Sam Durkes — Short-Form Video Editor & Creative Producer You know that editor who just gets it, sends back the cut and it's already better than what you had in your head? That's me. 20 years in music and brand content, with real credits: ANTI- Records, Bella Union, Verve Coffee Roasters, Netflix. Not background noise, actual campaigns that ran, performed, and made impacts. Short-form is the main focus right now. TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Hooks, pacing, retention, the whole thing. I shoot, direct, and edit, so there's no game of telephone between the person on set and the person in the timeline. One brain, start to finish. Also, I do motion graphics, branded content, campaign strategy, and creative direction if you need the bigger picture. But if you just need someone to take your raw footage and make it something people actually watch, that works too. Based in Los Angeles. Fast turnaround. Easy to work with. Has seen enough productions to not be precious about anything. Portfolio: samdurkes282e.myportfolio.com…

Sam Durkes

Sam Durkes — Short-Form Video Editor & Creative Producer You know that editor who just gets it, sends back the cut and it's already better than what you had in your head? That's me. 20 years in music and brand content, with real credits: ANTI- Records, Bella Union, Verve Coffee Roasters, Netflix. Not background noise, actual campaigns that ran, performed, and made impacts. Short-form is the main focus right now. TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Hooks, pacing, retention, the whole thing. I shoot, direct, and edit, so there's no game of telephone between the person on set and the person in the timeline. One brain, start to finish. Also, I do motion graphics, branded content, campaign strategy, and creative direction if you need the bigger picture. But if you just need someone to take your raw footage and make it something people actually watch, that works too. Based in Los Angeles. Fast turnaround. Easy to work with. Has seen enough productions to not be precious about anything. Portfolio: samdurkes282e.myportfolio.com…

Available to hire

Sam Durkes — Short-Form Video Editor & Creative Producer
You know that editor who just gets it, sends back the cut and it’s already better than what you had in your head? That’s me.
20 years in music and brand content, with real credits: ANTI- Records, Bella Union, Verve Coffee Roasters, Netflix. Not background noise, actual campaigns that ran, performed, and made impacts.
Short-form is the main focus right now. TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Hooks, pacing, retention, the whole thing. I shoot, direct, and edit, so there’s no game of telephone between the person on set and the person in the timeline. One brain, start to finish.
Also, I do motion graphics, branded content, campaign strategy, and creative direction if you need the bigger picture. But if you just need someone to take your raw footage and make it something people actually watch, that works too.
Based in Los Angeles. Fast turnaround. Easy to work with. Has seen enough productions to not be precious about anything.
Portfolio: samdurkes282e.myportfolio.com

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Work Experience

Freelance Short-Form Video Editor & Creative Producer at Self-Employed
January 1, 2019 - Present
Conceived, shot, directed, and edited short-form video content for music artists across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts; cut for hook retention, pacing, and platform-native formats; developed pre-production creative briefs and content frameworks; scripted hooks, wrote captions, and built content calendars around release windows and trending audio. Directed and produced promotional shoots on location and in-studio; managed crew, talent, and logistics from brief to final delivery. Edited long-form documentary content down to short-form social cuts; found stories in raw footage and shaped them into performing clips. Produced motion graphics and animated assets in After Effects for social ads, lyric videos, and brand content drops. Monitored platform trends, viral formats, and algorithm shifts; adapted creative quickly based on performance data. Managed multi-campaign workloads; coordinated teams across artists and release schedules; consistently delivered on time.
Content Strategist & Video Producer at Verve Coffee Roasters
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2024
Produced and edited short-form and long-form video ad content for a premium lifestyle consumer brand; delivered assets optimized for Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and the web. Directed and edited the Verve x Grateful Dead 2026 brand launch campaign, managing motion graphics production, video editing, and multi-platform asset delivery under tight deadlines. Self-initiated and produced a branded documentary series filmed on a European music tour concept, shot and edited the full series independently from pitch through delivery. Created and iterated on short-form content based on performance analytics; tracked performance and iterated. Managed content production calendar and coordinated with cross-functional teams on asset delivery schedules.
Creative Director & Video Producer at Murmur (Independent Music Company)
January 1, 2023 - Present
Co-founded an independent music company; led all video content production, short-form social strategy, and creative direction. Produced artist content optimized for algorithmic discovery on TikTok and Reels; built hooks first, edited for retention, tracked performance and iterated.
Consultant & Video Content Producer at End of the Road Management
January 1, 2015 - Present
Produced video content and short-form social assets for a UK-based indie artist management company; adapted content for US platform audiences. Provided ongoing creative direction and editing support for touring campaigns and album rollouts across the UK and US.
Taproom & Events Manager at Half Acre Beer Company
January 1, 2012 - January 1, 2016
Managed event programming, logistics, and brand activations; strong organizational and project management foundations.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media Studies at Loyola University Chicago
January 1, 2012 - January 1, 2015

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Professional Services, Retail, Other
    Grateful Dead x Verve Coffee Roasters Collaboration
    video animator videoeditor advert Paid social ads I made for the collaboration.…
    Grateful Dead x Verve Coffee Roasters Collaboration
    video animator videoeditor advert Paid social ads I made for the collaboration.…