In episode 159, I spoke with Ryan Curtis, an Army veteran and the writer, director, and producer of Hollywood Grit. Ryan shares his journey from growing up in a working-class town outside Boston, serving in the Army during the height of the Global War on Terror, and ultimately finding his calling as a storyteller and director. We dive into his path of learning the movie business the hard way — by doing every job on set so that when the time came to direct, he had the tools, taste, and leadership skills needed to succeed. This episode highlights how veteran discipline, adaptability, and problem-solving translate perfectly into the high-pressure world of film production.

We also talk about how Ryan leveraged his military-honed leadership style to build a crew, direct actors, and bring together a creative team capable of producing a full-length Hollywood movie against massive odds, including the pandemic, strikes, funding obstacles, and industry politics. Ryan not only directed and co-wrote Hollywood Grit, a modern neo-noir film set in a jazz club, but he also employed over 50 veterans on set, using his platform to create opportunities for other veterans. We discuss the role of Veterans in Media and Entertainment (VME) in connecting veterans to meaningful work in the movie business and why saying yes to failure is the secret to growth.

In this episode:

•Post-9/11 deployments

•Military to civilian transition and creative career shift

•Importance of learning every role on a film set to build experience

•Veteran skills (leadership, adaptability) powering film production

•Journey to directing and co-writing “Hollywood Grit”

•Overcoming pandemic, strikes, and funding woes in independent film production

•Hiring other veterans

•Value of teamwork, collaboration, and the development of artistic taste

•Veterans in Media and Entertainment (VME) as industry gateway

Episode Sponsors:

• VM Merch


• Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order.


• BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order.


• True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order.


• Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order.


• Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order.

Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.

SOCIALS:

https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/

https://www.instagram.com/ryan32

https://www.instagram.com/hollywoodgritfilm/