Pokémon Essay Scriptwriter! | SmithPlays Pokémon
About the Job
I’m looking for a scriptwriter to collaborate on long-form, generation-spanning Pokémon video essays. Each script is typically broken down either by generation or individual game. I myself, the owner/face of the channel usually establish the main themes and overarching ideas of the video first, writing the Gen 1-3 sections myself (these serve as the model for the rest of the script). Your role will be to take the research notes and bullet points to then draft polished, engaging sections for the later generations (Gen 4 onward). These scripts aim to balance solid research and big picture analysis with a playful, passionate and sometimes silly or self deprecating tone.
You won’t be going off of nothing, but rather, finishing out the areas of the games that I have less experience on. Basically, you will always be provided with the basis concepts, never starting your writing from absolutely nothing, but you will still have to do some big picture thinking. For most videos, you won’t just be listing facts, but going deeper to help tell a story about how something within Pokémon has evolved over the years. The way we describe our content is ‘Pokémon through a different lens.’
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a massive Pokémon fan with an extremely deep understanding of the games across multiple generations. We’re looking for someone who knows more than just the names. You should be able to recognize generational variations, contextualize generation specific game mechanics or design changes, and explain why they matter to the series as a whole. Strong writing skills are also essential, particularly as we need to balance facts by keeping things accessible, fun, and conversational while still tackling serious, big picture themes. Bonus points if you’ve written for YouTube videos before and understand the basics of the algorithm, pacing, hooks, and how to keep viewers engaged across a long-form script.
Job Requirements
- Strong writing and editing skills in English, with an understanding of flow and clarity.
- Deep knowledge of Pokémon across all generations (specific mechanics and details, evolution of the games, fan culture, memes, etc.).
- Ability to take provided concepts and research notes and expand them into polished, narrative-driven scripts.
- Comfortable balancing informative analysis with humor and personality that matches my on camera talking style.
- Able to meet deadlines and collaborate on revisions.
- Access to standard writing tools (Google Docs, etc.).
- Bonus points if you understand the basics of the YouTube algorithm: watch time, viewer retention, etc.
Pay
I’m a big believer in paying someone for the job and not for the hours worked. Paying you per hour simply punishes you for doing your job efficiently. I’m also willing to work with you to figure out a formula to determine pay that you feel good about. I like doing variable rate wages. An example might be something like a flat rate for every job you work on of $50, plus a per page varying rate of $15 per page. A ten page project would then pay $200, while a 5 page would see $125, and a 15 page would be $275. This is just an example though and I’m happy to work on a formula that you feel comfortable with.
A Little Bit About Me
This is my fourth major YouTube channel, with my previous ones being TheSmithPlays (2.8 million), Top 10 Trends (1 Million), NiftySmith (850k). I’ve been on the platform for a decade and I’m very knowledgeable about YouTube. As an employer, I believe in treating workers fairly and I try my best to always do this. In this, I’m proud to say I’ve actually never had someone quit under me. My belief has always been to pay people what they deserve, rather than the exploitative practice of paying as little as you can get away with. I want to foster long term positions of stability, as I believe that creativity can only be achieved in a stable environment. As it is with most channels, our goal is to make money, but we want to do so while prioritizing content that is meaningful. This is not a conveyer belt slop channel, but a place where every project is to be crafted and published with pride!