The ErlKing (animated short)
Encyclopedia
The ErlKing is a 2002 animated short by Ben Zelkowicz, which uses sand animation
to illustrate Franz Schubert
's musical adaptation of the poem Der Erlkönig
by Goethe. The film is in German
.
The ErlKing has been shown at the Sundance Film Festival
, the New York Film Festival
, the Mill Valley Film Festival
and the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film
, among others.
Zelkowicz studied English and biopsychology before turning to animation. He is graduate of CalArts, for which The ErlKing was his thesis film, and has worked with the Will Vinton
and Chiodo Brothers
studios.
Sand animation
Sand animation, also known as sand art, is a term which has two meanings. It is the name given to a style of live performance art, and also to a type of animation. In the former, an artist creates a series of images using sand, a process which is achieved by applying sand to a surface and then...
to illustrate Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's musical adaptation of the poem Der Erlkönig
Der Erlkönig
Der Erlkönig is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It depicts the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being, the Erlking or "Erlkönig"...
by Goethe. The film is in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
The ErlKing has been shown at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
, the Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
and the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film
International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film
The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film , also known as the Leipzig DOK Festival, is a film festival that takes place annually in Leipzig, Germany. It was founded in 1955 under the name "1st All-German Leipzig Festival of Cultural and Documentary Films" and was the...
, among others.
Zelkowicz studied English and biopsychology before turning to animation. He is graduate of CalArts, for which The ErlKing was his thesis film, and has worked with the Will Vinton
Will Vinton
Will Vinton is an American director and producer of animated films. He was born in McMinnville, Oregon, near Portland. He has won an Oscar for his work, and several Emmy Awards and Clio Awards for the work of his studio.- Education :...
and Chiodo Brothers
The Chiodo Brothers
The Chiodo Brothers are a group of sibling special effects artists, best known for their film Killer Klowns from Outer Space and creating puppets and effects for films such as Critters, Ernest Scared Stupid, and Team America: World Police...
studios.