The Vertical Buzz

What happens when political campaigns move from the television screen to the phone? 📱🎥
This week on The Vertical Buzz, Buzz sits down with Kevin Singer, political media strategist and founder of Singer Strategic, to explore how vertical video is changing the way candidates communicate with voters.
Kevin brings a unique perspective to the conversation. He has spent more than a decade working in political communications and paid media, previously worked in public affairs media at Meta, and is also a professional actor. That combination makes for a fascinating look at the intersection of politics, performance, advertising, and authenticity.
We break down what makes political vertical content work, why simply repurposing a television commercial usually misses the point, and why the first few seconds of a vertical ad can be critical.
In this episode, you will learn:
📱 Why political campaigns have increasingly become phone-first🎬 How vertical video differs from traditional TV and CTV advertising⏱️ Why the first five seconds can make or break a political ad🎭 Why authenticity is so difficult to fake in vertical video⚾ What political campaigns can learn from a viral baseball ad🤖 How campaigns are approaching AI-generated political content💰 Why paid media remains critical, especially for local campaigns📲 Why TikTok's restrictions on political advertising matter🎙️ How politicians can use podcasts and influencers to reach voters🧠 Why vertical content requires campaigns to balance speed, volume, and risk🎥 What campaigns can learn from the vertical strategies of candidates like Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed🏛️ And Kevin's thoughts on how political communication could continue evolving
Plus, Kevin and Buzz get into acting, Machiavelli, baseball food, theater critics, and the Vertical Top 10: Signs Your Political Campaign Has Gone Vertical.
Chapters
00:00 Vertical Campaigning Shift01:52 Show Intro and Big Questions03:23 Meet Kevin Singer06:22 Origins and Berkeley Years08:57 Politics Meets Acting13:25 Launching Singer Strategic17:24 Why Vertical Video Wins28:39 Tax Day Viral Timing30:00 Backlash And Speed Risks32:16 Stop The Scroll Authenticity35:23 Vivek Baseball Ad Breakdown40:46 AI Versus Human Content43:07 Local Campaign Vertical Strategy46:34 El Sayed And Endorsement Clips01:00:13 Borrowed Credibility Explained01:01:18 Podcast Clips as Political Ads01:03:26 Rapid Fire Segment Begins01:04:30 Why TikTok Bans Political Ads01:13:59 Machiavelli and Authenticity01:18:13 Vertical Top 10 Countdown01:22:38 Final Wrap and Where to Find Him
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: Kevin Singer
Kevin Singer is a political media strategist and founder of Singer Strategic, an Oakland-based firm specializing in media strategy, creative production, and advertising for political campaigns and nonprofit organizations.
Website: singerstrategic.com
Host: Buzz Leer
Buzz Leer is an actor, host, and veteran of the vertical film space.
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 DawleyThe Vertical Buzz Theme Song
Public Relations and Media
Robb LeerLeer Communications, Inc.
Thank You
Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.
Host, Buzz Leer
#TheVerticalBuzz #KevinSinger #PoliticalMedia #VerticalVideo #PoliticalAdvertising #DigitalMedia #SocialMedia #CampaignStrategy #SingerStrategic #VerticalEntertainment

What happens when you stop guessing about the future of entertainment and start looking at the data? 📊📱
This week on The Vertical Buzz, we sit down with Zak Shaikh, U.S. General Manager of Ampere Analysis, one of the entertainment industry's leading data, research, and analytics firms.
Zak takes us inside the numbers behind the explosive growth of vertical entertainment and microdramas, revealing what audiences are actually watching, where they're watching it, and why major Hollywood streamers are suddenly paying very close attention.
 
