Showrunner David Bianchi's Path: From Passion To Profession
Updated: May 20
Meet David Bianchi, a dynamic force of Afro-Brazilian descent skillfully wearing the hats of standout actor, producer, and screenwriter. From igniting his passion for acting at age 3 to graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Theatre from Arizona State University, Bianchi has carved a unique path in the entertainment industry. He's the mastermind behind 'Spinema,' a captivating blend of spoken word and cinema, and the founder of Exertion Films, licensing projects to major platforms like HULU and HBO Max. Now, Bianchi takes the lead in 'RZR,' his original sci-fi thriller series debuting on GALA Films on April 14th, alongside a stellar cast including Richard Cabral and Mena Suvari. Dive into the mind of this visionary artist as we explore his groundbreaking journey into the visceral world of Spinema and the dystopian landscape of 'RZR.'
Miami Living: It's fantastic to connect with you David! Your journey from discovering your passion for acting at the age of 3 to now leading your own original series is incredibly inspiring. Along the way, what's been a pivotal moment or decision that significantly shaped your career path?
David Bianchi (DB): In 2001, I decided to become a professional actor after spending eight years as a rave promoter in upstate New York. That business came to a crashing halt, and I had to reinvent myself. I had always acted as a child and throughout high school, so I knew that it was something that I could pursue if I gave it my all. I went to theater school, sold my turntables, left New York, and never looked back. I find that desperation is the cornerstone to trigger activity, whether you're feeling desperate in a job, and you quit, or you're feeling desperate in a relationship, and you leave, or if you’re under a lot of pressure and your back is up against the wall–that desperation will force you to move. I fell into a desperate place in my life, and I needed a real change. When everything that I had fought for for eight years came to a crashing halt I had to find a new place to start from.
ML: Your concept of "Spinema" is quite innovative. Could you elaborate on what it is and how you developed this unique form of visual storytelling?
DB: "Spinema(™)" is an art form I've honed over nearly two decades, blending my roles as director, producer, writer, performer, and poet. In this medium, poetry serves as the script, but conveying emotions requires interpretation through physical performance. Poetry is emotional graffiti, inspired by experiences, poetry is the side effect of pain or joy, making Spinema(™) a powerful tool for storytelling and reflection. See, a lot of folks talk about spoken word, but I think every word is spoken. I like to call it performance poetry because it blurs those lines. Whether it's spouting poetry as if it were Shakespearean, whether it's spouting prose verse, or whether you're delivering a monologue in a film – the emotion is always conveyed through a lens. It takes a very certain type of performer to be able to deliver poetry viscerally, but still play for the nuances of a camera.
I shoot live-action films, so there's no ADR ("Automatic Dialogue Replacement"). Everything is live sync sound. But at the core of it, they're basically experimental films that are told entirely in poetry. That, for the most part, are socially conscious, and are raising awareness because poetry is a side effect of the underlying condition, right? You get your heart broken. You write a poem. You see injustice in the world. You write a poem. You see a beautiful sunrise and you are inspired by beauty. You write a poem. Right?
So, poetry is the graffiti on the wall. Poetry is the daily journal of your life. The goal is to tell stories to the poetic world. I've produced about 15 or 16 of these over the years and I will continue to produce them as I'm able.
ML: Your latest venture, the science fiction series 'RZR’, delves into a fascinating blend of dystopian themes encompassing neural implants, artificial intelligence, and black market crime. Can you share with us what aspects of this dystopian world and its narrative compelled you to bring it to life on screen, and what do you hope viewers will take away from the experience of watching 'RZR'?
DB: The series is reminiscent of Black Mirror; the technology that we work with inside of the show doesn't feel very far off from reality, which makes it feel slightly dangerous. Although the show is full of technology and dystopian texture, the core of the story is a man on a mission to make the world a better place. The technology that he creates - a neural implant - is designed to save humanity, but creates more chaos than good. I hope that people take the show and craft a new way to look at science fiction and become immersed in the journey, while also questioning the power of artificial intelligence.
One of the biggest questions that we ask ourselves in the show is whether artificial intelligence is dangerous on its own or if it is dangerous when it's wielded by humans. AI has not reached singularity yet, in other words, absolute consciousness; artificial intelligence is mostly wielded by humans so until we reach a place of singularity, AI is really only dangerous if it's used for abusive reasons. This is one of the core principles that we attack in the show, and I think it's a very important moral question.
ML: "RZR" is set to launch on GALA Films, a new freemium platform. What motivated you to choose this platform, and how do you see the landscape of streaming services evolving in the coming years?
DB: The streaming world is ripe for disruption and Web3 technology can help assist with that. I have had the honor to work with Gala and love working with them because their philosophy is creator-forward. Gala has allowed me the freedom to make the show that was in my mind and in my heart without any oversight or creative interruption; they allowed me to hire whom I wanted to and build the world that I envisioned. RZR is everything that it is today because of that lack of oversight; it's unprecedented in Hollywood that financers will give producers that degree of creative freedom, and because of that they have been a dream come true. Not only that, but the technology promises a new way to interact and immerse yourself in the content. This is the true promise of how we can disrupt streaming ecosystems and streaming culture as we know it.
** Watch RZR on Gala here: www.film.gala.com
ML: Your career spans across various creative roles, from acting to producing to writing. Do you have a particular role that resonates with you the most and why?
DB: I'm an artist first. I assume multiple roles, not as much by desire but by necessity. I started producing because Hollywood wasn't giving me opportunities, so for 20 years I've been producing things that I act in. As I've exercised both left and right sides of my brain to do both of these things I've found fascinations in both sides of the creative process.
Acting is a genuine passion for me which helps me to gain star power, producing is a creative outlet that helps support my entrepreneurial spirit, and when I combine the two I get to build worlds. When you're just acting there's no world building, and when you're just producing there is world building but there's no physical performative interpretations. Since I do love them both and I do have the emotional timber to be a multi-hyphenate, I want to be able to execute as much as possible and paint as broad a canvas as I possibly can which is why I like to do both.
ML: Taking inspiration from having participated in so many film and series productions throughout your career, if you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and how would you use it?
DB: The ability to deeply inspire anyone I contacted instantly, that would create a massive, dedicated community of thinkers that would support my vision irrevocably. Inspiration is the driver of all things creative; anything is possible when people feel inspired!
ML: What’s next on the scripts for David? What are some of your aspirations or projects you're looking forward to exploring in the future?
DB: Right now, we are deeply immersed in an Emmy campaign. RZR is currently in consideration for a prime-time Emmy® nomination for the 76th Emmys®. We just recently had a screening at the Television Academy that was sold out to almost 600 people. So currently, my heart is in that space of working heavily on the release and building the campaign. The other side of that is future projects, I would like to eventually dive into historical biopics and I absolutely see a world where doing that kind of work is something that will inspire me and I'll look forward to doing so.
In the meantime, my heart is completely immersed in the world of RZR. The goal is to expand the world as much as we possibly can into Season 2 and create a more immersive experience through Web3 technology by continuing to drive the narrative of science tech and cinema. I do see myself winning an Oscar someday, but for now, I'll enjoy the race for the Emmy®.
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