Pt. 3 of 3 Las Vegas: NABShow

I know it's been forever since the NABShow, in Las Vegas. I figured I better complete my Las Vegas Blog Post already! So, here are some of the highlights from the show!

UTA sent me to the Post Production World Conference, but the cool thing about it was that it wasn't exclusively post chat, I had an opportunity to learn about camera interviewing, lighting and more!

My favorite speaker was Jem Schofield, with www.thec47.com. He had a lot of gear and demonstrations during his session. If anyone had questions, we had an opportunity to ask.  Caleb Pike with DSLR Video Shooter was also there. I met him after the session. I've been watching his training videos for about a year now. It's appreciate them because it gives me an idea of what other videographers are doing and using.

Drones were a big deal. There was a section at the convention center that was netted off, for drones. I didn't get a picture of any of them, they were way up high…but you get the idea.

I drooled over Zacuto products….

The hot booth was BlackMagic.

The cameras are so cute!

I swung by B&H booth. That's were all my money goes….

See, I actually worked and learned a few things - while I was there. But of course had a great time at night - partying with Jeri.

Las Vegas Pt 2 of 3

I can't believe I was considering wearing heels (at night, in Vegas), but the day before leaving Texas, Jeri and I talked and we were both like NO! That was a good decision! We walked so much! Even with flats, Jeri got blisters on her feet.

Tuesday (last night in Vegas)
As soon as the conference was over I went to the hotel convenient store and picked up a bottle of moscato. So, we had pre-drinks on the cheap at the hotel, while we were getting ready. Best idea ever!

Jeri insisted I wear her green dress, so we could sparkle together, since she was planning on wearing a similar dress, but in gold. We did a smell check…haha…seriously. It passed the test, so I wore it. We headed to Caesars Palace and had drinks at a bar called shadows. I never know what to get at a bar when they don't have a cocktail menu (a sign that I don't drink at bars, often). So, I ordered a margarita. It was delicious.

I have several celebrity chef obsessions and one of them is Bobby Flay! Jeri was awesome and made us reservations at his Resturant MESA Grill. If you go to Vegas, you have to go! Tell Bobby, I sent you. :)

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Mr. Flay.

“If you aren't nervous about your passion, you aren't passionate about it.”

The bar,  MESA Grill and a nightclub - Pure are all in Caesars Palace.
A club promoter approached us and gave us VIP passes to PURE. They also had free drinks for us until midnight. I felt super special and cool, until I asked someone how much cover was and he said he also got a VIP ticket.What? Haha. I found it comical. But really, if you want to go to a nightclub in Vegas don't pay the cover, just walk around and a prompter will most likely give you free admission. I'm not a club goer by any means, in fact before this trip, I had never been to one. I figured I might as well do it before I'm 30, plus - it was so much fun dancing. PURE was super nice!!! I liked the music better at PURE than at the bank. At the bank was more of a rap mix, PURE had more of a dance DJ type of mix going on. If that makes sense.

We ended our night by stopping for dessert one last time at the sprinkles ATM. It was about 3 am Texas time.

So that was my Vegas / 30th birthday celebration / workcation with my awesomely sweet friend, JerBear! I'd love to do it again next year!!!!

Las Vegas Pt 1 of 3

Hi! I'm back from Las Vegas. My flight landed last night. I have the rest of the week off from the office. However, I have freelance projects, so I won't exactly be relaxing the next few days. I thought I'd give you guys 3 entries about my Las Vegas adventures. Part 1 and 2 will focus on the Vegas nightlife, hanging out with Jeri and part 3 will focus on the NABShow conference.

Sunday,  I woke up at 4 am to catch a 7:55 am flight. I got to Vegas around 9 am. I spent my entire day at the conference. Jeri was scheduled to land in Vegas like around 10:30 pm or something. We had already decided that when she got to the hotel, she'd drop off her bags and then we'd go out for drinks. Well, she ran into delays. She got to the hotel at 11:50 pm, but that didn't stop us from hopping on the monorail and going to the strip. Our first stop was at a pizza shop and then the sprinkles ATM.

