A clear opening question
We work out what the viewer should understand in the opening sequence: the setting, the people involved and the unresolved question. The reveal follows your approved case outline.
Crime intro video editor for YouTubeTrue crime intros.
True crime intros.
Start with the question.
Open the case with a reason to keep watching. Our crime intro video editing service builds a focused cold open from your narration, source clips and approved case facts, then hands the viewer into the full story.
Crime intro editing that gives the story a starting point
A true crime intro has a different job from the rest of the episode. It needs to establish the situation, introduce the central question and give the viewer enough context to care. We select the opening footage around the approved script, then use location labels, dates, evidence details and sound to make the sequence understandable before the longer account begins.
This page focuses on standalone openings and cold opens. The 11 Crime Intros samples below are the same examples in the homepage section. If you need the entire narrated episode, explore true crime documentary editing. For a story built mainly from police recordings, see bodycam video editing.
Evidence details on the right beat
Source clips, document punch-ins, dates and map details appear when the narration needs them. Readable labels and deliberate shot lengths keep the opening from becoming a rush of unexplained images.
A transition into the episode
Music, ambience and the final line of the cold open lead into the main narration. Intro length and any recurring channel ident are agreed before editing.
Watch 11 crime intro edits
Compare the cold opens from the Crime Intros portfolio section. Send the sample and timestamps closest to the opening you want.
Crime 01
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Crime 02
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Crime 03
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Crime 04
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Crime 05
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Crime 06
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Crime 07
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Crime 08
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Crime 09
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Crime 10
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Crime 11
Watch on YouTube ↗Build the brief
What to send your crime intro editor
Send the intro script, recorded narration, relevant source clips and the approved case summary. Tell us what can be revealed in the opening and what should wait until later. Include the intended intro length, the full episode context and the deadline.
If the opening uses sensitive footage, include your redaction instructions and approved names or dates. We agree footage review, source research, graphics and any full-episode editing in the scope. A cold open can also become a repeatable treatment for a continuing series.
A clear scope before we start
Plan the edit and the budget.
Growth editing starts at $60 per video up to 10 minutes at the volume rate. Signature After Effects editing is $400 for a 15-minute video. Footage review, research, animation and extra versions are agreed in the quote. Monthly partnerships are available for recurring uploads.
New clients can request a free 1-minute sample edit using their own footage and brief. Send the reference, runtime and deadline so we can confirm the right scope.
Crime intros questions
Can you edit just the intro for my true crime video?
Yes. Send the opening script, narration and source assets, together with the full episode context. We can quote a standalone cold open or include it within a full documentary edit.
What is a true crime cold open?
It is an opening sequence that introduces the situation or a central question before the main account begins. The script decides what information is revealed; the edit presents that sequence with the relevant source material.
Can you match the crime intros in your portfolio?
Yes. Choose one of the 11 samples and identify the pacing, graphic treatment or sound you want to use as a reference. The treatment is then adapted to your case and narration.
What affects the cost of crime intro editing?
The length of the intro, the amount of footage to review, asset sourcing, motion graphics and redactions all affect the scope. Share those details for a quote and a sample brief.