says that nudity riders are essential to the entertainment business because they provide a balance between the desires of producers (to make as much money as possible- and we all know that nudity = $$) and the desires of actors to maintain their professional credibility, i.e. modesty. (Mr. Skin would argue that Michelle Williams, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, etc are examples of why that's not necessary, but whatever):

"It is the vehicle by which actors are able to give producers what is needed in terms of nudity and sexual content in order to tell stories and attract audiences, without the actor suffering long-term professional detriment as a result of the process getting out of control,” Tabachnik says.

All nudity riders are based on Section 43 of the Screen Actors Guild Basic Agreement, simply titled "Nudity". This section specifies, among other things, that actors are not obligated to strip totally nude at auditions, that a "closed set" with only essential crew present will be provided while shooting nude scenes, and that the actor has a right to approve all nude scenes in writing before shooting begins.

But it doesn't end there. For most roles requiring nudity, especially if the potential nude-ee is a lead actor and/or a big star, additional nudity riders will be drawn up that specify in great detail all of the following:

"1. A very detailed description of what will and will not be permitted or shown in connection with the scenes in question, including which sex acts will or will not be simulated.
2. Actor approval over how the scene is shot and cut. This of course is in conflict with the Director’s control over the content of the Picture and some balancing and negotiation is normally required here.
3. A reservation which allows the actor to wear body suits, pasties or other clothing items while filming the scene provided it does not interfere with what is being shot.
4. The obligation to destroy any images which are not used in the final product.
5. Sometimes a more detailed description of who will be permitted on the set during the filming of the scene, and who will have the right to view the dailies and stills of the scene.
6. Control over the use of body doubles, including approval over the body double and the shots.
7. Control over non-photographic depictions of nudity or sex involving the actor in the advertising of the film."

Phew! That's a lot of jargon. If you'd rather concentrate on the results of those nudity riders, then check out nude pics of Emmy Rossum right here at MrSkin.com!