# Rigsaw: full reference > Rigsaw is a UK video editing and content production studio for creators, run by Daniel Ball. It edits short-form video for TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, long-form YouTube videos and stream highlights, designs thumbnails, and advises on growth strategy. Gaming content is its speciality, but it works across niches. Facts last verified 2026-10-22. Source: https://rigsaw.com/ai ## Who runs it ### Daniel Ball, Founder Daniel Ball runs Rigsaw. He has spent more than seven years producing creator content at scale, and he set Rigsaw up to give creators that same production quality without the agency overhead. As Head of Operations at Zygomedia (2024 to 2025) he led a 12-person YouTube editing team delivering 80+ uploads a week for gaming and business creators, and owned metadata, SEO and analytics for audience growth. Before that he was Video Production Manager at GR Digital (2019 to 2022), directing a 25-person production team producing 170+ assets a week for global gaming creators, where he introduced data-informed creative planning and rebuilt the review process for quality at scale. He also co-founded VEXinfluence, a creator talent management agency. Expertise: Video editing at scale, Short-form and long-form YouTube production, Gaming creator content, YouTube analytics and SEO, Production workflows and review processes - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-r-ball/ - Website: https://danielball.wales/ ## Legal - Trading name of Daniel Ball, a sole trader in the United Kingdom ## Services ### Short-form editing URL: https://rigsaw.com/services/short-form-video-editing Short-form video editing for creators: TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels cut for retention, with hooks, captions and pacing built to hold viewers. Includes: - Hook-first structure, cutting dead air from the opening - Burnt-in captions styled for your channel - Jump cuts, zooms, sound design and on-screen text for pacing - Platform safe zones for TikTok, Shorts and Reels - Clips cut from your long-form videos or streams - Exports formatted for each platform, ready to post ### Long-form editing URL: https://rigsaw.com/services/youtube-video-editing Long-form YouTube video editing with the pacing, structure and storytelling that keeps viewers watching to the end. Built for creators who post consistently. Includes: - Full edit from raw footage, including cutting, pacing and structure - Story-led openings that set up the payoff - Sound design, music and mixing - Graphics, text and zooms where they add clarity - Chapters and timestamps for YouTube - Revisions until it's right ### Thumbnail design URL: https://rigsaw.com/services/youtube-thumbnail-design High-contrast, platform-native YouTube thumbnails designed to stop the scroll and lift click-through rate, matched to your title and channel style. Includes: - Concepts built around the video's strongest idea - High-contrast designs that read at mobile size - Consistent style across your channel - Title pairing suggestions - Variations for A/B testing where you want them ### Growth strategy URL: https://rigsaw.com/services/youtube-growth-strategy Content formats, posting cadence and platform strategy for creators, built from your analytics, so every video you make has a better chance to grow the channel. Includes: - Channel and analytics review - Content formats and series ideas - Posting cadence across long-form and short-form - Hook and title direction - Monthly look at what performed and what to change ### Gaming video editing URL: https://rigsaw.com/services/gaming-video-editing Video editing for gaming creators: long-form YouTube, shorts and stream highlights cut by editors who understand gaming culture, trends and formats. Includes: - Long-form gaming videos for YouTube - Stream VOD highlights and clips - Short-form cut from gameplay and streams - Gaming-native sound design, memes and pacing - Thumbnails that work in gaming feeds ## Results ### Gaming creator · anonymous client, Under 4 months Short-form editing across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts for a gaming creator. - TikTok: 3.6M total views (~39,400 avg. per video) - Instagram: 1.4M total views (~14,800 avg. per video) - YouTube Shorts: 185K total views (~2,100 avg. per video) ## FAQ ### What does Rigsaw do? Rigsaw edits videos for creators: short-form for TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Reels, long-form YouTube videos, stream highlights and thumbnails, plus growth strategy. ### Who runs Rigsaw? Daniel Ball, who previously led a 12-person YouTube editing team delivering 80+ uploads a week at Zygomedia and a 25-person production team at GR Digital. ### Does Rigsaw only edit gaming content? No. Gaming is its speciality, but it edits for creators across niches. ### Where is Rigsaw based? In the United Kingdom. It works with creators anywhere, remotely. ### How do I contact Rigsaw? Email hello@rigsaw.com or use the contact form at https://rigsaw.com/contact. ## Contact - Email: hello@rigsaw.com - Contact form: https://rigsaw.com/contact --- # Articles ## How to Edit YouTube Shorts and TikToks for Retention URL: https://rigsaw.com/news/how-to-edit-youtube-shorts-for-retention Published: 2026-10-22 · Author: Daniel Ball · Type: Article A practical editing guide to short-form retention: hook in the first second, cut the dead air, caption for sound-off viewing and build a loop that rewatches. Key takeaways: - The first second decides most of your views, so open on the most interesting frame, not the setup - Cut every pause and filler word, then cut again - Caption everything, because most people first