We dig into some eye-opening data, including:
📱 Smartphone viewing and the shift away from traditional TV🌎 Why Asia and other mobile-first markets are leading the microdrama explosion📈 The scale of apps like DramaBox and ReelShort🎬 Why Hollywood is developing a vertical strategy💰 How paywalls and microtransactions are changing entertainment economics🎭 Why microdramas are expanding beyond romance, revenge, and betrayal🤖 Where AI fits into the future of vertical entertainment🧠 And the critical question: can data and optimization ever replace authentic human storytelling?
Zak also explains exactly how Ampere gathers its data, from global surveys and publicly available information to consent-based viewing data.
This is The Vertical Buzz from a completely different angle, using real data to understand where entertainment is headed next. 📊
In this episode, you will learn:
• How Ampere Analysis collects and analyzes entertainment data• Why smartphone viewing has become such an important part of the global entertainment landscape• What the data says about the explosive growth of microdramas• Why mobile-first markets have embraced vertical storytelling• How DramaBox and ReelShort have changed the competitive landscape• What Hollywood's major streaming companies are doing in response• How paywalls and microtransactions work in vertical entertainment• Which genres are expanding beyond the traditional microdrama formula• How AI is being used to market and promote content• Why authentic storytelling still matters even in a highly data-driven industry
Chapters
00:00 Phone Beats TV01:33 Vertical Buzz Intro03:18 Meet Zak Shaikh05:16 Zak’s USC Journey09:25 What Ampere Does13:06 How Ampere Gets Data18:54 Microdramas Hit the Radar30:57 Global Downloads Breakdown32:05 Why Mobile-First Markets Win34:17 Microdrama Apps Catch Streamers36:35 Hollywood Takes Notice40:17 Paywalls Pricing and Retention43:15 Gamification and Rewards Loops52:55 AI Marketing vs Authenticity59:09 Authenticity Over AI59:35 Rapid Fire Begins01:00:33 Arsenal Dreams And Choices01:01:45 Personal Picks And Recommendations01:04:37 Microdrama Apps Playbook01:07:00 Brands And Freemium Future01:12:17 Anthologies Market Catchup 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: Zak Shaikh
Zak Shaikh is the U.S. General Manager of Ampere Analysis, a global data, research, and analytics company focused on the entertainment and media industries.
Website: ampereanalysis.com
Host: Buzz LeerBuzz Leer is an actor, host, and veteran of the vertical film space.Instagram: @buzz_leer
A Glendale Podcast Studio ProductionInstagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
Social Media CoordinatorAna Karina CanoInstagram: @anakarinacano
Theme SongGrace Leer and Bryan DawleyThe Vertical Buzz Theme Song
Public Relations and MediaRobb LeerLeer Communications, Inc.
A special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family... and especially the fans!-Host, Buzz Leer
#TheVerticalBuzz #ZakShaikh #AmpereAnalysis #VerticalEntertainment #Microdrama #VerticalVideo #Streaming #EntertainmentIndustry #Hollywood #DataAnalytics

