Matt Kugelman, the creator, writer, and director behind Hurricane Bianca, has been doing anything and everything, from selling $1 Bianca insults on the streets to making personalized hate videos for fans, to raise enough money to make the movie Hurricane Bianca a reality. With an impressive background in filmmaking and production, Matt makes the perfect partner to one of the most accomplished queens in the business, none other than Bianca Del Rio. Fans are already gagging over a feature-length movie starring the hilarious and talented winner of this past season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Matt to discuss the status of the movie, how he met Bianca and if we would be seeing any other drag queen appearances in the movie...
We were lucky enough to catch up with Matt to discuss the status of the movie, how he met Bianca and if we would be seeing any other drag queen appearances in the movie...
Drag Official: How did you meet Bianca and become such close friends?
Matt Kugelman: I was working for CBS News on Logo Show at the time. My friend Jason was getting ready for his 30th birthday and wanted me to produce a video for the party. We heard there was a new drag show in Chelsea and that it was really funny so we went to check it out. Of course, it was Bianca Del Rio, and the hype surrounding the show was all true. She pulled Jason on stage and read him to pieces. I'd never seen anything like it! So I was inspired... not to make a "fabulous" video, but instead... a roast! I emailed Bianca on Myspace (that's how long ago it was!) and asked if he'd play Jason's girlfriend before he turned gay. She replied in all caps: "SURE!", and when she showed up, she improvised an entire comedy routine on the spot. It was a hit. After the party, I went back to Bianca's show and gave her a DVD and said "thanks!" She said, "wait--how do I get in touch with you?". "My card is on the back!" I said. And that was the first... and LAST time that I was ever one step ahead of Bianca Del Rio!
Matt Kugelman: I was working for CBS News on Logo Show at the time. My friend Jason was getting ready for his 30th birthday and wanted me to produce a video for the party. We heard there was a new drag show in Chelsea and that it was really funny so we went to check it out. Of course, it was Bianca Del Rio, and the hype surrounding the show was all true. She pulled Jason on stage and read him to pieces. I'd never seen anything like it! So I was inspired... not to make a "fabulous" video, but instead... a roast! I emailed Bianca on Myspace (that's how long ago it was!) and asked if he'd play Jason's girlfriend before he turned gay. She replied in all caps: "SURE!", and when she showed up, she improvised an entire comedy routine on the spot. It was a hit. After the party, I went back to Bianca's show and gave her a DVD and said "thanks!" She said, "wait--how do I get in touch with you?". "My card is on the back!" I said. And that was the first... and LAST time that I was ever one step ahead of Bianca Del Rio!
D.O.: Where did the inspiration for 'Hurricane Bianca' come from?
Matt: I've always wanted to make a feature film. I know it's kind of a cliche but it's really been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I'd worked with Roy on a bunch of short videos and I just thought that this character that he created was so brilliant, she needs to be the star of my first movie! I also knew that in the story, I had to let Bianca be a mean as possible, but that the audience needs to be rooting for her the entire time. So the revenge plot grew from there. Roy's character gets fired for being gay in a small town in Texas, and whenever I would let someone from New York read it, they would say "Wait-- That can't happen. That's illegal!" But it's actually completely legal in 29 states! So it's interesting that in New York, because we have protections that not everyone has, we live in a bubble.
D.O.: What can you tell us about the status of Hurricane Bianca?
Matt: We are currently in fundraising mode. It's going really well but we still have a long way to go. So that will determine when we start filming. I'd love to start shooting within the year, but it's really going to depend on when we get the rest of the budget!
Matt: I've always wanted to make a feature film. I know it's kind of a cliche but it's really been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I'd worked with Roy on a bunch of short videos and I just thought that this character that he created was so brilliant, she needs to be the star of my first movie! I also knew that in the story, I had to let Bianca be a mean as possible, but that the audience needs to be rooting for her the entire time. So the revenge plot grew from there. Roy's character gets fired for being gay in a small town in Texas, and whenever I would let someone from New York read it, they would say "Wait-- That can't happen. That's illegal!" But it's actually completely legal in 29 states! So it's interesting that in New York, because we have protections that not everyone has, we live in a bubble.
D.O.: What can you tell us about the status of Hurricane Bianca?
Matt: We are currently in fundraising mode. It's going really well but we still have a long way to go. So that will determine when we start filming. I'd love to start shooting within the year, but it's really going to depend on when we get the rest of the budget!
