The Jay & Tony Show Show - Vertically Challenged

139 - Overheard at the LA Vertical Market

Jay ventured to the LA Vertical Market so Tony didn't have to. From AI panic to talks on data-driven storytelling to debates over how to properly carry a woman out of a room, the guys unpack the weird, fascinating, slightly dystopian future of micro dramas. Along the way, they get into China's production of tens of thousands of AI titles a month, the fact that comedy somehow still works, and a world worshiping new technology even though nobody can explain who owns anything anymore. Equal parts industry therapy session and cynical autopsy. Contact: jay@jayandtonyshow.com The Jay and Tony Show: [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/] www.jayandtonyshow.com [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/]

138 - Silence of the LLMs - Eddie Yoon Part 1

Jay and Tony sit down with AI researcher and media analyst Eddie Yoon to dissect the bizarre, thrilling, slightly cursed new era of AI-first creativity, where everyone is pretending there's a rulebook, but everyone's too scared to read it. They dig into why every AI short somehow looks like Bridgerton got trapped in a perfume ad, the coming vertical drama land grab, algorithmic storytelling, and Gen Z's bold decision to skip the whole "learn the craft" portion of the career journey. Contact: jay@jayandtonyshow.com The Jay and Tony Show: [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/] www.jayandtonyshow.com [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/]

#137 - The Woman Who Built The L.A. Vertical Drama Market - Dana Protsyshak

This week, Jay and Tony sit down with Dana Protsyshak to talk vertical drama—aka the industry where everyone thinks it's easy until they try it and get humbled immediately. They get into why Hollywood veterans struggle, why audiences say one thing but watch another, and whether the whole business model is genius or barely holding together. Plus: competing with big apps, why LA is too expensive, and the ongoing AI debate—helpful tool or job-stealing robot. Contact: jay@jayandtonyshow.com The Jay and Tony Show: [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/] www.jayandtonyshow.com [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/]

#136 - The CEO Who Doesn't Believe in Ego (But Built a Media Empire Anyway) - Bogdan Nesvit Part 2

In Part 2, Jay and Tony get into the bloodsport behind one of entertainment's fastest-growing categories. Bogdan breaks down why the market is already more saturated than people think, why most new entrants are dead on arrival, and what the biggest companies are really up against if they want to survive. They also talk about the race for micro drama's first true prestige hit, why so many companies mistake polish for innovation, why ads may win over subscriptions in the long run, and how AI is about to remake production faster than most people are ready for. Including the very chill possibility that audiences may not be able to tell what's AI and what's live action. Contact: jay@jayandtonyshow.com The Jay and Tony Show: [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/] www.jayandtonyshow.com [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/]

#135 - The CEO Who Doesn't Believe in Ego (But Built a Media Empire Anyway) - Bogdan Nesvit Part 1

This week, Jay and Tony sit down with Bogdan Nesvit, co-founder and co-CEO of Holywater and My Drama, whose path to building a micro-drama heavyweight somehow includes post-Soviet Ukraine, Oxford, the UN, and a startup that blew up on the launchpad. Normal. In Part 1, Bogdan gets into the failure that shaped him, the founder ego problem nobody likes admitting, and why he has worked hard not to make decisions from that poisoned well. Yes, there is Buddhism. Yes, there is meditation. And yes, it all ends up being weirdly useful when your job is building the future of entertainment. Contact: jay@jayandtonyshow.com The Jay and Tony Show: [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/] www.jayandtonyshow.com [https://www.jayandtonyshow.com/]