Let's talk about Verticals

It’s time for a new episode featuring another actress 🎙️✨ (actors have been dominating a bit lately 😉)Shanna Sinow took the time to have a wonderful and fun conversation with me about verticals 🎬📱
 She knows exactly what it’s like to get hooked by vertical ads—and then suddenly needing to watch the full story, unable to stop 😄 So she truly understands the audience better than many others 👀
By now, she’s become an essential part of the vertical world 🌟 From vampires 🧛‍♀️ to rom-coms 💕, from young adult 📚 to the spicy ones 🌶️—there’s nothing she can’t bring to life.
Still on her acting wishlist? A mermaid 🧜‍♀️, a...

There are many paths that can lead to a vertical career — and today’s guest, Steinar Bakke, is the perfect example.
Born in Norway, Steinar started his journey in the army before moving to the United States to study Software Engineering. After successfully working as a software developer, he asked himself: why not try something completely new?This mindset took him all the way to Australia 🌏, where he worked both as a head chef and an actor. When the pandemic hit, life pressed pause — and he returned to his roots in engineering back in Norway.
Today, Steinar has been livi...

In today’s episode, I sit down with the talented actor Douglas Jung to talk about his journey and experiences in the world of vertical storytelling 🎬📱
Almost by chance, Douglas landed his first vertical role in 2023 through a friend—and he’s been hooked ever since. Fast forward to today, he’s already contributed his acting skills to over 40 verticals! 🚀
We also dive into a topic close to his heart: diversity in casting 🌍
As a half-Asian actor, Douglas shares his wish to see more opportunities for people with diverse cultural backgrounds to land leading roles. Right now, he sees promising pr...

The first quarter of the Vertical year 2026 is already behind us—and it really feels like things are picking up speed. There’s no shortage of exciting topics and developments across the verticals, and plenty to unpack and take a closer, more critical look at.

Curious about what didn’t quite impress us this March—and what completely stole our hearts? Then you’re in exactly the right place for my monthly roundtable with the ladies!
Joining the discussion:
* Michaela (Host) @lets_talk_about_verticals
* Aline @i.love.verticals
* Dalia @verticalfilmslover
* Shikha Dia @verticalvi...

This conversation is one I could have continued for hours — TJ Wilk @tjwilkofficial shared so many fascinating stories from his life that I was completely captivated and rarely felt this thoroughly entertained. 🎧✨

A born drummer, TJ has already released two music albums (including on Spotify). In 2023, he entered the Vertical World as an actor — but his journey there was anything but ordinary. From international modeling success to starring in a TV show, working as a “manny,” attending acting school, and so much more, his path has been incredibly diverse. 🌍🎬

Originally, TJ pursued Olympic ambitions in springboard diving during colle...

A brand-new episode is just around the corner, and this time I sat down with actor Kyle Colton @kyle_colton89 for a deep dive into the world of vertical storytelling.

With 50+ verticals under his belt, Kyle has explored nearly every genre imaginable—earning himself a fully checked Vertical Bingo Card 🎬

🦹‍♂️ Often cast as the villain (or as he jokingly calls it, the “useless assistant”), Kyle shares why verticals offer him something traditional horizontal films often don’t: creative freedom in shaping his characters.

🌍 What’s still on his bucket list? Shooting outside of Los Angeles—and even outside...

🎙️ From the very beginning, it was a perfect match – Michaela & Michael.

Maybe it started with the name 😉… but in this episode, you’ll quickly realize there’s much more connecting us than just that.

In this latest episode, I’m talking to Michael J. Gwynn @michaeljgwynn , a true Patriarch of the vertical space 🎬

He’s well known for portraying a wide range of father figures – from warm and caring to loud, intense, and intimidating. That versatility is exactly what makes him stand out.

With years of experience in vertical storytelling, Michael shares his honest insights:
✨...

It’s time for another Fan Talk 🎙️✨ to find out what the audience – the people actually watching verticals – really think 👀

In this episode, I sat down with Amanda 💬 We talked about her preferences when it comes to verticals, the genre she’s especially drawn to 🎭 and what she’s less likely to watch these days 🚫 Her reviews mainly focus on “older” verticals – although, as she points out, that term isn’t entirely accurate. It’s really just about shows that aren’t brand new releases 🕰️

As someone working in healthcare 🏥, we also had to dive into the sometimes questionable realism of hospital sc...

