Creative Editor for Nostalgic VHS-Style Wedding Documentary (15+ min) + 8 Speech Videos

**Deadline: 7 days from file handoff** I filmed my friend's wedding entirely on a retro VHS camera app on my iPhone, and I'm looking for an editor with real creative vision to turn the footage into a nostalgic, home-movie-style documentary. This is a sentimental gift and I have a high bar. I'm not looking for someone to just execute instructions. I want a creative partner who takes the concept and makes it better than what I could describe, brings ideas I haven't thought of, and owns the storytelling. **THE FOOTAGE** - ~100 short clips (10-25 seconds each): venue setup, scenery, guest interviews, rehearsal dinner, reception dinner, dancing and partying - 8 longer speech videos plus first dance footage - Roughly 45-60 minutes of material total, delivered pre-sorted into labeled folders via Google Drive - All footage has an intentional retro VHS aesthetic (grain, tracking lines, timestamp overlays) **DELIVERABLES** 1. **Main edit: 15+ minute documentary.** Nostalgic home-movie feel. I have a rough arc in mind (setup, rehearsal dinner, wedding day, speech excerpts, first dance, reception, dancing finale, with guest interviews woven throughout as narration), but I want you to challenge and improve it. Structure, pacing, audio mix, and music are your creative territory. Surprise me. 2. **8 individual speech files.** Lightly trimmed (dead air removed, obvious interruptions cut), otherwise untouched. Audio cleanup and leveling welcome. Delivered as separate labeled files. **IMPORTANT: THE VHS LOOK IS INTENTIONAL** Do NOT color correct, stabilize, sharpen, denoise, or otherwise clean up the visuals. The grain and retro artifacts are the entire point. Audio-only cleanup on the speeches is fine and encouraged. **MUSIC** Your pick, my approval. Nostalgic and warm, think home-movie montage. This is for personal use only, so use whatever songs serve the edit best. **PROCESS AND FEEDBACK** Because I have a high bar, I want a structured feedback process rather than one big reveal at the end: - Kickoff: you pitch your creative direction and story approach before cutting anything - Checkpoint 1: first 2-3 minutes of the edit to lock in tone, pacing, and music before you build the rest - Checkpoint 2: full rough cut for detailed feedback - Final: polished delivery, with 2 rounds of revisions included after the rough cut In your proposal, describe how you typically run feedback with clients. If you have your own process that works better than the above, pitch it. **TO APPLY** 1. Include 1-2 links to wedding, event recap, or documentary-style edits you have done 2. Propose your timeline within the 7-day window 3. Pitch one creative idea for this project that goes beyond what I described above 4. Include the word RETRO in the first line of your proposal so I know you read the full brief. Proposals without it will be declined without review. I'll respond to shortlisted applicants within 24 hours. Thanks!