We headed back to Los Angeles the next day for the opening party of the RES10 Exhibition. RES10 is planned and organized by RES MAGAZINE, which is published by a digital movie festival that takes place in different locations every year called RESFEST. RES MAGAZINE selects ten creators to feature every year, who they dub the RES10, and this year they also featured the work of the RES 10 in exhibitions here in Los Angeles and in New York. Also for the first time this year, RES MAGAZINE invited ten students from around the world to exhibit their work alongside the professional artists. Amazingly, I was chosen to be one of the ten. And what got me noticed was none other than the Canon Digital Creators Contest. We had left early to beat the notorious Los Angeles traffic, but encountered no problems and arrived at the exhibition site two hours ahead of schedule. I headed inside to introduce myself to the directors. Although we had exchanged several emails, this was the first time I met them in person. Then I waited in the wings, out of the way of the hectic preparations for the exhibit that was starting in two hours' time, and looked through the RES10 works. The student RES10 works were all high-quality, almost professional pieces. Seeing my work there among them was a little daunting, but also exciting. Outside, what had earlier been a handful of people had now grown into a crowd that filled the venue to the point that it became difficult to easily walk about. Mixed in with the youngish crowd were guests covering many generations, all having a good time. Perhaps many of them worked in LA together and knew each other, as the banter seemed made up of more "How have you been"s than "How do you do"s. RES10 artists at the party this year included the well-known Japanese graphic design team Motion Theory, illustrator Kozyndan, and music video director Ruben Fleischer. I exchanged precious conversations with each, despite my awkward English. I also reunited with David Schwarz, creator of the work Revision and another student RES10 winner. I met David by chance on a previous trip to Los Angeles, and as fellow creators of digital movies, we had continued to exchange emails between Los Angeles and Tokyo. And by chance again, we were both selected for the student division of RES10. No words are enough to describe this coincidence! David looked elated when I handed him the calligraphy set I had brought as a gift from Japan.