David Bianchi Talks About The Inspiration & Filming Process Behind His New Series ‘RZR’

This series needs to be on your watch list!

If you haven’t been watching ‘RZR’, then what are you doing? Created by and starring entertainment icon David Bianchi, the sci-fi series is top-notch and is currently in consideration for the Emmys!

We had the amazing honor of speaking with David about manifesting his show-running career, what makes Gala Film different from the rest, and more!

Q: Congratulations on ‘RZR’! What was the filming experience for the series like?

A: “Thank you! It has been an incredible journey. RZR draws inspiration from Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology, and while Musk isn’t the pioneer of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), his volume sparked my interest. The story revolves around a man installing an implant in his brain, granting instant access to all data: downloading, transmitting, and relaying in nanoseconds. 

The process of filming was exciting while simultaneously a learning curve. One of the most challenging scenes for me was when I was held hostage, zip-tied to a wall, and beaten. Due to scheduling issues, my scene partner, Richard Cabral, wasn’t available that day.  So, when we filmed all the camera coverage on my side, I had to recreate the exact scene from two days prior, this time performing opposite a background player reading lines from an iPhone! Despite the challenges, the scene cut together seamlessly, and the exhaustion from a long day of filming only added to the intensity. Another challenging scene involved facing off with an adversary, where I taught myself to speak Japanese phonetically. This scene required a high level of focus due to its stillness and stoicism. Memorizing monologues in a language I don’t speak was tricky, especially with limited takes to get it right due to our tight schedule. It took tremendous self-control knowing failure wasn’t an option.”

Q: Do you think you have anything in common with your character Grimm?

A: “The aesthetical elements of RZR including its grit, look, texture, camera work, and costumes are influenced by my life experiences. As a former rave promoter for nine years, electronic music and B-boy culture are deeply ingrained into who I am. Raving in warehouses for days straight is part of my story, and I wanted to infuse that gritty, industrial energy into the series. I aimed to create a series I would personally enjoy watching, with grounded performances that explore both the strengths and weaknesses of humanity. The series centers around a troubled individual, Grimm, who is a closeted genius and addict, striving to make the world a better place despite his personal struggles. I resonate with the complexities of such a character, as I am approaching seven years of continuous sobriety myself. I understand the struggle of being driven yet flawed, trapped by one’s self-destructive tendencies. Like Grimm, I am deeply committed to fulfilling my purpose despite my imperfections. The polarity of the hero’s journey combined with character flaws is crucial to Grimm’s relatability, allowing the audience to see elements of themselves in him. I often say that, in some ways, we are all Grimm, navigating our own struggles and striving to overcome them.”

Q: Does it serve as a pinch-me moment to see an idea for a series you had come to life?

A: “Many years ago, I manifested that I would be a showrunner, and here I am today doing exactly that. I continue to think about where I want my future to go and how I want to manifest what my future will be. I have a deep sense of pride and gratitude for what we’ve created. However, every single day presents different challenges, so I try not to get too caught up in the celebration of it all and solely focus on the steps that are right in front of me.

In the world of production, there really isn’t any time for celebration. It’s a constant pattern of work ahead of you that you have to think about. I find the journey very rewarding because it’s something that most people can’t do. If you want to go where few people go, you have to do what few people do. When people see the work that I create (upon its completion), typically they’ll have a look of awe, almost an understanding of how daunting the work actually is. It is an incredible amount of work to see a project of this magnitude all the way through, but I don’t see it as work; I see it as what needs to get done. For many years, I worked in the service industry, and that, to me, was work that wasn’t getting anything done. That was showing up to get people drunk and pay the bills. Whereas what I do as a creator and as a self-sustaining artist is all part of the process. I find the process sometimes challenging and stressful, but it’s always exciting at the end of the day, knowing that a lot got accomplished and that these small accomplishments are part of a grand picture, a masterpiece to be embellished onto the world.

Q: Can you share if there’s any extra content from the series that fans can watch?

A: “While you wait for Season 2, you can go to https://film.gala.com/ and collect scenes to unlock never-before-seen content that is not in the series. It’s a way for you to experience a deeper inside look at the world of RZR. It’s a gamified viewing experience for true fans of the genre and the world.”

Q: Do you prefer being behind the scenes, on camera, or both?

A: “I’m an artist, so every aspect of the producing and creating process is important to me. The truth is, I enjoy it all. I enjoy high-intensity and high challenges. When I don’t feel challenged, I don’t feel inspired. I tend to do my best work when I’m under pressure; when the clock is ticking; when I know that time is running out. That’s when my adrenaline kicks in and that’s what I like to focus on and deliver ideas from and crank it into fifth gear. Being a multi-hyphenate artist is not for the squeamish; It is not for the light-hearted. It’s for the ferocious, the obsessed, and the determined; I am all of those things.”

Q: How important do you believe BIPOC representation in the entertainment industry?

A: “My heritage inspires a lot of my thinking. I was raised in Mexico City and hold both American and Brazilian passports. I identify as a South American Latino more than I do as an American. My sensibilities are very global. I am a progressive thinker, and my South American style of thinking inspires how I perceive the world. How I perceive the world is the foundation of the art that I create. Being Afro-Brazilian pushes me to fight for diversity and inclusion. When I first moved to Hollywood, being ethnically ambiguous wasn’t a good thing. I wasn’t white enough; I wasn’t black enough; and I wasn’t Latino enough to get cast. It created huge roadblocks for me in the first 10 years of my career in Los Angeles. That’s why I started producing; roadblocks never discouraged me. Now, I create opportunities for other actors and creators that are Afro-Latino. RZR’s cast is predominantly Latinx and diverse. We have 58 speaking roles and only six of them are white players.”

Q: Can you tell us more about Gala Film?

A: “This year Gala has several titles releasing! What separates Gala Film from other ecosystems is the ability to provide collectability and earning potential within those collectibles. Never in Hollywood history has there ever been a platform that allows an audience to physically own scenes and moments from a Hollywood-produced series. Beyond that, gamifying the viewing and collecting experience in the same native platform, with the potential to earn digital currency while you’re collecting and experiencing content is a ground-breaking concept. This is a revolutionary kind of technology (that if it goes well) could stand to reshape Hollywood as we know it. We do expect that if it goes well the big boys will come in and copycat. This is why we have an incredible amount of work to do to ensure that when that day comes, we are successful enough to stay ahead of the current.”

Q: Where can we follow your amazing journey?

• https://www.instagram.com/davidbianchi_official/
• https://twitter.com/davidbianchi
• https://www.youtube.com/@DAVIDBIANCHI
• https://film.gala.com/films/rzr

Make sure to watch “RZR”, available now on Gala Film!

Photo Credit: Chris Cuffaro

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.