Video Editing for Real-Life, Story-Driven Content

Video Editor Needed: Story-Driven, Real-Life Social Content (Not Ad-Style) About the Project I'm a solo content creator building a personal brand centered on promoting curiosity and empathy across social and cultural differences. My videos feature real people, real moments, and real emotion — the goal is to draw viewers into important social issues and leave them with something genuinely valuable, not to sell them anything. I hope my content resonates with anyone anywhere. But my primary audience is Americans who, like me, want to see less prejudice, stereotyping and misperceptions about various people groups in my country. Having some cultural understanding of how to resonate with Americans is a plus. I'm looking for an editor I can hand raw footage and rough notes to, and trust them to shape it into something that actually lands — emotionally true, well-paced, and effective. What I Need I need someone who can do both of these well: Technical skills: efficient editing workflow, audio leveling, and cuts/transition people don't even notice because they do not distract them from the story. Comfort working across short-form (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) and long-form YouTube. Storytelling instinct: This is the part that matters most. I need someone who can look at footage and know what to keep, what to cut, and how to structure it so it builds emotionally. Someone with a feel for pacing, tension and release, and how a viewer's attention rises and falls throughout a video — and who can make smart calls based on that instinct, not just follow a template. What This Content Is (and Isn't) I don't want to make videos that feel like ads. I'm intentionally avoiding flashy transitions, trendy graphics, and overly produced soundtracks — the goal is to stay close to real life, raw and personal, so the people and stories speak for themselves. Branded content, product promos, or anything with a polished "ad" feel are not the right fit — even if the technical execution is excellent. I'm looking for someone whose instincts lean toward documentary, human-interest, or narrative storytelling rather than commercial editing. How We'd Work Together I'll provide a batch of footage along with notes on what I'm looking for — the message, the moments that matter, the feeling I want viewers to walk away with. You'll take that and build a first cut that makes sense as a story, with minimal back-and-forth needed to get there. I'm looking for a real creative partner, not just someone executing instructions. If you apply, please start your message with the word Curiosity so I know you read this. Hours & Trial Period Starting hours: 5–10 hours/week, as a trial period for both of us to confirm it's a good fit. If it's working well: scaling up to 15–20 hours/week Longer-term: as my channels grow, the goal is to work up toward 30+ hours/week with the right person I want to be upfront that this starts slow and deliberate — I'm not looking to overcommit hours before we know this is the right match. To Apply Please include: - Examples of your edited work that lean toward storytelling, documentary, or human-interest content. (You can also include ad/promo-style videos if they show additional technical skills, although these are not the focus of this role). - Your availability for 5–10 hours/week to start. - (Optional): a short note to communicate your interest and fit for this role.