Short Form Video Editor
Dream Three · New York City
We believe a story can change what a person can see: not by arguing, but by showing them something true they didn’t have words for. Dream Three is a story studio built to deliver best-in-class, genre-spanning narratives across mediums, including film and series, theater and live events, publishing and music, and digital and immersive. If you’re looking for a team that takes big creative swings and doesn’t settle for less than excellent, keep reading.
ROLE OVERVIEW
We’re looking for a Short Form Video Editor who lives and breathes vertical video to cut high-retention clips for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. You’ll turn long-form footage (interviews, BTS, podcasts) into tight, thumb-stopping edits that hook in the first 1–3 seconds, keep viewers watching, and drive follows. If you’re obsessed with hooks, pacing, and platform-based storytelling—and you can move quickly without losing taste—you’ll thrive here.
What Success Looks Like In This Role:
You consistently deliver 3–5+ strong clips per week (0:15–2:00) from provided footage, on brief and on time.
Your edits show clear hooks and high retention relative to baseline for each channel.
Projects are tidy and easy to pick up—clean timelines, labeled exports, and organized media.
WHO YOU ARE
You move fast but care a lot about taste and details.
You’re comfortable getting direct creative feedback and iterating quickly.
You love studying what works on TikTok/Reels/Shorts and can explain why a clip hits.
You’re proactive: if a hook isn’t working, you suggest alternatives.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Edit 3–5+ short form clips per week from long form footage, with quick turnarounds (sometimes same day).
Craft strong cold opens, trims, and pacing tailored to TikTok/Reels/Shorts.
Add accurate, on-brand captions and punch up with motion graphics, callouts, emojis, and SFX when appropriate.
Mix and sweeten audio (dialogue cleanup, music/SFX balance) and do basic color correction/matching.
Version content for 9:16 / 1:1 / 16:9 and export platform-ready files with correct codecs and loudness.
Package assets: clean project files, labeled exports, thumbnail pulls, and simple metadata (working title/tags).
Keep projects organized in Dropbox/Drive per our file naming and folder conventions.
Collaborate with producers/social strategists, take thorough notes, and turn revisions around promptly.
Join regular Zoom/Slack check-ins for feedback and planning.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
2+ years editing short-form content for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, or equivalent experience demonstrated in portfolio.
Proven hook-first storytelling for vertical video: you can articulate why something will stop a scroll.
Proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro as your primary NLE.
Solid audio fundamentals: Denoise, EQ, compression, loudness targets for spoken word vertical content.
Comfort designing and styling subtitles for vertical formats.
Familiarity with current platform norms and trends (cuts, pacing, memes, sounds, transitions) without chasing every gimmick.
Strong communication, time management, and reliability in a remote environment.
Portfolio/reel of vertical edits (please include links; TikTok/Reels/Shorts links are ideal).
TOOLS YOU’LL USE
Editing & Motion: Adobe Premiere Pro
Review & Delivery: Frame.io, Dropbox
Collaboration & Workflow: Slack, Zoom, Asana
We’ll provide our brand kit, fonts, LUTs, and delivery specs, and we’ll collaborate with you to evolve best practices over time.
PLUSES
Experience cutting comedy, creator-led, or podcast-driven content.
Basic thumbnail design skills (Photoshop/Illustrator/Canva).
Familiarity with YouTube metadata and SEO for Shorts.
Prior collaboration with a social strategist or growth lead.
Proficiency in CapCut, Instagram Edits, or similar mobile tools—but not used as your primary editing tool.
Adobe After Effects for motion graphics.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Availability: Approximately 10–20 hours/week once ramped, with flexibility to scale up/down around releases.
Location: Fully remote (must have reliable internet and a capable editing setup).
Start Date: ASAP.
Type: Freelance 1099 Contractor
Reports to: Social Media Manager and Podcast Coordinator
Senior Editors: On occasion, we hire senior-level editors at higher rates. If you feel this describes you, please note it in your application.
If this role feels like a stretch in all the right ways, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us how your skills, experience, and unique point of view can level up this team and the stories we’re bringing into the world.
Dream Three is an equal opportunity employer. We value a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives, and strongly encourage candidates from historically underrepresented communities to apply.