WELLYWOOD GENERATOR
Topping the Blacklist this month is a shameless piece of self aggrandisement and promotion in the Wellywood Generator made by the SKULL AND BONES. Wellington’s mayor Kerry Prenderghast and its unelected emperor Sir Peter Jackson want to inflict a Wellywood sign on the Miramar hills. It’s not original, it’s not amusing, and it’s not even accurate given that most of New Zealand’s film industry is based in Auckland. 15,000 people joined the Facebook group opposing the idea so we thought they’d like something to help them vent their anger while demonstrating how creativity is really done. The Generator had over 20,000 visits in less than a week, and more than 12,000 images were created and posted to Facebook. It made it on to the breakfast news on both channels and onto the front page of the DominionPost. That’s called viral ladies and gentlemen. It’s still live so you can have a go here
http://wellywood.skullandbones.co.nz/
THE ONION
The Onion has been around for a while now, and most of you will already have seen it. But it’s on the Blacklist because when the Americans get it right, like with The Wire or the Soprannos or whatever, they’re the very the top of the game. The Onion’s video news parodies are satire par excellence, and are done with such high production values you really almost believe you’re watching the news. Conceptually brilliant with incredible writing, there’s not much out there we’ve seen that’s competing with these guys. If you’re yet to see it then be prepared to be sucked into the vortex. The happy, happy vortex
MARK BARBER PHOTOGRAPHY
We had the pleasure of working with this guy on a shoot recently and it was hard not to be impressed with his chops. He’s one of the world’s best skate photographers but we used him to shoot John Banks, and he managed to pull that off with alacrity. The market’s not short on photographers, but we reckon this guy’s a little bit special
DJARUM SUPER
It’s not fashionable or politically correct to put cigarettes on the Blacklist, but these are no ordinary cigarettes, and we’re the SKULL AND BONES, so we do what we like. Imported from Indonesia, Djaram Super are made from cloves mixed with tobacco. If you’ve been to Bali you’ll know them well. They’re delicious and leave your lips tasting like spiced sugar. Even non smokers don’t mind kissing you after, unless you’re super ugly or a really bad kisser, in which case even these probably won’t help. Fetish is always stealing them from the Boss. Fetish is going to get his Indian hands cut off at the wrist if it keeps happening
FANE FLAWS
This guy has been around for a long time, as a musician, director and artist. He’s fruitier than a bag full of Hi Chews, but he’s a top painter working in a style that is entirely his own. We’ve recently commissioned a work from him and he’s doing us a sweet deal. You may be able to commission your own deal if you contact him directly. Tell him we sent you, so we can leverage a bigger discount next time
SPANISH ACTORS
The best humour, in our opinion, invariably includes some kind of purely random element that can’t be defined or accounted for. Monty Python, the Fast Show, Whose Line Is It Anyway – they all had it. So does this audition clip out of Spain, which last time we looked wasn’t a country renowned in New Zealand for it’s humour. Now it is. Muy bien
BARISTA EMPIRE
If you’re from Wellington you’ll understand that coffee is the soul of performance. It improves everything, from tedious meetings to hang overs to long and uncomfortable pauses on dates. Auckland doesn’t have a surfeit of great coffee, no matter how much it talks itself up. In the city it can be hard to find anywhere even open after 5.00 in the afternoon, an anathema to us in the Bones. But if you’re around Fort Street then we recommend you head over to Ben’s Coffee, a part of the Barista Empire and a small cafe where they’re doing it right. Also we just did their Internet site. Check it here
KID BASHING
Jimmy found this one in one of the darkened recesses of the Internet that only he knows about. It’s comedy gold. Shot Jimmy
MOTHERSHIP
Our hosting company is called Mothership and they’re amazing. We talk to them all the time and despite their technical gibberish they don’t even bore us. They invited the Boss out sailing on the Rum Races, possibly to drop him overboard, which would actually be fine with us. These guys get the SKULL AND BONES seal of approval if you’re looking for hosting. Just ask for Karl
DUDLEY
Dudley is the official mascot of the SKULL AND BONES. Here are some pictures of him. Enough said
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=198940&id=187578840831
