Upwork Job Post — Cinematic Long-Form Podcast Editor
US-BASED EDITORS ONLY. International applicants will not be considered. I run a growing YouTube channel: @businesswithoutbullshit (33.6K subs, entrepreneur interview podcast). Looking for a US-based cinematic podcast video editor to elevate our long-form production. NOTE ON TIMELINE: I'm running a few hires in parallel. Application review for this role begins in approximately 10–14 days. If you're not in a rush to start, please apply. I'll respond to all serious applicants within 2 weeks. THE GAP I'M FILLING Right now my long-form interviews are cut talking-head style — minor edits, logo title card, basic sound. I want to step up to the production polish you see on Diary of a CEO, My First Million, Modern Wisdom, and similar premium podcast channels. YOU'LL DELIVER (PER VIDEO) 1 long-form interview edit (45–90 min finished runtime) Cinematic cold-open intro (15–30 seconds, hook-driven) Animated logo/title sequence B-roll cutaways throughout (industry footage, archive clips, location shots) Animated lower-thirds for guest names + business mentions Layered sound design (music + SFX beats) Section transitions / chapter breaks Custom end card with CTA YouTube chapter timestamps delivered with final file Up to 2 rounds of revisions included per video VOLUME 4 long-form videos per month, ongoing. Long-term retainer relationship with Day 30 + Day 90 reviews built in. I understand top editors maintain a roster of clients — I'm not looking for exclusivity, I'm looking for reliable weekly delivery and a long-term relationship. STYLE REFERENCE Diary of a CEO (the gold standard for cinematic interview production) My First Million (B-roll cutaways, visual references mid-conversation) Modern Wisdom (Chris Williamson — clean, premium production) The School of Greatness (Lewis Howes — polished interview format) WHAT I NEED FROM YOU US-BASED (non-negotiable for time zone overlap) Strong portfolio of podcast/interview video editing (5+ examples, must include B-roll integration and motion graphics) Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve (your choice) After Effects for motion graphics (or equivalent) Comfort with B-roll sourcing (Storyblocks, Artgrid, Pexels, archive footage) 7-day turnaround per long-form video from raw footage delivery Direct communication on Slack WHAT I DON'T WANT Editors who only do talking-head cuts (this is a step UP from that) AI-generated B-roll (use real footage) Generic stock music — needs to fit the energy International editors (please don't apply if not US-based) BUDGET — FIXED PRICE PER VIDEO $800–$1,200 per long-form video, paid via Upwork milestones. Final rate within that range based on experience and trial outcome. Equivalent to a $3,200–$4,800/month working relationship at 4 videos/month. Milestone structure per video: Milestone 1 (50%): First full cut delivered with cold open, B-roll, motion graphics, sound design ($400–$600) Milestone 2 (50%): Final delivery after revisions, including export files + YouTube chapters ($400–$600) Explicit room to grow as channel scales — top performer's per-video rate increases at Day 90 review. PROCESS Apply with portfolio (must include podcast/interview editing samples) Top 2–3 candidates get a paid trial: $450 fixed-price to edit a 5-min cold open + 1 B-roll segment from one of my interviews (full footage provided) Winner signs ongoing per-video contracts at the agreed flat rate PAID TRIAL DETAILS You'll receive raw footage from one of my interviews. Your job: Build a 30–60 second cinematic cold open with hook + B-roll Cut a 5-min segment from the interview with full B-roll integration Add motion graphic for guest name + their business Layered sound design Brief writeup explaining your editing choices Pay: $450 fixed-price via Upwork on delivery Deadline: 5 days from acceptance DELIVERY FORMAT (FOR FULL VIDEOS) Final export: 1080p or 4K MP4, H.264, delivered via Frame.io, Dropbox, or Google Drive Project files retained by editor for 30 days post-delivery in case of revision needs YouTube chapter timestamps in plain text TO APPLY In your proposal, include: CONFIRM you are based in the United States Link to portfolio (must show B-roll integration + motion graphics) 1 specific reference: "I edited for [creator/podcast name]" Your favorite long-form edit you've done and why Software stack (Premiere/DaVinci/After Effects) Average turnaround per 60-minute interview Your per-video flat rate at this scope (not hourly) Link to ONE specific edit in your portfolio that you believe matches the style references above (DOAC, Modern Wisdom, etc.) — and a 2–3 sentence explanation of which editing choices in that piece you'd bring to my channel Generic proposals will be ignored. Looking forward to seeing your work. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job