April, 2026.- In the dynamic 2026 advertising landscape, creativity can no longer be separated from operational efficiency. Under this premise, Matthew Forrest launched Cloud Forest, an agency that in just over a year has transformed the relationship between brands and production, working with giants ranging from Aveeno to tech firms like Postman and Quantum Health. Forrest’s vision is clear: in a world that demands brands behave like media companies, the bottleneck isn’t a lack of ideas, but logistical chaos. Cloud Forest arrives to fill that gap, positioning itself not as a mere external vendor, but as an integrated extension of marketing teams, designing “content engines” that allow creativity to flow steadily and without friction.
The recent addition of Max Kane, an award-winning independent filmmaker formerly of the prestigious Anonymous Content, marks a milestone in the agency’s maturity. Kane brings a rare balance between large-scale film discipline and commercial agility, playing a hybrid producer-director role that ensures artistic vision and practical execution speak the same language. In this exclusive interview with Roastbrief, Matthew and Max break down their shared philosophy: the belief that great creative work is born from great systems and, above all, a culture of kindness and respect. Discover how this duo is redefining production in Los Angeles, proving that to scale excellence in 2026, what’s needed isn’t more layers of management, but operational discipline that protects the creative spark across every format, from VR to healthcare campaigns.
For Matthew Forrest:
1. The Vision for Cloud Forest: You launched Cloud Forest in late 2024 and have already built a roster spanning healthcare clients like Smarter Technologies and Quantum Health alongside commercial brands like Postman, Bitwarden, and Aveeno. What was the gap in the market you saw, and how has the agency’s positioning evolved in its first year and a half?
The gap I saw:
Marketing leaders are being asked to produce like media companies—delivering endless content across platforms, faster than ever, with smaller teams. But instead of focusing on strategy, brand building, and business outcomes, they’re drowning in production logistics: chasing down resolution specs, managing vendor relationships, negotiating budgets project by project.
We believe great creative comes from great systems.
For over a decade, I’ve run content operations at scale—building systems that produce high volumes of quality creative efficiently. I realized most marketing teams don’t have that infrastructure. They’re incredibly strategic, but they’re stuck operating production project by project.
That’s the gap: they need content systems, not just production vendors.
How we’ve evolved:
We started as a production company, but we’ve evolved into something more specific: a content operations partner. We don’t just execute projects—we design and run custom content engines for marketing teams.
The teams we work with best know what great creative they need but are exhausted by the chaos of producing it. We map their content ecosystem, architect repeatable formats, and operate the system continuously. When it’s working, great creative flows—and teams can focus on what they do best.
2. Why Max Kane: You’ve described Max as having “a rare balance of creative perspective and production discipline” and noted that his values align closely with Cloud Forest’s philosophy. What specifically drew you to Max, and what does his addition signal about where Cloud Forest is heading?
When I was looking for my first full-time hire, I wasn’t just filling a role—I was setting the foundation for what Cloud Forest would become culturally and operationally. Max was the right person for three reasons:
Cultural Fit
Max is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people you’ll meet. That kindness can’t be taught, and in high-pressure production environments, it’s how great work happens sustainably and people feel valued.
Versatile Experience
Max has this rare balance: creative perspective plus production discipline. He’s equally comfortable making creative decisions on set and designing workflow systems that make complex projects run smoothly.
Unmatched Work Ethic
Max cares deeply about the work, and he’s willing to put in the time to ensure everything we deliver is polished. He’s the person who catches what everyone else missed, thinks three steps ahead, and makes sure the team has what they need.
What This Signals
Hiring Max signaled we’re building for operational excellence that enables creative excellence—not choosing between them.
We’re building content operations systems—repeatable production approaches that deliver great creative at scale. It always made sense to me to have this be a producer-led company with a trusted creative and production network supporting us. The producer-led infrastructure is scalable; the creative network gives us versatility across every format.
Where we’re heading: systematic production design that solves the real problem marketing teams face—needing more great creative, faster, with smaller teams. That requires operational innovation. That’s what Max helps us build.
3. The Integrated Extension Model: Cloud Forest positions itself as “an integrated extension of clients’ teams” rather than just an external production partner. How do you operationalize that promise? What does it require from your team that a traditional production company might not offer?
How we operationalize being “integrated”:
It starts with making the experience as frictionless as possible for our client. We meet them where they are and set up communications and workflows that are plug-and-play for them.
We’re modular. We communicate where they want us to—Slack, email, text. We track the project wherever works best for them—Asana, Trello, shared calendars. We proactively coordinate across their other stakeholders, divisions, and partners. We deliver in the format and platform that works best for them.
A lot of companies have their best practices and force the client to adapt. Having spent years on every side of this ecosystem—production, agency, and brand—has informed how this actually feels. When I was the client and someone delivered work in a format that made me jump through hoops to reformat it, I found it frustrating. Taking the time to communicate, track, and deliver however is best for each client is a reasonable lift on our part that goes a long way.