What if the future of vertical entertainment looks a lot like the past of cable television? 📱📺
Larry Namer has seen this movie before.
As the co-founder of E! Entertainment Television, Larry helped build one of the world's most recognizable entertainment networks from the ground up. But his story goes far beyond E!. From starting out underground splicing cable in New York, to moving to Los Angeles, creating E!, expanding media operations into Russia and China, and experimenting with digital media before the technology was ready, Larry has spent more than five decades identifying where entertainment is headed next.
And when it comes to vertical entertainment, Larry isn't looking at it from the outside.
He has been producing vertical content in China for years. After discovering that 73% of the audience for one of his shows was watching on cellphones, he asked a simple question: Why are we still shooting horizontally? 📱
In this fascinating conversation, Larry explains why he believes vertical will become the dominant way people consume video, why simplicity is one of the format's biggest strengths, and why Hollywood may be misunderstanding what vertical audiences actually want. He also breaks down the economics behind China's vertical model, including how a $150,000 movie could potentially generate a $35 "ticket price" through episodic paywalls. 💰
We also get into Larry's incredible history: founding E! after more than 100 rejections, the early days of Talk Soup, putting cameras in Howard Stern's radio studio, international media ventures, his wild stories from Russia, and his work helping develop China's media industry. 🌎
Plus, Larry talks about the future of vertical genres, why horror and sci-fi could be next, AI's impact on entertainment, consumer robotics, and the lessons he's learned from more than 50 years in media.
And yes, there's Rapid Fire. ⚡
In this episode, you will learn:
📱 Why Larry believes vertical could dominate video consumption by 2030
🇨🇳 What China understood about vertical entertainment years before the U.S.
💰 How the Chinese vertical paywall model works
📺 How Larry and his partners built E! Entertainment
🚪 Why Larry believes creators no longer need traditional gatekeepers
🎭 Why vertical entertainment is essentially "soap operas on steroids"
🔮 Which genres Larry thinks could be next
🤖 What Larry is watching in AI and consumer robotics
🌎 Why entertainment is no longer geographically tied to Hollywood
Chapters
00:00 Vertical Video Future00:36 Asia Vertical Model01:40 Show Intro Larry Namer04:55 Brooklyn Roots05:43 Cable TV Break In10:30 LA Move Movie Trailers13:28 Founding E Network17:01 Pirate Programming Hits19:32 Global Expansion Russia25:57 China Media Reform Verticals36:30 Televisioncom Gamble37:22 Dotcom Crash Fallout38:11 Going Global 2000s39:17 Creators Without Gatekeepers40:29 Why Vertical Wins42:45 Paywalls And Pricing44:51 Soap Operas Reborn46:32 New Genres And Audiences48:58 Rapid Fire And Robotics54:23 Book Food And The Future
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: Larry Namer
Larry Namer is a pioneering entertainment executive, global media entrepreneur, and co-founder of E! Entertainment Television. With a career spanning more than five decades, Larry has worked across cable television, international media, digital entertainment, emerging technologies, and vertical storytelling.
Instagram: @larrynamer
Host: Buzz Leer
Buzz Leer is an actor, host, and veteran of the vertical film space.
Instagram: @buzz_leer
A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
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 youSpecial 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 Kasey Esser, one of the most recognizable actors and producers in the vertical entertainment space.
Kasey's journey to Hollywood started in an unexpected place. After studying exercise science and building a career in fitness, he made the leap to Los Angeles and eventually discovered microdramas. What started with a werewolf-themed vertical in 2023 quickly snowballed into more than 55 microdramas, international fans, producing his own projects, and a starring role alongside Jimmy Fallon and John Stamos in The Tonight Show's first microdrama series.
🎬 Kasey talks about the incredible speed of vertical production, the moment he realized the format could become his future, and what it's like to suddenly have fans reaching out from around the world.
He also takes Buzz behind the scenes of Who Billionaire? Me Billionaire?, including shooting 40 pages in a single day with Fallon and Stamos, and why mainstream Hollywood is finally starting to understand the power of vertical storytelling.
🤖 The conversation also tackles AI, including how Kasey sees the technology being used as a filmmaking tool without replacing human performers.
And then things get... weird. 😂 Buzz and Kasey revisit some unforgettable moments from The Tonight Show microdrama, dive into rapid fire questions, and talk about what's next for Kasey's career.
 
In this episode, you will learn:• How Kasey went from exercise science and fitness to Hollywood• How he landed his first microdrama role• Why vertical storytelling became a career-changing opportunity• What it was like shooting a microdrama for The Tonight Show• How 40 pages were filmed in a single day• Why mainstream Hollywood is embracing vertical entertainment• What Kasey learned from working with Jimmy Fallon and John Stamos• How vertical fame can reach audiences around the world• Why AI should be viewed as a tool rather than a replacement• What's next for Kasey and the vertical entertainment industry
 
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Choosing Entertainment Over Fitness00:21 Absurd On-Set Knife Story01:05 Vertical Fast-Track to Hollywood01:24 Meet Casey Esser03:59 Growing Up 90s Midwest06:23 From Exercise Science to LA08:56 First Microdrama Breakthrough14:30 Going Freelance and Producing18:12 Press Turns and Fans Worldwide29:30 Tonight Show Microdrama Moment38:17 Surprise Guest Drama40:01 Doug Arrives Empty Handed41:02 Awkward Introductions Roast41:49 Caddy Talk Turns Dark44:17 Billionaire Sketch Wrap45:05 Vertical Fame Crossover48:00 Rapid Fire Questions58:05 Market Slowdown Pivot01:02:50 AI Tools Not Replacements01:05:56 Next Phase 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, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration.
Website: AEIRO.co
 
