‘LL: That’s really inspiring. Were you able to find some mentors along the way?
Kellvin: I was. After launching the site, I immediately began looking at who else was out there in the field. Sites like Ain’t It Cool News, Joe Blow and Coming Attractions. I learned a lot from them. Harry Knowles from Ain’t It Cool offered some great advice. He said, ‘Do what you do and stay true to yourself. These studios are going to come to you. If you have high numbers, they’ll come.’
‘LL: Latino-Review has become famous for breaking entertainment news. How were you able to start getting scoops?
Kellvin: Well I can’t give too much away, but if you work hard and long enough, you’ll build contacts and sources. Breaking news though, that’s my favorite part of the job; especially after studios deny our stories.
‘LL: Very cool, do you have a “proudest scoop” moment?
Kellvin: Actually, I do. One of the stories that really got us noticed had to do with the first Spider-Man movie in 2002. They were shooting in New York, really close to where I lived. I grabbed my camera and got some of the first behind-the-scenes shots of Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. I still have them on my desktop to this day.
‘LL: And how about challenges? Have you faced a few along the way?
Kellvin: There are always challenges that come along with running your own site. I won’t lie, keeping this thing running has put strains on everything from my bank account to my family life. You definitely go through a lot of ups-and-downs.
‘LL: Would you have any additional advice for someone trying to start an entertainment site?
Kellvin: I have to admit, nowadays it’s much harder to get noticed than it was when I started. But that shouldn’t deter anyone. You just need to have a lot of dedication. I’ve had tons of ups-and-downs keeping this going, but perseverance is key.
And Kellvin Chavez is a shining example of hard work paying off! Make sure to follow his site, www.Latino-Review.com, for entertainment, scoops…and for inspiration.