His life almost sounds like a fairytale ✨. He even married a real (Disney) princess 👑 and together they have three wonderful children.

Richard Sharrah sat down with me for a conversation about his love for acting 🎭, his experiences on set 🎬, his life, and his plans for the future 🚀.

He has taken the Vertical world and its audience by storm 🌍📱. His trademark in Vertical series? Father roles. As we discovered, not always the loving kind – for example in “Mommy Don’t Cry Daddy Is Sorry.” These roles perfectly showcase Richard’s incredible range as an actor 🎭✨. One of his personal highlights in 2025 was...

🌏 As we all know, Down Under has caught the Vertical fever too – which makes it the perfect time to sit down with another Australian Vertical actor: Harrison Keen.
The 2025 Rising Star nominee and I talk about the many opportunities that Vertical series have opened up for actors. From working abroad in China and Istanbul to what it was like filming a Vertical production in Australia – complete with an authentic Australian accent. 🇦🇺🎬
Want to know which natural skills Harrison believes make him a perfect villain? He reveals them exclusively in this episode. 😈Even though he sees himself more as a villain-type acto...

Today, a supporting actor finally steps into the spotlight he has long deserved — Toby S. Pruett ✨🎬
With plenty of wit and charm, we dive into the many chapters of his journey before entering the Vertical Space. From playing a pirate in a theme park 🏴‍☠️ to working as a health manager on set 🩺, to performing as a stuntman in high-energy stunt shows 💥 — Toby’s career path is anything but ordinary.
His very first steps in Verticals? Straight into the role of an Alpha in a werewolf world 🐺 — without having the slightest idea what this universe was even about at the time!Toby was also part of...

🎙️✨ Just before the New Year, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alexandria Watts to talk about her journey as an actress, her work in Verticals, and her growing passion for writing.
As a child, she was completely mesmerized by Titanic 🚢 — so much so that she even took classes about it! Her dream job back then? Oceanographer 🌊🔬. That dream lasted until her mother signed her up for a theater class… and everything changed.
Despite insisting (and laughing about it!) that she absolutely cannot sing 🎶🚫 — especially not in front of an audience — the very first role she ever auditioned for was in musical...

When six Vertical critics come together, it’s time to recap the past Vertical month – and this time, we’re diving into February 🗓️

Joining the discussion:
* Michaela (Host) @lets_talk_about_verticals
* Aline @i.love.verticals
* Brittany @drama_ink_diaries
* Shikha Dia @verticalviewweekly
* Caitlyn @verticait
* Meagan @realreeldrama

Was the Valentine’s month really as cozy and emotional as the audience hoped? Or did some of the released Vertical content leave us disappointed — and if so, why?

Our Monthly Recap gives you direct insight from the audience perspective on what truly stoo...

⚾ He once had his sights set on the Major League Baseball.�🎭 Today, he’s bringing characters to life on screen — and since 2024, he’s also adding his energy to the Vertical scene.

My guest: Bryce Tipple @brycectipple

Bryce’s journey took an unexpected turn when his grandmother suggested he try acting. He gave it a shot — and that was it. Baseball ambitions moved to the back burner, and a new passion took center stage.

Now based in ☀️ Los Angeles, Bryce has already portrayed multiple lead roles and feels right at home in front of the camera. Through w...

Have you ever wondered what a production company actually does in the vertical space — the exciting opportunities 🎬, the creative wins ✨, and the real challenges behind the scenes?

I had the chance to sit down with Austin Herring @austinherring , CEO of Snow Story Productions @snowstoryproductions , for an in-depth conversation. With more than 60 verticals produced to date — alongside numerous commercials and other projects — Snow Story Productions has become one of the most established companies in the U.S. when it comes to developing and producing vertical content 📱.

We talk about the recurring challenges of vertical production ⚡, unpack the ever-important t...

🎊✨ It’s Lunar New Year — and we’re celebrating with a very special XXL episode! ✨🎊

In this multicultural deep dive, we explore the cultural differences and backgrounds between Eastern and Western verticals — in the best possible company: Jieun and Tiffany from the podcast "Talk Drama to Me" @talkdramatome 🎙️🌏

While Jieun has been part of the vertical space for quite some time, Tiffany is still fairly new to it — so new, in fact, that many actor names don’t ring a bell for her yet. 😄 But that’s exactly what makes it exciting: she approaches the storylines completely fresh, unbiased, and wit...

