BD regular ‘Avery’ sent us links to a variety of news articles from this past summer where local Georgetown papers reported from the soon-to-film set of Barry Levinson’s The Bay, the latest cinema verite horror film from Paranormal Activity producing house Room 101.

The pic begins on the Fourth of July where an unprecedented biological disaster is unleashed from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. An isopod parasite, carrying untreatable, mutated diseases, jumps from fish to human host and replaces them with itself. Seven years later, the true horror and scope of the event, captured mainly on home videos by the town’s now long-dead victims, is revealed to the public for the first time…

The local papers report on a small-town fair, similar to the Mayor’s excitement in Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws. Inside you’ll find interesting lines for the articles, along with links to a ton of behind-the-scenes photos.
News bites from Georgetown Times, you’ll find over 20 behind-the-scenes images here:

-Extras from Andrews, Georgetown, Pawleys Island and Myrtle Beach showed their Blue Crab eating skills Tuesday as day two of filming for “The Bay” began on Front Street. As Director Barry Levinson called for action, the group of participants ate Maryland Blue Crabs at a fictional festival in the town of Claridge, Maryland.

-As real Georgetown Mayor Jack Scoville stood near one of the vending booths, Frank Deal, portraying Claridge Mayor John Stockman, shook hands and welcomed people to the festival supposedly held on the Fourth of July. “This is a dream come true, working with Barry Levinson,” Deal said. “It doesn’t get any better than this. I’m having a great time. The townspeople are phenomenal.”

-After that, the action really started as residents of Claridge began to become ill from eating Blue Crabs. The aftermath of the ecological disaster will be filmed Wednesday, production employees said.

-A frantic traffic jam was filmed Monday night on the bridges leading out of Georgetown.

-The action on Tuesday featured many local residents, who set up booths during the fictional festival.

-Many people posed with Levinson for pictures, including Miss Teen Charleston, Keyla Childs. Childs portrayed “Miss Crustacean,” a beauty queen, during the pretend festival. SPOILER: Her mother said Miss Crustacean meets a sad end during the movie, which they just learned this week.END SPOILER

FROM A DIFFERENT ARTICLE:

-Glenn Peison, set director for the film, said part of the movie will center around a “4th of July type fair” which will stretch along a large portion of Front Street. He said he is looking for food and game vendors as well as people who can set up arts and craft tents. Anything you would find at a hometown festival, he said. That will include jumping castles and dunking booths. “We are looking for people to set up tents that sell knick-knacks and T-shirts,” Peison said.

-One of the scenes being shot will be people having a good time at the festival before the tragic event hits the town. This scene will include a crab eating contest. Then, scenes will be shot showing Front Street and the festival area after the tragedy. “It will be like a ghost town with litter all over the place,” Peison said.

-Eldridge said the science fiction thriller film is being shot with hand-held cameras and will depict a single day in the town. Much the same as the television show “24” centers around the events that take place in a one-day period.