What made you start doing TrailerTime?
Jamell: I had been having so many conversations with Mohit about movies we loved or hated, which anime we were watching, that I needed another outlet to argue with him.
Mohit: It transformed my blog in college to my incessant sharing of all new trailers on Facebook. I wanted to consolidate it all in one place. And it gave me a much better creative outlet for a great passion of mine
Which part of making reviews is your favorite and why?
Jamell: Definitely getting to watch the trailers more than once. You really get to see the subtlety in both acting and directing that make filmmakers so special. Also I love every opportunity I get to piss off Mohit.
Mohit: Watching trailers multiple times and figuring out what part of them gives me that hair-raising/goosebumps feeling. I love being able to give my insight into what I loved and thereby showing off the hard work these filmmakers have put in
Do you have a favorite movie? Then who is your favorite actor? You must have a favorite director right?
Jamell: The Dark Knight is my indisputable favorite. But my favorite actor is a toss up between Leo DiCaprio and Denzel Washington. Favorite director? I’ll go with Christopher Nolan — but Steven Spielberg has a special place in my heart.
Mohit: This is the one time that Jamell and I will agree on something, The Dark Knight was the first time I felt like I had an out of body experience watching a movie. I was already in love with movies but this one really made it become something more than just love for an artform. There are so many great actors but I think Leo Dicaprio has the best journey as an actor and has done some incredible things. I still can’t believe he only has 1 oscar. I also am a big fan of Chris Pine. He is very selective in his movies but always chooses great ones. Favorite Director is definitely Chris Nolan. The man is an absolute genius, with the risks he takes and the experiences he puts on the screen. I also am a big fan of Denis Villeneuve, his filmography is a bit smaller but also damn near perfect
Is there a genre you don’t like and why?
Jamell: Horror isn’t a particular favorite of mine.. to be honest, I get nightmares and ghosts keep me up at night.
Mohit: I love all genres, I just watch some more than the others
What makes a great trailer? What mistake do you think people make when creating a trailer?
Jamell: I think a good trailer builds suspense and leaves hints. You can’t tell the whole story, so you make the viewer build one in their head — even if it’s wrong. I think the biggest mistake you can make is not showing the main point of the movie. Are we going to space? Is it a superhero movie? Give the audience a main topic and keep the rest to yourself.
Mohit: A good trailer asks intriguing questions and only gives a couple answers, so you are enticed to watch the full movie to get the answers you want. Never never never ever tell us too much in the trailer. An integral part to any good trailer is getting the background music to enhance the tone and feeling of the movie that you are intending.
Why do you think you prefer movies of tv shows or series?
Jamell: I think I like the closure of getting an ending sooner rather than having to wait episode after episode. When I start a story I want to go through its entirety through to the end.
Mohit: Bollywood. I started with Bollywood as a kid and they take their movies very seriously. All Indian people do and I am no different. I will say that TV Series also hold a special place in my heart. And we are living in the golden age of television
Jamell’s response to Mohit: Golden age?! Whatever you’re smoking, I want some because clearly it’s good stuff.
What do you think the future of trailers is?
Jamell: I think they’ll follow where movies go. I foresee movies and tv getting more interactive and having more AR/VR elements to it. What Black Mirror did with their interactive episode was revolutionary and we’ll see more of it.
Mohit Dangeti:I think AR/VR are definitely the future. Trailers have always aimed at getting closer and closer to the viewer. Trailers began only in theaters, then onto Youtube, now onto our Phones so we can watch them whenever. As we get closer and closer to AR/VR in our daily lives, Trailers will too. The important thing is to never lose the heart of a trailer. That has been a big constant throughout the evolution of trailers and it should stay that way.
How did your love for cinema start?
Jamell: I grew up in Orlando, so going to universal studios and Disney world was a every weekend thing. I would watch all the movies and shows that the rides were based around like Jaws, Men in Black, and The Mummy.
Mohit: I mentioned Bollywood before. Movies are ingrained into the DNA of all Indian people I’d say. My dad would screen indian movies in local theaters and I would go with him and just sneak away into a theater by myself and watch any movie I wanted to. I would watch multiple movies in one day and escape to all these amazing worlds and be mesmerized by them all.
How did your love for trailers start?
Jamell: I LOVED going to the movies, and growing up it was one of the only things I could do in my small town. Trailers basically showed me what I was going to do that weekend with my friends. The suspense they created was enough for us to make plans for movies coming out 6 months later.
Mohit: One of the best parts of going to the movies would be the trailers that they’d play beforehand. It would get me excited for everything that the future has in store for movies. It allowed me to never get bored and always have something to look forward to. Now that all trailers air online simultaneously, I don’t get that same surprise anymore in the theater
Is there anything about trailers that you don’t like?
Jamell: That they usually come out a year before the movie. That same suspense I love also kills me because I want to watch the movie ASAP.
Mohit: TV Spots really don’t do it for me. I think they are really too short and it doesn’t fully fulfill the purpose of a trailer. That is just how the evolution of trailers has gone unfortunately.