I met Jennifer Venditti in 2006, but I first heard of Jen way back in 2000. I was a teenager and had just started interning for Visionaire, a fashion magazine, the summer before my freshman year of film school. Alessandro Magania, one of the editors at Visionaire, had mentioned Jennifer Venditti as being one of the best casting directors in fashion he had worked with, and her name stuck with me. As an aspiring filmmaker, I was fascinated by the mysterious process of how my favorite directors found their actors.
About five or six years later, I was working for a DVD publisher of indie films, and my friend Mordechai, who worked at Jack Spade (the men's line of sister company Kate Spade), and I came up with the idea of doing a DVD compilation of short films that could be sold in store. At the time they were selling Mike Mills’ Paperboys - so the idea would be that the films would be in a similar style. I would handle the call for submissions, and we’d curate the films together.
Jennifer (and her producer Chiemi Karasawa) had responded to the call with a plainly marked DVD with the title Billy the Kid scribbled in sharpie. It was a 40+ minute cut - too long for a compilation of shorts - but I looked at the name and instantly remembered her from my days at Visionaire. Billy the Kid was a mix of everything I loved about the movies - a tenderness and care for the humans depicted, told in a lean, punk storytelling style. I came onboard as an associate producer, and together with my friend Danielle Digiacomo, we found financing to get the film finished and out into the world.
Jen has since gone on to cast some of the coolest shows and movies of the last decade - Euphoria, Uncut Gems, American Honey. She’s recently worked with A24 to release a book of some of her favorite casting memories- Can I Ask You a Question? The Art and Alchemy of Casting . For the Youth issue of Permanent Paper we sat down to have a catch up.
Jordan Mattos: Jen, it’s been a while! I think the last time I saw you, I had come into the JV8 office with Matthew Lessner at the office in Soho. We were looking at these big books with hundreds of polaroids.
Jennifer Venditti: Yeah, Matthew had come in to cast his film, The Woods (2011), which later did Sundance. And Max Nova, my office mate, helped produce that. That was a while ago!
JM: And now you have this beautiful book - Can I Ask You a Question? - that A24 put out. It’s gorgeous. Being familiar with your work, I think it does an excellent job of capturing the magic you’re able to see in people. How long did it take to produce the book?
JV: Aw, thank you! It took about 2 years. I had wanted to make a film about humanity through the lens of casting as a followup to Billy The Kid. The film didn’t come together - but, A24 came to me and approached me about doing a book together, and I saw this as a fantastic alternative to the film idea I had in my head.
JM: Has there been much that’s changed about casting over the years? Do you look for talent offline? For people who don’t have instagram accounts?
JV: Well it used to be that you could only street cast movies and shows by going up to people on the street or by seeing actors in person to audition them , the old school way. Now, we do alot of online research and open calls and Zoom auditioning and self tapes. A Lot has changed.
JM: What was a big pandemic change for you?
JV: I quit going to the office every day!
JM: Was there anything you started?
JV: I became a dog owner and a person who lives in the country. I hike every day, I became a driver and a car owner. Never had a car before!
JM: What’s a usual morning routine like for you?
JV: I meditate. 20 mins every morning and hike with my dog every morning.
JM: Do you have any style icons, people whose fashion you really enjoy these days?
JV: I don't remember the last time I looked at a fashion editorial –but I like Janicza Bravo’s style. I enjoy looking at her and seeing how she expresses herself.
JM: I went to college with Janicza! She’s a special one.What about designers? According to our research, you were a big Marc Jacobs fan back in the day?
JV: I like Schiaparelli - the new designer there is very interesting. He used to do work for Thom Browne - I think he’s quite good. I like the aesthetic of presenting yourself, but I don't go out looking to buy the latest thing these days. I don't shop the same way I used to either- I do way more vintage now or maybe one special piece a year. Usually something I can wear in the woods and do something fancy if needed. I like fancy things dressed down and vice versa.
JM: You were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series.Congratulations. What did you wear to that?
JV: I found this vintage burnt orange dress that was sleeveless and asymmetrical, with a silk black cape made by my friend Jane Mayle.
JM: Do you have any thoughts about kids these days being pushed to get plastic surgery?
JV: I want to live in a world where people can express themselves freely- who am I to judge, really? But I do see people getting work done at an earlier age, and I think generally young people should wait. I think people should develop their soul and truly get to know themselves on the inside before they make any big decisions about changing their outside appearance.
JM: Are there any films or shows you won’t do? How do you pick what kind of projects you decide to cast?
JV: I won't do violent horror. But I love working on things where I have an opportunity to learn. I’m working on the Park Chan-wook series, The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey Jr and a large cast of Vietnamese talent that were all discoveries. It’s been very inspiring on many levels, from the creative team to having an opportunity to cast in different communities and learn about their experiences and history.
JM: I hope I see you behind the camera, as a director, sometime soon Jen. Billy the Kid was such a magical experience, and I can’t wait to see what you do next!
January 2023
Can I Ask You a Question? The Art and Alchemy of Casting by Jennifer Venditti | All images courtesy of A24
Jordan Mattos is a film distributor born in NYC. He earned his degree in film production from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where he absorbed the films of Fassbinder, Pasolini, Bunuel and Jodorowsky. His first job at a conceptual art gallery that never sold art inspired respect for fiery, irreverent artists that provoke the boundaries of commercial storytelling. In distribution, Jordan's focus is on introducing provocative, visually striking cinema to a global audience. https://aspectratiofilms.com/
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