Hollywood Comes to Ellicott City YMCA

The will be closed to the public Tuesday, Oct. 11, while HBO takes over.

HBO will be using the facility to film a segment of its new series VEEP, a show about a fictional American vice president. The show stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among others.

The show revolves around the character, Selina Meyer, a former senator who becomes vice president but finds the job isn't what she expected. In a statement, Gov. Martin O'Malley praised the economic benefits of having HBO come back to the state.  

“This project will not only bring new jobs to Maryland, but will also benefit local businesses that will serve the cast and crew during production,” he said in a statement. The production is expected to create some 2,000 jobs.

Filming will reportedly occur in other locations around the state, including the Maryland Institute College of Art and DLA Piper, an international law firm with offices in Mount Washington.

Filming has also taken place on a soundstage in Columbia, according to the Baltimore Sun. This past summer, HBO shot the film Game Change in Maryland, according to the governor's office and the Maryland Film Office.

Previous  HBO productions filmed in Maryland include Shot in the Heart, Something the Lord Made, The Corner and The Wire. Maryland’s newly enacted Film Production Employment Act of 2011 offers a partial tax credit for local production expenditures and encourages producers to use local film crews, according to a press release.

Don't count on being "found" as you casually walk by the set of VEEP, or as an extra; HBO told Dancel Center Director Dawn Chrystal-Wolfe that filming will be done on a closed set. 

Here's what you'll need to know, according to a statement sent to members:

• Program registration will take place on the Oct. 11 as scheduled but will be restricted to the back entrance lower gym. We will take registration 6 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 5 - 8 p.m. on that day. 

• Parking for registration will be restricted to the back lot. 

• All classes and programs including swim team will be suspended on Oct. 11. Fee classes will be made up on Oct. 18.  

• No one other than key Y personnel will have access to the building on Oct. 11. 

• We will resume normal service to our members and participants on Wednesday, Oct. 12. 

From the Dancel Center:

We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause and appreciate your patience. We weighed this decision very carefully but in the end we decided to do this because HBO agreed to make a very large donation to the Y. As a charitable non-profit, we couldn't in good conscience turn away a major opportunity to serve more children and families in Howard County.