En, to, tre, fire!

The Little Goat Who Counted to TenLife on a Scandinavian farm may not be what you traditionally expect to be a hotbed for radical ideas, but all it takes is a little goat with a recently-acquired skill of counting to ten and a bunch of animals who would really rather just tend to chewing grass rather than being counted, and you have all the ingredients for a bona fide culture clash.

With his 1957 story Geitekillingen som kunne telle til ti – The Little Goat Who Could Count to Ten –, Norwegian author Alf Prøysen successfully blended a delightful and educational children’s tale with a pointed, satirical commentary on how a conservative society responds to new ideas. Almost 60 years after his original radio broadcast, Norwegian public TV broadcaster NRK commissioned director and animator Hans Jørgen Sandnes and his team for the production of a lovingly hand-drawn, animated short film adaptation of the famous source material. After its year-long production time and its impending premiere on national TV, Geitekillingen is set to do the short film festival circuit and, eventually, reach an international audience via TV and BluRay.

In the tradition of vintage animation shorts from the mid-20th century, I’ve written and produced a lush, full-length orchestral score for Geitekillingen. I was also responsible for the audio post production and the restoration of Alf Prøysen’s original radio recording. Marking our 8th and as-of-yet most elaborate collaboration, I’m very happy that I got to work with Hans and his incredibly talented crew again, and I’m proud of what we accomplished. Stay tuned for news of where you can catch the little goatling!