The first step in our process is aligning on content needs—but for us, that includes the communications and operational workflow upfront.
From there, we break those needs into repeatable formats, architect the optimized system, and assign an operational, production, and creative lead best suited for the project.
What this requires from our team:
Senior production leadership on every engagement. We don’t hand off to junior coordinators. Our producers are strategic partners who understand the client’s business, not just the shot list.
Once that foundation is in place, production flows efficiently. We keep an eye out for opportunities to refine the system and bank content in an ever-growing vault we can repurpose so it continues adding value.
For Max Kane:
4. From Anonymous Content to Cloud Forest: You spent several years at Anonymous Content working across Business Affairs and Production on projects like the Best Picture-nominated “Nickel Boys,” “Foe,” and “Swan Song.” How did that experience on high-end feature films inform your approach to producing branded and commercial work at Cloud Forest?
My time at Anonymous Content gave me a deep appreciation for discipline in storytelling and execution. On the film side, you’re often working on projects for years, with incredible attention to detail across every department, from development through post. That level of rigor stays with you.
What I’ve taken into branded and commercial work at Cloud Forest is that same respect for the process, just applied at a different speed. Even when timelines are compressed, the expectation for quality doesn’t change. It becomes about building systems that allow you to move quickly without sacrificing intention.
At Anonymous, I was also constantly interfacing between departments, legal, creative, production, and finance, so I learned early on how to translate between different priorities. That’s been incredibly valuable in the commercial world, where you’re balancing creative ambition with brand goals, timelines, and budgets, often all at once.
5. The Producer-Director Hybrid: You’re joining Cloud Forest as both a Producer and Director, with a remit that spans writing scripts, directing fast-turn branded films, running shoots, and overseeing post-production. How do you balance these dual roles? Do you approach a project differently when you’re both producing and directing versus wearing just one hat?
For me, the two roles are deeply connected. Producing is about building the structure that allows something to exist, and directing is about shaping what that thing ultimately becomes.
When I’m doing both, the biggest advantage is alignment. The creative vision and the practical execution are constantly informing each other, rather than being handed off. It allows for faster decision-making, clearer communication with the team, and fewer surprises down the line.
That said, I’m very conscious of when to lean into each role. There are moments where I need to zoom out and think like a producer, focusing on logistics, budget, and team coordination, and moments where I need to be fully present creatively with the work itself.
Ultimately, I see it less as wearing two hats and more as operating on a spectrum between structure and storytelling, depending on what the project needs at any given moment.
6. Independent Filmmaking as Creative Fuel: You’re an active filmmaker outside of your commercial work, with short films like “Duck” and “Ah-Ma Burns” screening at festivals and winning awards. How does your independent practice inform your commercial work, and vice versa? What do each feed into the other?
My independent work is where I can take risks and follow instinct without constraint, and that freedom is incredibly valuable. It sharpens my voice as a storyteller and keeps me curious.
That curiosity carries directly into commercial work. Even within brand constraints, I’m always looking for ways to bring a sense of authenticity, emotion, or visual intention that elevates the piece beyond just delivering information.
On the flip side, commercial work has made me a much stronger filmmaker. The pace, the collaboration with clients, and the need to solve problems efficiently have made me more decisive and more disciplined. You learn how to execute at a high level under pressure, which is invaluable when you return to independent projects.
So they really feed each other. One pushes creative boundaries, and the other strengthens execution.
7. The 48-Hour Film Project Win: You won the Los Angeles 48-hour Film Project in 2025. What did that intense, high-pressure experience teach you about filmmaking, creativity, and collaboration that you’ve brought into your work at Cloud Forest?
That experience reinforced how powerful constraints can be. When you only have 48 hours, there’s no time to overthink. You have to trust your instincts, commit to decisions, and move forward as a team.
It also highlighted the importance of clarity in communication. Everyone involved needs to understand the vision quickly, because there’s no margin for confusion or misalignment.
What stood out most was what’s possible with a small, highly dedicated team. Our core production team was just three people, and we were competing against teams that sometimes had one or two dozen. It reinforced the idea that alignment, trust, and shared ownership can outweigh scale.
That mindset of staying decisive, aligned, and team-oriented, is something I try to bring into every project at Cloud Forest.
For Both Max & Matthew:
8. The Cloud Forest Philosophy: Matthew mentioned that Max’s values “align closely with the Cloud Forest philosophy.” Can each of you articulate what that philosophy is? What are the core principles that guide how you work with each other, with your team, and with clients?
The Cloud Forest philosophy comes down to one belief: Great creative comes from great systems, true partnership, and genuine kindness.
