“OBEX” proves small teams can create big magic
Published on January 29, 2025
With Dropbox as their creative hub, the “OBEX” team transformed a labyrinth of styles into a Sundance hit.
In our era of 85-inch TVs, VR headsets, and pocket-sized supercomputers masquerading as phones, it’s jarring to turn back the clock to 1987 when PCs were still mysterious portals to the unknown.
But that’s precisely where Baltimore-based director and actor Albert Birney takes audiences in OBEX. He stars as Conor Marsh, a reclusive man who loves computer games and his dog Sandy. Conor is lured by a new “state-of-the-art” game that promises an uniquely immersive experience. When Sandy suddenly goes missing, he realizes he must enter the game to save her—and himself.
“Anyone who played Legend of Zelda is going to be really into this movie,” says Emma Hannaway, the film’s producer. “I think film lovers will be into it, too.”
Birney’s black-and-white odyssey is so imaginative, it’s been nominated for Sundance’s NEXT Innovator Award. So how do you bring such a retro fever dream to life? By being “really, really intentional” about the partners you bring along for the ride, Hannaway advises. This meant keeping the circle super tight: just Birney, Hannaway, and cinematographer Pete Ohs.
“Because it was such a small team, we could be really flexible and let the ideas we came up with shape the story in a natural way,” she says. “Tools like Dropbox helped us organize everything, letting us stay focused on the creative vision.”
"Dropbox is the only thing I’ve consistently used for the last 10 years of doing this job.."
Hannaway spoke to us about how they leaned on community and Dropbox to pull off this ambitious project.
This film has a kind of nostalgia about vintage tech. Why do you think that connects?
We talk a lot about how lonely people can be and how hard it is to find the balance between your online world and the world outside. For some people, the online world can provide comfort, connection, entertainment—but it's not everything. I don't think the movie says anything good or bad about the internet. It's just about trying to be in touch with the world around you.
How did you source all the vintage technology, computer hardware, games, etcetera?
It’s a process that’s really full of intention. I think a lot of times when you’re working in a more DIY scene, people think that just means you’re using whatever you can find. It was personal for Albert—he has a real love for the technology and the video games he played as a kid.
We called on friends in the area. In Baltimore, people have more space than in New York, so they keep things longer. We pulled together some really cool objects. If we found something that felt right for the world, we’d incorporate it into the story. The whole film evolved that way.
What was your approach for nailing the sound design and period details?
Albert is really inspired by physical objects: VHS tapes, old Macs, the way a keyboard sounds. We were meticulous about capturing that tactile feel. The sound design is full of warm droning synths, clacking keyboards, and the whine of dot matrix printers. It had to feel authentic to 1987. We spent a lot of time getting those details right.
"When you’re working with a small team and limited resources, anything that reduces questions and streamlines the process is essential."
The film combines multiple visual styles. Was that challenging to pull off?
You run into issues when you’re trying to problem-solve by throwing stuff at the wall, but this was always designed to be a mix of styles. We’ve got 8-bit animation that our friend Gabriel Koenig did, straight VFX we did in Photoshop, and, at the climax, there’s this incredible 3D animation. Every technique serves the story and because we planned for this variety from the start, we could be really intentional about when and how we used each style.
We won an award through American Film Festival’s US in Progress program: VFX work from XANF, a VFX and animation studio in Poland. We sent them a Dropbox link full of reference photos. With VFX, you’re constantly sending stills showing where effects should come in. It was really streamlined—they could see our references for each shot, whether we wanted fairies added or characters glowing. At one point, we needed fully 3D-rendered characters of Albert for a crucial scene. Having everything in one place made that complex process much smoother.
A film has many moving parts—contracts, licenses, crew agreements. How do you keep a complex production organized with a small team?
Dropbox is the only thing I’ve consistently used for the last 10 years of doing this job. My entire life is organized there—from accounting workflows to tax-credit deliveries.
On a normal film, I might have 200 people accessing my Dropbox, but with OBEX it was just three of us, which made our system even more crucial. When you’re dealing with multiple animation styles, vintage elements, plus all our VFX work, you need one central hub. For me, it’s really my job to keep things organized, and that’s where everything lives.
Dropbox Sign also made it simple. When I’m dealing with crew deal memos or licensing agreements or getting someone to sign their W-9s, it’s easier to just send a Sign link rather than expecting people to figure out anything complicated. Anything I can do to get fewer questions is good. When you’re working with a small team and limited resources, anything that reduces questions and streamlines the process is essential.
What’s been the most surprising or rewarding part of bringing this unique story to life?
It’s helped grow and solidify my collaboration with Albert. Working with such a small team is really valuable. For us to be able to make something that had so much freedom and flexibility and ways for us to explore different stories and ways of making things was really important to both of us.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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