
About
I'm Jeff Butcher: founder, cinematographer, photographer, engineer, and creative leader obsessed with applying craft to art, using the best tools available, or building them when they don't exist.
As Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Forge, I've spent years building an integrated creative studio where strategy, design, and production operate under one roof. We've been named one of the Best Places to Work in Orange County, listed on the Inc. 5000, and recognized as Orange County's Fastest Growing Company three years straight.
I'm a visual thinker. Before I can solve a problem, I have to see it. Cinematography and photography became natural extensions of how my brain already worked. But I've always been drawn to what happens around the frame too: the systems, the workflows, the problem-solving that turns a creative vision into something that actually ships.
I'm fascinated by AI and what it's unlocking for creatives. Not as a replacement for craft, but as an accelerant. We're watching the rise of the creative auteur. One person who can think strategically, design with intention, and execute at a high level. The future belongs to people who refuse to stay in one lane.
I believe joy in the process makes good work excellent. I believe reliability is a creative advantage. And I believe the best teams are built on trust, curiosity, and a shared obsession with getting better.
That's the work that excites me. That's what we're building at Forge.