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 multi-tasking 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 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 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 film-maker 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 someone 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.
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
John Ottman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the endless skies my love
To the dark and the endless skies
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
That was there at my command my love
That was there at my command my love
And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last 'till the end of time my love
And it would last 'till the end of time
The first time ever I saw your face
Your face, your face
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a love song that perfectly captures the raw emotions that come with falling in love at first sight. The lyrics are simple, yet poetic and powerful, as they describe the depth of feeling that the singer experiences when he sees his beloved for the first time. The opening lines describe the intense beauty of the person being observed, with their eyes serving as the sun that lights up the world and the gifts of the stars and the moon as the person's presence seems to make everything else in the universe pale in comparison. The love is described as boundless and limitless, stretching out into the dark, endless skies.
The second verse goes on to describe the first kiss shared by the lovers. The feeling is so intense that it makes the entire earth seem to shake and tremble. The imagery suggests a sense of control and power, with the singer suggesting that his beloved is like a captive bird under his command, although the tone is more romantic and reverent than it is possessive or domineering.
The final verse describes the moment when the lovers finally come together physically, with the singer feeling the beating of his beloved's heart close to his own. In this moment, everything seems perfect, and the singer feels like their love could last forever.
Overall, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a powerful and moving love song that perfectly captures the intensity and passion that comes with falling in love. The lyrics are simple and heartfelt, with a poetic quality that makes the song truly memorable and emotionally resonant.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time ever I saw your face
From the very first moment that I laid eyes on you
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
I was struck by the pure beauty that emanated from your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
Your radiance and presence felt like celestial gifts, like the moon and stars in the sky
To the dark and the endless skies my love
Even in the vast emptiness of the dark sky, your beauty shone bright
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
The first time ever we shared an intimate kiss
I felt the earth move in my hand
I felt an overwhelming sense of passion and emotion, as if the world shook beneath us
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
My heart was filled with such strong feelings that it was like a bird caught in a cage, trying to escape
That was there at my command my love
Despite my heart feeling like it was out of control, I knew that my feelings for you were a choice I consciously made
And the first time ever I lay with you
The first time we shared our bodies with each other
I felt your heart so close to mine
I could feel the love and passion you had for me, which beat in unison with my heart
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
I was filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness and elation, that I knew could spread to others
And last 'till the end of time my love
Our love was so strong and pure, that I knew it would last until the end of time
Your face, your face
Reiterating the overwhelming beauty of your face, which was the catalyst for my feelings
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jpcbarron
"Just because someone stumbles, loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever." - Charles Xavier
@monishk6561
awesome quote
@-cloudsaboveuscrying-6805
"sometimes we all need a little help"
best quote ever
@noodlesmaster69420
+
Clouds above us crying"We got... a little help" --Cyclops@-cloudsaboveuscrying-6805
haha yeah! everything is connected somehow
@lenedwardsjr9014
John Barron nice quote bro
@whysos3rious88
This movie is almost 10 years old and not a single movie from Marvel phase 4 comes close to this masterpiece. Days of Future past "felt" like an actual Marvel movie, you can feel the emotion and passion that was put into this film..
@LifeSaloon
Besides Captain america winter soldier no mcu film can be compare to this
@topknot01
X-men good movies actually felt like films. The closest Marvel got to that was the first iron man and winter soldier.
@anonymousaccount4483
@@topknot01Guardians 1 and Infinity War are up there too. But then you’ve got “product” films like Love and Thunder and Guardians 2