Rough Cut EntertainmentIndependent film & television
Character-driven stories that do more than entertain
An independent film and television studio in Dallas and Los Angeles.
Est. 2025Dallas / Los Angeles
/01Company
About Rough Cut
Rough Cut is an independent studio making character-driven American films and series, built to entertain first.
Founded in 2025 with offices in Dallas and Los Angeles, Rough Cut develops and produces feature films and series alongside filmmakers who share the conviction that storytelling does more than entertain.
- 01Founded
- 2025
- 02Offices
- Dallas and Los Angeles
- 03Makes
- Feature films and series
/02Principles
How we make films
- /0.1
Character First
Every story follows people facing hard choices, and what those choices reveal about what they’re capable of.
- /0.2
Entertain, Always
Nobody buys a ticket for a lecture. The best films thrill first, and what they have to say lands anyway.
- /0.3
Tell It Straight
Authentic worlds, earned emotion and no shortcuts, on screen or off.
- /0.4
Built for the Long Run
An independent, founder-led studio with the discipline of a company built to last.
/03Why we exist
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.
/04Themes
The ideas that have held audiences for generations, and the ones we keep returning to.
- 01Courage
- 02Sacrifice
- 03Perseverance
- 04Responsibility
- 05Redemption
- 06Hope
/05Slate
In Development
Rough Cut is developing its first feature films and series with writers, producers and filmmakers. Titles will be announced here.
Title to be announced
/06Leadership
Ryan Podolsky
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.