Frequently Asked Questions

1. About Max

Q: Who is Max Partain?

A: Emmy-winning, Telly-decorated video editor and story architect with 10+ years’ experience, 1,000 + delivered cuts, and $50 M raised for clients through donor-appeal stories.

Q: Where is Max based?

A: Chicago area (Central Time, USA) — remote-first but travels for on-site gigs when schedule allows.

Q: What’s unique about Max’s editing style?

A: OCD-fueled frame precision, narrative empathy, and a “two-round promise” designed to keep revisions under control.

Q: Does Max really have OCD?

A: Yes. It’s a personal challenge in life but a professional super-power: obsessive attention to micro-timing and story clarity.

2. Awards & Credentials

  • Regional Emmy Winner (2024) — Societal Concerns, Long Form

  • Emmy Nominee (2024) — Education/Schools

  • 3× Telly Gold — Short Doc, Branded Content, Religion/Spirituality

  • 1000 + Cuts across documentary, commercial, social, narrative, hype

  • $50 M Raised through fundraising films

3. Services & Capabilities

Long-form & Short-form Editing

Docs, donor appeals, trailers, hype, social clips

Story Architecture

Treatment & beat-sheet development

Color Grading

Rec-709 & basic HDR in DaVinci Resolve

Audio

Dialogue cleanup, temp mix; partners with mixer for cinema-grade master

Graphics

Light motion GFX, lower thirds, subtitle burn-ins

Social Retention Cuts

Vertical, square, caption-burned, hook optimization

Versioning

ProRes, H.264, DCP, captions, accessible audio-described exports

4. Process & Workflow

  1. Map the Treasure (Day 0) — 15-min alignment call → Story GPS.

  2. Hit the X (Day 3) — Draft 1 ≈ 90 % locked.

  3. Polish & Deliver (Day 7) — Max two rounds; round 3 on Max’s dime if alignment was missed.

Tools: Premiere Pro · DaVinci Resolve · After Effects · Frame.io · Slack/Teams

Revision Framework: Skin / Fat / Muscle / Bone triage.

5. Guarantees & Policies

Guarantee

Explanation

Two-Round Promise

Third revision on Max’s cost if needed due to his misread

Delivery Credit

$100 discount if final deliverable misses agreed date

24-Hr Response

Email / Slack replies Mon–Fri

Asset Archive

Project files stored 60 days; extension available

6. Pricing & Engagement

Q: How is pricing structured?

A: Flat project fee or day-rate; quote provided after clarity call.

Q: Non-profit or ministry discount?

A: Sliding scale; ask during discovery.

Q: Retainers?

A: Yes — monthly blocks for agencies needing consistent post capacity.

7. Collaboration & Communication

  • One point of contact — Max handles notes, schedules, delivery.

  • Shared Slack/Teams channel for active projects.

  • Daily WIP upload available for time-critical jobs.

  • Uses Frame.io for timestamped feedback; will translate client bulk notes for agencies.

8. Availability & Capacity

  • Typical weekly capacity: 3–4 concurrent short-form or 1 long-form + 1 short-form.

  • Rush slots: 24-hr notice if calendar allows.

  • Calendar transparency shared in kickoff.

9. Industries & Niches Served

  • Non-profit & NGO fundraising

  • Agency short-form branded content

  • Higher-education & healthcare storytelling

  • Faith-based missions & ministry films

  • Sports hype & event openers

  • Corporate culture & internal comms

10. Confidentiality & Security

  • Signed NDAs standard.

  • Secure file transfer via Frame.io or client-preferred SFTP.

  • Local RAID + off-site encrypted cloud backup.

11. Personal Backstory (“Ego → Ally”)

  • Early career: accolades but ego-centric approach.

  • Pivotal project (“Vertex CF”) revealed collaboration > charisma.

  • OCD embraced as asset; shifted to partnership mindset.

  • Mission: reduce producer stress, protect story, hit deadlines.

12. Contact Options

  • Email — max@maxpartain.com

  • Phone — +1 630-740-0909