Back From Showest!

I've just returned from ShoWest in Sin City. I've been going for several years and have always considered the annual gathering to be one of the industry's best kept secrets. For those who read my little preview piece on the homepage then you're already well aware of what ShoWest is. Currently, I'm in the midst of getting all my coverage together. We'll be posting various ShoWest bits at Hollywood Babble-On throughout the next couple of days so be sure to keep checking back.

Before getting to the meat of the convention, let me offer up a couple of big thank you's. First and foremost, big time props to Heather Lewandoski and the entire press team for their gracious hospitality. When I attend these events, I'm not one for acting like a big shot. Its simply not my style. Heather and her crew go out of their way to make members of the press feel comfortable and without their involvement, ShoWest would be quite the nerve-racking experience. I hear that the convention will be getting a face lift next year (included in the overhaul; a move to Caesar's Palace) and thankfully, Heather will still be part of the operation. Again, thanks to Heather and her fearless crew.

Props to my amazing writing partner Bernie Laub for demonstrating her enormous ability to make connections without even so much as breaking a sweat. We like to think of Bernie as our Irish princess and I have no doubt that in the future, we'll be interviewing her at ShoWest for some massive film project she's taking part in. Thanks to writing partner/Producer/camera operator/man-of-all-trades Sheldon Demke for capturing a sizable chunk of our ShoWest adventure on video (we'll have the footage for you here at the site within a week or so). Sheldon has been on board for the last four years and his involvement has always been greatly appreciated. Finally, big time kudos to my colleague, friend, and all around nice guy John Pugh for lending his photography skills, a bit of class, and a great sense of humor to our team. This is only his second year, but he already comes across as a seasoned veteran.

Thanks to The Boneman for holding down the fort while we were on cinematic safari. The head honcho doesn't get out into the field as much as he'd like to these days, but he's always with us in spirit.

And finally, a huge thank you to my supportive family for allowing me to continue my obsessive cinematic journey. Covering these events takes quite a bit of time, and if it weren't for Tonja, McKenzie, Matthew, and McKian, I wouldn't be in a position to chase my hefty dreams.

So before getting to the business at hand, let me just say that this was probably my favorite ShoWest experience since 2005. Lots of movies (8 in all), a plethora of amazing footage from upcoming films, meals galore, free goodies, and, of course, major star power. Check Hollywood Babble-On on our homepage for extensive ShoWest coverage.