SEATTLE -- The new Seattle Monorail Project is short millions of dollars -- even before the system is built. But that isn't stopping an expensive television ad from getting filmed right now.

This month alone, the monorail authority will spend $1.3 million creating, then airing TV promotional ads.

If that wasn't eye-popping enough, it approved a New York production company and a French director to put the spots together.

MONORAIL DISCUSSION BOARD Weigh In On The Project

Olivier Venturini is a well-paid, prominent European film director. KIRO Team 7 Investigators videotaped the Marseille, France, native overseeing production of monorail TV ads here in Seattle.

The new Monorail Authority very quietly flew him in recently to direct "educational" commercials for the yet-to-be-built transit system.

We wanted to ask Venturini about the ads, but he ignored us.

Halsne: "Just 30 seconds of your time!"
Venturini: "No."
Halsne: "Can we ask you a few questions about your directing?"
Venturini: [Silence]

In fact, talent and crews here couldn't say anything to us, reportedly having to sign non-disclosure contracts to be on the set.

So what's the big secret?

KIRO Team 7 Investigators discovered taxpayers are spending about $640,000 for actual production of the TV ad alone, another $675,000 to air it later this month.

This year's overall advertising and "feel good" promotion budget is actually around $7 million, all spent before a single piling is poured.

"We think its outrageous, simply a misuse of taxpayers' money," said Henry Aronson.

Aronson belongs to a monorail watchdog group called OnTrack. His group can't believe the monorail authority has the gall to hire big-money European talent for its "image-improvement" ads.

"They claim it's a job creation program, one of the basis of which they're promoting the monorail. I suspect they're promoting jobs in Paris," Aronson said.

Monorail Executive Director Joel Horn is defending the hiring of a European director, producer and cinematographer.

"We're bringing the best talent from around the world … to make the monorail the single biggest environmental improvement project in the history of Seattle," Horn said.

Late last week, the Seattle Film commission told KIRO Team 7 Investigators very few local actors and technicians were being used in the monorail commercial shoots.

That changed after our calls. A local production company was hired, employing mostly local actors and crewmembers.

However, the ads no doubt will have a markedly European look when they are done.