Video Editor — Long-Form Storytelling + Short-Form Social Content

I am looking for an experienced video editor to help with a unique project for a high-end bespoke jeweler in the United States.

The project will document the story of a master jeweler who has spent decades designing and creating custom jewelry.

We will be filming approximately one full day of content, including:

A long-form interview between the jeweler and his daughter
Footage of him working at his bench
Jewelry and gemstone close-ups
Tools, sketches, design work, and fabrication
Studio footage
Historical photographs and other archival material
Additional B-roll and supporting footage

The goal is to turn this footage into one polished long-form story and a large library of short-form content.

This is not intended to look like a flashy YouTube video or overly edited TikTok content.

The finished work should feel premium, authentic, emotional, understated, and appropriate for a high-end luxury jewelry brand.

Primary Deliverables
1. Long-Form Story

Create approximately one 15–30 minute finished video telling the jeweler's story.

The editor will need to:

Review the complete interview
Identify the strongest stories and moments
Develop a coherent narrative
Remove unnecessary conversation without making the interview feel unnatural
Build a beginning, middle, and ending
Integrate relevant B-roll
Incorporate historical photos or archival material
Clean and balance audio
Perform basic color correction/grading
Add tasteful titles and graphics
Add music where appropriate
Create a polished final video suitable for a website and YouTube

The most important skill here is storytelling.

I do not simply want someone who edits everything in chronological order. I want an editor who can listen to several hours of conversation and recognize what should become part of the final story.

2. Short-Form Content

The same footage will be used to produce approximately 20–30 short-form social media videos.

These may include:

Interesting stories from his career
Jewelry-making insights
Craftsmanship explanations
Memorable commissions
Advice or observations from decades in the industry
Behind-the-scenes bench footage
Jewelry education
Family and legacy moments
Individual quotes or observations that can stand alone

Most videos will likely be approximately 30–90 seconds, although length should be driven by the content.

Short-form videos should be formatted appropriately for:

Instagram Reels

Facebook
YouTube Shorts

Deliverables should include:

Vertical 9:16 versions
Clean subtitles/captions
Strong opening hooks when appropriate
Tasteful text overlays
B-roll where it improves the story
Consistent visual treatment across the series

Again, this is a luxury brand.

I am not looking for excessive animations, sound effects, emojis, jump cuts, or editing tricks.

Simple and excellent is better than busy.

3. Content Organization

I also want the editor to help identify and organize the best content within the footage.

For each short-form piece, I would like a simple working title or content description such as:

How Ronel Became a Jeweler
What Makes a Handmade Piece Different
The Most Difficult Part of Creating Custom Jewelry
What 40 Years at the Bench Teaches You

This will help us organize the content library and schedule the social media rollout.

Editing Style

The visual direction should feel:

Premium
Cinematic without being overproduced
Authentic
Warm
Sophisticated
Story-driven
Clean
Timeless

Think documentary storytelling for a luxury brand, not influencer content.

The personality and craftsmanship of the jeweler should remain the focus.

Required Skills

You should be comfortable with:

Long-form interview editing
Documentary/story-based editing
Short-form social editing
Identifying strong moments from long interviews
Audio cleanup
Color correction
B-roll sequencing
Subtitles/captions
Vertical and horizontal formatting
Music selection
Basic motion graphics/titles
File organization

Experience with Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or another professional editing platform is acceptable.

The Most Important Requirement

You must have good editorial judgment.

I need someone who can watch an interview and understand:

"That is the story."

or

"That 45-second answer would make an excellent standalone video."

I do not want to provide timestamps for every clip.

I will provide direction and feedback, but I am hiring an editor because I want someone capable of helping discover the best content inside the footage.

What I Will Provide

You will receive:

Full interview footage
B-roll
Jewelry footage
Photography
Historical photographs/materials when available
Brand assets
Logo files
Basic brand direction
Background information about the jeweler
Direction regarding the overall story
Feedback during editing

Files will be organized and transferred digitally.

Initial Project

The initial project is expected to include:

1 long-form video
Approximately 15–30 minutes

20–30 short-form videos

Plus the editing, audio, color, captions, B-roll integration, and formatting necessary to produce those assets.

Potential Ongoing Work

This project is being completed through Klich Consulting, a U.S.-based consulting business.

I am looking for someone I can potentially continue working with after this project.

Future work could include:

Additional client interviews
Brand storytelling videos
Social media clips
Business content
YouTube videos
Short-form content
Other client projects

If this project goes well, I would prefer to build a long-term relationship with one editor rather than continually search for new freelancers.

How to Apply

Please send:

A short introduction about yourself.
A link to your portfolio.
One example of a long-form interview, documentary, podcast, or story-based video you personally edited.
Two examples of short-form videos you personally edited.
The editing software you primarily use.
Your typical turnaround time.
Your expected rate for a project of this scope.
Tell me briefly how you would approach turning a 2–3 hour interview into both a 20-minute story and 20+ short-form clips.

Please do not send 20 portfolio links.

I would rather see your three best examples.

Important

At the top of your application, write:

JEWELRY STORY

This lets me know you read the full posting.

Applications that do not include this will not be considered.

Employment Type

Project-based initially, with the opportunity for ongoing work.

I am more interested in finding the right editor than the lowest-priced editor.

Quality, communication, reliability, storytelling ability, and good judgment are the priorities.