How Hollywood Uses AI - David Bianchi on Building RZR Outside the Studio System

When Hollywood passed on RZR, David Bianchi chose to build the series independently.

He used NFTs to finance production, retained creative control, and incorporated AI tools such as Midjourney into the development process. The result was an Emmy-nominated science-fiction series created outside the traditional studio system.

In this episode, Bianchi explains how Hollywood uses AI, where those tools are genuinely useful, and what independent creators can gain by controlling their funding, production and intellectual property.

We discuss:

• How NFTs helped fund RZR without surrendering ownership

• How Bianchi used AI tools during production and what they saved

• What final cut means for an independent creator

• The practical limits and advantages of Web3 financing

• Why creative ownership matters as studios and platforms adopt AI

This is a conversation about AI in Hollywood, independent production and the economics of creative control. It examines what becomes possible when filmmakers use new technology without relying on the traditional studio model.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Beyond Hollywood Gates: Funding Film with Web3

(05:28) TikTok to Emmy: Finding New Talent in the Digital Age

(11:07) Own the Story: How NFTs are Changing Fan Engagement (22:42) AI vs. Artist? Democratizing Creativity on Screen

(31:26) Dystopian Visions, Real Tech: Learning from Sci-Fi (37:53) Finding Calm in Chaos: Bianchi's Creative Process

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