1 of 5 | Jenni Farley wrote and directed “Devon.” Photo courtesy of Anthony Serrantonio
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12 (UPI) — Jenni Farley said she decided to direct the horror movie, Devon, on digital video on demand and streaming on Screambox on Tuesday, to begin a career transition.
Farley, 38, stars in reality TV series Jersey Shore and its recent follow-up Jersey Shore Family Vacation, where her nickname is JWOWW.
“I think it was a good transition in my life,” Farley told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. “If I go from JWOWW from the Jersey Shore to Jenni Farley, the director, that would be an insane accomplishment.”
Farley said she would not consider herself a director unless she makes more films. She graduated from the New York Institute of Technology, where she studied animation and software development.
She said the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to consider the career change from reality TV. Jersey Shore Family Vacation was among the many productions that shut down in 2020.
“I decided to take that moment and really, excuse my language, [expletive] or get off the pot,” Farley said. “It’s not a one and done, but I pray that this one helps me get to the next one and then get to the next one.”
Devon, which Farley also wrote, is about a group of social media users who accept an assignment to explore an abandoned asylum. The character Devon went missing when she was a patient, and her parents are offering a reward for help finding her.
The crew discovers startling horrors in the dark corners of the abandoned asylum, which may or may not be linked to Devon’s disappearance. The film utilizes the video shot by the characters for their social media channels — an update on “found footage” horror movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity.
Farley chose a horror movie for her directorial debut because she has always loved the genre.
“I’ve been a super fan of horror films since I was a child watching my dad’s Betamaxes,” Farley said, adding that she wanted to “see if being a fan of horror movies was enough to transition into making them.”
By the time Farley was born, VHS already eclipsed Betamax as the dominant home video format. Farley found her father’s tapes of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Stephen King’s Silver Bullet when she was 10 in the ’90s.
“I was my daughter’s age,” she said. “He didn’t know that I stole his beta collection, was watching these movies on the down low and I wasn’t sleeping. I would just go to school terrified as a 10-year-old.”
Horror movies attracted Farley because of the peril characters faced, she said. They were her favorite form of escapism.
“As fast as you love them, they can be taken away,” Farley said. “I resonate the most when it comes to horror movies but that doesn’t mean that I could make one.”
Not all of the characters in Devon survive their journey into the asylum. When it came to directing the actors – – Tara Rule, Lauren Carlin, Steven Etienne, Rotisha Geter and Hank Santos — Farley remembered how she likes to be treated on set.
“I’ve been yelled at by directors and I’ve been high-fived by directors,” she said. “I just wanted to be a good friend. I wanted to be an ally. I wanted to help them in their character development.”
Farley said the low-budget film with a small crew on location inspired a communal atmosphere. She accepted help from everyone inclined to contribute beyond their designated roles.
“Not only was I the director, [but] I was buying the food,” Farley said. “I was helping with hair. People were helping me write. People were jumping behind the cameras while I was making sure someone got a soda. We were all one big happy family at that point.”
Now that Devon is released, Farley is reuniting with her Jersey Shore family for Season 8 of Family Vacation. She will be on a flight while viewers discover her directorial debut.
“As the movie premieres on all the streaming services, I’m going to hit that airplane mode button, have a drink on the plane and take it all in,” she said.
