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 roleChaptersSponsor: 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.coRapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCastVertiCast 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.comInstagram: @verticastappGuest: Paul RuddyPaul 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 Arti