Filmmaking in 48 Hours; Local Couple Promotes Independent Film Festival

Written by Kyle Lundberg

The movies have always been romantic, but that definition took on a whole new meaning for Duane Trammell and Robyn Sarvis.

The co-producers of San Diego’s 48 Hour Film Project met as participants a few years ago and are now dating.

Trammell, a San Diego State film school graduate, participated in the project for several years before seeing a job posting for a producer on the project. He applied and got the job in 2009.

It wasn’t long before Sarvis, a veteran in stage, TV and radio, stepped on as co-producer, partially over her concern that she would never see Trammell.

“It was that or not talk to him for three months in a row,” she said. “This project takes up a lot of time; this gives us an opportunity to do something together.”

The 48 Hour Film Project began in Washington, D.C., when founder Mark Ruppert asked the simple question, “is it possible to make a viewable film in one weekend?”

“He and his friends got together and did it,” Trammell said. “They had such a good time.”

Since then, the project has expanded to more than 120 cities across the globe, including Paris, Nairobi, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego, where the project is celebrating its 10th year.

The rules are simple. Teams have 48 hours to make a film in the genre they choose via a drawing. It also must be handed in by the deadline and meet the length requirement (5-7 minutes).

The results, however, are a bit more complicated.

“We get the gamut of films,” Trammel said. “Almost anything, really. The themes vary dramatically.

“It’s a diverse group and we have all levels of experience. Not everyone is doing it professionally, and not everyone is doing it just for fun.”

The producers also encourage blending of genres, as long as the original drawn genre is evident.

“We’re still waiting for someone to do a sci-fi romantic musical,” Sarvis said.

“Sung in Shakespearean verse,” Trammell added.

For Trammell and Sarvis, longtime La Jolla residents who are in the process of moving to the Fletcher Hills neighborhood in El Cajon, the goal is to make San Diego’s project one of the most successful in the region and, eventually, the world.

“We’ve really tried to make it filmmaker friendly,” Trammel said, “as close to Hollywood as possible. We’re hoping to build San Diego as the place to do 48 Hours in the Western region.”

So, can you make a watchable film in 48 hours in an increasingly crowded digital marketplace?

“The answer to that question is ‘maybe,’” Sarvis said.

Trammell elaborated.

“You might have the equipment and ability to make a film, but that doesn’t mean you can tell a story,” he said. “But those who have talent can really get their stuff out there.”

And maybe you’ll meet someone special.

The producers will accept teams until the kickoff at Mission Bay on Friday, July 12 at 6 p.m. An independent panel will judge each film and the screenings will take place at the Reading Gaslamp Cinemas in downtown San Diego July 30-Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit 48hourfilm.com/en/sandiego.