Shows
The Vertical BuzzPaul Ruddy | From Emmy Winner to Vertical Casting: The Vertical Buzz S2E6Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Emmy Award-winning casting director Paul Ruddy, one of the most influential casting voices in the vertical space today.
Paul is currently casting at DramaBox and has worked across more than 250 film, television, digital, and vertical projects for platforms including Netflix, Disney, Hallmark, Lifetime, Fox, Paramount Plus, Peacock, ReelShort, Pocket FM, and DramaBox. In this episode, Buzz and Paul break down how vertical casting actually works, why the space is growing so fast, and what actors need to understand...
2026-06-041h 15The Vertical BuzzEric Guilmette | Vertical's Most Romantic Leading Man: The Vertical Buzz S2E5Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Eric Guilmette, one of the most recognizable leading men in the vertical drama world, to talk about the unusual path that brought him from romance novel covers to nearly 50 vertical films, producing, poetry, and a rapidly growing fan base.
Before vertical storytelling exploded, readers were already connecting with Eric’s face on more than 200 romance novel covers. That early romance audience gave him a unique understanding of the tropes, fantasies, and fan connection that now drive the vertical sp...
2026-05-281h 11The Vertical BuzzRoyce Lundquist | Surfing the Vertical Wave: The Vertical Buzz S2E4Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Royce Lundquist, one of the most exciting new leading men in the vertical space, to talk about his fast rise as an actor, his creative roots, and the new ventures he is building beyond the screen.
Royce shares his journey from being a homeschooled theater kid in a Navy family, to studying at the Orange County School of the Arts, Pace University, and Loyola Marymount University, to finding his way into vertical films with Queen of the Court...
2026-05-211h 23The Vertical BuzzD'Arcy Smith | Vertical Acting Goes to School: The Vertical Buzz S2E3Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where the vertical entertainment world finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with D'Arcy Smith from the University of Cincinnati to talk about a major shift for the vertical space: vertical storytelling is entering academia.
D'Arcy is teaching vertical performance at the university level, which means this format is no longer just something actors stumble into on set. It is becoming something performers can study, train for, and understand before they ever walk into an audition room. Buzz and D'Arcy break down what vertical acting requires, why the style...
2026-05-141h 14The Vertical BuzzFelix Merback | Vertical's Smoothest Villain: The Vertical Buzz S2E2Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where the vertical entertainment world finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Felix Merback, one of the hottest leading men in vertical storytelling right now, to break down what makes this format so addictive, what acting for closeups really demands, and why the vertical boom is still wide open for creators who are willing to move fast.
Felix shares his origin story from arriving in LA post-2020 to booking his first vertical, why the Wild West era was the perfect time to get in, and how he had...
2026-05-071h 13The Vertical BuzzTina Contogenis | A Talent Agency Goes Vertical: The Vertical Buzz S2E1This week on The Vertical Buzz, Season 2 kicks off with the person who helped legitimize the vertical space in Los Angeles. Host Buzz Leer sits down with Tina Contogenis, founder of Eris Talent Agency, to break down why vertical is no longer a trend, how the money and views proved the model, and what actors need to understand if they want to compete in the fastest-growing lane of entertainment.
Tina shares the moment she realized actors were earning real money, how Eris built the first agency division focused specifically on vertical content, and what has changed as t...
2026-04-301h 14The Vertical BuzzThe Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards | The Vertical Buzz Season 1 Finale: Episode 12Welcome to the Season 1 finale of The Vertical Buzz. This is a special edition episode and a full preview of the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards happening this Thursday in Los Angeles. Vertical is moving fast, but the biggest story is even bigger: fans are not just watching anymore. Fans are shaping what wins, what gets made, and what becomes the next breakout.
Buzz Leer is joined in studio by Sam Silliman and Amy Sullivan Riley, with Jen Cooper joining remotely from the UK. Jen is the founder of Vertical Drama Love and the Vertical Drama Love...
2026-04-221h 40The Vertical BuzzRick Shepherd | Pushing Vertical Boundaries: The Vertical Buzz Episode 11Welcome to The Vertical Buzz. Host Buzz Leer sits down with actor, writer, and director Rick Shepherd to talk about what happens when a traditionally trained filmmaker jumps into vertical storytelling and has to rethink everything for the 9:16 frame.
Rick shares his Cleveland performance roots, his training across Case Western Reserve University and grad programs in London and Columbia University, and how COVID became the unexpected runway that pushed him deeper into indie filmmaking, collaboration, and ultimately vertical series. From there, the conversation gets practical and specific: what makes vertical different from horizontal, which genres can thrive...
2026-04-161h 07The Vertical BuzzEmma Reinagel | Vertical Acting in 9:16: The Vertical Buzz Episode 10This week, Buzz is joined by Emma Reinagel, one of the most highly sought-after rising stars in the vertical entertainment world. Emma and Buzz break down what it really takes to act in 9:16, why the format is exploding, and how the next generation of actors is using verticals as a fast-track training ground.
They also talk about their feature film The Abduction of Sal Bedford, a found footage documentary-style sci-fi horror that won Best Sci-Fi Feature at the LA Independent Film Festival, plus what a typical vertical day looks like when you are moving nonstop for 12 hours...
2026-04-091h 04The Vertical BuzzNoah Fearnley | A Vertical "Love Story" : The Vertical Buzz Episode 9This week on The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Noah Fearnley, one of the most in-demand actors in vertical entertainment right now, to talk about what it takes to work at a high level in two worlds at the same time: vertical storytelling and traditional television.
Noah opens up about the real grind behind the momentum, from juggling nonstop vertical shoots to stepping into major press for Love Story (FX, Hulu, Disney+), the series about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette where Noah plays Michael Bergin. They also dig into his path from football and...
