The Vertical Video Argument Namer predicts that by 2030, vertical, short-form video will become the primary way people consume entertainment . His reasoning isn’t based on trends or hype—it’s based on habit. “I think storytelling is storytelling. It’s just the technology for delivering that story is very different. Audience behavior is very different,” he said .
He recalled producing a celebrity news show in China and discovering that nearly three-quarters of the audience watched it on a phone or tablet. The realization prompted a simple question for his production team: “Why are we shooting horizontal when everybody watches us vertical?” The team rethought everything—from lighting to framing to how hosts moved—to create a show designed for the screen audiences were already using.
AI and Entertainment’s Future When the conversation turned to artificial intelligence, Namer offered a familiar warning for legacy media companies: stop fighting it . He compared today’s AI skepticism to the music industry’s resistance to digital distribution two decades ago. Labels spent years trying to stop the inevitable, he argued, only to surrender control of the business to platforms like Spotify and iTunes . He sees traditional media making a similar mistake by treating AI as something that can simply be ignored .
“Technology marches on whether you like it or not,” he said . Yet, that doesn’t mean he’s advocating for unchecked innovation. He spoke at length about AI guardrails, the mental health challenges facing young people, and the need for platforms to prioritize social good alongside profit .
Namer’s Vision Namer’s vision of the future of entertainment is grounded. He isn’t arguing that vertical video will replace great storytelling. He’s arguing that storytelling has always adapted to the way audiences live. Television replaced radio. Streaming disrupted cable. Smartphones reshaped how people watch. Vertical video, in his view, is simply the next evolution .
And if history is any indication, the companies that embrace that shift first will define entertainment’s next chapter .