D.O.: Where will filming for the movie take place?
Matt: We want to film part of it here in New York, and the bulk of it in Louisiana. It's supposed to take place in Texas, but Roy grew up in Louisiana and has a large fan-base there, so I'm confident that we will have a great support system.
D.O.: Can we look forward to any drag queen cameos in the movie?
Matt: Yes... But I can't tell you who... Yet!!
Matt: We want to film part of it here in New York, and the bulk of it in Louisiana. It's supposed to take place in Texas, but Roy grew up in Louisiana and has a large fan-base there, so I'm confident that we will have a great support system.
D.O.: Can we look forward to any drag queen cameos in the movie?
Matt: Yes... But I can't tell you who... Yet!!
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D.O.: You and Bianca have a history of award-winning short films. What's your favorite past project with Bianca?
Matt: I can't pick! I always loved the Doritos commercial that we made for the "Crash The Superbowl Contest. The Crunch Gym commercial always makes me laugh too. And we won $10,000, so that always helps! I was having trouble finding a radiology department that would allow us to film using an actual mammogram x-ray machine. I'd contacted every doctor I could find and they all basically said "fat chance!" As a joke, a friend suggested trying craigslist and IT WORKED! I posted an ad in the film section and someone responded with a contact at a place in midtown. We filmed on the night the video was due. I ran back to my apartment, edited it as fast as I could, and uploaded it by midnight. The real lesson of the story is that you really CAN find anything on craigslist!!
D.O.: We saw you and Bianca tried selling insults on the streets of New York City for $1, how did that work out and how is the fundraising doing at this point?
Matt: Um...honestly, that didn't work AT ALL! We tried that as a gimmick before RuPaul's Drag Race and we scared all of the tourists out of Times Square. I'm not kidding. We would try to approach a crowd of people and try to start a conversation, and they would quietly scoot away. After about a half hour, the entire area around TKTS was almost completely deserted! Now, thanks to RuPaul's Drag Race of course, you can't walk two steps with Roy before someone recognizes him. And if he's in drag, forget about it! I really think we should try doing $1 Insults again. We might fund the whole movie!
Matt: I can't pick! I always loved the Doritos commercial that we made for the "Crash The Superbowl Contest. The Crunch Gym commercial always makes me laugh too. And we won $10,000, so that always helps! I was having trouble finding a radiology department that would allow us to film using an actual mammogram x-ray machine. I'd contacted every doctor I could find and they all basically said "fat chance!" As a joke, a friend suggested trying craigslist and IT WORKED! I posted an ad in the film section and someone responded with a contact at a place in midtown. We filmed on the night the video was due. I ran back to my apartment, edited it as fast as I could, and uploaded it by midnight. The real lesson of the story is that you really CAN find anything on craigslist!!
D.O.: We saw you and Bianca tried selling insults on the streets of New York City for $1, how did that work out and how is the fundraising doing at this point?
Matt: Um...honestly, that didn't work AT ALL! We tried that as a gimmick before RuPaul's Drag Race and we scared all of the tourists out of Times Square. I'm not kidding. We would try to approach a crowd of people and try to start a conversation, and they would quietly scoot away. After about a half hour, the entire area around TKTS was almost completely deserted! Now, thanks to RuPaul's Drag Race of course, you can't walk two steps with Roy before someone recognizes him. And if he's in drag, forget about it! I really think we should try doing $1 Insults again. We might fund the whole movie!
D.O.: How can fans help make Hurricane Bianca a reality?
Matt: They can donate! Scrape up the coins from in between the couch and help us out! Seriously, there's no donation too small. If all of Bianca's twitter followers gave a buck, we would be halfway there... so imagine what five or twenty would do! All donations are tax-deductible as well. And there's lots of fun thank-you gifts that we're assembling. I mean, who wouldn't want Bianca to personally roast them? So go to www.HurricaneBianca.com and help us make a movie!
Matt: They can donate! Scrape up the coins from in between the couch and help us out! Seriously, there's no donation too small. If all of Bianca's twitter followers gave a buck, we would be halfway there... so imagine what five or twenty would do! All donations are tax-deductible as well. And there's lots of fun thank-you gifts that we're assembling. I mean, who wouldn't want Bianca to personally roast them? So go to www.HurricaneBianca.com and help us make a movie!
We are confident that Matt can make this movie happen, and can't wait to go see it when he does!
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