When we walked through the Bellagio, a club promoter gave us free tickets to The Bank nightclub. By the time we got back to our hotel it was 3 am!!!! My eyes were bloodshot because I had barely got any shut eye! That night, I only got about 2 hours of sleep. Every intention Jeri and I had of running went out the window. Spoiler alert: we didn't run one time, while we were in Vegas. But we wore tons of sparkles, so we were fine!!
Monday, I had a decent break, from the conference, so Jeri and I ventured to the Bellagio Cafe.
 
That night, we didn't really have any plans lined up, but we were both exhausted. We had planned on napping before going out….that didn't happen. And Jeri was too busy that day hanging out by the pool to fit in a nap (vacation problems). So, instead of napping, I laid on the hotel bed for 20 minutes with my eyes shut. They needed to rest! We ended up going to the Cosmopolitan.
It was our favorite casino! Super sleek.

Jeri was dressed in sparkles so she got a ton of compliments on her dress. She looked amazing! 
I almost forgot, before heading back to the hotel we went to Serendiptiy!
Mmmm, it was yummy!

New Running Shoes. Reebok. NAB is next week!

I've been waiting since forever….(not really) for my new shoes and then Trey was like, "oh, yeah, they've been here for several days." He put the box in the entryway. WHAT? Thanks for telling me!

A few hours ago, I took these new babies for a 5 mile run around the block. I had to stop twice to adjust them. I started to doubt my decision to go with team Reebok. They felt stiff at first, but after 2 miles they started to feel better. More miles will tell if these are the right ones for me.

I'll be in Las Vegas next week for NAB!!!!, so I'm thinking about taking them with me. I hope Jeri wants to join me for a few runs. Did I mention Jeri is joining me in Vegas??? I'm so excited!!!!! She is going to lounge by the pool, while I'm at the conference and then we will be hitting the strip at night! Can't wait! Can't wait!! I'm just going to consider this NAB/Girl Time my 30th birthday treat!

My Week in Instagram Photos

It's Patio weather. We've had our front porch furniture for about 4 years. It's endured four summers and winters. The threading is starting to come undone, so it's time to either repair or replace the chairs. They really are not safe to sit in...which is sad.

Before I went to Las Vegas, Trey had a guys night out with Chad... 

Trey and him went to the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts 300.

While he was doing that, I had a dinner date with Cheyenne. We went somewhere that normally we wouldn't go, if Trey was with us. We went to Panda Express. I HAVE A CHINESE FOOD BUDDY!

The next day, Chey was all set to stay with her Nana. She had her DVD player, so she was ready for the road trip, to Abilene. Trey's parents watched her the entire time,  I was in Las Vegas. Trey could've kept her, but this is the beginning of the peak work season for him, so he didn't want to take a chance of keeping her and then having a busy week at work. Now, we know that if he would've kept her, it would've been stressful because he ended up working so much overtime. He worked a lot of overtime last week. We're talking going into work before sunrise and getting home around 8 pm.

We met Trey's mom at a half-way point between Ft. Worth and Abilene.

After meeting Trey's mom, at our halfway spot. Trey and I had lunch in Hudson Oaks, at a small burger joint called Big Burger. I highly recommend it. I got a bun-less burger and not only did it taste delicious, but look at the presentation! Perfect.

Slot machines at the Monte Carlo - Did you know out of all the times I've been to Las Vegas, I've never gambled, not even the penny slots. It doesn't entice me .

While Chey was in Abilene, her and Nana painted a birdhouse.

The sitting area at the Monte Carlo Spa.

This is the view from Diablo's Cantina Mexican Resturant. I sat at the bar, sipped on my water, and people watched, while I waited for my food (to-go).

This sheet was my everything, while I was at the NABShow. It was my itenirary to the Post Production World Conference, classes.

One of the sessions, I attended. I believe this was Precision Output from FCPX and Compressor with instructor, Jeff I Greenberg.

This is the Canon EOS C300. It retails for $15,000. She's an expensive beauty.

Well, that's all I have. If you are on Instagram, you can follow me @domander. 

