Meet Surfgrass Productions | Lindsay Bauman & Andrea Sanchez Davidson (Filmmakers)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Surfgrass Productions and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Surfgrass, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Andrea: When Lindsay and I met in graduate school, we had the amazing opportunity to work with scientists on a video story-telling project. Our film about California SeaGrant’s Fishing Apprenticeship program was a hit. Shortly thereafter, we were invited to do another science storytelling piece, this time we were paid for our work. As COVID hit in 2020, we recognized that there might be a growing need and opportunity to create video assets for scientists, nonprofits, and advocates. Folks were spending a lot more time on their phones and computers, they were a somewhat captive audience. From there, Surfgrass Productions was born.

Lindsay:
Both Andrea and I also love photography. Film was exciting to learn because it’s photography, but with movement, and gives audiences the ability to connect to people, places, and wildlife through storytelling. Fun fact about our business name – we spent a few weeks brainstorming ocean themed animals, plants, etc. and Surfgrass stuck because not only is it an ocean plant that sea turtles eat, but we loved the play on words “surf” and “grass” since it encompassed both land and sea features. Plus, we get to incorporate a turtle onto our logo!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Andrea: I think part of what makes our work unique is that we’re focused on the oceans and coast. In a world that can sometimes feel bleak, oceans can be a place of hope and inspiration. But, there are thousands of people who live miles from the coast and have never been there. There are people who live tens of thousands of miles away, and film can take you there. Film can help you see your role in the ocean and take action. I think at our core, Lindsay and I are both environmental advocates. We use film to transport audiences and inspire social change. Science or policy shouldn’t live in a bubble, inaccessible to most everyday people. It should be easily understandable and relatable, so that it can make a difference. We love helping people do just that. I have a policy background and Lindsay worked in a DNA lab. This definitely comes in handy and has made the focus on science, policy, and environmental justice communication easier. That said, neither of us had ever run our own business before. As far as challenges, I think that has been the biggest hurdle.

Lindsay:
With our business, we’re most excited about the people we get to meet and the stories we get to tell. It’s a huge honor to work with someone, brainstorm ideas, and create a short film illustrating their work. Our hope is to continue to create impactful stories that all audiences can relate to, not just scientists or environmental advocates, but the general public. We want audiences to leave with information and be inspired to make change on our planet! Both Andrea and I work full time jobs in addition to managing Surfgrass Productions so we’re exposed to a lot in our day jobs while trying to balance our filmwork. It can get challenging at times, but the stress and long days are worth it when our clients tell us how the short film has helped their work or audiences get interested in all things conservation and ocean!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Lindsay: I would definitely tell them to visit in the summertime so we can maximize our outdoor and ocean time! Go whale watching for blue whales, see the leopard sharks at La Jolla Shores, and hike Torrey Pines! As for food, I love Tasty Noodle House on Convoy for soup dumplings, The Fishery for some amazing local seafood and craft cocktails, Hash House A Go Go for brunch, and Scoops for homemade ice cream (I’m a sucker for homemade ice cream, especially in the summer!). Last but not least, take in a beautiful sunset at the beach.

Andrea:
You can do so much in a week! While summer is great for water sports, I actually love San Diego winters/spring for hiking. My itinerary would include spending a day visiting the Zoo or Safari Park; another day doing a driving loop up to Julian with a stop for hard cider and hand pies, a hike through Anza Borrego State Park, and finishing off in Ocean Beach. It’s a surreal experience to do mountains, desert, and ocean all in one day. You could also spend an entire day visiting the museums and restaurants around Balboa Park. My perfect day would probably be grabbing a coffee at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters and a pastry at Wayfarer, visiting the tidepools, surfing at Tourmaline, buffalo cauliflower wings at Shorerider, and if you’re not tired of the water yet, snorkeling at La Jolla Cove or the Marine Room. Top it off with nopales tacos from The Taco Stand and you’ve had the best day ever. There is just an endless amount of things to do whether you like breweries (see Gravity Heights and Pizza Port), dancing (see Bomba at Centro Cultural de la Raza or Samba at SambaBrazil), fresh seafood right off the boat at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, or meditation and beautiful views at the Self-Realization Fellowship Gardens in Encinitas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A huge shoutout to Samantha Murray, Executive Director of the Masters in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Program at Scripps. She really instilled in us the value and need for scientific storytelling and gave us the opportunity to see ourselves as filmmakers. The guys at Days Edge Productions for the crash course in filmmaking and of course, Theresa Talley at CA SeaGrant and Peter Halmay of the San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group who were our first storytelling partners and who continue to be big advocates of our work. We’d be remiss in not including our husbands, Chris & Garrison, in the thank you. They’ve seen us through long nights and technology hiccups with nothing but love and patience. They’ve been our unofficial marketing and advertising interns.

Website: surfgrassproductions@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surfgrass_productions/

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/surfgrass-productions

Twitter: https://twitter.com/surfgrassp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SurfgrassProductions/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcS8657m6aMz-FmLO0HYE6A

Other: Our projects in the news: http://toobigtoignore.net/opportunity/think-solutions-think-small-scale/ https://www.getty.edu/news/capturing-the-feeling-of-the-ocean-on-paper/

Image Credits
Lindsay Bauman (Photo of Andrea in yellow shirt) Garrison Ham (Photo of Lindsay in forested area) Jules Jackson (Photo of Lindsay and Andrea on beach)