
Ryan Podolsky of Rough Cut Entertainment: Five Life and Leadership Lessons I Learned in the Military
On responsibility, leading mavericks and why the best stories entertain first.
Read the interviewRough Cut EntertainmentIndependent film & television
Company
Rough Cut is an independent studio making character-driven American films and series, built to entertain first.
We believe storytelling does more than entertain. The films that last shape how people see themselves: their agency, their responsibility, and their part in what comes next.
Founded in 2025 with offices in Dallas and Los Angeles, Rough Cut develops and produces feature films and series alongside filmmakers who share that conviction.
Principles
Every story follows people facing hard choices, and what those choices reveal about what they’re capable of.
Nobody buys a ticket for a lecture. The best films thrill first, and what they have to say lands anyway.
Authentic worlds, earned emotion and no shortcuts, on screen or off.
An independent, founder-led studio with the discipline of a company built to last.
The ideas that have held audiences for generations, and the ones we keep returning to.
Slate
First titles to be announced
Rough Cut is developing its first feature films and series with writers, producers and filmmakers. Titles will be announced here.
Leadership
Founder & CEO
Ryan founded Rough Cut in 2025. Previously, he was CEO of Theorem Technologies, growing the company to roughly $2 billion in assets under management before its acquisition in 2024.
An early employee at Palantir, he helped build the company’s government and private-sector businesses. Before that, he served three tours as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Full bioContact
General & press
Offices
Dallas, Texas
Los Angeles, California
Submissions
Rough Cut does not accept unsolicited submissions. Material sent without representation will not be reviewed.