🎥 Guest: Kasey Esser
Kasey Esser is an actor, producer, and one of the breakout stars of vertical entertainment. Originally from Evansville, Indiana, Kasey studied exercise science before moving to Los Angeles and pursuing careers in both fitness and acting. He has appeared in more than 55 microdramas and has been featured by Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Bloomberg, and NPR. He also appeared alongside Jimmy Fallon and John Stamos in The Tonight Show's microdrama Who Billionaire? Me Billionaire?.
Instagram: @kaseyesser
 
🎙️ Host: Buzz Leer
Instagram: @buzz_leer
 
🎬 A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
 
📱 Social Media Coordinator
Ana Karina CanoInstagram: @anakarinacano
 
🎵 Theme Song
Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
 
📣 Public Relations
Robb LeerLeer Communications, Inc.
 
❤️ 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 twin brothers Gary & Edmund Entin, the writer-director-producer team behind 90 Degrees Films.
 
The Entin brothers have built careers spanning feature films, television, and the rapidly evolving world of vertical storytelling. As co-founders of 90 Degrees Films, they have created 14 vertical series for partners including Fox Drama, A&E, Lifetime, Pocket FM, and MicroHouse. Their feature film work includes Geography Club, Sins of Our Youth, A Country Christmas Harmony, and How Sarah Got Her Wings.
 
🎬 In this episode, Gary & Edmund talk about growing up in South Florida, making the transition from acting to directing, and discovering the vertical world. They take Buzz behind the scenes of their work with MicroHouse and talk about the challenges of relearning the filmmaking craft for a completely different format.
 
They also get candid about what it takes for actors to survive and thrive on vertical sets, why production quality is changing so quickly, and how vertical storytelling is beginning to bridge the gap between traditional Hollywood and a new generation of entertainment.
 
❤️ The brothers also spotlight projects including Tides of Temptation, Wrestling With Love, and Hope and Heartbreak, while discussing the importance of telling stories that connect emotionally with audiences.
 
And yes, because they're twins, Buzz couldn't resist getting into some twin taste debates. 👯
 
In this episode, you will learn:
• How Gary & Edmund built careers across film, television, and vertical entertainment
• How 90 Degrees Films got started
• What pushed them from acting into writing, directing, and producing
• How they made the transition into vertical storytelling
• What they've learned from producing 14 vertical series
• Why actors need to adapt to the unique demands of vertical sets
• How production quality in vertical entertainment is evolving
• Why vertical storytelling can coexist with traditional film and television
• What makes a vertical series connect with audiences
• Where the vertical ecosystem could go next
• And what it's really like running a creative business with your twin brother 👯
 
⏱️ Chapters
 
00:00 Twin Intro Banter
01:09 Show Opens And Guests Teased
02:47 Meet The Entin Brothers
05:41 Creative Partnership Secrets
08:30 Origins In South Florida
11:13 From Acting To Directing
14:51 Vertical Breakthrough And MicroHouse
30:10 Malik’s Warning
30:55 Tides of Temptation Praise
31:33 Microhouse Launch and Awards
32:16 When Verticals Took Off
35:56 Relearning the Craft
39:07 Actors and Set Survival
47:07 Wrestling With Love Spotlight
58:54 Hope and Heartbreak Films
01:00:27 Gratitude for Vertical Boom
01:01:29 Tools Notes Collaboration
01:02:13 Future Formats and Ads
01:08:02 Twin Taste Debates
01:15:50 Documenting Vertical Ecosystem
01:19:22 Spinoffs Platforms and Farewell
 
🌬️ Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)
 
AEIRO Air Purifiers help create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
 
Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration.
 
Website: AEIRO.co
 
⚡ Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast
 
Swipe. Cast. Create.
 
VertiCast is built for the fast-moving world of vertical entertainment, helping actors and casting professionals connect.
 
Instagram: @verticastapp
 
🎥 Guests: Gary & Edmund Entin
 
Gary & Edmund Entin are writers, directors, and producers whose work spans feature films, television, and vertical storytelling. As co-founders of 90 Degrees Films, they have created 14 vertical series for partners including Fox Drama, A&E, Lifetime, Pocket FM, and MicroHouse. They have also written and directed five feature films, including Geography Club, Sins of Our Youth, A Country Christmas Harmony, and How Sarah Got Her Wings.
 
