CGA Belgrade
CGA: The First Regional Conference on Computer Graphics and Digital Arts
Computer Graphics and Arts Conference (CGA Belgrade) is an international gathering of like-minded professionals who share a love for digital art, visual innovations, and technology.
The very idea of launching the conference was born right here in Crater, thanks to Miljana Jovović (the longtime director of our center and producer at Crater Studio) and Milica Božanić (executive manager of the Serbia Film Association). When Miloš Milošević (former editor of VFX Serbia) joined the team, things started heating up.
Today, CGA is the event of the year for the local artistic community. Over time, the initiative has started growing through various program tracks, accompanying events, and guest appearances, many organized by our team members.
Continue below to read what this experience looks like from our point of view.
CGA TIMELINE
The inception of the conference
The initial events at Crater kicked off as soon as we started school in 2012. First, there were the Open Door Days, thanks to which we realized that people were highly interested in professional gatherings. Our first two-day event that combined lectures and workshops brought around 100 artists, and this experience only confirmed that the local audience was hungry for such programs. In 2015, the Open Door Days turned into Meetups at Crater, and they eventually graduated into a conference.
The adventure called CGA Belgrade officially started in 2017 when the conference’s first edition was held in the Museum of Science and Technology in Belgrade. For us, this was a logical continuation of the events for which Crater was (and remains) famous on the local VFX scene.
“We were stunned at how well it all went. At the time, we didn’t have any big plans about what we were going to do with it, but the positive reactions, the fact that people were happy to finally have an event where they could hang out and meet other artists, is what motivated us to keep pushing”, Miljana Jovović
2018 / 2019
Next year, CGA moved to the Yugoslav Film Archive (Jugoslovenska Kinoteka), where “our little family gathering” officially became a large-scale event. Here we held the most attended editions of the conference, with up to 700 attendees in one day. Here we also divided the entire experience into two program tracks so that each visitor can attend the most desired session.
“CGA was born out of our love for knowledge-sharing that encompasses not only hard skills, but also inspiring stories and experiences of artists from big-name companies working on top projects. The audience at CGA was eager to hear what it’s like to work in studios around the world or, for example, on Spider-Man, or even success stories from artists who started from scratch,”, says Miljana Jovović
Brand New CGA: 2020 – today
The year 2020 started with our first guest appearance outside the country, in Banja Luka, but then it threw us a challenge since holding a big live event was no longer not possible. We somehow managed to overcome the situation by organizing the very first online conference, which turned out to be an excellent move because it spread our wings to try new formats and design new program tracks with our partners:
CGAcademy – provides educational content to help students and entry-level artists work their way up in the VFX, gaming, animation, and CG industry.
CGAlliance – offers solutions and opportunity perspectives regarding the growing CG industry in Serbia. The track is curated by Serbia Film Commission.
CGArts – rovides a dedicated space for artistic discussion and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Since 2021 and our guest event in Novi Sad, CGA switched to a hybrid format with a part of the content broadcasted on the conference website and the main program held live in front of the audience
We perfected this arrangement by the sixth annual CGA conference. CAG 2022 was preceded by a summer-long program of creating original 3D environments in which we filmed the online conference program. Virtual Environments Lab was held in the summer of 2022 in this school, with 12 young creators and the same number of mentors joining in. Today, we are proud to say that it presents one of our most ambitious initiatives.
CGA SIDE EVENTS
The conference side events are usually held at Crater. These are workshops and masterclasses by top artists, such as the one by the acclaimed VFX Supervisor Victor Perez, who shared the well-kept secrets of compositing right here in our classroom. This practice of selfless sharing of knowledge through Crater and CGA has been supported since the very beginning by our partner companies, including 3Lateral, Epic Games, SideFX, Nordeus, Autodesk, Foundry, and others.
In September 2022, just before the kick-off of our sixth annual conference, the first regional Houdini User Group (HUG Belgrade) was held in Crater’s cinema room.
It is also important to note that Crater is the physical home of all the CGA online events since most of the program is streamed from our rooms.
