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 "

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.

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