Website: www.ninetydegreefilms.com
 
🎙️ Host: Buzz Leer
 
Instagram: @buzz_leer
 
🎬 A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
 
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
 
📱 Social Media Coordinator
 
Ana Karina Cano
Instagram: @anakarinacano
 
🎵 Theme Song
 
Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
 
📣 Public Relations
 
Robb Leer
Leer Communications, Inc.
 
❤️ 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 British actor, producer, entrepreneur, and technology innovator Richard Cambridge.
Richard has spent more than 25 years working across acting, film, television, and entertainment technology, with credits including Gran Turismo, Hollyoaks, The IT Crowd, and Disney's Suspect: The Shooting of John Charles de Menendez. He's also the co-founder of WeAudition and VertiCast, two platforms built around creating opportunity and connecting actors with the people making entertainment.
🎬 Richard's career sits at the intersection of performance and technology, making him uniquely positioned to talk about where entertainment is headed. He and Buzz dig into the explosive growth of vertical storytelling, how VertiCast came to be, and why Richard believes creator-led content is becoming one of the biggest forces in entertainment.
🏎️ Richard also shares some incredible stories from Gran Turismo, including the intense training required to perform real pit stops, what it was like shooting in Dubai, and how his background fixing cars helped prepare him for the role.
🤖 The conversation gets deep on AI, too. Richard believes AI should be viewed as a tool rather than something artists should fear, while keeping human connection at the center of storytelling. They also discuss wearables, the creator economy, paywalls, cliffhangers, and what the future of filmmaking could look like.
And because this is The Vertical Buzz, there's plenty of talk about actors, opportunity, mental health, and why Richard believes people shouldn't wait to start creating.
In this episode, you will learn:• How curiosity shaped Richard's career in acting and technology• How WeAudition evolved into VertiCast• What Richard saw happening in vertical entertainment before many others• What it took to perform real pit stops for Gran Turismo• How his experience fixing cars unexpectedly helped his acting career• Why Richard believes AI and human performance can coexist• Where creator-led entertainment is headed• How wearables could change the way we consume content• Why paywalls and cliffhangers are so important to vertical storytelling• Why Richard believes everyone should start creating now
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Creative Life Mission01:11 Show Intro and Guest Reveal02:51 Bio and Sponsors Roll04:51 Curiosity and WeAudition Origins08:22 VertiCast and Vertical Boom11:08 Acting Roots and Many Hats20:30 Gran Turismo Set Scale27:57 Pit Stop Training Chaos28:27 Snow to Dubai Heat29:38 Real Life Tire Change30:11 Hollyoaks Soap Grind34:16 Cameras and Vertical Workflow35:48 Cars and Early Fixing Days38:12 AI vs Human Performance52:46 Sports and Startup Speed53:38 AI Future of Filmmaking55:19 Life Outside Entertainment57:32 Paywalls and Cliffhangers01:01:03 Verticast and Partnerships01:07:24 Wearables and Creator Economy01:12:08 Legacy Favorites 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
⚡ Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast
Swipe. Cast. Create.
VertiCast helps actors, producers, casting professionals, and creators connect in the fast-moving world of vertical entertainment.
Instagram: @verticastapp
🎥 Guest: Richard Cambridge
Richard Cambridge is a British actor, producer, and technology entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience across film, television, and entertainment technology. His acting credits include Gran Turismo, Hollyoaks, The IT Crowd, and Disney's Suspect: The Shooting of John Charles de Menendez. He is also co-founder of WeAudition and VertiCast, platforms designed to create opportunity and connections for actors and entertainment professionals.
Instagram: @richcambridge
🎙️ Host: Buzz Leer
Instagram: @buzz_leer
🎬 A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
📱 Social Media Coordinator
Ana Karina CanoInstagram: @anakarinacano
🎵 Theme Song
Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
📣 Public Relations
Robb LeerLeer Communications, Inc.
❤️ Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.
Host, Buzz Leer