Senior YouTube Documentary Editor / Editing Team — Premium Dark Cinematic Documentaries

Premium Dark Cinematic Documentaries WE ARE TRYING TO FIND EDITORS WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON DARK DOCUMENTARIES FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: MAGNATESMEDIA, JAKE TRAN, MOON, SUNNY V2, OR ANY OTHER DARK DOCUMENTARY CHANNELS LIKE THAT. We are not looking to copy them. We want to compete at that level—and ultimately create UNIQUE work that raises the bar. Please do not respond if you cannot show samples of dark documentaries you have personally worked on. We are NOT looking for a B-roll editor. We are building a new premium YouTube documentary channel with serious ambitions, and we're looking for an exceptional documentary editor or established editing team capable of helping us create some of the best long-form documentary content on YouTube. THE PROJECT Our documentaries will generally run 15–25 minutes and explore some of the world's most fascinating, recognizable, controversial and culturally relevant people, companies, fortunes and stories. The style is dark, cinematic, intelligent, psychologically engaging and highly visual. Our first documentary is already deep into development. The story and script have undergone extensive research, narrative architecture, fact-checking and retention analysis. We aren't handing you a mediocre script and asking editing to save it. We're trying to pair exceptional storytelling on the page with exceptional filmmaking on the screen. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR We need someone who thinks like a documentary filmmaker, not someone who simply fills narration with B-roll. You should be highly skilled in: Cinematic 2.5D / parallax animation — transforming archival photographs and still imagery into dimensional cinematic scenes using depth separation, masking, compositing and controlled camera movement Advanced compositing and motion design Archival footage and photography Cinematic visual storytelling Restrained animation and motion graphics Documents, headlines, screenshots and evidence Pacing and rhythm Music architecture Sound design Silence and negative space Visual reveals and pattern interrupts Tension, anticipation and payoff Visual storytelling that communicates information without requiring the narrator to explain everything We particularly want to see examples where you've transformed static archival imagery into cinematic visual storytelling—not simply applied a basic zoom, preset or automated parallax effect. Most importantly, you need to understand viewer psychology. Every image, cut, sound and musical decision should serve the person watching. Sometimes that means an elaborate 2.5D sequence. Sometimes it means holding one extraordinary archival image for six seconds and getting out of its way. The viewer comes first. WHAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR If your normal workflow is: Voiceover → find matching stock footage → add captions → add zooms/transitions → deliver this project probably isn't a fit. We're also not looking for someone whose definition of “high retention” is simply faster cuts, more motion graphics, louder sound effects or constant visual stimulation. We need storytelling—not decoration. THIS IS NOT A ONE-OFF PROJECT This is important. We are not looking for someone to edit one video and disappear. Our goal is to build a world-class documentary production operation capable of publishing approximately 6–8 premium documentaries per month as the production system matures. That means there is significant ongoing work available for the right person or team. Ideally, we're looking for a team capable of growing with us across: editing → archival sourcing → 2.5D/parallax → compositing → motion design → sound design → finishing while helping us develop a distinctive and consistent visual identity. QUALITY MATTERS MORE THAN BEING THE CHEAPEST We understand that world-class documentary editing requires time, talent and resources. We are willing to invest appropriately for exceptional work. What we won't do is sacrifice the viewer experience simply to produce videos cheaply. If you believe you can create work at or above the quality level of the reference channels above, we want to see it. TO APPLY Please begin your proposal with: “STORY FIRST.” Then send us: 1. Your 3 best long-form documentary edits. Do not send your entire portfolio. Show us the three pieces that most closely demonstrate the quality we're describing. 2. Your single best example of advanced 2.5D/parallax, archival-photo animation, cinematic compositing or documentary motion design. Tell us exactly what you personally created in the sequence. 3. Tell us exactly what YOU did on each documentary. Editing? Motion graphics? Research? Archival sourcing? 2.5D? Compositing? Sound design? Color? Everything? 4. Tell us whether you're an individual or a team. If you're a team, briefly explain who handles editing, motion design/2.5D, asset sourcing and sound. 5. Tell us your typical production timeline for a polished 20-minute documentary at this quality level. 6. Tell us what you would need from us to produce your absolute best work. 7. Give us a realistic budget range for a 20-minute premium documentary. And finally, answer this question in 2–3 sentences: What separates a great documentary editor from someone who is simply very good at editing B-roll over a voiceover? We will read that answer. THE OPPORTUNITY We're at the beginning of this channel. That means the person or team we choose won't simply be inheriting an established editing formula. You'll have an opportunity to help create the visual language of the channel from the beginning. We want to build something distinctive—not another imitation of what's already working. We're looking for people who want to make work they're proud to put their name on. If you're obsessed with documentary storytelling, understand YouTube viewer psychology, and look at the quality bar above and think: “I can beat that.” We'd like to talk.