That’s not just a tagline—it’s how we operate. Let me break down what each principle means in practice:
1. Great Creative Needs Great Systems
We believe great creative is the result of great systems—not despite them.
I’ve often thought of us as the delivery company for a precious vase. We define the value of what we’re creating, curate the right team to craft it, and build a seamless logistical framework to deliver it safely—in protective bubble wrap—from concept to final delivery.
We handle the logistics so clients can focus on strategy and creatives can stay focused on craft. When directors aren’t troubleshooting production logistics, when editors have everything they need, when clients aren’t chasing vendors—that’s when great work happens.
This philosophy led us to develop content engines: systematic production approaches that maximize creative output while minimizing friction.
We’re format-agnostic—VR experiences, broadcast commercials, enterprise B2B campaigns, thought leadership series. The format changes based on what you need. The systematic rigor doesn’t.
Example: When Smarter Technologies needed to launch their merged brand, they had all their executives gathering for a retreat—but couldn’t disrupt the actual work of the conference. We turned three hotel rooms into production studios with a 45-minute rotation: headshots, interviews, and cinematic captures. Each of 30+ executives moved through seamlessly. One systematic approach generated material for 100+ videos across six months. The creative worked because the system protected it.
2. True Partnership
This isn’t our art project—it’s yours.
I’ve spent years on both sides: working with clients who own the work, and creatives who want control. The best work happens when you recognize whose project this actually is.
Clients are living and breathing their product. They’re defending decisions internally, managing budgets, and living with the content long after we’ve moved on. Our job isn’t to fight them for creative control—it’s to be their partner.
We bring strategic thinking and creative recommendations, but we operate from understanding, not ego. We listen to what clients actually need and ensure our delivery adds value to their business.
3. People-Centered Culture
Production is high-pressure. How people are treated affects the process, the quality of output, and whether the operation can scale.
We value technical proficiency, but we also value people who are easy to work with—and we try to be the same in return. Every crew member, regardless of role, every vendor, every client touchpoint, from the executive to the assistant to the payables team.
It’s simple: treat people how you want to be treated. And people do their best work when they feel supported and valued.
When the crew wants to work with you again, when directors take your calls, when editors go the extra mile—that’s when you know it’s working.
9. Scaling Creative Work: Cloud Forest is growing, and Max is joining to help “shape how the company grows” alongside Matthew. As you scale, how do you maintain the creative quality, operational fluency, and “genuine kindness” that Matthew cites as central to your culture?
We’re not scaling by adding layers. We’re scaling by replicating what works with the right people.
The model is intentionally simple: Max and I lead every engagement at the senior level. We maintain a tight core and a curated roster of specialists we’ve worked with for years—people we trust to deliver under pressure and care about craft.
We’re not building an agency with account managers and junior coordinators. We’re building a producer-led operation where the people running the engagement actually know how to produce. That’s how quality stays consistent.
The cultural piece scales because it’s behavioral, not philosophical. We don’t talk about kindness in team meetings—we just respond quickly, communicate clearly, solve problems proactively, and don’t create chaos for clients or crew. When people want to work with us again, that’s the proof.
We’re also realistic about what we’re not trying to be. We’re not trying to be the biggest production company in LA. We’re building the best content operations partner for marketing teams who need their production to actually work—not just look good on a reel.
As we grow, we’ll add the right producers and specialists who operate the same way. But we’re not in a rush. Quality and culture don’t scale through growth plans—they scale through discipline.
10. The Range of Work: Your portfolio spans healthcare, tech, and commercial clients, and your capabilities include live action, animation, mixed media, and VR. How do you, as a leadership team, ensure that such a diverse range of work still feels distinctly like “Cloud Forest”? Is there a common thread in how you approach projects, regardless of format or client category?
The consistency isn’t in the format or the category—it’s in the operating system behind it.
Whether we’re producing healthcare content for Smarter Technologies, developing campaigns for Postman and Bitwarden, or commercial work for Aveeno, we apply the same systematic approach:
First, we map the ecosystem. What does this brand need to produce across the year? What channels, what formats, what cadence? We don’t just take a brief for one video—we understand the full content system they’re trying to operate.
Second, we architect for efficiency. We design production formats that are repeatable. A product demo has a format. A testimonial series has a format. A social campaign has a format. We batch shoots intelligently, capture multiple deliverables in one production, and plan for downstream use.
Third, we build the right team for each format. Our roster and network mean we can match specialists to the work—whether that’s live action, animation, mixed media, or VR. The format changes, but the operational rigor doesn’t.
What makes it feel like “Cloud Forest”:
Clients feel it in how we work: responsive, systematic, clear. Directors and crew feel it in how we produce: well-planned, well-supported, collaborative.
We’re not trying to have a visual signature or house style. We’re building the infrastructure that lets great creative happen predictably, efficiently, and at scale. That’s the through line.
