Cinematic Travel Documentary Editor/Director – Fluent Arabic Required

**[IMPORTANT] Fluent Arabic required.** The raw footage and the final voice-over narration are in Arabic, so you need to understand spoken Arabic and be able to collaborate on an Arabic VO script. **About the Channel & the Role** I run a growing travel YouTube channel built around the stories — the quiet, human, and overlooked side of the places I visit, not a "top 10 things to do" list. I'm looking for a long-term creative partner: a **Director and Storyteller**, not someone who just trims clips together. You'll be the main creative force behind how each trip becomes a video — reviewing the raw footage, deciding the structure, and constantly asking: *"What do I want the viewer to feel in this moment?"* **The Next Project: Belfast** The upcoming project is a documentary-style video built from roughly 2 hours of raw footage from a trip to Belfast. The story weaves together several threads: * The Titanic Museum, and the largely untold story of the Arab passengers who were aboard the ship. * The Peace Wall / International Wall, including the murals expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. * The separation walls that still divide some neighborhoods because of the city's sectarian history. Because the material spans several emotional threads, I'm open to your directorial take on how to weave it together — you decide what best serves the story. **What You'll Do** * **Direct the narrative** — review the footage and build the strongest structure for it: a clear hook, rising tension, an emotional high point, and a resolution that stays with the viewer. * **Guide the script & VO** — you won't write the final Arabic copy, but you'll give me a clear script framework and cues: what the voice-over needs to cover, and exactly where it should sit in the edit. * **Shape the visuals** — motion graphics, map animations, and text overlays that feel cinematic, not generic. * **Own the pacing & emotion** — sound design, color grading, and pacing that keep the video hooked from the first second to the last. **On Graphics & Motion Design** I'm not asking for hours-deep, over-engineered After Effects work — I know that's the most time-consuming and expensive part of editing. For maps and graphics, I care about the *result* looking premium and professional, not about which tool got you there. If AI-assisted workflows let you hit that bar efficiently, that's completely fine with me. **Reference Styles** * **Joe Hattab** — visual pacing and cinematic transitions * **Johnny Harris** — map animations and explanatory, journalism-style storytelling * **Inside The Edit** — high-level creative editing and narrative flow **Past Work / Channel References** Here are the last two videos published on the channel for your review: * [Most recent video] — [https://youtu.be/Z_uQsZqydPo](https://youtu.be/Z_uQsZqydPo) * [Previous video] — [https://youtu.be/fFd99MNggow](https://youtu.be/fFd99MNggow) **Budget & Long-Term Partnership** This is a new, pre-monetization channel, so the budget right now is limited — please keep that in mind in your proposal. As the channel grows and starts earning, compensation and bonuses grow with it. I'm not looking for a one-off gig — I'm looking for someone who wants to build a brand with me over time. **Requirements** * Fluent in Arabic (footage, context, and VO script collaboration) * Demonstrable experience directing narrative-driven documentary or travel content — not just montage edits or basic vlogs * A portfolio that shows storytelling judgment and emotional pacing, not just technical cutting **To Apply, Please Share (Mandatory for consideration):** 1. **Portfolio Links:** Links to your past travel/documentary work where you handled BOTH the storytelling/structure and the editing (not just cinematic montages). 2. **Critical Analysis Challenge:** Please review the two videos linked in the "Past Work" section above. I faced a severe drop in Audience Retention in these videos, with viewers leaving within the first 40 seconds, which heavily impacted overall views and engagement. From your directorial and storytelling perspective: * What specific mistakes in the opening and hook construction caused the viewers to leave? * If you were the director and editor of these videos, how would you have fixed these issues? (Please provide practical solutions). * What narrative and pacing strategy will you implement for the upcoming "Belfast" video to avoid these mistakes entirely and ensure high viewer retention and engagement from the very first second? 3. **Style Match:** Have you studied or edited in the style of Joe Hattab, Johnny Harris, or Inside The Edit? Please share examples if available. 4. **Estimated Rate:** Based on the scope above (turning ~2 hours of raw footage into a concise documentary), what is your estimated fee for this project? 5. **Long-Term Fit:** Are you open to an ongoing, long-term creative partnership to grow the channel together if this project is successful?