Nostalgic Bali and Lombok Travel Video

I am looking for a video editor to create a 1.5–2 minute travel video from footage I recorded during a trip to Bali and Lombok, Indonesia earlier this year.

I have already pre-selected around 160 clips that I consider the most relevant and interesting footage for the final video. These should serve as the main pool of material for the edit. In addition, I have a larger pool of 400+ original clips available. If you feel that additional footage is needed to improve the storytelling, create a better transition between scenes, or add a particularly meaningful or beautiful moment, you are completely free to select additional clips from this larger pool. The idea is therefore not necessarily to go through and use all 400+ clips, but rather to have the additional footage available as a creative resource whenever you feel it would benefit the final story.

Most of the footage was recorded with a 25-year-old camcorder, as I specifically wanted to travel light and capture the trip with an authentic, nostalgic VHS-style aesthetic. I also have some Insta360 & GoPro footage filmed in the water, which will require some color grading/correction. The footage can be integrated into the video, but I would like the overall visual identity to remain rooted in the nostalgic VHS/camcorder look.

The camcorder footage appears to have been stretched slightly horizontally during digitization, which should hopefully be relatively easy to correct. Apart from that, I would prefer to preserve the original VHS look rather than heavily color-grade or clean up the footage. The imperfections, grain, colors and analog character are part of the appeal.

Editing & Storytelling

I would like the edit to be strongly driven by the music and its rhythm. Cuts can follow the beat where appropriate, with the pacing changing throughout the video depending on the mood of the music. Some sections can be calm and atmospheric, while others can be more energetic and dynamic. I want the video to feel like a personal memory of the trip, showing the people I experienced it with, our interactions, funny or spontaneous moments, and the atmosphere of the journey. At the same time, I don't want this to become a collection of random clips simply placed one after another. I would like the final video to tell a small story and have a sense of progression. The footage doesn't necessarily have to be edited chronologically, but the different scenes, locations and moments should feel connected and intentional.

Creative transitions, seamless transitions, modern effects and even AI-assisted transitions are welcome if they genuinely improve the edit. However, I don't want the video to be overloaded with effects. The nostalgic VHS character should remain the main visual identity, with modern editing techniques used selectively to make the video more interesting and cohesive.

I am deliberately giving you a lot of creative freedom regarding the structure, pacing, transitions and editing style. I would much rather see your creative interpretation of the footage than prescribe every single cut.

Music

For the overall atmosphere, I have a few music references in mind:

“I'm God” – Clams Casino
“Time to Pretend” – MGMT
“Ganja” – Ooyy

So you can choose one of these songs for an edit.

Overall Goal

The finished video should feel like a short cinematic memory of the trip rather than a conventional travel montage.

The key elements for me are:

Around 160 pre-selected clips as the main editing pool
An additional pool of 400+ original clips available for creative selection when needed
Final video length of approximately 1.5–2 minutes
Music-driven editing and pacing
People, interactions and authentic moments as a priority
A coherent story/progression rather than random clips
Nostalgic VHS/camcorder aesthetic
Underwater footage integrated naturally
Creative transitions and effects where they add value
Modern editing techniques while preserving the analog character
A strong sense of atmosphere and emotion
Creative freedom for the editor

Although the final video is only around 1.5–2 minutes long, I see this as a creative storytelling/editing project rather than a simple montage, with the additional footage available to give you the freedom to build the strongest possible story.