TROLLMANNSKOGEN Encourages Kids to Find the Magic in Their Own Backyards

Nordic woods are mythical places as they are, having been the inspiration and setting of millenia of folk tales, poems, and musical works. The gorgeous universe of Trollmannskogen (The Wizard’s Forest) invites kids of all ages to discover and explore the wonder and whimsy that surrounds them everywhere when they roam nature with open eyes. Directed by Jon Løvaas and produced by illustration and animation house Sandnes Media, the series consists of multiple episodes in which Norwegian folk tales are being re-told with beautiful hand-drawn animation and interspersed with live-action vignettes, the latter of which invite the audience to find the inspirations behind the creatures, places and events of folklore in their natural environments of today.

True to the themes, the music of Trollmannskogen ties the sounds of Nordic folklore into a sweeping fantasy setting, at turns shifting between magical whimsy, grounded pastoral colors, and soaring moments of grandeur. In addition to contributing the end-to-end musical score, I was also responsible for the audio post production and mixing of the episodes, which have since been featured on publisher Gyldendal’s online education platform Salaby and spawned an accompanying series of children’s books.