Creative Editor / VFX Artist for Cinematic Launch Teaser

Please read before applying. If your portfolio primarily consists of UGC content, eCommerce ads, talking head videos, generic real estate edits, podcasts, explainer videos, or standard social media reels, this project is probably not the right fit. I'm looking for someone with a strong eye for atmosphere, cinematic storytelling, visual effects, and creative direction. I'm creating a 40-second cinematic teaser announcing a completely new project after stepping away from a 15-year career producing large-scale electronic music festivals. This is not a commercial, advertisement, or typical social media edit. The goal is to create something mysterious that sparks curiosity and excitement. The project blends real footage with subtle AI-assisted visual effects. Most of the footage is real. The AI work should enhance reality, not replace it. Think believable environmental transformations, atmospheric lighting, glitch effects, and moments where the world briefly feels like something impossible is hiding beneath the surface. The overall feeling should be: Cinematic Abstract Mysterious Slightly unsettling in a good way Beautiful but restrained Creative inspiration includes immersive music festival visuals, atmospheric sci-fi, and high-end cinematic trailers. This is much closer to a short film or teaser trailer than a traditional social media video. I've attached a rough example that I created myself. It is NOT representative of the quality I'm looking for. I'm not a video editor (in fact, this was the first time I even linked clips together in capcut). It's simply meant to communicate the pacing, flow, and overall concept so you understand where my head is at. I fully expect the finished piece to be dramatically more polished, creative, and cinematic. I'm looking for someone who enjoys contributing ideas, not simply executing instructions. If you immediately have thoughts on how to make the concept stronger, you're probably the type of person I'm hoping to work with. When applying, please send: One or two portfolio pieces that you feel are the closest match to this style. Quality is much more important than quantity. A few sentences describing how you would approach a project like this. Your preferred software/workflow (After Effects, Resolve, AI tools, etc.) if relevant. I'm much more interested in taste and creativity than any particular software or workflow.