Locals talk about their roles in "The Bay"
Posted: 09.14.2010 at 12:59 PM
Updated: 09.14.2010 at 4:40 PM
Tuesday, the crew is filming on Front Street. We know they've created a carnival type atmosphere, complete with a crab eating contest. 
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There are closed-off streets and traffic jams in Georgetown this week, but nobody there seems to mind. The disruptions are for the filming of the movie, "The Bay."

The movie is set in a fictional town called Claridge, Maryland. The event, a 4th of July festival. The storyline is some sort of environmental disaster, though the producers are being pretty tight-lipped about that.

The movie's extras don't know much about the plot, either, but they don't seem to care.

Mark McGraw of Myrtle Beach took a day off from work to play a non-speaking role in the movie's fictional crab-eating contest. He came because he's a big fan of the movie's director. "I met Barry Levinson, who was gracious enough to talk with me for a few minutes and have a picture with me, so I'm very excited."

Being an extra on the movie set means putting in some pretty long hours for not very much pay, but there's one good thing... at least the acting skills required aren't very demanding. "Just a lot of clapping and standing," McGraw said, "You know, cheering the crab races and cheering the dunking booth."

Jackie Forbes had no desire to be an extra, but she and a few other business owners set up booths on Front Street to be a part of the movie's festival back-drop.

Though she won't get to see herself in the film, Jackie says having a movie shot in Georgetown is pretty exciting, and the movie crew is having quite an impact on the town. "They're eating at restaurants and they're shopping some and so it's kind of interesting. We've had one or two of them come in and buy some jewelry from our shop," said Forbes.

For small town folks from all walks of life who have never been involved in making a movie before, the chance to see themselves on the big screen is thrilling stuff.

The movie, formerly known as "Isopod," will be released in 2011.