New website

Gave the old girl a bit of a dust-off. Looks good, eh? Thanks to NextEdge Group for the coding!

Mark Wells Rocks the Snowys

Mark Wells and his Seven Piece Band recently trekked down to the glorious Friday Flat in Thredbo, and blew the crowds at CMC Rocks the Snowys 2010 away with a blistering Friday afternoon set. Our cameras were there and captured it all. Check it out here:

Mark's video for his current single You're Still On My Mind, produced by Seven Shells Media, is sitting at #16 on the Country Music Channel Top 30 Countdown. Click here to request it at the CMC website.

Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins

As our Twitter followers may be aware, Seven Shells Media has helped to incite an international multimedia phenomenon known as Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins.

This requires some primers for those unfamiliar with Wittertainment - here is a good introduction to Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's incomparable Friday film programme.

About a month ago, during a review of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Dr Kermode and Dr Mayo began referring to the film as Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, on the basis that it resembled a Harry Potter parody book.

This fired the imagination of one Jeremy Dylan, Creative Director of Seven Shells Media, who set about creating this monstrosity. Bits of this have been broadcast on BBC Radio Five live, read by Dr Mayo himself and fan mail has been received from all corners of the European union, including the UK and the Netherlands. In addition to the blog, there is a Facebook page for the 'film production', which currently has over 400 fans.

In response to this insanity, Seven Shells Media is announcing production of an actual, honest-to-goodness motion picture of Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, to be directed by "Christopher Columbus" (Jeremy Dylan), written by Jeremy Dylan and starring some attractive young people and slightly less attractive middle-aged people.

Plans are being laid for location filming in the UK, and an abridged radio drama adaptation, which will be released in the lead up to the film. Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo have committed - on the air - to coming to the premiere in Australia. Acclaimed British actor Jason Isaacs (Green Zone, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) has expressed an interest in playing all the penguins - which may pose a challenge for the special effects team.

Stay tuned for more updates.

And let the magic begin.

New music video for MARK WELLS premieres!

The brand new music video for acclaimed Newcastle singer-songwriter Mark Wells has premiered online. You're Still On My Mind is the first single from Wells' brand new alt-country EP Playing With Fire. The clip was directed by Jeremy Dylan for Seven Shells Media and features the Mark's hot live band plus a special appearance from ARIA-nominee Catherine Britt. The video was shot on location at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle.

Check it out here:




Visit Mark Wells online at his official website or his MySpace page.

HAVE A CIGAR Trailer is live!

The trailer for Seven Shells Media's newest film HAVE A CIGAR is live now.

Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uwhB01df-0

The film follows up and coming agent Neil Bennett (Steve Lynch), who is having the worst day of his life. His star client, alcoholic rock star Rob Draper, has just broken out of rehab and vanished from the face of the earth. And his old flame, journalist Alicia Cole (Catherine Davies), is camped out in front of his house.
The film also features Jemima Stratton as Neil's assistant Kelly Meadows, and original songs by Rob Draper.

HAVE A CIGAR is written and directed by Jeremy Dylan.

SOLVER: In The Studio

Above, from L to R: Nick Cook, Mark Opitz, Morgan and Tom Evans in Studio 301.

Award-winning Newcastle rock trio Solver have a reputation for their tight, hard-rockin' live shows and hooky, melodic tunes. The band have been together since childhood, honing their skills as musicians and developing the electrifying chemistry and sibling vocal interplay that's made them beloved by fans throughout Australia.

In late 2008, Morgan, Tom and Cookie headed into the recording studio to lay down the cream of their song catalog. The band approached veteran rock producer Mark Opitz, whose work with Cold Chisel and INXS has made him a legend in the recording industry, to collaborate with them on the project. Excited by the songs and the dynamic trio, he quickly came on board, and the resulting EP is a raw, exciting collection of rock tunes that capture Solver at their best.

Seven Shells Media produced a making of featurette on the recording process, where the band takes you behind-the-scenes for an intimate look at the making of the EP, with interviews with the band and producer Mark Opitz.

PRODUCTION BEGINS ON 'HAVE A CIGAR'

Principal photography has begun on Have A Cigar, the new short film from Seven Shells Media, written and directed by Jeremy Dylan (Damaged Goods).

Up and coming music manager Neil Bennett (Steve Lynch) is having the worst day of his life. His star client, alcoholic rock star Rob Draper, has just broken out of rehab and vanished from the face of the earth. And his old flame, journalist Alicia Cole (Catherine Davies), is camped out in front of his house.

Writer/Director Jeremy Dylan describes the film as a 'docudramedy', inspired by true tales from the Australian music industry.

'Some of it's true, some it's fabricated, all of it's fictionalized, and very little of it is exaggerated. Names have been changed to protect the guilty, and to keep our legal costs down,' says Dylan. 'Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll have been great fodder for comedy and drama for over fifty years, and we've included a bit of each here.'

The film also features Jemima Stratton as Bennett's offsider Kelly Meadows, and a soundtrack featuring original songs by Rob Draper.

Have A Cigar is tentatively set for release in May 2010.