What is
Thanks to the amazing success of Streetgraphic, we are currently developing the sister site Factory Fodder, which will profile and exhibit up and coming groups or individuals who are interested in the moving image and interactive short stories. The site will be much more than a showcase of talent - it hopes to encourage collaboration between writers, animators, film-makers and illustrators.
Each quarter the site will explore several themes and you will be invited to submit experimental work relating to these themes. This could be written, illustrated, interactive or a short video or animated piece. If prefer to work with a team, why not use the forum to advertise your own talent and recruit others!
The site will launch April 05 and we currently looking for new core members to help develop the site.
First issue
In the first issue we shall be exploring ‘Urban Myths'; ‘Found Items’; profiling student work; and examining the work of screen writer and multimedia artist Anjum Malik.
Anjum is currently working on the BBC's new Asian radio soap, Silver Street. She has written three radio plays for Radio 4 and has taken part in numerous writers residencies, including writer in residence for HTV from 1998-1999. Her stage credits include two stage monologues for the People's History Museum in Manchester and she is also developing film projects.
Most of us at some time have been told an urban myth and we may have even believed it. I must confess to believing the amputated kidney story except in my case the story had changed from the mysterious woman seducing business men to a gang of crooked surgeons in Manhattan.
‘‘Urban legends perpetrate a type of folklore, in the form of supposedly-true stories circulated primarily by word of mouth. Urban legends are sometimes repeated in news stories and, in recent years, distributed by email. People frequently say such tales happened to a "friend of a friend" - so often, in fact, that FOAF has become a commonly used acronym to describe how such reports are rarely first-hand.
Some urban legends have survived a very long time, evolving only slightly over the years, as in the case of the story of a woman killed by spiders nesting in her elaborate hairdo. Others are new and reflect modern circumstances, like the story of the man on a business trip being seduced by a woman and waking up the next morning minus a kidney surgically removed for transplant. Some urban legends have a basis in true events, such as the case of the
young man shooting bullets into a large saguaro cactus and being killed when his gunfire severed the trunk, resulting in the falling plant crushing him.
Even when essentially true, however, the stories often become distorted by many retellings.Despite their name, urban legends do not necessarily take place in an urban setting. The name is designed to differentiate them from traditional folklore created in pre-industrial times. Urban legends often are born of fears and insecurities, or specifically designed to prey on such concerns’’.
In the first issue we are looking for contributions on the urban myth theme. Contributions could take the shape of animating an existing myth, sharing a new one with us,or even de-constructing the urban myth. If you are interested in contributing to this or any other section please contact the editor.