Short Film Narrative Editor

Experience Level: Senior / Lead
Compensation: Competitive, based on experience and portfolio

About the Role

Nathan Doan Comedy is looking for a highly experienced Short Film Narrative Editor to join our production team.

This is a senior-level editing position for someone who is confident taking ownership of an edit from raw footage through a polished first assembly with minimal day-to-day oversight.

Our ideal candidate is not someone who needs extensive direction or a detailed checklist for every cut. You should be able to watch the footage, understand the intended story and comedic timing, make creative decisions independently, and produce an edit that is already close to final quality before receiving director notes.

You will be working closely with Nathan's existing production workflow and editing style, so the ability to quickly learn and adapt to an established creative vision is extremely important.

What You'll Do

Edit short-form and long-form YouTube videos from raw footage through a polished first assembly
Take ownership of the editing process with minimal supervision
Learn and closely match Nathan Doan Comedy's existing editing style, pacing, comedic timing, and visual language
Make independent creative decisions regarding pacing, cuts, reactions, comedic beats, music, sound effects, graphics, and overall flow
Turn around strong first assemblies that require primarily director-level notes rather than extensive restructuring
Work with raw footage from scripted and unscripted/comedic productions
Organize and manage large amounts of footage efficiently
Collaborate with the director/producer while maintaining significant creative independence
Incorporate feedback efficiently and accurately
Maintain consistency across videos while continuing to improve the editing process
Meet established production deadlines and communicate proactively about any potential issues
Potentially help establish and improve editing workflows as the channel's production continues to scale

What We're Looking For

Required:

Several years of professional video editing experience
Strong experience editing YouTube content, particularly short-form content
An excellent understanding of comedic timing, pacing, storytelling, and audience retention
A strong portfolio demonstrating polished, personality-driven editing
Ability to work independently without constant oversight
Ability to quickly learn an existing creator's editing style and reproduce it consistently
Strong organizational skills and the ability to work efficiently with large amounts of footage
Excellent attention to detail
Ability to take creative direction and implement notes without needing excessive explanation
Reliable communication and consistent deadline management
Proficiency in professional editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or equivalent

Especially valuable:

Experience editing comedy, sketch, entertainment, or personality-driven YouTube channels
Experience working directly with creators, directors, or producers
Understanding of YouTube audience retention and pacing
Strong sound design skills
Experience with motion graphics, visual effects, compositing, or advanced editing techniques is a plus
Experience working within an established production team or content studio
Ability to identify what makes a scene funnier, faster, clearer, or more engaging without being told

The Kind of Editor We're Looking For

This position is not a good fit for someone who needs to be heavily managed throughout an edit.

We are looking for someone who can receive raw footage and a general creative direction, understand what the finished video needs to accomplish, and run with it.

A successful editor in this role should be able to make decisions like:

"This scene is dragging — I'll tighten it.""This reaction is funnier if I hold it for another beat.""This section needs a sound effect/visual gag to land.""This part isn't contributing to the story, so I'll cut it.""The pacing here isn't matching the rest of the video, so I'll restructure it."

You should be comfortable making those decisions before the director ever sees the assembly.

The workflow will generally be: raw footage → independent edit → director notes → revisions → final.

We are looking for an editor whose first assembly is already strong enough that the director is primarily refining the work rather than rebuilding it.

What We Offer

Significant creative independence
Direct involvement in a large and established YouTube channel
Opportunity to become a key member of the production team
Consistent volume of editing work
Collaborative creative environment without excessive micromanagement
Opportunity to help shape and improve the channel's editing workflow as we continue to grow

How to Apply

Please submit:

Your resume or relevant work history
A portfolio/reel of your editing work
At least 2–3 examples of YouTube videos you personally edited
A description of your role in those projects
Your typical turnaround time for a short-form (1-3 minutes) and a long-form (10-20 minutes) YouTube video
Your preferred editing software
Your desired compensation/rate

Please prioritize examples that demonstrate comedic timing, storytelling, pacing, and personality-driven editing.

We are particularly interested in seeing work that demonstrates what you can do without relying heavily on pre-existing direction or templates.

Important

Please do not apply unless you can provide examples of YouTube content that you personally led or edited independently. Do not submit projects where you were only a supporting/junior editor or responsible for a limited portion of the edit. We are specifically looking for candidates who can demonstrate that they have independently taken ownership of substantial projects from raw footage through a polished edit.

We are looking for a senior editor who can take ownership of the edit, adapt quickly, and deliver high-quality work with minimal oversight.

Pay: $32.00 - $40.00 per hour

Application Question(s):

Will you be able to work on-site in Oceanside, CA? (Please note this job requires on-site editing and will not consider remote applicants.)
How many years of professional video editing experience do you have?
Please provide links to 2–3 YouTube projects that you personally led or edited independently.
For the projects above, briefly describe your role and how independently you handled each edit.
Are you comfortable working primarily independently and receiving director notes after completing an initial assembly rather than receiving continuous feedback throughout the edit?
What is your expected compensation for this position?

Work Location: In person