D'Arcy Smith | Vertical Acting Goes to School: The Vertical Buzz S2E3

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:
• Why vertical storytelling belongs in the classroom
• How D'Arcy Smith started teaching vertical performance at the University of Cincinnati
• What students first think when they encounter vertical dramas
• How acting in verticals differs from traditional film and TV
• Why vertical requires emotional commitment, physicality, and speed
• How student productions are being built around short vertical episodes
• What the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards nomination meant for the program
• Why academia needs to adapt as vertical entertainment grows
• How data, views, and global reach change the way creators understand audiences
• Why actors need to “eat the cheese” while still grounding the story in truth
• How voiceover, motion capture, and digital performance connect to the future of acting

Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Vertical Buzz
01:08 Meet D'Arcy Smith
02:30 Why Teach Verticals
04:43 Curriculum Pushback
06:23 Inside the Class
07:03 Acting Style Shift
09:03 Student Productions Setup
13:04 Award Nomination Story
17:42 Academia Must Adapt
25:19 Data and Audience Reach
39:12 Eat The Cheese
39:45 Why Scripts Feel Cheesy
41:14 Ground It In Truth
42:10 Rapid Fire Begins
42:49 Format Skills And Future
45:37 Cincinnati Food Debate
49:57 Findlay Market Must Do
51:09 Sponsor Break Aiiro
52:33 Awards Community Vibes
54:21 Voice Lab And Wrap Up

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: D'Arcy Smith
D'Arcy Smith is the Director of the Digital Performance Lab at the University of Cincinnati and a professor of acting and voice working at the cutting edge of actor training, motion capture, animation, and digital performance. With more than 20 years of experience as an international voice director and coach, he is also the creator of Vocal Combat Technique, a groundbreaking method used in programs around the world. D'Arcy lives at the intersection of art, technology, and the future of performance, and is helping bring vertical storytelling into academic training.
Instagram: @darcysmithdirectlr

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 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