In today’s episode, it’s practically a conversation among eight eyes 👀👀👀👀 — because Evan Camacho @evancamachoofficial and I are each joined by our dogs, Nero and Dion 🐶🐶

Evan tells me that he was anything but thrilled about his very first vertical shoot 🎬🔥 Low pay 💸, incredibly hot weather ☀️, a wasp nest 🐝 and plenty more made it a challenging experience. Understandably, he didn’t feel like doing anything like that again for a while 😉😅

Nevertheless, he found his way back to verticals — and has since appeared in many of them in supporting roles 🎭 He would absolutely love to finally take on a lead role ⭐ and also shoot outside...

Today’s episode is officially hijacked — by Vertical pirate Nick Ritacco @nick.ritacco 🏴‍☠️

Fresh off wrapping the second pirate vertical ever (after @beneathcrimsonsailsvertical), Nick joins me to talk about one of the most special experiences of his career so far.

What little kid doesn’t dream of becoming a pirate at least once? Nick used to love dressing up as one — and now he’s managed to combine two things he truly loves: his job and his childhood dream. No surprise he already misses the role… and is secretly (not so secretly) hoping for Part II ⚔️

We talk about:
...

It’s time for new storylines in the Vertical Space — and my guest Teig Sãdhãna and I couldn’t agree more:
My heart surgery story deserves a full cinematic Vertical adaptation. With everything. Included.
This story has it all:
 ❤️ Drama
 💞 RomCom
 💔 Heartbreak (in the most literal way possible 😂)Teig immediately volunteered to play my cardiologist (casting = perfection).

And we’ve already reserved a role for Zane Claudio as my caring, protective brother.
Zane… are you in? 👀
The only things currently missing?
 A sponsor.
 Or a lottery win.
 Minor details, really. 😉
A...

We finally made it happen! 🎉
 In this episode, I sit down for a morning chat (German time ☕) with the Australian/Canadian actor Alex Pychtin, @alexpychtin who’s currently in China 🇨🇳.
This conversation is packed with humor, charm, and wit as Alex and I talk about what it’s really like to shoot Verticals in China, how things have changed from his very first Vertical shoot to today, and how some roles can leave a lasting impression on his private personality 😏🎭.
Alex also shares the bigger goals he’s pursuing through his acting—and what he wants to give back to his audience...

It finally happened: I had him all to myself for an extended podcast hangout — Jeff Violette. 🎧
The construction engineer and the business informatics graduate don’t talk about high-brow academic topics — instead, we talk Verticals 😉
After several years working in construction, Jeff was encouraged during his freshman year by his roommate Eric Guilmette @erictaylorguilmette to give modeling a try. He did — but kept it pretty low-key at first, since he didn’t really want his coworkers on the construction site teasing him about his underwear photos 😄🩲
His very first job in a Vertical? As Jeff tells it, he already knew when h...

In this episode, I sat down with Nic Westaway for an in-depth conversation. The Australian-born actor now lives in Canada and, after several years on the Australian TV series Home and Away, has found his way into the Canadian and vertical storytelling world. He talks about his very first encounter with the vertical space and how, almost like a snowball effect ❄️, more and more roles started to come his way.
Whether as a caring father 👨‍👧, a somewhat malicious husband 😈, a president 🇺🇸, or a blue-collar worker 🛠️—Nic has appeared in a wide range of characters and brings them to life beautifully every time. Most...

After chatting away for more than two hours before hitting record, Elijah van Zanten @elijahvanzanten and I still managed to sit down for a solid hour of mostly serious talk about Verticals and their role in his life 🎬😅
Elijah booked the lead role for his very first Vertical — even though he admittedly had no real idea on set what he was actually doing at the time 🙃. Apparently, he handled it pretty damn well, because otherwise he wouldn’t have gone on to book so many more leads and roles since then — and become a true fixture in the Vertical space ⭐️.
El...

Today’s conversation really has it all. From the mafia to BDSM, piracy, and deep psychological talks — plus even a few potential drinking games — Ryan Larson and I covered so many different topics. And what can I say? It was wonderful! ✨🎙️
Ryan, who describes himself as a “nice guy,” already appeared in one of the very first werewolf Verticals back in February 2022. In his own words, that makes him the original alpha among all werewolves 🐺👑. But his Vertical career has since grown far beyond that, including a wide range of characters he has brought to life. From various mafia leaders 💼🔫 and extraord...

