YouTube Shorts Editor Needed for Outdoors/Shooting Channel — Ongoing Work

We are launching a YouTube channel for **The Avid Outdoorsman** and are looking for one or more video editors to turn our raw shooting footage into engaging YouTube Shorts. We already have a folder of footage featuring Joshua shooting different firearms. Your job will be to review the assigned footage, find the strongest moments, and turn them into clean, interesting vertical videos. We are still developing the channel’s editing style, so we may hire several editors for separate paid trials and compare their work. Our eventual goal is to find one reliable editor who can consistently deliver at least 7 great Shorts per week for $35 total. ## About The Avid Outdoorsman The Avid Outdoorsman creates content related to: * Firearms * Shooting * Hunting * Outdoor life For general inspiration, we enjoy content from: * @mishas_guns * @hickok45 * @HonestOutlawReviews * @PewView These channels are references for the general feel, quality, and audience we like. We do not want their exact videos, captions, graphics, branding, or jokes copied. The Avid Outdoorsman needs its own recognizable style. The videos should feel: * Clean and professional * Visually satisfying * Interesting to firearm enthusiasts * Entertaining without being cheesy * Polished without feeling overly edited Joshua should come across as a real outdoorsman who genuinely enjoys firearms—not as an exaggerated influencer or character. ## What You Will Do For each assigned Short, you may be responsible for: * Reviewing the provided raw footage * Finding the strongest or most interesting moments * Creating an attention-grabbing opening * Removing slow, repetitive, or unnecessary footage * Reframing horizontal footage into a vertical video * Adding clean captions or on-screen text when helpful * Improving brightness, color, pacing, and audio * Highlighting recoil, brass ejection, firearm sounds, target impacts, reloads, or Joshua’s natural reactions * Adding subtle slow motion, replays, close-ups, or sound effects when appropriate * Suggesting a YouTube title, description, and relevant hashtags * Exporting and uploading the finished video according to our instructions Do not simply place the footage into a generic template. Each video should feel intentionally edited around the footage provided. ## Preferred Editing Style The firearm, shooting action, and natural audio should remain the focus. Good editing choices may include: * Tight, clean cuts * Close-ups and subtle zooms * Slow motion during a strong moment * Replays of a shot or target impact * Clear captions * Brief labels identifying the firearm or ammunition * Light color and brightness correction * Tasteful humor * Subtle sound enhancement * Music used lightly when it genuinely improves the video Please avoid: * Excessive transitions * Constant zooming * Constant screen shaking * Random meme sounds * Fake muzzle flashes or explosions * Fake recoil or target impacts * Gaming-style kill graphics * Loud music that covers the firearm audio * Cartoonish captions * Overly dramatic tactical effects * Generic CapCut templates that overpower the footage Humor is welcome when it fits the footage naturally, but jokes should not be forced into every video. Some Shorts may be satisfying shooting clips. Others may be educational, funny, cinematic, comparison-based, or focused on a specific firearm. The editing should match the footage instead of forcing every video into the same format. ## Opening Hook The first 1–2 seconds should immediately give the viewer a reason to keep watching. Whenever possible, begin with: * The strongest shot * A target impact * A noticeable recoil moment * An interesting firearm close-up * Joshua saying something interesting * A strong natural sound * A simple question or statement * A preview of what happens later Do not begin with unnecessary walking, setup, silence, or camera adjustments. Examples of simple hooks include: * “First shots with this setup.” * “Would you carry this?” * “Watch the second shot.” * “This one has more recoil than it looks.” * “Listen to the difference.” * “This might be my new favorite.” * “Let’s see how it handles.” Do not add false, misleading, or overly dramatic claims. ## Video Requirements Each completed Short must be: * Vertical * 1080 × 1920 pixels * MP4 format * Usually 15–45 seconds long * Clear and high quality * Free of watermarks * Free of black bars * Ready to upload directly to YouTube The footage should be framed so the important action remains visible on a phone screen. ## Firearms and Safety Applicants must be comfortable editing firearm-related content. All videos must present firearms responsibly. Do not edit the footage in a way that: * Encourages unsafe firearm handling * Suggests threats or criminal activity * Glorifies violence against people * Adds blood, gore, or fake injuries * Makes a safe situation appear dangerous * Uses jokes about harming another person * Creates fake reactions or misleading events * Suggests that a firearm should be used against a neighbor, family member, group, or any other person Do not add fake muzzle flashes, fake recoil, fake target impacts, or anything else that changes what actually happened. ## Music and Copyright Do not use copyrighted songs, movie audio, television clips, podcast clips, or footage belonging to another creator. You may use: * Natural audio from the footage * Properly licensed music and sound effects * Commercial-use assets * Audio or graphics provided or approved by us Natural firearm audio will often be preferred over music. You must identify any music, sound effects, fonts, stock assets, or other outside materials used in the finished video. Do not use watermarked TikTok, Instagram, or other social-media content. ## File Delivery Raw footage, instructions, and approved brand assets will be provided through Google Drive. You will receive: * Viewer and download access to assigned raw footage * Access to our editor instructions * Upload access to your personal submission folder Each completed video must be uploaded to Google Drive and formally submitted through the correct Upwork milestone. Files must follow this naming format: **AO_SHORT_###_TOPIC_v1.mp4** Example: **AO_SHORT_001_AR15_FIRST_SHOTS_v1.mp4** Revised versions should be labeled `v2`, `v3`, and so on. For each completed Short, also provide: * Suggested YouTube title * Suggested description * Suggested hashtags * Raw footage file used * Approximate timestamps used * Music or sound effects used * Any outside assets used * A short note explaining the editing direction, if helpful ## Pay and Weekly Work The starting rate is **$5 per completed YouTube Short**. The first assignment will be a paid trial consisting of one Short. We may hire several editors for separate trials so we can compare editing styles and find the best fit. Our eventual goal is to hire one reliable editor who can deliver: **7 high-quality Shorts per week for $35 total** Each Short includes one reasonable round of revisions. Ongoing work will depend on: * Editing quality * Ability to choose strong moments * Reliability * Communication * Following instructions * Consistent weekly delivery * Understanding The Avid Outdoorsman’s style Please do not create an unpaid sample. ## Ownership and Confidentiality All raw footage belongs to The Avid Outdoorsman. You may not: * Post the footage on your own accounts * Include it in your portfolio without written permission * Share it with another person * Upload it to a public folder * Sell or reuse it * Allow another editor to complete the work * Use the footage to train AI systems After payment, the completed video and custom assets created for the project belong to The Avid Outdoorsman. Please keep editable project files for at least 30 days after approval. We may occasionally request a project file or reusable branded template. ## To Apply Begin your proposal with the word **“outdoors.”** Please also include: 1. Two or three examples of Shorts, Reels, or TikToks you have edited 2. Any experience editing firearms, outdoor, hunting, automotive, sports, or action footage 3. The editing software you use 4. A brief explanation of how you would make raw shooting footage interesting 5. Confirmation that you are comfortable with firearm-related content 6. Confirmation that you are comfortable with the $5 paid trial 7. Confirmation that you can eventually deliver at least 7 Shorts per week 8. Confirmation that you can follow the required Google Drive and file-delivery process Please do not send a long generic proposal. We are most interested in seeing relevant work and understanding your editing style.