To whom it may concern,

I am writing to apply for future Video Producer vacancies at The Economist.

As the creator and producer behind IMPERIAL (https://www.youtube.com/@IMPERIALYT), a historical and political documentary channel with over 431,000 subscribers and 25 million views, I have spent the last three and a half years developing cutting-edge and critically acclaimed visuals. My influence on YouTube is such that editing tutorials emulating my work have hundreds of thousands of views. (see https://linktr.ee/Alexander.Casse).

Running IMPERIAL, a one-man operation, gave me a strong work ethic. It made me versatile, dynamic and focused. I learned After Effects, Premiere Pro, and the rest of the Adobe suite as well as Cinema 4D so I could better communicate my ideas. I familiarised myself with the entire video production pipeline, from storyboarding and shot lists to voice-over, audio editing and video packaging (titles and thumbnails). YouTube’s competitive nature gave me an understanding of viewer tastes and trends, an intuitive barometer for popular appeal and what hooks people in and keeps them watching. When I later scaled my team, I also learned how to effectively manage a production pipeline and guide several editors, animators and scriptwriters to a final product.

Given my experience and skills, I believe I would be an excellent addition to The Economist’s video team. Outside of my own projects, I have worked for one of the largest German language YouTube channels in the world, Simplicissimus, and the Netherlands’ digital-video trailblazer Hoog and the economics channel Money & Macro. My responsibilities varied from 2D & 3D animation to scripts and research.

The founders of Simplicissimus, and later Fern, YouTube’s pre-eminent animated documentary channel, were confident enough in my abilities to refer me to the private equity company, Electrify, as a candidate for further investment. I declined overtures for an outright majority purchase of my channel to refocus my efforts on video journalism.

I speak English and German, have lived in 5 countries and have experience running visual marketing and SEO campaigns in various positions, including as Chief Marketing Officer at CSRN, the non-profit recognised by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the COVID pandemic (Points of Light Award). My interdisciplinary experience and diverse background are assets that can reduce friction and improve collaboration across teams.

I believe I have the necessary ambition and compatible values that The Economist seeks. The 28 videos in my portfolio show not only artistic but also technical innovation. Over time my visuals grew more complex and sophisticated, incorporating mixed-media elements and fastidious framing and typography choices.

When I graduated with a First in History from the University of Bristol, I did so largely due to an unorthodox “practice-based dissertation”. Instead of a lengthy essay, my dissertation was a 23-minute documentary on the fall of the Chilean Allende government. I have never done things purely conventionally and have always tried to innovate, something core to The Economist’s mission.

As my YouTube success has shown, I’m a motivated self-starter. I have produced the above video based on a recent Economist article to show you what I can do.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could contribute to your video journalism.

Sincerely,

Alexander Casse