C172 PLT AND A LIGHT TWIN HAD AN NMAC NEAR SMO AT NIGHT.

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I WAS DEPARTING SANTA MONICA ARPT VFR ON RWY 21. I MADE A R XWIND DEP AT THE SHORELINE. FLYING PAST THE SANTA MONICA PIER; I MADE A R TURN TO ABOUT A 210 DEG HDG; HEADING TOWARD THE ENCINO RESERVOIR. DESPITE LEAVING SANTA MONICA CLASS D AIRSPACE I WAS STILL MONITORING THE TWR FREQ FOR RADAR ADVISORY. WATCHING FOR TFC; I NOTICED A PLANE AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS COMING CLOSER. AT THAT POINT I WAS LEVEL AT 2700 FT MSL CRUISING AT ABOUT 110 KTS. WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE PLANE'S ATTITUDE; THE TWR ADVISED ME OF THE TFC AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AT 2700 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE ADVISORY AND RESPONDED THAT I HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. ALL OF A SUDDEN; I SAW HOW CLOSE THE PLANE WAS AND I KNEW THAT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING VERY QUICK. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A R TURN TRYING TO SEPARATE OUR FLT PATHS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ONCE I STARTED MY R TURN; THE PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE TURNED R AS WELL SEPARATING US ABOUT 600 FT. I COULD SEE THAT IT WAS A LIGHT TWIN WITH RETRACTABLE GEAR. HDG BACK TO VNY; MY MIND WAS RUNNING ON 110%. I REALIZED HOW CLOSE THAT WAS AND I QUESTIONED MYSELF WHAT COULD I DO IN THE FUTURE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. AFTER DRIVING HOME; I HAD THE DESIRE TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT IT. I LOOKED UP THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE FAA TWR IN SANTA MONICA AND GAVE THEM A CALL. EXPLAINING TO THEM BEFOREHAND THAT I WAS NOT CALLING TO BLAME SOMEBODY; RATHER TO GET THE VIEW FROM A CTLR'S STANDPOINT ON THE RADAR. HE WAS REASSURING ME THAT IT WAS NOT THAT CLOSE AND THAT HE HAD ISSUED ME THE TA WHEN WE WERE 1 MI APART. FURTHERMORE; HE WAS TELLING ME THAT THE OTHER PLANE WAS IN A DSCNT INTO SANTA MONICA ARPT. I EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND HOW HARD IT IS TO DETERMINE THE FLT ATTITUDE OF OTHER TFC AT NIGHT. I WILL TAKE ACTION MUCH EARLIER TO MAKE SURE THE TFC IS MOVING ACROSS MY WINDSHIELD.