Celebrating 7 Years of Oxenfree
Today (October 13, 2022) marks our 7th anniversary!
In 2015, Oxenfree began as a small motion graphics and video production company focused around creating videos for a single organization.
Fast forward to the present, we have had the pleasure of working with over 80 brands, including large multinational companies such as Coca-Cola, CVS, Publix, Redbull, and ESPN, as well as incredible small businesses.
Our work has been recognized with over 30 awards, our team has expanded, and our clients have given us the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally to capture their stories.
We believe that you are only as strong as your team. Our mission is not only to help brands connect with their audiences through authentic storytelling, but to create a space where together, we can create something we can all be proud of.
It has been an incredible journey to this milestone, and it only feels right to celebrate our 7th anniversary by highlighting our talented team of 7 who have helped make Oxenfree what it is today.
Read on to hear from our team on the journey to year 7!
Katie Harris
Editor
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
January 2020
What is your favorite snack?
Goldfish (the snack that smiles back)
When did you join the team, and what made you choose Oxenfree?
I started my journey with Oxenfree in January 2020 when I was brought on as an intern. I sought out an internship with Oxenfree in hopes of learning more about post-production. I quickly realized through my training that the passion, care, and dedication that Oxenfree puts into every project and their client relationships is unmatched. I started contracting as an editor for them until I was hired as a full-time employee in January 2022.
What does it mean to be a part of Oxenfree? How would you define our company culture?
Oxenfree is a team of creatives constantly looking to improve how we collaborate and approach projects. Going into the office feels more like going to see a second family. We all have the same goals of doing our best work and ensuring everyone feels comfortable and supported in an environment conducive to personal growth.
Hannah Shewbart
Producer
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
January 2022
What is your most prized possession?
A while back, I found a camcorder in my dad's garage, and I now take it everywhere to record little moments on tape.
What changes have you seen during your time at Oxenfree?
There's been a lot of developments since I started at Oxenfree, but one of my personal favorites was the addition of meetings we call "Learnies." Every month we all get together to have an hour or two dedicated to self-development and growth. It gives employees moments to share their knowledge on different programs, resources, and experiences with the rest of the team. It's a great learning experience for us all!
What has been your favorite memory or moment since being a part of Oxenfree?
One of my favorite memories with Oxenfree was when we went to the Orlando City Cup Final together after work.
Dani Gill
Co-Founder/Brand Director
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
December 2016
What's your coffee order?
The iced chai tea oat milk latte at Craft & Common is my favorite form of caffeine, but I'm also always down for an iced lavender latte with oat milk.
Where do you think we'll be in the next seven years?
In the next seven years, I hope we still carry the same philosophies and values that we do today, but continue to grow our impact on the Central Florida film industry and beyond. I could see us expanding our physical space to create something other creatives can utilize, potentially working on projects for streaming services, and continuing to expand our clientele beyond Florida and traveling across the country/world for projects.
What changes have you seen during your time at Oxenfree?
Over the past seven years, we have gone from Ben and I building the business out of our spare room in our first apartment with a small DSLR, to now having 7 team members, Netflix-approved equipment, and a dedicated office space in Downtown Orlando. I still find myself in awe of where we are now. Every day when I come into our office of employees and contractors excited about our work and the aspirations we have to grow it, I'm like, "Wait is this real?" It's been surreal to witness the evolution, and I'm excited about what it will look like in the next seven years.
Hiram Cepeda Centeno
Editor
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
August 2022
What is your go-to comfort binge TV show?
My go-to comfort binge show is Avatar the Last Airbender.
How would you define the culture at Oxenfree?
When you are a part of Oxenfree, you are more than just a team. You look after each other and help elevate where you can. There is comfort in knowing that you can trust those around you to help you thrive.
What has been your favorite project you've worked on with Oxenfree? Why?
So far, my favorite project I've worked on has been the Tobii Dynavox Power 2 Be U Recommender Story. Flying to New Orleans and being on set gave me better understanding of the media I was editing. It was a fantastic experience. I can't wait to have it again!
Kaelin Danieli
Associate Producer
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
April 2022
What is your spirit animal?
PANDAAAAAAA!
What has been your favorite project you've worked on with Oxenfree? Why?
My favorite project so far is Tobii Dynavox, Project Brockstar. Working with everyone on set out of state on a project that benefits people's lives and helps them feel empowered to be them was a wonderful experience. I want to be part of something that makes a difference in people's lives, and that's precisely what we did.
What does it mean to be a part of Oxenfree? How would you define our company culture?
Being part of Oxenfree means providing a cinematic, loving, collaborative experience for anyone and everyone involved. Oxenfree culture is very welcoming and empowering. Everyone feels like family, and we all genuinely want the best for each other and even want to hang out outside of work together like besties!
Arthur Goodman
Partner/Operations Director
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
January 2021
Have you ever won a contest?
In 2018, I was selected as an inaugural member of the Face of City campaign with the Orlando City Soccer Club. It was cool to see my name and face on promotion items throughout the city and the club's digital campaign assets (website, email, social, etc.) for the whole season. I even got a pair of the street banners from that season with my face on it—pretty sweet.
What does it mean to be a part of Oxenfree? How would you define our company culture?
Being a member of Oxenfree means being fiercely committed to providing the best experience and product for all involved. From team members, clients, crew members, talent, and more—all of us strive for quality with every action and moment, creating an environment that's caring, respectful, open to feedback and improvement, and most importantly, fun.
What changes have you seen during your time at Oxenfree?
Growing from a company of one freelancer to a team of 7 employees in an office suite Downtown has been a massive undertaking. Building a community of collaborative and creative team members is unbelievably rewarding. So many risks were taken along the way, but knowing there's a dedicated team all working towards the same goal is fantastic. The team is the most significant change, and our people will always be an essential aspect of the company.
Ben Gill
Founder/Creative Director
When did you start working with Oxenfree?
Since the very beginning (in October 2015)
What is your go-to comfort binge TV show?
Spongebob Squarepants
What has been your favorite memory or moment since being a part of Oxenfree?
An after-hours Oxenfree outing was a proud moment to see that somehow, we built a team that enjoys hanging out with each other. Spending all day and most of the night as a team was a fun experience.
What changes have you seen during your time at Oxenfree?
I've seen an individual become a team that can achieve things one man could never do alone.
Where do you think we'll be in the next 7 years?
I hope we're a force to be reckoned with in the branded entertainment space. I hope we're embedded in the culture of the city of Orlando. I hope we have a collaborative office and studio space to take on projects big and small. I hope we're giving back as much knowledge as possible to the community and the generation behind us. I hope we're making undeniably effective films that we can all be proud of.
From our clients to our collaborators and our internal team, we are so grateful for the community we have built over the last 7 years.
Ensuring we create the effective stories for our clients means having a team that shares our passion and adds value to everything we make. We are so proud of our growing team and the fantastic things we've been able to create together.
We are excited to see what the future holds!
