Airrack Thumbnail Concept Artist

About the role

Airrack is a YouTube channel known for its innovative and engaging content. We are seeking a freelance Thumbnail Concept Artist who can transform video titles or raw ideas into compelling thumbnails that drive engagement.

Responsibilities

• Concept and sketch multiple thumbnail ideas per video from a title or brief alone
• Generate high volumes of variations quickly and kill weak ideas fast
• Provide complete production direction to photographers and designers: lighting, camera angles, expressions, wardrobe, props, color, and framing
• Collaborate with the creative director and editors to understand the emotional core of each video before concepting
• Study top-performing thumbnails across YouTube consistently — understanding what drives CTR and why
• Take intense, direct feedback without ego and turn revisions around fast
• Bring new ideas proactively and push the team's creative vision forward

Requirements

• Deep knowledge of what's performing on YouTube right now and why
• Experience concepting thumbnails for high-performing channels, ideally in lifestyle, challenge, prank, or viral content
• Ability to generate a high volume of ideas fast and cut to the best ones ruthlessly
• Obsessive passion for YouTube, creator culture, and the craft of the thumbnail specifically

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience concepting thumbnails for high-performing YouTube channels (lifestyle, challenge, prank, or viral content preferred)
• Background in art direction, storyboarding, or visual development
• Familiarity with what makes thumbnails perform across different audience segments and video formats
• Ability to reference and analyze competitor thumbnails and extract strategic insight

Benefits

Compensation: This is a project-based position which pays a base fee per project as well as performance bonuses

Pay

Compensation details will be provided upon hire

Schedule

The schedule will be flexible but aligned with project deadlines