LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / July 11, 2000

DESTREHAN – The wildlife photographer, alone in a flatboat in an isolated swamp, is suddenly attacked by several alligators. Swiftly, he boots uphis laptop computer and buys life insurance.

With the internet access and prompt service from the Korean insurance company, his printer produces his confirmation. The triumphant manshows it to the gators, which recognize the company’s logo and leave, defeated.

Would you buy insurance from this company? The makers of a television commercial shot this week in the LaBranche Wetlands near Destrehan certainly hope so.

However, the commercial is destined for Korean television and won’t be seen in the United States.

Capt. Mike Boudreaux of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office has leased theproperty from owner Henry L. Sarpy and has served as the caretaker formore than 25 years. After a day and a half of preparation, which includedrelocating the real alligators from the film set, the crew from Duo Films moved in Thursday and began three days of shooting.

A big part of the plan were several fake alligators, designed and crafted by Anatomorphex Special Effects, located in Hollywood, Calif. RobertDevine of the company said each gator has several functions in the shoot, and at least one has an array of radio-controlled expressions, including being able to open, close and roll its eyes and even smile.

The company has a long list of credits, including work for “Titanic,” “Meet Joe Black,” “Mars Attacks,” “Godzilla” and “Star Trek VII.”Meanwhile, back on the set for this one afternoon’s shooting, the finished product was to be a few seconds of a gator’s head lurching to the attack from behind a cypress knee.

The gator was hauled into position as a cameraman perched in a flatboat lined up the shot. On the back, 30 yards away, the director viewed theactivity through a television monitor.

An assistant director guided the motions of the off-screen crew members who either pushed the gator from behind or hauled away on a rope attached to an eyelet bolt under the gator’s jaw, which was underwater and out of sight.

The first time the alligator came out too fast. The second time thealligator came out in a jerky, unnatural motion. Then the director decidedhe wanted the gator to open its mouth. That meant another hour to changegators.

That’s show business.

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