The next meeting of the Los Angeles XSI user group will take place at Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. Blur Studio will show their short film GENTELMEN'S DUEL. In addition, Andrew Jones from Pixel Liberation Front will discuss linear lighting. Technology and production issues will also be tackled. Beer, drinks and pizza will be served and door prizes will be given away. Gnomon School of Visual Effects is located at 1015 North Cahuenga, Hollywood, California 90038. Door open at 7:00 pm with the presentations beginning at 7:30 pm. For additional information, visit www.xsila.com/.

San Francisco and Silicon Valley SIGGRAPH are proud to present
Pixar Animation Studios The making of

Annual Brentwood Film Festival in northern California. Exhibiting the best in Independent Film and Animations including feature films, short films, animation and experimental. Presenting a major distribution prize this year along with awards for best director and Innovation. Located in downtown Brentwood, its screenings will take place at the Delta Cinema and will be within walking distance of our many local restaurants.

The Jordan Short Film Festival is an international festival and competition with prizes up to 2000 Euros. The festival welcomes short animations, experimental, fiction, and non-fiction. There are no submission fees. DVD is the preview and projection formats.

The festival is review professional and amateur flash animations. At festival it is planned: round tables, an exchange of experience, personal contacts of colleagues on shop. An establishment of business contacts between partners of the project and animators. On preliminary selection for participation in Festival animation products of all studios and amateur authors, in .swf format without restriction in mbytes and minutes are accepted without restriction all. Works more 7Mb to send on CD or DVD by mail. The jury invited for this work by organizing committee of Festival, on the basis of full viewing all cartoon films of the competitive program awards awards on following nominations:
1) the best cheerful film, (kind, ridiculous)
2) the best terrible film, (horror stories, horror films)
3) the best serial.
4) the best conceptual film.
5) the best flash game (without blood and violence)

The Grand-prix receives the most outstanding film.

Final Cut Pro users will learn firsthand how the FileMaker Pro 8 (www.filemaker.com) helps manage business and creative processes at the upcoming Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group (LAFCPUG) Meeting. The LAFCPUG will meet at 6:45 pm, at the Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Ramy Katrib, ceo/founder of West Hollywood-based DigitalFilm Tree (www.digitalfilmtree.com), will demonstrate how applications like Final Cut Pro, FileMaker Pro 8 and related technologies help run his firm's creative process and manage its business. DigitalFilm Tree (DFT) is a research and development-based post-production facility, specializing in consulting and workflow design. DFT's offerings include online mastering, color correction, VFX and design work. The company's credits include first time filmmakers as well as the feature films COLD MOUNTAIN and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and the TV series SCRUBS. FileMaker Pro 8 forms the backbone of DigitalFilm Tree's tracking and asset management infrastructure. DigitalFilm Tree uses several custom FileMaker databases for everything from invoicing, to digital dailies, asset management, visual effects status tracking, production and editorial databases. For further meeting details go to www.lafcpug.org/user_schedule.

SEMAFX, the ACM SIGGRAPH Professional Chapter of Southeast Michigan features their First Creative Congress of Michigan on Tuesday, February 21, 2006, from 6-10 pm. This Congress cordially invites all User Groups, schools, companies, post houses, studios and other creative organizations to send us ONE Delegate who will speak for your group and describe your GOALS to the gathering. Even if you don't want to speak, then come mingle and schmooze with some of Michigan's most creative, talented and inspiring people! The intent of this Congress is to FOCUS everyone's creative energies into a poweful force that will have a positive and dramatic impact on our creative society! I encourage everyone with a single creative cell in their body to join us for this unique and powerful event. The networking potential is staggering! This single evening will generate new collaboration opportunities between individuals and organizations on an entirely new level!

IMAGINA is the foremost digital content creation festival in Europe.

The next edition, to be held in Monaco from Wednesday 1st to Friday 3rd February 2006, will be dynamic, with even greater impact, and will focus on meetings between professionals and on business.
Fully aware of the needs of the industry, the organisers of IMAGINA have decided to develop a new event concept. By selecting and inviting 150 of the most important decision-makers from the top European production and post-production studios, they are making sure of a substantial return on investment for participants.
A number of demo structures and meeting venues will be set up at the Grimaldi Forum, encouraging exchanges of information and fostering concrete and lasting relationships:

Come to 3December

The next Los Angeles Combustion User Group meeting will be held at Digital Domain. Possible events for the evening include film related tutorials, advance techniques, presentations and access to the minds and talent of other users.

Presentations will include:
* Jeff Kim From Digital Domain will show and explain a complicated Wire Removal Shot from I, ROBOT
* Paul Curly will demonstrate matte painting and also explain production output for film.

Seating is limited. Please RSVP early to info@combustionug.com. Digital Domain is located at 300 Rose Ave. Venice, California.