The Vertical Buzz

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.

Welcome 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 if they want to stand out.

They talk about Paul’s early agency days at Abrams Artists and The Gersh Agency, the cake trivia moment that unexpectedly pushed him toward casting, his Emmy win for EastSiders, and how the pandemic changed the casting process forever. Then they go deep on verticals: how actors are being discovered, why the first 20 seconds of an audition matter, how agents are finally embracing the space, and why vertical is becoming a legitimate new lane of entertainment.

This episode also introduces VertiCast, our new industry sponsor for the Rapid Fire segment. VertiCast is built specifically for the fast-moving world of vertical casting, helping actors create profiles, upload clips, and get discovered by casting directors and producers.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast

Guest: Paul Ruddy

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

Thank you

Welcome 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 space. Eric and Buzz break down how that world connects directly to vertical dramas, why early productions had serious growing pains, and how the industry has evolved from chaotic sets into a legitimate entertainment lane.

They also dive into Eric’s work as a producer, including Love and Blood, the vampire vertical that became one of Buzz’s favorite projects of the year and won Best Supernatural Vertical at the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards. Eric also opens up about his poetry book Sex and Oatmeal, how writing became a form of healing, the Ink Collective event in London, his connection with fans through Cameo, and where he believes vertical storytelling is headed next.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Eric Guilmette

Host: Buzz Leer

Produced at Glendale Podcast Studio

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song

Public Relations and Media

Thank you

Welcome 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. He also talks about surfing, discipline, SoCal roots, and why determination has shaped both his acting career and his entrepreneurial path.

Then Buzz and Royce dive into the craft of vertical acting, what makes a true leading man in the 9:16 world, and how the space is changing as new platforms and creators push for more elevated storytelling. Royce also breaks down Playback, To Her Beat, Monkey Boy Films, and his new real estate storytelling venture with The Ivy Group, including Open House Open House and The Duel.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Royce Lundquist

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

Thank you

Welcome 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 is different from traditional film and TV, how students react to the format, and why more acting programs may need to catch up fast.

They also talk about D'Arcy’s student vertical productions, the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards nomination, data and audience reach, why scripts can feel cheesy, and how actors can still ground the work in truth. Then they hit rapid fire, Cincinnati food culture, Findlay Market, voiceover training, motion capture, and the future of digital performance.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: D'Arcy Smith

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song

Public Relations and Media

Thank you

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:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Felix Merback

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song: Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Thank you

This 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 the space matures from Wild West chaos into a structured marketplace. They also get into what casting is actually prioritizing right now, why vertical is becoming a smarter path than traditional TV for many performers, and what the next wave looks like as AI, deepfakes, and new laws start to collide with talent rights.

The episode includes rapid fire takes, must-watch apps, Eris's strict “no assholes” policy, and a day-in-the-life look at what a modern talent agency is juggling with the vertical boom.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Tina Contogenis

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song: Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Thank you

Welcome 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 Fan Awards, and this episode is your inside look at how the awards work, what makes a winner, and why this community has grown into a sold out live Hollywood theatre event with a global live stream.

Then the panel breaks down the top nominees in the Vertical of the Year category, reacts to nominee clips, talks genre trends, and debates what is actually pushing the medium forward right now. If you love vertical dramas, this is the episode to watch before the big night.

Welcome 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 Fan Awards, and this episode is your inside look at how the awards work, what makes a winner, and why this community has grown into a sold out live Hollywood theatre event with a global live stream.

Then the panel breaks down the top nominees in the Vertical of the Year category, reacts to nominee clips, talks genre trends, and debates what is actually pushing the medium forward right now. If you love vertical dramas, this is the episode to watch before the big night.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Sam Silliman (@samanthaalex)

Guest: Amy Sullivan Riley (@amsullz)

Guest: Jen Cooper (@verticaldramalove)

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song: Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Rob Leer

Thank you

Welcome 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 in the tall frame, and why indie filmmakers may be sitting on a once-in-a-generation opportunity while the ecosystem is still being built.

Buzz and Rick also dive into Rick’s horror vertical series Dead Signal, including what it took to build a higher-quality project with recognizable vertical talent and why horror and action can be perfect for the vertical format. They close with rapid fire, a Cleveland detour, and a real conversation about the fight for the vertical ecosystem as bigger Hollywood players move in and the current platforms decide what the future looks like.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Rick Shepherd

Host: Buzz Leer

A Glendale Podcast Studio Production

Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano

Theme Song: Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley

Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer

Thank you

This 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 and the script is still evolving. Emma shares practical advice for actors who want to break in, how she builds character playlists, and why vertical performance is intentionally bigger while still needing truth and nuance. The episode closes with fan connections, social media growth, and where vertical entertainment might be headed as AI ramps up.

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)

Guest: Emma Reinagel

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.