Sebastian Voltmer

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Sebastian Voltmer (born 1 December 1981) is a German film-maker, composer and internationally critically acclaimed astrophotographer. Between 2002 and 2004 his film The Face of the Sky became known in the Space-Night of the Bavarian Broadcasting (Bayerischen Rundfunk). In his doctoral dissertation "Photography As A Scientific Argument" (Fotografie als wissenschaftliches Argument) he conducted research at the University of Applied Arts Vienna at the interface between media studies and astronomy.

Voltmer also works as a Dark-Sky activist for a natural night sky and draws attention to the increasing light pollution in the media.

In 2022 Voltmer managed to take a photo of the ISS with 2 astronauts on a spacewalk.

Origin

The father of Sebastian Voltmer, Manfred Voltmer (born June 17, 1942), son of the well-known newspaper journalist Erich Voltmer (1913–1983), worked as a television journalist for Saarland Broadcasting (Saarländischer Rundfunk).

Both grandparents from his mother Ulrike Voltmer née Schmitt (born August 9, 1952), were renowned pianists: Resi Schmitt-Gramsch (1930–1965) and Kurt Schmitt (1924–1992), who held a professorship for piano at the Saarland University of Music and performed as a piano duo with his twin brother Hans (Hans and Kurt Schmitt) .

Activity as a music producer

Voltmer produces soundtracks in multi-channel sound (5.1) for documentaries, feature films and time-lapse films. His first two albums were released in 2004 and 2007 by publisher "LichtenSTERN".

Compositions (selection)

• 2004: Theme melody for the show SuperNova (Okto in Vienna)
• 2009: 5.1 soundtrack for the movie „The Return of Mars“
• 2014: Soundtrack for the movie „DESNA – Music Saved My Life“
• 2018: Title melody and soundtrack for the film „JOMI's Sphere of Action“
• 2021: "Cosmic Kiss" for the "ESA-Mission" Cosmic Kiss

Movie

At the age of 17 Voltmer made his first short film Das Gesicht des Mondes, which was presented at an open-air event to mark the 1000th anniversary of the city of Saarbrücken. At the age of 19 he produced two films for the Bavarian Broadcasting, followed by several shorter video performance productions, among others for the Documenta in Kassel and reports for television. For the International Year of Astronomy 2009 he released his graduation film "Wiederkehr des Mars", which was shown in planetariums and European cinemas. His first full-length feature film was "DESNA - Music saved my Life" (2014). He ran, among other things at the Max-Ophüls Prize Festival in the Cine-Star Saarbrücken and was broadcast several times as a TV feature. This was followed by the barrier-free, multilingual feature film "JOMI – lautlos, aber nicht sprachlos“ (2018), which was also shown as a short version on television.

Photographic work

As part of his “Jugend forscht” work, Voltmer continued to refine certain development and processing techniques for black and white and color material alike. During his studies at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, he published a work in the art volume "Kunst und Fotografie – Floris Neusüss und die Kasseler Schule für Experimentelle Fotografie 1972–2002". In the field of astrophotography, he has developed specific HDR and sharpening algorithms, as well as Photoshop actions "Real Stars".

Awards / prizes

• 1999: Film award for a special setting at "Landshuter Offenen Wettbewerb für Filmemacher unter 24 Jahre" for the movie Das Gesicht des Mondes .
• 2000: State winners and federal award winners at Jugend Forscht with his work Astrofotografie als Methode zur Kometenentdeckung.
• 2009: Theses Wiederkehr des Mars bewertet "with distinction" by the Kunsthochschule Kassel.
• 2011/2012: Four film awards for the documentary Wiederkehr des Mars: „official best of fest“, Seattle, 2/2011; two awards at „Sky Fest V“, 7/2011; Award (Best Narrator) at „Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival“, 1/2012.
• 2014: Photo Contests Wex Photography Awards 2014.
• 2015: Astrophotographer of the year.
• 2015: 1st prize Power of Nature Winner Windland Smith Rice International Awards for a full sky aurora over Norway
• 2020: Total solar eclipse The Best Space Photos Of 2020.
• 2021: Photo NightScape Awards 2021.

Jury work

Sebastian Voltmer was and is active as a juror for international film and photo competitions. The following are to be emphasized:

• „Astronomy for Education“ (OAE) at the „Internationalen Astronomischen Union“ (IAU) in 2021.
• Chilean organization lunar photo competition „Comunidad Astronómica Aficionada Chilena“ in 2020 for the international observation night of the moon, initiated by NASA.
• Jury for the youth film competition „Créajeune 2012“. Award ceremony in the categories „Filme von Kindern“ and „Filme von Jugendlichen“from the Greater Region (Luxembourg, Lorraine, Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Wallonia) and the cross-border city network "QuattroPole".

Filmography

Author

• 1999: The Face of the Moon (Das Gesicht des Mondes), awarded with the "film prize for a special setting"
• 2000: The Face of the Sky, International film fair in Cannes.
• 2001: Sternschnuppen über China - Leoniden 2001, Bavarian radio.
• 2002: Pictogram animation for the art project talking about characters / Kunsthochschule Kassel on the occasion of "Documenta 2002“.
• 2003: "flicker colors" (Flickerfarben) – Rotation I and II (Experimental film)
• 2006: Musical search for traces in the Alps Film funding by the Saar Media Authority
• 2009: The Return of Mars (Wiederkehr des Mars) as Thesis
• 2013: Desna: Music Saved My Live
• 2018: JOMI's Sphere of Action (JOMI - lautlos, aber nicht sprachlos) (Dokumentary)

Camera operator

• 2001–2009: Camera assistance for the SR / ARD, among others for the editors Aktueller Bericht.
• 2006: Narrenschau TV show on Südwestfernsehen.
• 2007: Image film for the company „SMP – Sintermetalle Prometheus“
• 2006: TV-Feature „Damit sie nicht verloren gehen – Musikalische Spurensuche in den Alpen“
• 2008: Image film for the „Michel-Verlag“
• 2009: Movie "The Return of Mars“
• 2011: Bullermann's travels - a gorilla life from Cameroon to Shanghai on SWR3
• 2013: Desna: Music Saved My Life
• since 2014 Cameraman for broadcasts by Saarland radio and other television companies.
• 2018: JOMI's Sphere of Action (JOMI - lautlos, aber nicht sprachlos) (Documentary)

Moderator

• from 2005: Moderation for the program SuperNova on Okto.
• 2007: Photo exhibition "Secrets of the Universe" (Geheimnis Weltall)

Director

• 2006: TV-Feature „Damit sie nicht verloren gehen – Musikalische Spurensuche in den Alpen“
• 2007: Image film for the company „SMP – Sintermetalle Prometheus“
• 2008: Image film for the „Michel-Verlag“
• 2009: Movie "The Return of Mars“
• 2013: Desna: Music Saved My Live
• 2018: JOMI's Sphere of Action (JOMI - lautlos, aber nicht sprachlos) (Documentary)

External links

• Sebastian Voltmer on Spotify

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