Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with one of the breakout stars of vertical entertainment, Jackson Tiller.

Jackson's journey to Hollywood was anything but conventional. Growing up in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, he initially pursued nursing before making the leap into acting and eventually heading west to Los Angeles. After years of grinding in LA, one unexpected opportunity in 2023 changed the trajectory of his career and introduced him to vertical storytelling.

🎬 Today, Jackson is known for starring in hit verticals including The Diamond Rose, 30 Days of Love, Dracula's Kiss, and From Contract Lover to the Billionaire Bride. He talks openly about the realities of becoming a leading man in this rapidly evolving industry, from the intense pace of vertical production to the passionate fans who have embraced the format.

🤖 Buzz and Jackson also get into one of the biggest issues facing actors right now: AI. They discuss the opportunities and threats AI presents, the possibility of digital replicas, and why Jackson believes real actors and AI can ultimately occupy their own lanes.

The conversation also gets personal, with stories about Jackson's childhood, sports injuries, his transition from nursing to acting, dream roles, doing his own stunts, North Carolina pride, and the roles he would absolutely refuse to play.

And yes... we settle the North Carolina barbecue debate. 🌶️

In this episode, you will learn:

00:00 Coin Flip to LA

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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

Swipe. Cast. Create.

VertiCast is built for the fast-moving world of vertical entertainment, helping actors, directors, and casting professionals connect.

Instagram: @verticastapp

Jackson Tiller is one of the breakout stars of global vertical entertainment. Originally from North Carolina, Jackson took an unconventional path to Hollywood, beginning his college career in nursing before pursuing acting. After moving to Los Angeles and discovering vertical storytelling in 2023, he quickly established himself as one of the industry's recognizable leading men.

His credits include The Diamond Rose, 30 Days of Love, Dracula's Kiss, and From Contract Lover to the Billionaire Bride. Known for his authenticity, emotional depth, and screen presence, Jackson is helping define the next generation of mobile-first entertainment.

Instagram: @jacksontiller__

Instagram: @buzz_leer

Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio

Ana Karina Cano

Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Robb Leer

❤️ Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Host, Buzz Leer

🎙️ Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice.

This week, host Buzz Leer welcomes Emmy-nominated director, writer, and producer Scott Brown, founder and CEO of Second Rodeo Productions. With more than 1 billion organic views across projects featuring MrBeast, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Larry King, and major global brands, Scott brings a unique perspective on where digital storytelling and vertical entertainment are headed next.

Fresh off speaking at Cannes Lions, Scott explains why verticals are just one part of a much larger scripted digital revolution. 🎬 He shares lessons from Hollywood, the creator economy, and premium digital content while discussing why attention, retention, and authentic storytelling matter more than ever.

Buzz and Scott also dive into directing for phone screens 📱, the legacy of Quibi, MrBeast's storytelling philosophy, common mistakes creators make, and why the next generation of entertainment won't fit neatly into one format.

🚀 If you want to understand where Hollywood, creators, and vertical storytelling are all headed, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

💡 In this episode, you will learn:

• Why Scott believes scripted digital content is entering a massive new era

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Digital Scripted Gap

🌬️ 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

⚡ Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

The casting app built for the speed of vertical storytelling.

Instagram: @verticastapp

🎥 Guest: Scott Brown

Scott Brown is an Emmy-nominated director, writer, creative producer, and founder of Second Rodeo Productions. His work has generated more than 1 billion organic views through working with MrBeast, Dwayne Johnson, Larry King, Under Armour, Ford, Gatorade, Roku, BET, and many others. Scott has become one of the leading voices connecting Hollywood filmmaking, the creator economy, and premium vertical storytelling.

Instagram: @scottbrowndirects

🎙️ Host: Buzz Leer

Instagram: @buzz_leer

🎬 A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio

📱 Social Media Coordinator

Ana Karina Cano

🎵 Theme Song

Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

📣 Public Relations

Robb Leer

❤️ Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Host, Buzz Leer

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. Season 3 begins with one of the brightest stars in vertical entertainment, Brooke Moltrum. Host Buzz Leer sits down with the award-winning actress to talk about her journey from the small town of Camas, Washington, to becoming one of the most recognizable faces in vertical storytelling.