What is it like to kick off an acting career at full speed with a vertical production? 🚀🎬
In today’s episode, the lovely actress and singer JC Ann answers this question—along with many others 🎙️✨As she says about herself, JC is someone who likes things fast, structured, and straight to the point. That’s exactly why the pace of vertical shoots suits her perfectly ⚡📋—to the point where feature film productions shooting only three to four pages a day can sometimes feel almost too slow for her 😅. 
Alongside several lead roles, JC has often played the antagonist in verticals 😈. She loves the...

Today’s conversation takes me back to another true veteran of the vertical scene: Corbin Timbrook 🎬
Many know him for his numerous patriarch roles, where—as he likes to say himself—he often plays a wealthy father or grandfather trying to get one of his sons “settled down” 😉.
Corbin openly admits that he enjoys playing the bad guy 😈. In his experience, those roles are usually written with more depth, offer greater creative freedom, and ultimately allow him to truly make the character his own—which makes them a lot more fun to play.Since the early 2000s, Corbin has expanded far beyo...

We’ve officially kicked off the Vertical year 2026, and of course we’ll be continuing our Monthly Recaps this year as well! 🎬📅

Once again, we openly and honestly discuss what really didn’t work for us during the month, what disappointed us, what were absolute no-gos, and who or what completely captivated us with an outstanding performance. 🔥😬Joining us this time are: Aline @i.love.verticalsDalia @verticalfilmsloverShikha Dia @verticalviewweeklyCaitlyn @verticaitWe all agree that the start of the new Vertical year came with a bit of a yo-yo effect 🎢 — bringing a wide range of Verticals, storylines, and very diverse opinions along with it.<...

🎙️ It’s time for a brand-new Fantalk episode!
This time, I’m joined by the enchanting Angel ✨. Besides her Instagram profile, she also runs several fan pages. If it were up to her, she’d manage more than 300 fan pages – simply because she wants to give everyone the attention they truly deserve 💖.Angel, just like myself, has been part of the audience since the very beginning, so we’ve both watched a lot of verticals over the years 📱🎬. We agree on one thing: we’re not big fans of certain cliffhangers 😅 – and yes, she has also struggled more than once with watching Chinese-langua...

🎙️ New Podcast Episode – Goofy, Honest & a Little Bit Crazy 🤪✨In the latest episode of the podcast, I’m talking with actor Luke Brewer 🎭🔥 about Verticals, villains, and why taking creative risks really matters.
After his very first Vertical shoot felt a bit weird 😅, Luke now does them regularly—and absolutely loves it 💥📱. He’s even written several Vertical scripts himself, just waiting to be brought to life 🎬✍️.
Luke is eager to be booked for a sports vertical 🏀⚽ and is known for giving every role a special twist—nothing too classic, nothing too stiff. He enjoys playing crazy, edgy characters 🤡🖤, especially the ones the audience...

😂🎙️ Humor, Fun Facts & Real Talk from the Vertical World
This episode is packed with laughs, behind-the-scenes fun facts, and also some serious conversations from the Vertical universe.

I met Ryan Watson Henderson @ryguywatson for an online chat 💻✨. After almost two hours off the record talking and laughing about pretty much everything (with more insights shared later in the BTW on Instagram 📸), we also dove into the sometimes serious sides of life and work in the Vertical World.

Ryan started his Vertical career at a relatively young age. After filming his very first show with the wonderfully crazy Vertical tit...

🇦🇺✨ Down Under Again! In this episode, we head back to Australia to talk with Australian Vertical actor Anthony Darvall  🎭 @anthonydarvall 

Anthony was already part of only the second Vertical ever filmed in Australia, and since then he has appeared in several Verticals as a regular cast member. He sees huge potential for Vertical filming locations Down Under 🌏🎬 and hopes the Vertical culture will continue to grow and evolve there.

Originally planning to become a dinosaur researcher 🦖, everything changed thanks to Johnny Depp and Pirates of the Caribbean 🏴‍☠️. Inspired, Anthony graduated from the Actors College of Theatre and Television and began his ca...

🎙️✨ After usually finding ourselves in completely different time zones — and with Gabe Armentano busy filming several projects — we finally managed to sit down for a truly wonderful conversation.
Gabe first lived in New York to pursue acting, where he felt at home in a lovely shared apartment with the matriarch Catherine. After her passing, he moved on to Los Angeles, where — after some initial skepticism — he auditioned for his very first vertical casting call. 🎬
Since his first role in a werewolf vertical about 1.5 years ago, Gabe has stepped into many more verticals, portraying a wide range of characters. Beyond the United...