2026-04-021h 11The Vertical BuzzDanny Farber | Directing in 9:16: The Vertical Buzz Episode 8This week on The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Danny Farber, a Chicago-born director, actor, writer, and producer who has been crushing it in vertical entertainment across multiple countries and platforms. They kick things off with a cold open on why vertical is not just a phone rotation, it is a storytelling shift that changes framing, blocking, pacing, and emotion.
Danny shares how he broke into verticals as a director, why the trend vs format debate is missing the bigger point, and what makes a great vertical performance when the screen is small but...
2026-03-261h 15The Vertical BuzzMolly Anderson | Welcome to Verticalandia: The Vertical Buzz Episode 7This week on The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Molly Anderson, one of the most dynamic leading ladies in the vertical space, to talk about what it takes to break through, stay relevant, and deliver real performances in a format where you are moving fast, learning tons of pages, and often getting just a take or two.
Molly shares her journey from the pinky of Northern Michigan to Los Angeles, how she pushed through the early stigma around verticals and why the format has actually made her a stronger, more present actor. Buzz and...
2026-03-191h 13The Vertical BuzzKylie Karson from CheraTV | A True Vertical Visionary: The Vertical Buzz Episode 6This week on The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Kylie Karson—actor, director, and co-founder of CheraTV—for a deep dive into where vertical entertainment is headed, what’s broken in the current ecosystem, and what it looks like to build something more ethical and creator-first from the inside.
Kylie shares her unbelievable journey from growing up in a religious family to college, then hustling in marketing before making the leap to Los Angeles—where she went on to star in 17 vertical series and ultimately co-found CheraTV, a bold new platform aiming to elevate the form...
2026-03-121h 04The Vertical BuzzCayman Cardiff | The Vertical Acting Playbook: The Vertical Buzz Episode 5This week on The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Cayman Cardiff—one of the leading male actors in verticals—to talk craft, career strategy, and what it really takes to become recognizable (and re-bookable) in a format where you only get seconds to connect.
From a surprising pivot from pre-med to acting, to early bookings, joining SAG, and a breakout run that exploded on DramaBox, Cayman shares how he approached verticals when there was still stigma around the space—and why he decided to go all in anyway. They also get into branding, choosing roles...
2026-03-051h 03The Vertical BuzzAaron Feder | Coordinating Safety & Intimacy on Vertical Film Sets: The Vertical Buzz Episode 4Description
In filmmaking, some of the most powerful moments can also be the most dangerous—or the most vulnerable. In this episode of The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Aaron Feder—one of the leading stunt + intimacy coordinators in the vertical film world—to break down the unseen work that keeps sets safe, performers protected, and stories honest.
From the core principles of stunt work (think: angles, dummies, and doubles) to the real-world liability behind on-set safety, Aaron explains what coordinators actually do, what productions often miss, and how vertical’s speed changes...
2026-02-261h 08The Vertical BuzzMichael Naizu | Acting for Vertical Films: What no one tells you: The Vertical Buzz Episode 3 (Part 2)Description
In Episode 3 (Part 2) of The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer continues his conversation with Michael Naizu, an Asian American actor, writer, producer, and director whose work spans film, television, and vertical storytelling. Michael tells stories about his work in Vertical films and his own feature film, Bound for Glory.
Sponsor: AEIRO
AEIRO Air Purifiers identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create an optimal indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
Featured on set at Glendale Podcast Studio: AEIRO AC-150
Website: AEIRO.co
Guest: Michael Naizu
Michael Naizu is an Asian American actor...
2026-02-1945 minThe Vertical BuzzMichael Naizu | Acting for Vertical Films: What no one tells you: The Vertical Buzz Episode 3 (Part 1)Description
What does it take to act in vertical films? In Episode 3 (Part 1) of The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Michael Naizu, an Asian American actor, writer, producer, and director whose work spans film, television, and vertical storytelling. Together, Buzz and Michael break down everything about acting and emoting on vertical film sets.
Sponsor: AEIRO
AEIRO Air Purifiers identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create an optimal indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
Featured on set at Glendale Podcast Studio: AEIRO AC-150
Website: AEIRO.co
Guest: Michael Naizu
Michael...
2026-02-1245 minThe Vertical BuzzAmber Neukum | Directing Vertical Films… It’s NOT just turning the Camera: TVB Episode 2Description
What does it really take to direct vertical films? In Episode 2 of The Vertical Buzz, host Buzz Leer sits down with Amber Neukum, LA-based director/writer/producer and a driving force behind Juice Box Films, to break down the pace, platform rules, and on-set realities of directing in the vertical space.
From shooting 10 pages a day (and sometimes far more) to navigating coverage formulas, performance constraints, and “extra voices” that show up mid-shoot, Amber shares what separates smooth, respectful sets from chaotic ones—and why verticals can be the best “reps” a director or actor can get right...
2026-02-0554 minThe Vertical BuzzAngela Liu | What Is a Vertical Film? Micro-Dramas & the Boom in Mobile Storytelling: TVB Episode 1Description
What is a vertical film? In the premiere episode of The Vertical Buzz, Buzz Leer sits down with Angela Liu (Head of Production at FlareFlow) to explain the rise of vertical dramas / micro-dramas and how mobile-first storytelling is changing the industry.
In this episode:
Defining vertical films and micro-dramas
Where the format came from and why it’s booming
Key production realities (framing, “stacking,” pacing, fast schedules)
The business growth behind the trend (from $178M to nearly $700M in U.S. revenue in about a year)
What’s...
2026-01-3041 minThe Vertical BuzzThe Vertical Buzz: Episode 01: TrailerA glimpse into the world of Vertical Film with Buzz Leer and guest Angela Liu
2026-01-2900 min