see your video with the sound off - End on something that makes a rewatch feel natural Retention is the number that decides whether a short gets pushed or buried. TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Reels all watch how long people stay and whether they watch again. The edit is the biggest lever you control. Here's how we approach it, in the order it matters. ## Win the first second Most people decide whether to keep watching almost instantly. If your video opens on you saying "so", a slow pan, or context nobody asked for, they're gone. Open on the most interesting frame in the whole clip. That might be the result, the reaction, the mistake, or the punchline's setup. Then explain how you got there. A simple test: mute the video and watch only the first second. If it doesn't make you curious, change the opening. ## Cut the dead air, then cut again Short-form has no room for breathing space. Remove: - Pauses between sentences - Filler words and restarts - Repeated points, even if you said them better the second time - Anything that sets up a moment without being the moment After the first pass, watch it again at normal speed and cut another 10–20%. It nearly always gets better. ## Caption for sound-off viewing A lot of people scroll with the sound off, at least at first. Captions keep them watching long enough to turn it on. - Keep caption lines short, two to four words at a time - Place them inside each app's safe zone so buttons and descriptions don't cover them - Highlight the key word, rather than every word, so the eye has somewhere to land ## Keep something moving Static frames lose people. Every few seconds, something should change: a cut, a zoom, a piece of on-screen text, a sound effect. It doesn't have to be loud. It has to signal that the video is still going somewhere. The trap is overdoing it. Effects that don't serve the story are noise. Each one should either clarify what's happening or raise the stakes. ## Build a payoff, then a loop Retention isn't only about getting to the end. Rewatches count too. Make sure the payoff actually lands, then end cleanly, without a long outro or "follow for more". Where it fits, make the last frame lead naturally back into the first, so a rewatch feels seamless. ## Learn from the retention graph YouTube Studio shows a retention curve for Shorts. TikTok shows average watch time and the share of people who watched in full. Use them: - A sharp drop at the start means the hook isn't working - A dip in the middle usually means a slow section or a confusing cut - Strong retention but few views often points to the topic or the first frame, not the edit Change one thing at a time across a batch of videos, so you can see what actually made the difference. ## FAQ ### How long should a YouTube Short or TikTok be? As long as the idea needs and no longer. Shorter videos are easier to finish and rewatch, but a strong 45-second story will beat a padded 15 seconds. ### Should I post the same edit on TikTok, Shorts and Reels? You can, but adjust for each platform's safe zones and remove any watermark from another app. Small tweaks to the hook or caption for each audience are worth testing. ### Can long-form videos be cut into shorts? Yes, and it's one of the most efficient ways to grow. Pick moments that make sense without the rest of the video, and re-edit them for short-form pacing rather than just trimming them out. *Rigsaw edits short-form for creators across TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Reels. See our [short-form editing service](/services/short-form-video-editing) or [get in touch](/contact).* --- ## How to Hire a YouTube Video Editor (Without Getting Burned) URL: https://rigsaw.com/news/how-to-hire-a-youtube-video-editor Published: 2026-10-20 · Author: Daniel Ball · Type: Resource What to look for when hiring a YouTube video editor or editing studio, how to run a paid test edit, what to agree up front, and the red flags to avoid. Key takeaways: - Hire for your format and niche, not just a nice-looking showreel - Always run a paid test edit with your own footage before committing - Agree turnaround, revision rounds, file handover and who owns the project files in writing Handing your videos to someone else is one of the biggest steps a creator takes. A good editor buys back your time and lifts your videos. A bad fit costs you weeks and makes your channel feel off. Here's how to get it right. ## Decide what you actually need Before you look, be specific: - **Formats.** Long-form, short-form, stream highlights, thumbnails, or a mix - **Volume.** How many videos a week or month, realistically - **Involvement.** Do you want someone to follow your style exactly, or to bring ideas and push the channel forward? A freelancer can be perfect for one format at steady volume. If you need several formats, consistent turnaround and someone to cover holidays or sick days, a studio is usually the safer choice. ## Look for niche and format fit A beautiful cinematic reel doesn't mean someone can cut a fast gaming video, and a great TikTok editor isn't automatically a great long-form storyteller. Ask for examples in your format and, ideally, your niche. Then ask what they'd change about one of your recent videos. Good editors will have opinions about pacing and structure, not just effects. ## Run a paid test edit This is the single best way to judge an editor. Send real footage from a video you've already published or are about to, and pay for the edit. Judge it on: - **The opening.** Did they find a stronger hook than you would have? - **Pacing.** Does it move, without feeling rushed? - **Your voice.** Does it still sound like you? - **Communication.