🌟🎙️ You don’t meet legends every day — but I was lucky enough to welcome the officially crowned Vertical Legend, Eric Guilmette @erictaylorguilmette to my podcast.
You could say Eric has been part of the vertical world from the very beginning. He found his way into verticals early on and later went on to “infect” other now well-known vertical actors like Kristine Kay Larsen and Fabian Arnold with the vertical bug. 🦠🎬
Eric talks about how his career has evolved since then, why 2025 has been an absolutely crazy year filled with endless opportunities, projects, and experiences, and how likely he thinks it is that he m...

🎭✨ Who doesn’t dream of Broadway as an artist?
My guest today no longer has to dream about it — he has already performed on Broadway before eventually diving into the world of verticals and film.

🎬 Daniel Bateman joined me for a conversation where we talk about what fascinates him about working in film and vertical productions, what he misses most from his time in theater, and — most importantly — what he pays close attention to when choosing casting calls.Having played both lead and lead antagonist roles, Daniel speaks openly and honestly about why he often finds the pay offered for...

🎙️ New Fantalk Episode✨

This time, I’m joined by the lovely Brittany @brittanynicoleanderson who is still fairly new to the Vertical world – she entered this universe in February 2025 🚪📱.
On her Instagram @drama_ink_diaries you’ll find not only reviews, but also interviews with Vertical creatives and plenty of other exciting content 🎥💬.

Brittany’s favorites? Werewolves 🐺, vampires 🧛‍♀️, and fantasy stories ✨, always with a touch of romance 💕. 
In this episode, we talk about what makes her skip a Vertical, or even turn it off again ❌, and we laugh (and cringe 😅) about some of the absurd and over-the-top moments we’ve both encountered.

A new Vertical year has officially begun, which made it the perfect moment for the ladies and myself to take a look back at the month of December.
Together with

Aline @i.love.verticals
Dalia @verticalfilmslover
Shikha Dia @verticalviewweekly
and
Caitlyn @verticait

we revisited a month packed with Verticals — and plenty to talk about.

December brought a wave of Christmas Verticals 🎄, though we couldn’t help but debate whether some of them truly deserved that label. 

As always, we also discussed our regular categories:

🎭 Actor/Actress of...

🎙️ New Podcast Episode Alert! 🐶🍳🎬

For this episode, I met up online with Hunter Kohl @hunter.exp.edition , the New York–based actor who happens to be just as much of a dog lover as I am 🐕❤️. He shares the story of how he got his very first dog — and why, at the time, he was convinced it almost led to his parents’ divorce 😅.

In his latest vertical cooking project, Hunter plays a top-tier chef 👨‍🍳✨ — which, of course, made me curious about his real-life cooking skills. Let’s just say: according to him, his oven has been used to store shoes, clothes, and various ot...

Today’s episode is enriched by the wonderful actress and producer Abigail Stanton @abigailstantonThanks to director Matt Macedo @mattmacedo she found her way into the world of Verticals — and with her very first role as a witch in a werewolf vertical, she instantly enchanted everyone. Since then, she’s become an indispensable part of the vertical scene. With her reddish hair, she’s often cast in slightly dark or villainous roles — which she actually enjoys tremendously 🖤✨

While male actors are happily dropping their towels or proposing marriage to their scene partners, her most common task in Verticals tends to be kidnappin...

🎙️ One last Fantalk episode for this year is ready to go! 🎙️
Today’s episode features the wonderful Dalia from Verticalfilmslover ✨ @verticalfilmslover
The Vertical Drama critic is both a member of the #verticalviewcrew and a regular guest on the monthly recap episodes.

In this episode, the two of us sat down for an in-depth chat about how she found her way into the Vertical World 🌍 and how it ultimately led her to creating her own review platform.

📊 Dalia has already watched over 1,600 Verticals, keeps a meticulously organized list, and regularly publishes reviews on her Instagram profile. She’s devel...

In this episode, we step back behind the camera and spotlight another outstanding female director: Paige Compton @dudette.director 

From an early age, Paige knew she wanted to be part of the film world—and she pursued that goal without hesitation. Her path led her through the U.S. Army and film school, where she spent the last four years of her military service working as an Audio Visual Director for the White House, supporting former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden 🇺🇸🎥

After earning her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film and Television, the film ind...