Cinematic Video Editor for Premium Educational TikTok Brand

Cinematic Video Editor Needed for Premium Educational TikTok Brand (Long-Term Opportunity) Title: Cinematic Video Editor for Premium Educational TikTok Brand (Long-Term Opportunity) About The Project: I am the solo founder of The Lyceum, an educational platform inspired by Aristotle's original school in Athens, built around the great minds and stories of history. The platform launches July 2026. This is a pre-revenue startup. I am building it personally, from scratch, without external funding or a team behind me. I am reaching out to freelancers because I want to keep building the platform itself and need help producing premium video content for our TikTok presence. I am not a company with a marketing budget. I am a founder investing my own resources into the brand. Please factor this into your proposal. I am looking for passionate, talented editors who want to build something meaningful from the early days, not freelancers who price as though I am a funded corporation. The Work: I need 4 -6 premium short-form videos per week for the Lyceum TikTok account. Each video is 30 - 90 seconds, cinematic, historical, and emotionally powerful. We feature figures like Thomas Edison, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Ibn Khaldun, Hypatia, and other great minds of history. What I Need: - Cinematic quality on par with A24 films, prestigious historical documentaries, and Roger Deakins lighting style. Think Gladiator, The Last Duel, The Alienist. - Original content created from scratch. No stock footage. No recycled clips. - If AI tools are used as part of the production pipeline, the output must be indistinguishable from professional cinematography. I do not want generic AI video that looks like default Grok or Runway output. I want refined, directed, cinematic work that happens to use AI as one tool among many. - Strong visual storytelling instincts. Dramatic lighting, chiaroscuro, cinematic color grading, period-accurate environments and costumes. - Capable of integrating voiceover, cinematic background scoring, and on-screen text with professional polish. - Vertical 9:16 format optimized for TikTok. Brand Aesthetic: Midnight Gold. Deep navy, rich amber gold, espresso shadows, candlelight warmth. Dark academia. Serious. Sacred. Cinematic. Every frame should feel like it belongs in a prestigious historical film. Important Ownership Terms: All video content produced under this engagement is owned exclusively by The Lyceum upon delivery. The freelancer retains no rights to the work, cannot display it in their portfolio without my written permission, and cannot repurpose, resell, or redistribute it to any third party. This is a work-for-hire arrangement. Full ownership transfers to The Lyceum on payment. The freelancer agrees to confidentiality regarding any unreleased content, scripts, brand materials, or business information shared during the engagement. What You Will Receive From Me: - Detailed creative briefs including the historical figure, the story arc, the voiceover script, and specific visual direction for each video - Brand guidelines including color palette, typography, aesthetic references, and closer templates - Timely feedback and approvals to keep production moving How to Apply: Please include in your application: - 3-5 examples of your most cinematic previous work, preferably in the historical, documentary, or premium brand space - A brief note on your production pipeline and which tools you use - Your rate per video and estimated turnaround time - Confirmation that you accept work-for-hire terms with full ownership transferred to The Lyceum - A short note on why you are interested in contributing to an early-stage founder-led project I am testing three freelancers with a single paid trial video before committing to a long-term engagement. Strong performers will move into an ongoing weekly retainer as the platform grows. Budget: Founder-funded, pre-revenue startup. I am looking for the right fit and reasonable rates, not premium agency pricing. If you are passionate about the mission and want to build with me, please propose a fair rate for your quality of work. Strong ongoing relationships matter more to me than one-off high fees.