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Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism has broken its silence
about this week's filming of a VH1 reality show at the former Norwich
State Hospital property in Preston.
As first reported by the Norwich
Bulletin on Thursday, representatives from the commission, as well
as production company 51 Minds Entertainment, declined comment citing
a confidentiality agreement.
"We were told their project
required a property that was secluded,"? said Heidi Hamilton,
the director of the commission's film division. "They were
looking for an environment -? a feel and look,"? Hamilton said.
As of Friday afternoon, 51
Minds Entertainment declined to reveal details of the production,
but VH1 dropped a few hints in an e-mail late Thursday.
"The show is an investigative
reality series with celebrities that is being filmed for VH1,"?
said Naomi Bulochnikov, a publicist for the network. Previously,
Bulochnikov said the network didn't have enough information on the
project to comment.
According to her Web site,
boxer Mia St. John said she "just finished shooting VH1's new
reality show called "Celebrity Paranormal Project."?
The boxer also makes mention
of the show airing in October on her blog at www.miastjohn.com.
The Norwich Bulletin requested
a copy of the licensing agreement between the state and the production
company Thursday afternoon from Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's
office through the Freedom of Information Act. Though a passage
in the contract labeled "confidentiality" discusses the
production company's restrictions on identifying the property, it
does not prohibit any state employee from speaking with the press.
On a map of the State Hospital
property given to the Norwich Bulletin as part of the licensing
agreement, the show is referred to as "Paranormal Project."?
Hamilton said she could not immediately identify the actors involved
with the project.
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According to VH1's Web site,
a series called "Celebrity Paranormal Project" is slated
to begin airing in October, but representatives from VH1 would not
comfirm that this was the show taped on the property.
The map of the property indicates
the production company used only a small portion of the campus for
filming including the chapel on Route 12, and various other buildings
referred to in the drawing as the "Investigators HQ AKA Safe
House." Other items on the map include a control room, the
campus security office, a driveway and a power box.
Phone calls to representatives
for 51 Minds Entertainment were not immediately returned Thursday.
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