Exit Films is an independent production company based on Buckhurst Street in South Melbourne, with sister offices in Sydney and Auckland that operate under the same Exit banner. The company was founded in 1995 by Danish-born Henrik Dannerfjord, who set out to build an Australian studio where directors could develop personal projects alongside commercial work. Exit spent its first nine years in a converted warehouse in Richmond before moving its Melbourne base to South Melbourne, where it remains today. At its core, Exit operates as a directors' collective, representing a roster of commercial directors, cinematographers and editors who work on television commercials, music videos and branded entertainment for agencies and brands. Over its history the company has helped launch a number of directing careers, pairing emerging talent with more established names on its books. Its work spans advertising campaigns through to music promos and short-form entertainment content, drawing on the combined resources of its Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland studios. Exit functions primarily as a production partner for agencies and brands rather than a walk-in business, with projects typically initiated through a producer or executive producer attached to a specific director on its roster. The South Melbourne studio sits within the pocket of production companies clustered around the Buckhurst Street and Thistlethwaite Street area, a part of the suburb long associated with the local film and advertising industry.