Screenwriter for Cinematic YouTube Series About World-Shaping Events

I'm hiring a screenwriter/researcher for a scripted YouTube show about world-shaping events — dramatized, dialogue-driven, cinematic. I set the vision, ideas, and direction; you write the scenes and dialogue that put viewers inside these moments. Long-term role. ABOUT THE PROJECT I run a fast-growing online show and I'm building a small dedicated team. The direction is set: I bring the ideas, the strategy, the angles, and I know what performs on YouTube. What I need is a writer who can take a green-lit topic, do the deep research, and turn it into a fully scripted, dramatized episode with real dialogue and real scenes. (I'll share the show name and specifics privately once you're shortlisted.) THE SUBJECT AND SHOW STYLE The show covers world-shaping events — natural disasters, extinction events, historical catastrophes, and moments that changed the course of history. Think prehistoric extinction, ancient civilizations collapsing, major wars, and modern catastrophes. Format: fully scripted, dramatized, dialogue-driven stories. This is NOT a documentary with voiceover over B-roll. Every episode has characters, scenes, and real dialogue. Think a short film about a historical event, not a narrated essay about it. Viewers watch through the eyes of the people who were there — and one of those people is the show's host character. Your writing needs to: build scenes, write dialogue that sounds like real humans (not exposition dumps), get the history right, and hit YouTube's retention structure inside a scripted narrative form. Every episode is a short screenplay with the historical fidelity of a research piece. You need to love this stuff. If you don't already fall down Wikipedia rabbit holes about the Toba eruption or Pompeii for fun, this role isn't for you. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Take my green-lit ideas and turn them into shootable scripts — 8-minute episodes to start (may extend later), dramatized video content with scenes, dialogue, characters, and action. - Do the deep research — every scene should be backed by real facts and real sources. Historical fidelity matters. Wikipedia rewrites will not fly. - Build the story: cold open/hook, scenes with dramatic beats, mid-episode re-hooks, payoff. Screenwriting structure, not essay structure. - Write dialogue that sounds like the real people who were there — not exposition dressed up as speech. Period-appropriate voices, distinct character voices, cadence that plays. - Write in a way that respects the host character's voice and role in each episode (I'll share references and briefs). - Take direction, revise without ego, and turn scripts around fast enough to keep the show on schedule. WHAT YOU'LL GET FROM ME - Clear briefs. No "figure out what to write about" — I bring the ideas. - Fast, direct feedback so revisions move quickly. - A long-term role if the trial goes well. I'm hiring for consistency, not a one-off. - Real budget for the right person. YOU'RE A GREAT FIT IF YOU - Are a screenwriter first — you can build a scene, write dialogue that sounds real, and structure a story with dramatic beats. - Also understand YouTube retention — hooks, mid-video re-engagement, payoffs. Screenwriters who don't understand retention will lose viewers. YouTube writers who can't write dialogue will produce flat scripts. I need both. - Can point to real credits: scripts, short films, dramatized YouTube episodes, plays — something that shows me you can write dialogue and structure a scene. - Have taste — you can tell a working scene from a mid one, and you can explain why. - Are genuinely into history, science, disasters, catastrophes — this is the subject matter, and it shows in the writing when the writer actually cares. - Research fast and cleanly. You pull from real sources (books, primary docs, credible reporting), get facts right, and cite them. Wikipedia-only writers get flagged and dropped. - Have sensitivity and taste for emotionally weighty or recent events. Some episodes will require respectful, human treatment. - Take direction well and turn revisions fast. NICE TO HAVE - Screenwriting background — short films, features, TV, or scripted YouTube series. - Portfolio in historical drama, docudrama, period pieces, or dramatized-nonfiction channels. - Formal or serious self-taught knowledge in history, geology, archaeology, or a related field. - Fast turnaround (5-day script draft on a green-lit idea). DELIVERABLES (per script) - Story outline with scene breakdown, hook, key beats, and payoff — for approval before writing. - Full script in standard screenplay format (scene headings, action, dialogue) — targeting 8 minutes of finished video per episode (starting length). - Image or video references for scenes when you have them — not required, but welcome. If a specific film still, historical photo, painting, or clip captures your vision for a scene, share it. This helps us stay aligned and gives me a head start on production. - Cited source list backing the historical/scientific claims. - Up to 2 rounds of revisions included. WORKING PROCESS (per script) 1. I green-light the episode topic. 2. You submit a scene-by-scene outline. I review, redirect, or approve BEFORE you write dialogue. This is the main review gate — we fix structural issues here, where a rewrite is cheap. 3. You write the full draft. 4. I give notes. Up to 2 rounds of revisions. 5. Final approved. For the first 2-3 scripts I may add a quick check-in at the midpoint while we calibrate voice and workflow. After that, we settle into outline → draft → revisions rhythm without scene-by-scene review — I want you to have flow when you're writing. HOW TO APPLY 1. Start your application with the word "RETENTION" at the very top. No exceptions — this is the reading filter. Applications without it will be ignored. 2. Tell me about your portfolio. Link 2-3 samples of your best writing with dialogue (short film, scripted YouTube episode, play, TV — whatever). For each: what you wrote, and one line on why you're proud of it. 3. Tell me why you're a fit for THIS show specifically. Not "I'm the perfect fit for your project" — reference the subject, the format, or something specific from this post that resonated. Show me you actually read it. 4. Then answer the screening questions below.