Scott Brown | What MrBeast Taught Me About Storytelling: The Vertical Buzz S3E2

🎙️ Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice.

This week, host Buzz Leer welcomes Emmy-nominated director, writer, and producer Scott Brown, founder and CEO of Second Rodeo Productions. With more than 1 billion organic views across projects featuring MrBeast, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Larry King, and major global brands, Scott brings a unique perspective on where digital storytelling and vertical entertainment are headed next.

Fresh off speaking at Cannes Lions, Scott explains why verticals are just one part of a much larger scripted digital revolution. 🎬 He shares lessons from Hollywood, the creator economy, and premium digital content while discussing why attention, retention, and authentic storytelling matter more than ever.

Buzz and Scott also dive into directing for phone screens 📱, the legacy of Quibi, MrBeast's storytelling philosophy, common mistakes creators make, and why the next generation of entertainment won't fit neatly into one format.

🚀 If you want to understand where Hollywood, creators, and vertical storytelling are all headed, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

💡 In this episode, you will learn:

• Why Scott believes scripted digital content is entering a massive new era• How Cannes Lions is beginning to embrace vertical storytelling• What working with MrBeast, Dwayne Johnson, and Larry King taught him• The traits shared by the world's most successful creators• Why verticals succeed by focusing on story before stars• How to direct specifically for mobile audiences• The biggest mistakes new vertical creators make• What Quibi got right before its time• Why retention is the new currency of entertainment• Where Scott believes the industry is headed next

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Digital Scripted Gap01:06 Show Intro and Guest02:33 Bio and Sponsors04:37 Cannes and Creators07:02 Luck and Microdramas09:44 Laguna to Film School14:55 Defining Success17:10 Top Creator Traits20:10 Larry King Stories23:17 Why Vertical Wins39:36 Verticals As Real Movies40:55 Directing For Phone Screens42:28 Hook Fast Retain Viewers45:00 Quibi Lessons Legacy Vs Digital47:07 MrBeast Energy Curve Endings49:20 Common Vertical Mistakes50:39 Rapid Fire And Verticast Plug55:59 Shabu Shabu Deep Dive01:06:14 Directing Prep And Intentions01:13:16 Future Opportunities And Farewell

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