Brooke shares how competing at the Jimmy Awards helped launch her career, why theater shaped her as an actress, and how vertical films gave her the confidence to rediscover her love for acting. She also opens up about blocking for the vertical frame, balancing emotional performances, advocating for herself on set, and why the format has become a legitimate new path for actors.

Buzz and Brooke also discuss dream roles, musicals, AI, Wes Anderson, Verticon, Broadway, Hollywood, success, producing, and the incredible community that's forming around vertical entertainment.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

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Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Brooke MoltrumBrooke Moltrum is an award-winning actress based in Los Angeles whose career spans theater, film, and vertical entertainment. Originally from Camas, Washington, she competed at the prestigious Jimmy Awards before launching her professional acting career. Today, Brooke has starred in more than 40 vertical productions, earned Best Actress honors at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival, and received the 2026 Best On-Screen Couple award alongside Nick Ritacco for Love Always Finds Its Way. Known for her emotional authenticity and versatility, she continues to be one of the most recognizable performers in the vertical space.

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Host, Buzz Leer

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with acclaimed director Chris Nguyen Campbell, one of the filmmakers helping redefine what premium vertical storytelling can be.

Chris shares his journey from theater and film school to directing for Brat TV before becoming one of the industry's most respected voices in vertical entertainment. He opens up about overcoming bullying, discovering filmmaking, navigating the early "Wild West" days of verticals, and why he believes these stories deserve the same care and cinematic craftsmanship as traditional film and television.

Buzz and Chris dive into directing actors, balancing client notes with creative vision, building tension on tight schedules, working with stunts, and why Hollywood is finally beginning to recognize the legitimacy of vertical storytelling. They also discuss production budgets, raising the creative bar, the collaborative spirit of the vertical community, and what the future holds for directors entering the space.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Chris Nguyen Campbell

Chris Nguyen Campbell is a Los Angeles based director known for bringing cinematic storytelling to the world of vertical entertainment. After studying film and design at ArtCenter College of Design and building his directing career with Brat TV, Chris became one of the industry's emerging creative voices, directing acclaimed vertical series while advocating for higher production values and stronger performances. His philosophy is simple: vertical stories deserve the same artistry and care as any other form of filmmaking.

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Host, Buzz Leer

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, we're on location at the legendary Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood, California, for our first ever episode filmed outside Glendale Podcast Studio.

Host Buzz Leer sits down with Knockout Shorts co-founders Chris Crema and Matthew Ko to explore how they're helping shape the next generation of premium vertical storytelling. Together, they discuss why they left traditional Hollywood to build something new, how Knockout Shorts was born, and why they believe the future of entertainment will be built by creators willing to take risks.

The conversation goes beyond filmmaking as Chris and Matt give Buzz an exclusive tour of their brand new standing sets inside Sunset Las Palmas Studios, showing how productions can shoot multiple locations in one space while maintaining a premium cinematic look. They also discuss elevating production quality, empowering creators, bridging traditional Hollywood with vertical entertainment, and why the industry is still in its earliest chapters.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guests: Chris Crema & Matthew Ko

Chris Crema is the co-founder of Knockout Shorts and an award-winning producer whose background spans independent film, documentaries, and premium vertical storytelling. After producing numerous vertical series, he partnered with Matthew Ko to build Knockout Shorts with a mission of raising creative standards and empowering filmmakers in the fast-growing short-form space.

Matthew Ko is the co-founder and CEO of Knockout Shorts. Before launching the company, he worked with Scott Rudin Productions, A24, Ace Entertainment, and The Freddy Wexler Company, developing projects across film and television. Today, he is focused on bridging traditional Hollywood storytelling with premium vertical entertainment.

Knockout Shorts

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Host, Buzz Leer

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Chase Mattson, actor, model, father of four, and one of the most recognizable leading men in vertical entertainment.

