Film Editor Needed to Adapt Feature Film into Engaging Vertical (9:16) Social Media Series

I’m looking for a highly creative film editor to transform my completed independent feature film into a compelling vertical (9:16) viewing experience for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels. This is not simply a crop-and-export project. The goal is to re-edit the film so audiences can watch the entire story on their phones without feeling like they need to rotate their device horizontally. Every scene should feel intentionally composed for vertical viewing while preserving the cinematic quality, pacing, tension, and storytelling of the original film. What You’ll Do ● Watch the entire feature film before editing. ● Break the movie into a sequence of vertical episodes/clips that flow naturally from beginning to end. ● Reframe every shot to maximize visual storytelling in a 9:16 format. ● Use intelligent cropping, punch-ins, split screens, repositioning, and creative editing techniques to preserve important performances and visual information. ● Ensure dialogue scenes remain engaging when converted to vertical. ● Preserve suspense, emotion, and narrative continuity. ● Deliver a series of episodes that encourage viewers to continue watching until the end of the film. The Ideal Editor You have experience with: ● Feature films or narrative filmmaking ● Editing for social media platforms ● Vertical storytelling (9:16) ● Creative reframing rather than simple cropping ● Building suspense and maintaining audience retention ● Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro You understand how to make a film feel like it was shot for vertical, even when it wasn’t. Deliverables ● Complete vertical adaptation of the feature film ● Organized episodes ready for social media release ● Consistent framing throughout ● High-quality 1080x1920 exports ● Project files upon completion Please Include When applying, send: ● Examples of narrative films you’ve edited ● Any vertical adaptations you’ve created from horizontal footage ● Your favorite feature film editor and why ● A brief explanation of how you would approach converting a cinematic feature into a compelling vertical experience Bonus Skills Experience creating content that performs well on: ● TikTok ● Instagram Reels ● YouTube Shorts Bonus if you’ve worked on independent films, thrillers, dramas, or festival projects. I’m looking for someone who thinks like a filmmaker—not just a social media editor. If you can preserve the artistic vision while making the film feel native to vertical platforms, I’d love to work with you.