Doubts cast over wisdom of investing in ‘major movie’
Monday 11th February 2013, 2:30PM GMT.
Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean
DOUBTS are growing about the credibility of a project funded in part by Island taxpayers for a major film to be shot in Jersey.
Despite assurances from Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean last week that the States £200,000 grant to Canbedone Productions to help with the production costs of Knights of Impossingworth was not a con, information about both the company and the film is proving hard to find.
Backbench States Members looking into the matter have also been unable to find any evidence linking famous names like Bill Nighy and Malcolm McDowell to the project.
Deputy Richard Rondel, who is leading a Public Accounts Committee review into the 2011 grant, said there was a lot of paperwork but so far he had not found anything setting out the terms of the grant or clear details about when and how the money had been spent.
Assurances, however, have been given to the JEP by the film makers. The director of Canbedone Productions, Keith Cavele, said that filming was to go ahead in Jersey as planned in September.
He said that the company ‘most definitely plans to film in Jersey’ and that a number of Island landmarks would appear in the film.
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
Wednesday 22 May
- Teachers vote to strike
- Abuse victims being tracked by smartphones
- New business district gets go-ahead
- Sport in Jersey: More major events on the way?
- JEP Parenting: Safe sleeping
- Comment: Lucy Stephenson
Travel
To, from and around the Island
Jersey Airport Arrivals/Departures
Jersey Harbours Arrivals/Departures
Links to UK regional airports
Jersey Bus Information/Timetables
This is Jersey
Jersey Evening Post
You couldn’t make it up, could you? No wonder the Island finaces are up the creek.
Report abuse
ah, but Clanger McLean told us that it would be OK, well I suppose he is really just a novice in “Spinning”, the Boy Ozouf would have spun his way out of this little hickup straight away!
Report abuse
Mr Maclean has clearly caught the culprits of this latest debacle. The ring binders have pleaded insanity.
Report abuse
Hopefully the truth will out! The payment made was to an individual under investigation for Fraud in several countries.
Just looks like the Sates have been conned out of £200k of Tax Payers money!
Report abuse
Great – I have a film i want to make in jersey, Its about local polititians who squander our hard earned money to con artists. Can i have a million pounds please – and i promise to use a shot of a jersey cow in the film. “yes of course”
Report abuse
it will be a comedy of errors type film then. shot on location on the ramparts of fort regent . and some wonderfull shots of jersey beaches . with politians being loaded into rowing boats with a supply of water and a amount of food.
Report abuse
Sorry Mon V, Monty Python’s Flying Circus has already visited the Island
Report abuse
Surely the headline should read…
Doubts cast if senator Maclean has any wisdom
Report abuse
It took me less than a minute to find out that the company concerned has filed exempt status at Companies House for the last 4 years. It’s last proper return stated it was Dormant.
So the immediate questions that must be asked are -
“where is the £200,000.00″?
“who signed the transfer payments”?
Lets just kick off with these two for now.
Report abuse
Replying to my own question here…
“Canbedone Productions Ltd have total assets of £0 plus total liabilities of £208,472. As of their last financial statement, they had £3,105 in cash reserves. Their book value is £-204,724, and the value of their shareholders’ fund is £-204,724.”
https://www.duedil.com/company/05213572/canbedone-productions-ltd
Report abuse
Alan, I have a nigerian cousin that needs 20 billion so he can claim a 100 billion inheritance he has coming, can you lend it to him and once he gets his money he’ll give you the 20 billion back with interest ?
Just e-mail him at: Ifoundanothersucker@yahoo.com
Report abuse
Canbedone productions – are you sure that wasn’t Uhavebeendone productions?
Report abuse
JustLook on Duedil company search Canbedone have total assets of£0 total liabiliy of £208,000 their last financial statement quoted cash reserves of£3105 their book value is£204000 and their share value £204000I think alan shoul resign and retire probably to the bahamas !
Report abuse
and the next headline will be .
“lessons have been learn’t ”
followed by .
” reveiw of procedures”
this could turn out like the floating hotel.
Report abuse
IF it is a con Sen. MacLean MUST resign from the States.Were there expensive discussion meetings (jollies) on the tax payer too?
Report abuse
Of course. For sure. That’s how these guys conduct themselves. Businessmen in politicians clothes. It’s called croney capitalism, but this time he’s been had over.
Report abuse
By the way, I would like to buy the JEP picture editor a virtual pint, for choosing a photo of Alan Maclean with not one but four ringbinders, all with a life of their own!
