The Bayou

The Bayou is a 2025 action-horror film directed by Taneli Mustonen and Brad Watson. The story follows recent college graduate Kyle and her friends, who survive a plane crash in the desolate Louisiana bayou, only to face a greater danger lurking in the shallows.

The visual effects in The Bayou play a pivotal role in bringing the film’s horror elements to life, particularly in depicting the menacing alligators that terrorize the protagonists. The film’s production utilized a combination of practical effects and computer-generated imagery.

Before we started filming, as usual, I spent two weeks in Manila prepping the movie. One of the key tasks was to clarify where we would use CGI and where we could get away with dummies. Additionally, we had to supervise the construction of a massive gimbal required for the airplane crash sequence. 

We filmed most of the exterior scenes around Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. Then, we moved to a few sets in Manila and, finally, a green screen studio for the airplane crash sequence.