I Felt Frumpy & The Last Batch of Las Vegas Photos

Today, I returned back to work. I haven't tallied up my hours for this week, but I'm pretty sure I've worked close to 50. I HAD a mandatory staff development meeting. Oh, and I had to wear a hideous shirt. Since I wasn't there yesterday, my co-workers picked my shirt size and got me a Large, which looked like an XL. The shirt looked all frumpy on me. I felt so blah...I texted Trey and told him I hated my shirt and he demanded a photo. I thought I'd share the pics with you too.

Laugh with me, not at me.  I'm smiling, but I'm thinking, I can't wait to take this t-shirt off. Trey telling me I looked hideous didn't help, either. Haha! Thanks, sweetheart.

Other than hating the shirt, the staff development was actually FUN. HR talked to our department about time and stress management. Afterwards, was the real treat. There was different stations we could go to: Zumba, Hula Hoop, a massage area and a manicure station.

My two priorities, was to get my back rubbed and get my nails done. That's all I had time for. The massage I got was pure HEAVEN and then I went to get my nails done and before they started they gave me a hand and arm massage. I was like kill me now! This is the life!
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Oh, here are some of the last photos I have in my library of my Vegas Trip.

The Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino.
This is the hotel I stayed at. I highly recommend it. The customer service was exceptional. There is plenty of entertainment and food options in the hotel, you really won't have to wonder far to have a good time.

The Casino at the Monte Carlo. Clean and Classic. 

A Bar near the Casino. 

Are there any Hangover fans out there? I spotted Alan on the LV strip. I think he was waiting for the wolf pack.

The Hard Rock Cafe

New York. New York Hotel and Casino, right across the street from the Monte Carlo.  
The LV Strip. The weather was perfect.

The Las Vegas Convention Center The LV Skyline near the Convention Center
A different angle of the Convention Center.

This was at one of the exhibitors booth at the NABShow. That's a little too fancy for the type of productions I shoot, but hey it looks cool.

Goodnight, it's practically midnight, I better get to bed. Have a great weekend. Trey is on call, so we don't have much planned. I plan on spending some quality time with Cheyenne and cleaning the house. Fun. Fun.

I'm Home

I'm HOME! I was completely restless during my flight, so I used that time to sort through my travel receipts. I need to give those to the accounts department, so I can get my travel/lodging/ meal money back ASAP.

Yesterday, before I left the convention center, I walked through the North exhibit hall. I started at the bookstore.

This onesie was at the store.
Parents, let's be honest, you know it's the one and only thing you look forward to during tax season.

A filmmaker endorsing Canon products.

I was testing out a macro lens that I'm considering purchasing for personal use.
The SONY booth is a must see every year! They always have the best toys. I was shocked they had my work camera on display. This past year, I bought a Sony HXR-MC50U and they had it on the shelf. It's a fantastic camera, I highly recommend it. I'm sort of considering buying one for myself.....

This also surprised me, Go Pro seemed to be a popular booth, this year. Every time, I'd pass by there was a huge crowd huddled up.

I believe this was at the Panasonic Booth.
 
A lot of the exhibitors had staged production sets, so NAB attendees could test out camera equipment under ideal conditions.

Back tracking a little:
Tuesday evening, I was craving Mexican food from Diablo's. I ordered my food and took it to go -- so I could enjoy it in my room.

When I got to my room, I realized they gave me a monster nacho portion....I couldn't even finish one portion. Well, I still have one more batch of Vegas photos to post, but I'll get to those, when I get to them.

This morning I slept in, did a few loads of laundry and then went to a doctors appointment. Everything looks good. I go back in two weeks and after that it's down to the wire. I'll be going every week from that point on...

This afternoon, I was reunited with Cheyenne -- OHHHHH I'VE MISSED HER!

What Am I Doing Here? & THIS SPA is Totally FAB!

Yesterday, I walked by the full length mirror in my hotel room and I had to do a double take. I looked at myself head on and then turned to see my profile. I asked myself, "What in the world are you doing in Las Vegas? You are 2 months away from giving birth to a child!" Some drunk guy saw me walking around the lobby and yelled, "BABY ON BOARD!" Yes, sir -- you are correct. I just smiled and kept walking.

