Pierre Woodman and his Castings series are the stuff of urban legend. There are as many shades of opinion as there are viewers of this consistently fascinating series, but only one thing is sure. Pierre Woodman is the man who went the extra distance, some might say a distance too far, in his pursuit of the young and the beautiful, in his hunger for fresh faces to populate the casts of his Private productions. One may dislike the man and disapprove of his methods, but the merest glance over the names of Pierre's discoveries is proof enough of the importance of Woodman's work. The benefits to porn fans and fellow directors alike are clear.
However, while Castings bears the indelible imprint of its creator, it is really all about those fabulous, beautiful, beguiling girls, the way they look, the things they say, and the way they act. Pierre is the man who found the key to the treasure chest, and the overflowing riches were shared with the world - after Pierre had his way with them first, of course! From the Russian housewife to the Hungarian high-school student, Castings documents the explosion of talent from Eastern Europe and beyond, each one carefully coaxed into the world of Woodman through Pierre's characteristic blend of smooth talk, rude remarks and the promise of travel, adventure and excitement.
I suppose money comes into it somewhere, but Pierre is never so vulgar as to show that onscreen. He could never rely on looks alone, but that never stopped Pierre and his "special system" charming, and I use the word loosely, their way into the underwear of many beautiful women, and into the hearts of thousands of viewers enthralled by the opportunity to view the birth of new stars first hand.
Over ten years have elapsed since Pierre Woodman, in a role as assistant to Michel Ricaud and as a photographer scouting new talent, first recorded Castings merely as a reference. If the commercial potential of these auditions and interviews have since obscured the original purpose, the value remains in displaying what it is perhaps as close to the true nature of the phenomenon of European girls in pornography as we are ever likely to see.
(Gabriel Nine, 2003)
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