u/Accomplished_Line380

Looking for a skilled YouTube editor for a growing tactical/educational commentary channel.

Channel:
Relaxxd Fit Tactical
https://youtube.com/@relaxxdfittactical

Goal of the role:
I’m not hiring someone to “make videos look cool.” I’m hiring someone to improve viewer retention, support the narration visually, and make educational/tactical commentary feel clear, tense, and watchable.

The format is:

• talking head intro
• documentary/faceless editing for the rest
• story-driven pacing
• retention-focused structure
• educational but entertaining

Videos are usually:
5–12 minutes long. (We try and stay right under 10 min)

This is NOT:

• meme spam editing
• gaming montage editing
• random transitions every 2 seconds
• “TikTok ADHD editing”

I’m looking for someone who understands:

• YouTube retention
• pacing
• hooks/payoffs
• documentary storytelling
• tension building
• sound design
• visual reinforcement
• clean professional editing

You do not need to know anything about firearms, but some basics might help.

You should be able to explain your editing decisions. For example: why you used a certain visual, why you cut a pause, why you slowed a section down, or how you supported the hook/payoff of the video.

Content includes:

• legal breakdowns (Mostly State Firearm Laws)
• self-defense/tactical topics
• educational commentary
• story-driven videos

Because this is a firearms/tactical-adjacent educational channel, platform safety matters. The content should stay educational, commentary-based, and professional. If something feels legally, factually, or platform-risky, I expect the editor to ask before making assumptions.

Style references:

• Internet Anarchist
• MagnatesMedia
• James Jani
• Moon
• Coffeezilla
• Johnny Harris
• Jake Tran

I’m not looking for a clone of any one channel. I’m looking for the shared style:
strong narration support, documentary pacing, smart visual evidence, clean sound design, and retention without cheap overediting. (Our channel Style will be discussed)

The right editor should be able to:

• Find and use visuals that reinforce the narration
• Support claims with relevant screenshots, documents, maps, headlines, clips, graphics, or other visual evidence
• Know when to speed things up and when to slow things down
• Clean up dead air naturally without making the edit feel chopped
• Build curiosity, tension, and payoff throughout the video
• Use music and sound design without overpowering the narration
• Use properly licensed, royalty-free, or original music/sound effects and avoid assets that could create copyright claims.
• Make educational content feel engaging
• Ask smart questions when something is unclear
• Organize project files cleanly and communicate clearly

Requirements:

• Strong English comprehension
• Strong communication
• Uses professional editing software such as DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, Final Cut, etc.
• Experience editing YouTube content, preferably documentary, commentary, educational, or faceless content
• Understands retention, pacing, hooks, payoffs, and viewer drop-off points
• Can take direction and feedback without getting defensive
• Reliable turnaround times
• Curious, detail-oriented, and willing to improve
• Communicates early if there is a problem, missing asset, unclear instruction, or delay

Workflow expectations:

• Confirm receipt of assets/instructions
• Agree on deadline before each project starts
• First draft turnaround depends on scope, but reliability matters
• Revisions should usually be handled in a timely manner unless discussed otherwise
• If something is unclear, ask before guessing
• If something will be late, communicate before the deadline, not after

Budget:

Paid per video. Most projects will typically fall around $150-$300+ per video depending on:

• Video length
• Complexity
• Amount of b-roll/visual sourcing needed
• Motion graphics or document work
• Sound design
• Overall editing quality

I am not looking for the cheapest editor. I am looking for the best fit.

For the right editor, I am willing to pay more for exceptional work.

Exceptional editing would look like this:

What’s Really Happening in the Bermuda Triangle

The Cult of the Dead Stock.

I do not expect a clone of these videos, but I do expect the editor to understand why they work: pacing, structure, curiosity gaps, music, visual evidence, tension, and payoff.

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WHAT TO DO:

Please DM me on Reddit with the following:

1. Portfolio with at least 2–3 relevant YouTube edits
2. Channels you’ve edited for and exactly what you handled on those channels
3. One video you edited and a short explanation of your editing choices
4. Retention/AVD results if available
5. Your favorite YouTube creators/styles and why
6. Your rate for a 6–10 minute documentary/commentary-style edit
7. Typical turnaround time for first draft and revisions
8. Editing software you use
9. Whether you can source visuals/b-roll and keep track of sources
10. Any experience with legal, educational, commentary, documentary, tactical, or sensitive-niche content

Paid test edit:
Editors who seem like a strong fit will receive a paid test edit using a real upcoming video segment. The goal is to see how well your editing judgment matches the channel.

For the test, I will be looking at:

• Hook support
• Pacing
• Visual reinforcement
• Sound design
• Documentary feel
• Retention-focused structure
• Communication
• Ability to take direction
• Overall fit for the channel

Long-term opportunity for the right person.

So once again:

($150-$300+ FLAT, PER VIDEO DEPENDING ON SCOPE with room to increase for exceptional quality)