Nick Ritacco | Pirates, Shakespeare, and Vertical Fame: The Vertical Buzz S2E7

Nick Ritacco | Pirates, Shakespeare, and Vertical Fame: The Vertical Buzz S2E7

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: • How Nick Ritacco went from baseball dreams to theater • Why Chicago, New York, and Shakespeare shaped his acting foundation • How Homeland, Law & Order: SVU, and Lifetime led him toward LA • How Nick found verticals before the space had a clear name • Why Fated to My Forbidden Vampire changed his life • What makes vertical acting different from traditional film and TV • How Kiss of the Pirate King was made on a real ship • Why vertical fans and community matter so much • How Nick thinks about AI, rules, and protecting actors • Why vertical storytelling is still just getting started Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Vertical Buzz 01:00 Meet Nick Ritacco 02:57 Chicago Sports Rivalries 04:29 From Baseball to Theater 09:35 New York and Shakespeare 12:02 First TV Breaks and LA Move 17:06 Finding Vertical Stardom 25:27 Quiet Air Purifier Pitch 26:17 Role That Changed Everything 27:43 Tropes Getting Better 28:52 Pirate Vertical Behind Scenes 32:08 Hooking Viewers and Fan Favorites 36:29 Trailer Reaction and Rapid Fire 42:35 Chicago Theater Roots 45:46 Hidden Chicago Eats 46:20 Thanksgiving at Marios 47:01 Favorite Chicago Movies 48:53 New York Summer Stories 52:55 Vertical Acting Mindset 55:03 AI Fears and Rules 01:02:00 Vertical Community Wrap 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 VertiCast is a casting app built for the speed of vertical storytelling. Actors can create profiles, upload clips, showcase social links, and make it easier for casting directors and producers to discover them quickly. Website: VertiCastApp.com Instagram: @verticastapp Guest: Nick Ritacco Nick Ritacco is a Chicago-born actor, athlete, and avid baseball fan. After realizing he probably would not become the starting shortstop for the White Sox, Nick moved to New York City, where he earned his BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and trained at the Stella Adler Studio for Acting. He performed in numerous theatrical productions, helped launch a Shakespearean theater company, and later moved into television with a recurring role on Showtime’s Homeland and a co-star role on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU. After moving to Los Angeles with his tabby cat Cora, Nick has worked in Lifetime Movie Network projects and has become one of the most recognizable actors in vertical dramas, with more than 40 verticals and counting. Instagram: @nick.ritacco Host: Buzz Leer Instagram: @buzz_leer A Glendale Podcast Studio Production Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano Instagram: @anakarinacano Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer Leer Communications, Inc. Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family. Host, Buzz Leer

Paul Ruddy | From Emmy Winner to Vertical Casting: The Vertical Buzz S2E6

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: • How Paul Ruddy went from law school to talent agencies to casting • What working at Abrams Artists and The Gersh Agency taught him about actors • The unexpected cake trivia story that pushed Paul toward casting • How Paul won an Emmy for EastSiders and found out in his kitchen during the pandemic • Why self-tapes are not going away and why actors need to master them • How Paul first discovered verticals through Pocket FM • Why verticals remind Paul of early Hallmark and classic soap opera evolution • What casting directors look for in the first 20 seconds of an audition • Why preparation, strong choices, and knowing the script matter more than perfection • How casting volume works when companies are making 10 to 20 verticals a month • Why agents and managers are now building vertical divisions • How unknown actors can still break through if the audition is strong • Why every audition matters, even if you do not book the role Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Vertical Buzz 01:23 Meet Paul Ruddy 03:42 Vertical Growth Talk 04:31 VertiCast Sponsor Intro 06:00 Agency Roots and Leap 13:18 Cake Trivia to Casting 15:41 Speed and Craft at Scale 18:23 Emmy Win Story 23:29 Pandemic Changed Casting 31:46 Finding Verticals and Stars 37:06 Vertical Goes Legit 38:36 Soap Opera Evolution 40:07 Audition Process Today 40:29 Hook Them Fast 43:12 Casting Volume Reality 44:08 Finding Actors Properly 46:10 Agents Embrace Verticals 51:08 Rapid Fire Casting 01:00:54 Fan Questions Deep Dive 01:10:34 Wrap Up And Where To Find 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 VertiCast is a casting app built for the speed of vertical storytelling. Actors can create profiles, upload clips, showcase social links, and make it easier for casting directors and producers to discover them quickly. Website: VertiCastApp.com Instagram: @verticastapp Guest: Paul Ruddy Paul Ruddy is an Emmy Award-winning casting director currently serving as a casting director at DramaBox. With more than 250 film, television, digital, and vertical projects to his credit, Paul’s work spans Netflix, Disney, Hallmark, Lifetime, Fox, Paramount Plus, Peacock, ReelShort, Pocket FM, and DramaBox. He began his career at leading talent agencies including Abrams Artists and The Gersh Agency before moving into casting across film, television, theater, and new media. Paul received a 2020 Emmy Award for his work on the Netflix series EastSiders and has become one of the key casting voices helping define the vertical drama space. Instagram: @paulruddycasting 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 by 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

