The film VIRTUOS VIRTUELL is an emotional music visualisation. Flowing ink goes on an exciting and poetic journey through the music. It is based on the overture of the opera DER ALCHYMIST by Louis Spohr (1784-1859).
This experimental film, directed by the drawing artist Maja Oschmann and I, got 43 international film awards.
Abstract hand-crafted ink drawings emerge and take on characteristics and moods of the music. They accompany the music and narrate a story that appears to be laid out in the melodies and rhythms. The interplay of timid encounters and dynamic pursuits, the agile lightness and confrontation, awakens a multitude of associations.
The overture inspired Maja and me to a narrative interpretation of the music. We combined our different artistic experiences of storytelling and expressive drawings to music. Together we developed new animation techniques and created our own visual language.
Our leading ‘character’ is based on a black ink stroke. It waves, jumps, fades and surges, synchronised to the music, through an abstract environment. The threshold between the figurative and non-figurative allows a wide range of associations and emotions to form, such as curiosity, joy, anger or threat. In a world of black and white the simple stroke mesmerises the viewer and takes him on a journey through the music.
direction, producer, project idea, storyline, compositing, technical direction, stereoscopy, ink animation
THOMAS STELLMACH
direction, drawing, storyboard, image choreography, film layout, ink animation
MAJA OSCHMANN
Maja Oschmann (*1975) is an artist living in Kassel, Germany. Many of her projects focus on the relationship between drawing and music.
original music
composer: Louis Spohr (1784 – 1859)
excerpt from the overture of the opera “DER ALCHYMIST”
performed by Broadcast Symphony Orchestra Berlin, conductor Christian Fröhlich
with kind permission of Cpo – Classic Production Osnabrück
music at the end credits
composer: TILL MERTENS
www.filmklang.de
violinist: SUSANNE HERMANN
The premiere was during the anniversary celebration of ‘1100 Years of Kassel” in the congress palace attended by 2000 guests in February 18th, 2013. The film music was performed live by the State Orchestra of Kassel, conducted by Helmut Imig. Imig also composed a postlude for the performance. The major of our city granted us the first award for the film, named the ‘Fulle Oscar’.
Certificate: “especially commendable”, German Film Quality Assessment Board (FBW)
Suitable for ages 0+
Voluntary Self-Regulation Organization of the German Film Industry (FSK)
The film is included in educational programs offered by German and international institutions as following:
Minifilmclub, German Film Institution / Film Museum (dff), Frankfurt. Get the work sheet.
Cinemini-Europe in association with:
German Film Institut & Film Museum
Eye Filmmuseum, Netherland
Kinodvor Cinema Ljubljana, Slowenia
Taartrovers, Netherland
Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM), Estonia
European Children’s Film Association, Belgium
Serralves Foundation, Portugal
Mitmachkino 2022, German Film Quality Assessment Board (FBW)
Der Film erhielt auf internationalen Filmfestivals 43 Film-Preise.
Opening Film and Special Mention, DOK Leipzig 2013 – Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, Germany
www.dok-leipzig.de
Best Animated Short, Starz Denver Film Festival 2013, USA
The jury statement: Yet from the moment it starts, until the last note is played, this mesmerizing film meshes music, timing, and choreography in a beautiful dance of ink-on-paper.
www.denverfilmfestival.denverfilm.org
Best Experimental Film, BuSho International Short Film Festival 2013, Budapest, Hungary
www.busho.hu
Best Experimental/Abstract Film, Ottawa International Animation Festival 2013, Canada
www.animationfestival.ca
Special Mention of the children jury, Animafest Zagreb 2014, Croatia
www.animafest.hr
Special award: outstanding in matching the idea of visual music, Visual Music Award 2014, Gelnhausen, Germany
www.visual-music-award.de
Jury Award: Best Animation and Audience Award: Best Animation, Short Sharp Film Festival 2014, Coffs Harbour, Australia
www.shortsharpfilmfest.com
Award for the Best Art, NAFF International Animation Festival 2015, Neum, Bosnia and Herzegowina
www.naff.ba
Best Film, Tehran International Animation Festival 2015, Tehran, Iran
www.tehran-animafestival.ir
Hessian Museum Association e.V. / Hessian Ministry for Science and Art
Kasseler Sparkasse
The German State Film Funding – FFA
The Hessian Film Funding
German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thueringen
Stadt Kassel, Cultural Office
Germany’s national film funding institution
Kasseler Bank
Landgraf Moritz Stiftung
Dr. Wolfgang-Zippel-Stiftung
United Residential Cities eG 1889
and private sponsorship
The film was shown at 180 international film festivals.
International Animation Film Festival Stuttgart 2013, Germany
www.itfs.de
Edinburgh international film festival 2013, UK
www.edfilmfest.org.uk
Artisan Festival International 2013 , Cannes (World Peace Initiative) France/USA
www.afiworldpeaceinitiative.org/afi-film-festival
Animateka International Animated Film Festival 2013, Ljubljana, Slovenia
(Elephant international children competition programme)
www.animateka.si/2013/en/
Anima Mundi 2013, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Dublin International Short Film And Music Festival 2013, Ireland
www.disfmf.ie
International Animation Film Festival Stuttgart 2014, Germany
(part of special program: ‘Best of 10 Years’ and ‘Abstract Films’)
www.itfs.de
Annecy, International Animation Film Festival 2014, France
www.annecy.org
Hiroshima International Animation Festival 2014, Japan
International Animated Film Festival ANIMATOR 2014, Poznan, Poland
www.animator-festival.com
Goldener Spatz 2014 – German Media Festival for Children, Gera/Erfurt, Germany
www.goldenerspatz.de
TAAF – Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2015, Japan
www.animefestival.jp
VIRTUOS VIRTUELL was inspired and supported by the International Louis Spohr Association, Dr. Klaus Ostermann.
The film was produced for the Louis Spohr Museum in Kassel in stereoscopy. The film is displayed on an auto-stereoscopic monitor. The museum focuses on versatile experiences and activation of all senses.
The film also offers deaf visitors the opportunity to experience the visual translation of a piece of music.
A special exhibition ‘Making of Virtuos Virtuell’ at the Spohr Museum Kassel in 2012 took place during the art exhibition ’documenta 13’. 58000 visitors of the exhibition have seen the unfinished film in our exhibition coincidentally. Some of them have left a note in our guest book, like: … this is the best of the ’documenta’. But our film wasn’t part of it.
Another exhibition was at the German Film Museum in Frankfurt in 2014 / 2015.
Get more information about our audiovisual exhibition.
7:22 minutes
Thomas Stellmach and Maja Oschmann
Thomas Stellmach
Thomas Stellmach Animation, 2010 - 2013
Overture of the opera DER ALCHYMIST by Louis Spohr (1784-1859). Music of the end credits: Till Mertens
Motion capture of the digital ink stroke and film clips of flowing ink on paper and in water composited in After Effects for the stereoscopic version in 3D.
mp4 1080p stereo 24fps, 25fps, 29,97, 50fps
DCP 2K 24fps, 48fps, 2D and stereoscopic
35mm Dolby Digital
