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Felix Merback | Vertical's Smoothest Villain: The Vertical Buzz S2E2
Welcome 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 to recalibrate his craft for the phone booth frame of 9:16. Then Buzz and Felix go deeper into the business side, including the origin of FMA Productions and how a new wave of creators is trying to push vertical storytelling forward without alienating the audience that made the format explode.
They also hit rapid fire, set life snacks, dream co-stars, on-set red flags, hidden talents, and the pressure every creator feels to capitalize on this moment while the industry is still being built in real time.
In this episode, you will learn:
• What acting for vertical closeups forces you to unlearn and rebuild as a performer
• Why vertical hooks audiences so fast, and why it is hard to stop at one episode
• Why getting in early mattered and what the Wild West taught the pioneers
• The difference between being a working actor in verticals versus being labeled a vertical actor
• The origin of FMA Productions and how Felix is thinking like a builder, not just a lead
• How vertical storytelling is changing, including what needs to evolve next
• Rapid fire takes, set snacks, dream co-stars, and red flags on set
• How Felix thinks about fame versus control, and the pressure to capitalize
• What makes verticals viral, and what the future of vertical Hollywood could look like
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Vertical Buzz
01:31 Meet Felix Merback
03:26 Felix Origin Story
05:30 Acting for Vertical Closeups
09:18 Why Vertical Hooks Us
10:43 Early Adopters and Wild West
14:15 Working Actor vs Vertical Actor
20:11 Sponsor Break Aero AC150
21:10 FMA Productions Origin
28:37 Changing Vertical Storytelling
37:12 Rapid Fire Warmup
38:05 Set Life Snacks
38:24 Dream Co Star Pick
39:13 On Set Red Flags
40:21 Hidden Talents Revealed
41:41 Fame Versus Control
42:03 Pressure To Capitalize
45:29 Future Of Vertical Hollywood
46:58 What Makes Verticals Viral
57:48 Projects Fans And Farewell
Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)
AEIRO Air Purifiers help identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, powerful enough to clean rooms 300+ sq ft, quiet enough for production, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration.
Website: AEIRO.co
Guest: Felix Merback
Felix Merback is an LA-based actor and producer and one of the biggest breakout names in vertical storytelling today. He has become a go-to leading man in micro dramas, with viral projects including Game of Choice and Billionaire Daddy. Felix got to Los Angeles in 2021, booked his first vertical in 2023, and has built a full-time career in the space while continuing to work in traditional film and television. He is also a co-founder of FMA Productions, a new production company focused on expanding what vertical storytelling can be, with projects designed to bridge vertical audiences with more elevated filmmaking.
Instagram: @Felix_Merback
Host: Buzz Leer
Instagram: @buzz_leer
A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
Owned and operated by Erika and Jason Hanan
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano
Instagram: @anakarinacano
Theme Song: Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
The Vertical Buzz Theme Song
Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer
Leer Communications, Inc.
Thank you
Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.
Host, Buzz Leer
View all episodes
By verticalbuzzdistroWelcome 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 to recalibrate his craft for the phone booth frame of 9:16. Then Buzz and Felix go deeper into the business side, including the origin of FMA Productions and how a new wave of creators is trying to push vertical storytelling forward without alienating the audience that made the format explode.
They also hit rapid fire, set life snacks, dream co-stars, on-set red flags, hidden talents, and the pressure every creator feels to capitalize on this moment while the industry is still being built in real time.
In this episode, you will learn:
• What acting for vertical closeups forces you to unlearn and rebuild as a performer
• Why vertical hooks audiences so fast, and why it is hard to stop at one episode
• Why getting in early mattered and what the Wild West taught the pioneers
• The difference between being a working actor in verticals versus being labeled a vertical actor
• The origin of FMA Productions and how Felix is thinking like a builder, not just a lead
• How vertical storytelling is changing, including what needs to evolve next
• Rapid fire takes, set snacks, dream co-stars, and red flags on set
• How Felix thinks about fame versus control, and the pressure to capitalize
• What makes verticals viral, and what the future of vertical Hollywood could look like
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Vertical Buzz
01:31 Meet Felix Merback
03:26 Felix Origin Story
05:30 Acting for Vertical Closeups
09:18 Why Vertical Hooks Us
10:43 Early Adopters and Wild West
14:15 Working Actor vs Vertical Actor
20:11 Sponsor Break Aero AC150
21:10 FMA Productions Origin
28:37 Changing Vertical Storytelling
37:12 Rapid Fire Warmup
38:05 Set Life Snacks
38:24 Dream Co Star Pick
39:13 On Set Red Flags
40:21 Hidden Talents Revealed
41:41 Fame Versus Control
42:03 Pressure To Capitalize
45:29 Future Of Vertical Hollywood
46:58 What Makes Verticals Viral
57:48 Projects Fans And Farewell
Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)
AEIRO Air Purifiers help identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, powerful enough to clean rooms 300+ sq ft, quiet enough for production, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration.
Website: AEIRO.co
Guest: Felix Merback
Felix Merback is an LA-based actor and producer and one of the biggest breakout names in vertical storytelling today. He has become a go-to leading man in micro dramas, with viral projects including Game of Choice and Billionaire Daddy. Felix got to Los Angeles in 2021, booked his first vertical in 2023, and has built a full-time career in the space while continuing to work in traditional film and television. He is also a co-founder of FMA Productions, a new production company focused on expanding what vertical storytelling can be, with projects designed to bridge vertical audiences with more elevated filmmaking.
Instagram: @Felix_Merback
Host: Buzz Leer
Instagram: @buzz_leer
A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
Owned and operated by Erika and Jason Hanan
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano
Instagram: @anakarinacano
Theme Song: Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
The Vertical Buzz Theme Song
Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer
Leer Communications, Inc.
Thank you
Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.
Host, Buzz Leer