For more news from the infamous States Of Jersey Ringbinder, please follow him on twitter http://twitter.com/SoJRingbinder
Report abuse
A MAJOR £12 million fantasy film starring Bill Nighy and Malcolm McDowell COULD be filmed in Jersey after producers decided that the Island’s castles and beaches could make the perfect backdrop – NO KIDDING! (In the way that if frogs had wings they’d fly – all talk and no walk.)
I sincerely hope that Canbedone Ltd have NOT been given a £200,000 grant of taxpayers’ money towards the costs of creating ‘Knights of Impossingworth’ – #12 million would barely cover the production costs of one HBO episode of any modern made for TV series and shows that this it a cheap fly-by-night B-list production that will get very limited distribution if any.
Trotting out a couple of tired old B-list actors that any self respecting producer knows you could never hope to finance a serious production on, just shows how inexperienced the producers are, and how gullible little the Economic Development know about the film industry.
To start with, this is a onetime production that will bring very little revenue in the way of production costs into the island. The truth is that we should be charging the production company for the use of location and location services – NOT PAYING THE PRODUCER for pie in the sky or investing taxpayer’s money into the project without getting a piece of the GROSS action in return.
As far as any beneficial advertising for the Island goes, a one time production, unless it becomes a great block buster, will get you nothing more than a nickel for a cup of coffee at best.
What this says about the producers is that they are small time and unable to finance their production without having to run around and hustle up a few bucks there and a pound of Taxpayer’s money over here – in other words they have been unable to finance their production budget on the merits of the script and their limited film making record or experience.
Most important of all, they don’t appear to have nor are they apparently able to acquire a decent distribution deal to support any initial production investment.
The only kind of film production that would ever have any hope of benefiting the Island would be an ongoing (min 5 years) American TV series with big US prime-time distribution – this is the only market that can ever produce the kind of financial spin-off results that are so loosely talked about. Even piddle-pot shows like Bergerac with limited foreign market distribution can never fulfill this end – seeing it couldn’t even get a slot on PBS which is at the bottom of the US air-time barrel – in other words, when investing in film, it’s either big time or it it doesn’t fly.
Report abuse
Apparently knights of impossingsworth park was made in 2005, or supposed have been by the same production company, Sir Ben Kinglsey is down as being on the cast but it does not appear on his bio on wiki …….
Anyone remember the firm The Producers? Obviously not inferring any connection or similarity
Report abuse
Looks like the Hustle crew have been to Jersey, prob took McClean out for dinner and maybe told him he had a part in the film!…Ever watched Hustle was a similiar episode!!…
Report abuse
It’s not the first time Maclean has has wasted tax payer money.
Report abuse
Oh my lord, this is possibly the greatest story I have ever seen. Keith Cavele seems to be the writer, producer, director. He’s done well to get funding for this project considering he doesn’t seem to have done anything since he last tried to make this film in 2005. It was called Knights of Impossingworth Park back then and according to some sites it was going to star Ron Perlman! HellBoy himself. Didn’t seem to happen. Anyway. Good work everybody involved.
Check this out
http://www.gov.je/GOVERNMENT/PLANNINGPERFORMANCE/Pages/MinisterialDecisions.aspx?showreport=yes&docid=afce018d02e034c9520ef2a09544fb7b_MDs
It was going to be not just a film but also a play and a videogame. The sequels were also to be filmed in Jersey!
Best bit
“It is anticipated that Impresario Bill Kenwright will produce a stage version of Knights.”
Man, that’s funny.
Report abuse
No two ways about it, ALL States Members are responsible for what happens to Tax Payers hard earned cash – the amount should be re-paid into the States coffers by equal contributions from all States Members. They are being paid ridiculous salaries for utter incompetence.
Report abuse
This is a disgrace ! Alan should be held accountable and get booted out !
Report abuse
Any word from any of the other COM, what no support, no spin, hang your old chum out to dry? For once you might be right!
Has anyone called the Old Bill ?, Norfolk or Devon Constabulary hopefully.
Report abuse
Vote of no confidence in said minister?
Report abuse
Surely this fool will be sacked?
Report abuse
Canbedone Productions, and the Jersey tax payer seems to have been well and truly done!
Will this be the end of ‘Ring-binder Boy’?
It should be, but I doubt it!
Report abuse
Clanger Maclean does it again….Really…How long will the mug punters put up with his dabbling at things he clearly has NO grasp of..Doubt over his wisdom..? knowledge is knowing a tomato is in fact a fruit…..Wisdom is NOT putting it in the fruit salad….twerp.
Report abuse