You'd think people would be polite to a pregnant woman, but that's not always the case, some people will be jerks no mater what. For example, I was waiting to board the bus --- it was mad chaos and some man cut right in front of me and acted like nothing. Doing that to anyone, pregnant or not is rude. I asked him, "Are you in line for bus 10?" And he responded with a firm, yes. I was hoping for an answer something like this: "Oh, I'm so sorry -- I didn't realize you were also in this line." (And then he would move to the back. BUT NO.) RUDE. I made the cut for that shuttle by 3 people. If I would have missed the bus by 1 person, I would've been irate.
Okay, enough of the pregnancy and raging hormones. Let's talk about the NABShow. I attended the opening reception and heard the CEO talk. Desperate Housewife star, Terri Hatcher was the MC at the event, but I didn't get a photo of her. My camera battery, died at the very moment I went to take her pic. Awesome!

For dinner (yesterday), I enjoyed vegetable rice from the Dragon Noodle. The restaurant is conveniently located at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino. I sat at the bar and drank water, as I waited for my food. I took my food back to my hotel room and enjoyed a quite evening eating, calling and talking to Trey and Cheyenne, watching TV, and playing on twitter. It was just what I needed after a full day of going non-stop.

My Chinese Fortune.

Since I got a good nights rest, I woke up refreshed and ready to workout. One of the main reasons, I picked the hotel, I did, was because of the gym. I didn't know it was a "spa gym." It is sooooo NICE! I had to walk through the spa just to get to the gym area. There were massage rooms, sitting areas, a sauna hot spot, locker room, super chic shower area and a spa/pool.

This is the spa

This is what I call fancy water, located in the sitting area. It has fresh fruit in it. This is the type of place I want to stay at and just read a book, get a massage, lounge, whatever....I just want to be pampered. I took a spa brochure and I swear my wallet slapped me! There is no way, I can afford a $115 dollar massage. Oh, well. I'll go back tomorrow, workout and then sit in the sitting room and pretend I'm rich. :)

Here are the sessions I've attended, the last two days, at the NABShow. I need more time!!!!! I haven't had a chance to make my rounds to the exhibit hall. As soon, as I get out of my last class, I'm heading over. I'll only have one hour before it closes. I'll see about getting here early tomorrow and going before my first class starts, but even then, I'll only have 45 minutes....

PS. Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary to Trey's parents. 30 years, that's amazing!!!!

The Las Vegas Strip at Night

Even though, I didn't have a chance to attend all the sessions I wanted to, yesterday....I did go to the following sessions:

1. Meta Data - Organizing in Final Cut ProX
2. DSLR Video Workflow in FCPX
3. Advanced Magnetic Timeline (FCPX)
4. Understanding How Green Screens Work

I'm learning a ton of information and at times it's a little too much...my brain feels like it might explode. Most of the speakers talk fast and and some of the content goes over my head. Overall, I think I will come away, with some useful tips, that will ultimately save me time when I'm editing AND shooting video.

Something Different
I normally, stay at the Las Vegas Hilton when I'm in town, but this time decided to stay at the Monte Carlo, located right on the strip. It's a good (and by good I mean LONG) walk from the monorail. This morning the NABShow provided a complimentary shuttle bus from my hotel to the convention. I took advantage of that, so I wouldn't have to walk to the monorail, which is probably a good mile from hotel.

This is a statue located outside of the Monte Carlo.
 
I have this king size bed all to myself.
Another angle of my room. I'm on the 25th floor and my room overlooks the pools, yes there are several pools.

Like I said in the previous post, I had dinner with Susan, Sarah, and Cade -- the Abilene Christian bunch. Here was one of our appetizers from the Hash House A Go Go. Fried green tomatoes. 

Cade is a photographer, so he was trying to create the perfect backdrop for my picture. Ha, OKAY - Cade.

I think this particular entree was featured on Man vs. Food. Don't ask me what it is --- All I know is there's some fried chicken under there.

And this is why, I ate a salad for breakfast and lunch.
I was in the mood for breakfast. I could not finish it all, but I tried.
After dinner, we walked the LV Strip.



One of our stops was at the Bellagio.

Here is the ceiling in the Bellagio, this area was located near the garden.

Gardens at the Bellagio
 
 
The fountains at the Bellagio.
Cade captured some video on his iPad.

What a great show.