What does it actually take to shoot 15–20 pages a day?

Scott Di Lalla started out making backyard documentaries, directed a Super 8 horror thriller, and spent years as a reality TV camera operator — then walked into vertical micro-drama production almost by accident, when a friend needed help on a project he couldn't fully explain. Scott didn't understand it either, until he saw the comments.

In this episode, Scott breaks down what it's really like directing and producing vertical drama: the 25-minute location scouts with no tech scout, the blocking tricks that save hours on set (camera stacking, shooting "half-moon" or "taco" setups instead of multiple flips), and how he redesigns a scene's geography — moving furniture, repurposing doorways — to avoid re-lighting an entire room. He also talks candidly about the learning curve of moving from traditional directing to a format with its own language, pace, and rules.

The conversation goes beyond craft, too — into why vertical storytelling earns attention differently than any other medium, how creator-to-audience power has flipped in a data-driven industry, and where Scott sees the space heading next: premium storytelling, new genres, and his new venture, Paintbox Shorts, built to bring underserved voices and cultures — including Black, Brown, and Spanish-speaking audiences — into the vertical space.

Whether you're already working in verticals or wondering if this is your next pivot, Scott's approach to preparation, adaptability, and craft is a masterclass in making fast-moving production work for you.

GUEST LINKS

Connect with Scott Di Lalla:

• Instagram: @scottdilalla
• Reel: vimeo.com/manage/videos/1218044850
• IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm2010464
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scottdilallaA

FOLLOW THE VERTICAL REACH PODCAST

• Instagram: @verticalreachpodcast
• Facebook: The Vertical Reach Podcast

What does it look like when a husband-and-wife team runs a set together — and runs a household together, too?

Quinn and Morgan Gardner are that team. Quinn is a Showrunner and Director ("Bound by Blood"), a Producer and 1st AD (PocketFM's "Insta-Empire"), and an AD on Vigloo's "Shaping Soulmates" — alongside feature work like "Marriage Bites," "Don't Answer," and "Amy's F-It List," plus credits on "One Battle After Another," "Chasing Mavericks," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Will Trent," and commercials for Toyota, Ford, Adidas, Apple, and Google. Morgan is a Key Hair & Makeup Artist and Special FX Makeup Artist across the same world of verticals and features, including "Insta-Empire," "Mistress Manager," "Don't Answer," and the upcoming horror comedy "Come Back Alive," plus commercial work for Honda, Toyota, Thuma, and Jackson Rancheria Casino.

In this episode, Quinn and Morgan talk about how the vertical drama boom found them, what a real shoot day looks like when you're packing 27 pages into 24 hours, and how they've built a life — and now a family — around an industry that rarely stops moving. They get into pivoting without perishing, what it means to give your crew "permission" to speak up, and a first look at their upcoming Celtic-mythology horror project, "Come Back Alive."

Whether you're balancing a creative partnership of your own or just curious what it takes to make verticals at this pace, this conversation is equal parts masterclass and love story.

Connect with Quinn Gardner:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• IMDb

Connect with Morgan Gardner:

• Website
• Instagram
• TikTok

What happens when the biggest brands in the world hand you their playbook — and then you take it somewhere they never expected?

Austin Herring did. As CEO of Snow Story Productions, the largest vertical-focused production company in North America, he's brought the white-glove standards of working with Disney, Walmart, and Fortune 500 clients into the wild, fast-moving world of vertical microdrama.

In this episode, Austin traces his path from freelance commercial director to leading a company that's shot with talent like The Rock, Tom Holland, and Zendaya — and he's candid about the early days, when nobody knew what a "vertical" even was and the whole industry was figuring out the rules in real time.

We get into the mechanics of what makes verticals work: the shift from broad, communal viewing to something deeply personal; the double-edged power of app-level data; and why Austin believes this is the biggest shift in entertainment since silent films became talkies. He also shares where he sees the format heading next — including dual-format production built for both your phone and your TV.

And in this episode's permission slip moment, Austin offers some of the most direct career advice we've heard on the show: however hard you think you're working, you have to work harder.

Whether you're already in the vertical space or just curious how an entire new entertainment format gets built from scratch, this conversation is a front-row seat to an industry writing its own rules.


GUEST LINKS

Connect with Austin Herring:
Instagram: @austinherring
LinkedIn: austinherring

Snow Story Productions:
Instagram: @snowstoryproductions
LinkedIn: snowstoryproductions
Website: www.snowstory.com