** Did they ask good questions and hit the deadline? Paying for the test matters. It sets a professional tone and gets you their real effort. ## Agree the boring things up front Most editor relationships go wrong on details nobody wrote down. Agree: - **Turnaround time** for each format - **Revision rounds** included, and what counts as a revision - **How footage is sent and returned**, such as Google Drive, Dropbox or Frame.io - **Project files.** Who keeps them, and whether you get them if you part ways - **Music and assets.** Who's responsible for licensing - **Payment terms**, and what happens with cancelled videos ## Red flags - No examples in your format, or only heavily templated work - Can't explain why they made an edit choice - Missed deadlines on the test edit - Vague about revisions or ownership of files - Uses music or assets without being clear about licensing ## Make the relationship work Once you've hired someone, treat them like part of the channel. Share your analytics, tell them which videos performed and why you think so, and give specific feedback with timestamps. The editors who get better fastest are the ones who see the results of their work. ## FAQ ### Should I hire a freelancer or an editing studio? A freelancer suits steady volume in one format, especially if you click personally. A studio suits creators who need several formats, consistent turnaround and cover, with someone managing quality. ### How do I give an editor good feedback? Be specific and use timestamps. "At 2:14 this drags, cut to the reaction" is far more useful than "make it punchier". ### Do I need to send all my raw footage? Yes. Editors find better moments when they can see everything, including takes you might have thrown away. *Rigsaw is a video editing studio for creators, run by Daniel Ball, who previously led a 12-person YouTube editing team delivering 80+ uploads a week. [See how we work](/services) or [start a project](/contact).* --- ## How to Turn Twitch Streams Into YouTube Videos and Shorts URL: https://rigsaw.com/news/how-to-turn-twitch-streams-into-youtube-content Published: 2026-10-16 · Author: Daniel Ball · Type: Article A practical workflow for turning Twitch stream VODs into YouTube highlight videos and Shorts: what to clip, how to structure it and how to keep it sustainable. Key takeaways: - Your streams already contain weeks of content, so the job is finding and shaping it - Highlight videos need a story and a structure, not just a list of clips - Shorts from streams work best when each one makes sense with no context If you stream, you're already filming hours of content a week. Most of it never reaches anyone who wasn't watching live. Turning streams into YouTube videos and Shorts is one of the most efficient ways for a streamer to grow, because the footage already exists. Here's a workflow that works. ## Mark moments while you're live Finding moments in a four-hour VOD is the slowest part. Make it easier: - Use Twitch's stream markers, or ask a mod to drop them, whenever something good happens - Keep a quick note of the time and what happened - Clip the obvious moments the same day while you remember them Ten seconds of marking during the stream saves an hour of scrubbing later. ## Decide what each VOD becomes Not every stream needs the same treatment. For each one, decide: - **A highlight video for YouTube**, if there's a run of strong moments or a story arc - **Shorts**, for standalone moments: a clutch, a fail, a great reaction or line - **Nothing**, and that's fine. Some streams are for the live community only ## Give highlight videos a structure The most common mistake is uploading a pile of clips with no shape. Viewers who weren't there need a reason to keep watching. - **Open with the best moment**, or a tease of it, not the start of the stream - **Build a thread through the video**, like a challenge, a run, or a running joke - **Cut the waiting.** Loading screens, queue times and chat reading usually go - **Add context sparingly**, with on-screen text where a viewer would be lost Think of it as a YouTube video made from stream footage, not a shorter stream. ## Cut Shorts that stand alone A Short from a stream gets shown to people who've never heard of you. It has to work with zero context. - Start right before the moment, not a minute earlier - Reframe for vertical, keeping your face cam and the key part of the game visible - Caption what's being said, since many people watch muted - End on the reaction or punchline ## Keep it sustainable The schedule you can keep beats the one that burns you out. A realistic rhythm for many streamers is one highlight video a week and a few Shorts from each stream. Track which types of moments perform, and lean into them. This is also the point where many streamers bring in an editor. Clipping and editing VODs is time-consuming, and handing it off keeps you streaming. ## FAQ ### Is it OK to upload Twitch stream content to YouTube? Generally yes, it's your content. Be careful with copyrighted music played on stream, which can cause claims on YouTube, and check any game publisher's content guidelines. ### Should I upload full VODs to YouTube? Full VODs can work on a separate channel for your community, but edited highlight videos usually reach far more new viewers. ### How many Shorts can I get from one stream? It depends on the stream. Focus on quality: three Shorts that each stand alone will do better than ten that need context. *Gaming is Rigsaw's speciality. We cut stream VODs into YouTube videos and Shorts for creators. See our [gaming video editing service](/services/gaming-video-editing) or [get in touch](/contact).*