Eric Guilmette | Vertical's Most Romantic Leading Man: The Vertical Buzz S2E5

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: • How Eric Guilmette went from romance novel covers to vertical drama stardom • Why the romance novel world and vertical dramas have such a strong audience overlap • What Eric’s first vertical experiences were really like and how the space has improved • Why vertical view counts can be complicated and what the numbers really mean • How Eric stepped into producing with Love and Blood • Why cinematic storytelling matters if verticals are going to keep growing • How Sex and Oatmeal became a poetry book, a healing tool, and a creative extension of Eric’s life • What Eric learned from building The Ink Collective in London • How Cameo and fan messages have changed his relationship with the audience • The realities of vertical filming, including speed, intimacy scenes, title changes, and production pressure • Why Eric believes the future of verticals depends on better stories, more genres, and real human creativity Chapters 00:00 Vertical Buzz Cold Open 01:27 Meet Eric Guilmette 05:05 Awards and Vertical Fame 06:15 First Verticals and Growing Pains 07:59 Modeling Origin Story 09:28 Romance Cover Breakthrough 12:10 Books to Verticals Pipeline 14:19 Sponsor Break and Reset 15:18 Views Numbers Reality Check 17:38 Producing Love and Blood 37:37 Sex and Oatmeal Book 37:56 Poetry as Healing 38:57 Ink Collective London 40:18 Cameo and Fan Impact 41:01 Rapid Fire Acting 44:03 Vertical Filming Realities 45:37 Massachusetts Rapid Fire 51:58 Sponsor Break Aiiro 52:53 Fan Questions Answered 01:02:16 Future 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: Eric Guilmette Eric Guilmette is an LA-based actor, producer, poet, and one of the most recognizable faces in vertical dramas. He has starred in close to 50 vertical films across major platforms, including You Belong to Me, Chosen by Fate, Campus Rivals, and Love and Blood, which he also created and produced. Before verticals, Eric built a major presence in the romance world as a model on more than 200 romance novel covers. He is also the author of the poetry book Sex and Oatmeal and a co-founder of The Ink Collective, a poetry and contemporary art event platform. Eric won the 2024 Vertical Legend and Best Actor awards at the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards and received the Sapphire Vision Award in 2025. Instagram: @erictaylorguilmette Host: Buzz Leer Buzz Leer is an actor, host, and veteran of the vertical film space. Instagram: @buzz_leer Produced at Glendale Podcast Studio 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

Royce Lundquist | Surfing the Vertical Wave: The Vertical Buzz S2E4

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: • How Royce Lundquist went from theater kid to vertical leading man • Why surfing, discipline, and determination shaped his creative mindset • How Royce found vertical films and what changed his mind about the format • What it was like working on Queen of the Court, Call Sign Legacy, To Her Beat, and Playback • How vertical acting demands preparation, specificity, and strong character choices • What fans respond to in a great vertical leading man • Why the vertical space is moving beyond formula and into more elevated storytelling • How Monkey Boy Films started and what Royce is building as a director and producer • How Open House Open House and The Duel are turning real estate marketing into cinematic storytelling • Why Royce sees vertical entertainment as unpredictable, fast-moving, and full of opportunity Chapters 00:00 Vertical Buzz Intro 01:17 Meet Royce Lundquist 03:27 Theater Kid Origins 05:28 SoCal Roots and Commute 07:32 Surfing and Determination 11:01 Finding Vertical Films 15:27 Call Sign Legacy Stories 20:35 Vertical Craft and Set Life 28:16 Sponsor Break Aeiro 29:28 Leading Man and Elevating Space 42:04 Royce's New Ventures 43:15 Playback Story Breakdown 44:19 Mexico City Shoot 44:39 Monkey Boys Origins 46:22 First Musical Vertical 48:55 Trailer Reactions 52:19 Sponsor Break Aeiro 53:23 Monkey Boy Business Model 59:14 Open House 01:02:21 The Duel 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: Royce Lundquist Royce Lundquist is an LA-based actor, filmmaker, musician, and entrepreneur whose creative roots began in childhood as part of a Navy family living in cities around the country and abroad. He trained at the Orange County School of the Arts, studied in New York at Pace University, and earned his BA in Theater Arts from Loyola Marymount University. As an actor, Royce has appeared in award-winning films including 34902, Love’s Perfect Song, Wanted, and Queen of the Court, the project that introduced him to the vertical format. He is also the co-founder of Monkey Boy Films, where he directs and produces across film, music, commercial work, and cinematic real estate storytelling. Instagram: @royce_lundquist 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 by 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

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