Miami entrepreneur launches a streaming app that gives creators more control
A Miami entrepreneur wants to help independent filmmakers thrive and have more control over their work with VURT, a free movie and TV streaming app.
Ted Lucas, 50, is familiar with the entertainment industry. As the founder of the Miami-based record label Slip-N-Slide Records, Lucas helped Miami rappers like Trick Daddy and Trina become stars.
VURT has a heavy focus on allowing users to watch vertical videos on their phones and tablets. Lucas noticed how much consumers watch short form videos on their phones and wanted to build an app that capitalized on that.
“TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts proved that people like the experience of watching videos the way they naturally hold their phones,” he said. “Vertical film and TV is just the natural evolution of the industry.”
But entertainment has shifted from when those artists were at their peaks. Consumers no longer primarily buy physical media like CDs to hear new music — instead, they subscribe to apps like Spotify or Apple Music to hear it. The same is true for film, where streaming apps like Netflix have nudged aside movie theaters and DVDs.
Top streamers are spending big money to lure famous filmmakers like Martin Scorsese. Netflix spent an estimated $18 billion on content in 2025. But lesser-known filmmakers are being left behind, Lucas said.
The ability for VURT users to make money may be its biggest appeal. VURT makes its money off advertising that it splits 50-50 with creators.
“We want people to say they got their career started on VURT so that they can quit [their day jobs] and focus on their film careers,” Lucas said.
Mark Samuels, 42, is a Miami filmmaker who already has his work on the app.
“For every filmmaker, having a home to put your projects on is key,” Samuels said. “The barrier of entry for VURT is so much lower” than at traditional distributors, he said. “We are all trying to feed our families.”
Samuels graduated from Carol City High School in 2001 and immediately began working in a recording studio as an engineer before shooting music videos for artists.
Shooting music videos led him into making his own films, and he directed one called “Murder Gardens” that came out in 2018. He found distribution for his movie, but he quickly became disenchanted with his project not having access to analytics.
“At a traditional film distributor, you don’t know how things are going until eight or nine months later,” he said. “You aren’t seeing monetization and views.”
With VURT, Samuels appreciates the opportunity to be able to see how his film is performing on the app in real time and make adjustments to how he is promoting it. App users can see in real time how many people watch their projects.
The app, which launched in March, is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
Lucas hopes VURT can become a go-to option for media makers who want to quickly distribute their films.
“We’re here to disrupt the industry.”
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