Chase shares how he was discovered as a teenager while working at Hollister, how modeling took him around the world, and how early on-camera moments included Lady Gaga’s G.U.Y. music video and a surprise appearance as a shirtless cop on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. From there, Buzz and Chase dig into his transition from modeling to acting, the fear he had to push through, and how vertical dramas became a major part of his career.

They also talk about Chase’s knee injury, his comeback, working with agent Tina, choosing better projects, leading man mindset, AI in filmmaking, shooting vertical and horizontal formats, and what vertical sets have taught him about professionalism, speed, and craft. Plus: family life, coaching his kids, balancing work with fatherhood, Disneyland, rapid fire dad questions, fan pages, favorite films, and why being a dad will always matter more than being a star.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Chase Mattson

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Blair Bai, Head of Executive Producers for North America at DramaWave and one of the leading creative voices helping define the next stage of vertical storytelling.

Blair talks about her journey from Beijing Film Academy and USC School of Cinematic Arts to early vertical hits and her leadership role at DramaWave. She explains why vertical entertainment started as a format but has become a new creative language, how audience data is reshaping development, and why mobile-first storytelling is forcing Hollywood to pay attention.

Buzz and Blair also discuss genre expansion, production speed, DramaWave’s innovation, audience feedback, bullet comments, analytics, fast-burn storytelling, and the global growth of vertical entertainment. Plus: rapid fire, solo road trips, the Chinese film that inspired Blair as a child, and why the vertical audience can be summed up in one word: honest.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Blair Bai

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Troy Brookins, actor, producer, former athlete, and one of the driving forces behind MicroHouse Films.

Troy shares the origin story of MicroHouse Films, the new vertical platform he is building with Taye Diggs, Autumn Federici, and Shelby Stone, and why their mission is to create a space where underdogs, creators, and fresh voices can bring premium vertical stories to life. Buzz and Troy also talk about the upcoming MicroHouse Films app, the paywall model, the launch of Tides of Temptation, and how vertical storytelling can connect features, spin-offs, and mobile-first audiences in new ways.

They also get into Troy’s Cleveland roots, faith, football journey, NFL stint with the Cleveland Browns, and how sports prepared him for acting, producing, and leadership. Plus: behind-the-scenes stills from the MicroHouse Films originals, casting cameos, AI, premium talent, VertiCast Rapid Fire, and Troy’s bigger vision for the future of storytelling.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Troy Brookins

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Darren Darnborough, an actor, entrepreneur, and tech innovator helping shape the future of casting, auditions, and vertical storytelling.

Darren shares how a Dr. Pepper commercial at 16 opened the door to acting, why he pivoted from acting school into film and media, and how his entrepreneurial path led from nightclub promotion to Stuck4Staff, WeAudition, and now VertiCast. Buzz and Darren talk about the evolution of self-tapes, the rise of WeAudition as a global actor community, and how VertiCast is being built specifically for the speed of vertical production.

They also get into why vertical casting needs a different system, how availability and experience matter in this new ecosystem, what Hollywood can learn from micro drama data, and why specificity may be the key to standing out in a crowded creator economy.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Darren Darnborough

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Nick Ritacco, a Chicago-born actor, athlete, baseball fan, and one of the standout leading men in the vertical drama space.

Nick shares how a high school injury led him from baseball into theater, how New York and Shakespeare shaped his foundation as an actor, and how early TV roles on Homeland and Law & Order: SVU helped push him toward Los Angeles. From there, Buzz and Nick get into his rise in verticals, the role that changed everything, what it takes to keep working in this fast-moving format, and why the vertical community has become so meaningful to him.

They also break down Kiss of the Pirate King, Nick’s pirate vertical with Emma Reinagel, including the behind-the-scenes reality of shooting on a real ship, sword fights, costumes, and why genre experimentation is pushing the space forward. Plus: Chicago sports, theater roots, hidden food spots, AI concerns, fan connection, and the future of vertical entertainment.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Nick Ritacco

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.