
John Ottman
Personal Info
Known for
Sound
Gender
Male
Birthday
1964-07-06 (60 years old)
Place of Birth
San Diego, California, USA
John Ottman
Biography
John Ottman (born July 6, 1964) is an American film composer, director, and editor. He is best known for collaborating with director Bryan Singer, composing and/or editing many of his films, including Public Access (1993), The Usual Suspects (1995), Superman Returns (2006), Valkyrie (2008), and Jack the Giant Slayer (2013), as well as the X-Men film series. For his work on Singer's 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Ottman won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing.
Ottman was born in San Diego, California. Growing up in San Jose, Ottman made many amateur films garnering local attention in the community. He attended De Anza College and then transferred to the School of Cinematic Arts of the University of Southern California, where he graduated in 1988. One of his first assignments was to provide original music for the computer game I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. In 2007, Ottman appeared in the documentary Finding Kraftland for his agent Richard Kraft.
He is best known for his multitasking as editor and composer for Bryan Singer's films and, on a few occasions, producer roles to boot. The Usual Suspects, Apt Pupil, X2, Superman Returns (including adapting themes originally composed by John Williams), Valkyrie, Jack the Giant Slayer, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Other notable films he worked on as a composer are Snow White: A Tale of Terror, the 2005 remake of House of Wax, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Fantastic Four and its sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Invasion, and Astro Boy.
He also directed (in addition to editing and scoring) the 2000 horror film Urban Legends: Final Cut. He won a BAFTA Award for Best Editing for The Usual Suspects, as well as two Saturn Awards for Best Music for The Usual Suspects and Superman Returns. In 2019, he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Editing and won the ACE Eddie Award and the Academy Award for his work on Bohemian Rhapsody, a film Ottman saw through on his own after both directors' departure (Bryan Singer being fired and Dexter Fletcher beginning pre-production on "Rocketman" shortly after finishing the shoot). Ottman navigated the film's development in post and the tricky waters between the filmmaker and studio, working with producer Graham King and Dennis O'Sullivan. Upon Bohemian Rhapsody getting nominated for and winning its Best Editing awards, a scene of the band outside a pub went viral online after a post by Youtuber Thomas Flight, who was critical of the editing style. Ottman, aware of the clip, explained that for a test screening, a heightened pace for the first act was asked for by the studio. After the test, Ottman returned the scene to its original pace and design. Ottman regretted that he missed returning the scene outside the pub closer to his original version. The scene (directed by Fletcher) contained no master shot of the band at the table.
Description above from the Wikipedia article John Ottman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Acting
(2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody
as Live TV Director
(2016)
X-Men: Apocalypse
as Confused Tech
(2007)
Navigate This Maze
as Self
(2006)
(2003)
(2002)
(2002)
Round Up: Deposing 'The Usual Suspects'
as Self (archive footage)
Crew
(2018)
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Sound Mixer
(2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody
Editor
(2016)
X-Men: Apocalypse
Original Music Composer, Editor, Co-Producer
(2016)
The Nice Guys
Original Music Composer
(2014)
Non-Stop
Original Music Composer
(2014)
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Original Music Composer, Editor
(2013)
Jack the Giant Slayer
Original Music Composer, Editor
(2011)
Unknown
Original Music Composer
(2011)
The Resident
Original Music Composer
(2010)
The Losers
Original Music Composer
(2010)
(2009)
Orphan
Original Music Composer
(2009)
Astro Boy
Original Music Composer
(2008)
Valkyrie
Original Music Composer, Editor, Executive Producer
(2007)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Original Music Composer
(2007)
The Invasion
Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
(2006)
Superman Returns
Original Music Composer, Editor
(2005)
House of Wax
Original Music Composer
(2005)
Hide and Seek
Original Music Composer
(2005)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Original Music Composer
(2005)
Fantastic Four
Original Music Composer
(2004)
Cellular
Original Music Composer
(2004)
Lonely Place
Music
(2003)
Gothika
Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
(2003)
X2
Editor, Original Music Composer
(2003)
(2002)
Trapped
Original Music Composer
(2002)
Eight Legged Freaks
Original Music Composer
(2002)
Pumpkin
Original Music Composer
(2002)
Brother's Keeper
Music, Original Music Composer
(2002)
Point of Origin
Music
(2001)
Bubble Boy
Original Music Composer
(2000)
Urban Legends: Final Cut
Director, Editor, Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
(1999)
Lake Placid
Original Music Composer
(1999)
Goodbye Lover
Music
(1998)
Apt Pupil
Associate Producer, Original Music Composer, Editor
(1998)
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Original Music Composer
(1997)
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
Original Music Composer
(1997)
Incognito
Music
(1996)
The Cable Guy
Original Music Composer
(1995)
The Usual Suspects
Editor, Original Music Composer
(1993)
Public Access
Editor, Original Music Composer
(1988)
Lion's Den
Editor, Co-Director