Ottman composed the music for X-2: X-Men United, and on that production, as on most of his collaborations, he also served as editor. The combination produces a specific effect: sequences are cut to music he is writing simultaneously, so the timing of an edit and the timing of a cue are decided together.
He met his longest standing collaborator at film school and has worked with the same director across most of his career. Orchestral film scoring tradition shapes his music, and he writes strong primary themes rather than atmospheric beds, which suits films built on set pieces that need to be remembered afterwards.
Recurring subjects: identity and persecution scored with a single recurring motif, action written melodically rather than rhythmically, and cues built to peak exactly on a cut. His dual role makes his scores unusually integrated with the picture, since neither element was finished before the other began.
He has won an Academy Award for film editing on a musical biography, and his superhero theme has been reused across several entries in that franchise, becoming its recognisable musical identity. His combined role is frequently cited as evidence of how closely music and editing are related.
For listeners and viewers interested in how score and edit interact. Suited to anyone following the superhero franchise's musical continuity, and to those curious about a filmmaking role almost nobody else occupies.
