Carol Moreira is a film graduate and a lover of pop culture who has worked for companies such as Omelete and the Warner Channel. She has presented the red carpet of awards such as the Emmy and the People’s Choice Awards, conducting live interviews with the biggest Hollywood artists.
Carol has been producing content for more than ten years and has established herself as a reference in series and movies. She started on the internet with a blog and a YouTube page about fashion and beauty in 2010, with makeup, nail, and hair tutorials. At the same time, she worked for some media outlets until she launched a project on the Omelete website, specializing in the geek world. She created, along with her colleague Flávia Gasi, a program where she brought makeup inspired by characters from series and movies. While doing the production, the two talked and theorized about the role in question.
The attraction was very successful, becoming one of the portal’s first products to have advertisers. With the success, she continued in the company, where she had experience in various areas, acting as a presenter, program writer, and finally, performing the role of editing coordinator. During this period, she left the blog aside. From the job experience, she decided to resume her personal channel with a different focus. At the beginning, she started talking about series and movies she liked, with analyzes and explanatory videos. The theme paid off, and she decided to pursue a “solo career.”
Meanwhile, she received an invitation to act as a presenter on the Warner Channel, where she worked until 2019 and could interview directors, actors, and actresses from national and international productions. Being on television brought more visibility to her work. From this time on, she began to analyze point by point more complex themes, helping fans understand key episodes and “entangled” narratives. Currently, she goes beyond comments and analyzes. On her channel, she brings interviews, live shows, and programs about the history of cinema and about the roles within an audiovisual production. In addition, she participates and presents podcasts such as “Modus Operandi,” alongside Mabê.
Modus Operandi is a podcast about real crimes, serial killers, and supernatural cases presented by Carol Moreira and Mabê Bonafé. This project was born in January 2020. The podcast always seeks to tell the stories in a sensitive way, bringing the contexts involved and proposing debates and reflections. You can listen to the podcast on your favorite aggregator, just search for Modus Operandi.
True crime – films, series, and books that explore the motivation and unfolding of real crimes – is one of the most consumed genres in Brazil and the world today. Here, a synonym for true crime is the Modus Operandi podcast, by Carol Moreira and Mabê Bonafé, which was born in January 2020 and garnered a huge audience. Now, the two bring to paper all the experience they have accumulated in more than a hundred episodes in a definitive book for those who want to know everything about this universe that conquers more and more fans.
In Modus Operandi: A True Crime Guide, the authors address the main bases of the genre in a simple, objective, and humorous way. Among chapters on the justice system, police, investigation, archived cases, serial killers, and others, the duo describes dozens of crimes that impacted Brazil and the world, tells the story of serial killers, and brings several curiosities and sources for those who want to know more about the subject. With an attractive visual and a diversified graphic project throughout 400 pages, Modus Operandi is ready to repeat the resounding success of the podcast in bookstores.
How was the beginning of your career on the internet? Could you talk about your first Fashion and Beauty blog and YouTube channel? And how did that experience influence her career path?
I started because my friends told me that I was very good doing my makeup, and I helped them a lot with my tips, so I decided to create a blog and do videos. When I started working at Omelete website and Youtube, I started with a show that had makeup and comments about movies and TV, and that changed everything that came after.
What were the main challenges you faced when creating such specific content about pop culture? How did you manage to consolidate yourself as a reference in this market?
I think the challenge is to be up to date with every tv show, film… And also with the internet, that has changed so much since I started 13 years ago. And I think that that´s what made me survive this long, to be changing, and learning new social media, new types of content.
How was your experience as a presenter on the Warner Channel? How did that influence your career and how did you deal with the pressure of interviewing such renowned artists?
It was amazing, I loved every single day working there. I think it made me realize that I am a presenter, a host. On Tv, on the internet, on events. It made me see that I can do it. The pressure of the interviews is fun, you get used to it. Of course sometimes I do get nervous, but it’s part of the job.
What led you to create the “Modus Operandi”? How did the idea of talking about real crimes, serial killers and supernatural cases come about?
I always loved true crime, so it came naturally. I talked about the crimes with Mabe, my partner now, and we came up with it. Also, I saw that podcasts were the new thing, and I wanted to be part of it.
What is the purpose of your podcast? Besides telling crime stories, what else are you looking for with “Modus Operandi”? And how do you manage to bring sensitivity to deal with such a heavy subject?
We want to tell those people stories, a lot of victims get lost in the middle of other news, and also some stories of the past that nowadays nobody knows. We have to talk about these things so we don´t forget.
How is the research and preparation process for each episode of the podcast? And how do you choose the topics and cases to be addressed?
It´s a lot of preparation, and study, some cases more than others. We choose the cases that our audience asks, or some topic that is being talked about, some of them old and stories that nobody knows. We try to balance all that.
How is your relationship with the fans of “Modus Operandi”? How do you deal with criticism and negative feedback?
It´s great. We usually don’t get negative feedback or haters.
You recently released a book in partnership with Mabê Bonafé about true crime. How was the process of writing a book on the subject and how was the reception from readers?
The reception was great, the book is everything we wanted it to be. It took us two years – that was hard – but it turned out amazing. The audience loved it, we sold a lot.
How do you balance your YouTube and podcast career with other projects and personal commitments?
I have no idea, I don’t have a specific routine. So, I organize every week by what comes up!
What are your future plans for your career on the internet? Do you have a project in mind that you can share with us?
In a few weeks I’ll start a new show about entertainment news, and in a month or so, my other podcast, OFF, where I do interviews, is coming back!
You became known for your work as a presenter of the Omelete channel on YouTube. How did you start working in this area and what was your path to becoming a successful presenter?
I learned by doing it! It started very small, and suddenly I was creating a lot of different shows for them.
Your YouTube channel is quite diverse and covers various topics related to pop culture. How do you choose the subjects of your videos and how do you keep up to date with all the news in the nerd universe?
I try to do a mix between what I like and what my audience asks of me. Nowadays I don’t do videos about stuff I don’t wanna watch, for example.
The nerd universe has gained more and more prominence in the media and popular culture. In your opinion, how has this affected the entertainment industry and the way people consume content? In addition, you are one of the main references in the Brazilian nerd universe. How do you see the role of women in this universe and what are the challenges they still face?
This affected a lot, now when they do a show, they already think about social media, and how people will react. It’s very important to know what the audience thinks, and nowadays it’s easier. Being a woman in this universe was harder in the beginning, but now I think it’s better. I felt I had to prove myself a lot, but now I am recognized for my work.
Follow Carol Moreira on Instagram
*With Regina Soares and Affonso Tavares