We're launching a YouTube channel for a boutique ocean expedition company — think freediving with Humpback Whales in Niue and Moorea, Orcas in Norway. The footage is real, wildlife-driven, and adventure-focused. We're not going for a polished, over-cinematic look — we want something that feels genuine and grounded.
We're looking for an editor with **specific experience in travel, adventure, or wildlife/documentary content** — not gaming, not talking-head/tutorial content, not corporate. If your portfolio has cut expedition footage, nature documentaries, or travel vlogs with a real (not overproduced) feel, we want to see it.
The content itself is freediving-based — ethical wildlife encounters with Orcas, Humpback Whales, and marine migration events, shot by a Natural History Cinematographer on location across Niue, French Polynesia, Norway, Mexico, Galápagos Islands, etc. If you have a personal interest in freediving or ocean sports, this is exactly that kind of footage.
**This is a paid trial project** for our first video, with the intention of moving to a regular arrangement (per-video) if it's a good fit on both sides.
**Structure every video follows (we'll provide a full written brief per video):**
- 8-10 second hook using the best footage moment, front-loaded
- Short branded title sequence (we provide the asset)
- Main story, cut for pacing and momentum
- On-camera subscribe call-to-action at the end
**What we provide:**
- Raw footage
- A written brief per video (story beats, hook moment, key soundbites, b-roll notes, music/tone reference)
**What we need from you:**
- A finished long-form edit (10–20 min), 2 revision rounds included
- Natural, true-to-life colour grading (not heavily stylized)
- Audio mix, including music, clip audio + basic sound design, as required
- Captions/subtitles
- [Optional add-on: 2–3 Shorts/Reels cutdowns from the same footage]
**Timeline (please read before applying):**
This listing is open now to build a shortlist and confirm pricing — it is **not** an immediate start. Here's the realistic delivery and release schedule:
| Batch | Destination & subject | Footage delivered (approx.) | Target release (approx.) |
| 1 | Niue — Humpback Whales | Mid-August 2026 | Early September 2026 |
| 2 | Moorea, French Polynesia — Humpback Whales | Mid-September 2026 | Early-to-mid October 2026 |
| 3 | Moorea (cont.) | Early October 2026 | Late October 2026 |
| 4 | Norway — Orcas | Early November 2026 | Late November 2026 |
Mexico follows Norway, with further expeditions continuing on into 2027 and beyond — this is an ongoing series, not a fixed-length project.
Turnaround per video is roughly 2.5–3 weeks including your two included revision rounds.
For context: our channel launch video (unrelated to this role, edited in-house) publishes about five days ahead of the first video from this pipeline — so Batch 1 is effectively the second video the channel ever posts.
Separately from the above, we may commission a small **paid test edit (~$100–150)** from existing footage once we've reviewed applications — this is to assess fit before committing to the ongoing arrangement, and its timing depends on who applies rather than a fixed date.
**Software:** Ideally DaVinci Resolve, but we can work around Premiere Pro (or other) if necessary.
**Turnaround:** Footage is delivered remotely (Dropbox or similar) while we're on expedition overseas, so there's no same-day back-and-forth expected. We'll agree to a realistic delivery window per video up front — generous, not a rush job — so you're not scrambling, but it's still a real deadline we'll hold to.
**Budget:** Fixed price, USD$250 for this trial video, paid on delivery of final cut after revisions. Open to discussing an ongoing arrangement (per-video or monthly retainer) after this trial, based on fit.
**To apply, please include:**
1. Two or three portfolio examples — travel, adventure, or wildlife/documentary content specifically
2. Your typical turnaround time for a 10–15 minute edit.
