Amanda McElfresh - amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com

HENDERSON — Near the exit ramp off of Interstate 10, the small yellow signs with the letters "SS" point you in the right direction. Take a right at the red light and head down the Henderson Highway, and more yellow signs — these for crew members and extras — let you know that you're getting close.

At the end of the road, just in front of the levee, the parking lot of Pat's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant is packed but not only with the lunchtime crowd. Cameras, directors' chairs, tents, prop vehicles and even a rack of clothes are set up in the gravel parking lot, all for the making of Swamp Shark, the latest thriller from Bullet Films.

Since opening its Lafayette offices in 2008, the production company has shot several movies in the Acadiana area, many in the science fiction, horror or thriller genres. Swamp Shark continues that trend, telling the story of the deadly creature wreaking havoc on a small bayou community.

"We started looking at various locations about a year ago, and this is about as beautiful of a place as you could find," said Ken Badish, the movie's executive producer. "We've got some gorgeous still shots out on the water that we want to incorporate. Even the insects look beautiful when the cameras and the lenses are set right. It's so gorgeous out there."

Most of the shooting is expected to be finished later this month, followed by several months of post-production and promotional work. Once completed, the movie will air on the SyFy network, although a release date has not yet been announced.

"It has all the local flavor and local color, and it's going to be a great film," said actor Robert Davi, who portrays Sheriff Les Watson, a character Davi called "a fair man and a good man" who has an interest in selling exotic animals at a premium.

"The script is fun, and this is a great part of the world. If I take a part, I want to have fun with it," Davi continued. Fans may recognize him from his roles on TV's Stargate: Atlantis and Profiler, as well as the James Bond film Licence to Kill.

For actor D.B. Sweeney, who plays an undercover fish and wildlife officer, working in South Louisiana is a bit of a homecoming. Sweeney went to school for a time at Tulane University in New Orleans and still has friends in Abbeville, sometimes coming to the area for duck hunting.

"This is God's country down here," Sweeney said. "I love the people, and I love the food, and I love to spend time down here."

When he's not spending time in Louisiana, Sweeney keeps busy with a variety of film and television roles, including recent spots on 24, CSI: New York and Criminal Minds, as well as the feature film Two Tickets to Paradise, slated for DVD release in September.

Although Louisiana is still gaining ground as a popular attraction for film production, it has already developed a strong base of personnel who are more than capable of working on all aspects of projects, Sweeney said.

"This is a first-rate crew, and the setting couldn't be more beautiful," he said. "I'm looking forward to coming and doing more projects down here."

While Pat's and other Henderson businesses still are open while the film is in production, officials are discouraging onlookers from visiting the set because of distraction and potential liability issues.