CGACADEMY EDUCATION
With CGAcademy, we support the new generation of digital artists through the development of software and other relevant skills. The program targets young creators working in the fields of visual effects, game art, animation, interactive media, digital design, and other related fields.
For us, designing such a platform was a logical step, as we have been committed to strengthening the CG ecosystem for many years, either through the popularization of deficient occupations, or by designing study programs, and free training for university teachers, professors, and associates. We are committed to strengthening the talent base in Serbia, and CGAcademy is one way to succeed in this mission. Learn more about CGA’s education initiatives and events HERE.
Editor’s Choice
Learn more about the CGA events and activities directly by subscribing to the CGA’s newsletter or jump in our Discord server!
CGA PARTNERS
Train the Professionals - subsidized course for working 3D artists
Train the Professionals: Unreal Engine Essentials
- subsidized course for working 3D artists
During the winter semester of 2022, we trained 30 professional artists to work in the most popular game engine in the world. Here’s how it all played out.
Unreal Engine Essentials course as part of the Train the Professionals initiative was intended for anybody working in in Visual Arts, has at least two years of working experience (no matter if in 3D modeling, visualization, VFX, Game Art, or any other creative field) and is coming from Serbia or other regional countries.
We started the Train the Professionals initiative with the goal of supporting the ambitions and career development of regional artists by getting them familiar with the Unreal Engine 5 possibilities and its practical use in a production pipeline. In this, we are supported by partners from Unreal Engine Educations and 3Lateral (Epic Games). The goal to teach the wider professional public to the tool’s specificity when it comes to environment design and real-time interaction.
Take your first step in the entertainment industry unlike any other we have seen before with Train the Professionals!
ABOUT THE TRAINING
Course name: Unreal Engine Essentials
Price: 70 € (its commercial value amounts to 530 euros)
Duration: Eight weeks (60 school classes)
Dates:
GROUP 1 – October 3 – November 21, 2022, every Monday and Thursday from 7 PM
GROUP 2 – October 5 – November 23, 2022, every Wednesday and Saturday from 7 PM
Deadline for submission of final work: February 23, 2023.
After six weeks of intensive training, attendees are able to:
- confidently use the Unreal Editor environment,
- independently create virtual environments using built-in terrain generation tools,
- apply ready-made solutions for vegetation or design their own with emphasis on optimization,
- successfully design a production line for manipulating 3D content created in specialized software (Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Cinema 4D) and their application in the engine,
- understand and apply to develop their materials directly from the engine,
- learn recommended practices for lighting scenes in real-time,
- design basic interactions using the Blueprint system,
- master the creation of animated camera sequences,
- use the built-in interface design module,
- add camera effects,
- get to know the Niagara particle system,
- use Quixel and Marketplace content,
- successfully publish a virtual experience.
After the official part of the training, the students will be able to attend specialized lectures by the industry experts who will introduce you to the work processes in their studios. Among the companies eager to join us in this segment are Ebb Software, Mad Head Games, Case 3D, Mag Achi, Wonder Dynamics and Open Studio.
TERMS OF THE COMPETITION
Apply if:
- you are a working artist specializing in any field of visual arts;
- have a minimum of 2 years of working experience (regardless of the current employment status);
- have a comprehensive level of Serbian language;
- skilled in any of the industry-standard 3D modeling software (Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, or Blender);
- are highly motivated to learn.
The number of applicants is limited, and candidate selection will be based on technical expertise, the quality level of your portfolio projects, and the motivation you exert through your application. Up to three spots are available for recent graduates looking for professional experience, able to impress us with their work.
The application is open until August 31, 2022;
at midnight (UTC +2)
The Many Faces of Unreal Engine 5
Unreal Engine 5 is being used more and more for the development of linear and interactive content in real-time for films, video games, or VR/AR applications. It is becoming accessible in architectural visualization and advertising, and even more in film studios and virtual production on TV.
With one of the most recent projects, The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience, the limits of traditional formats has successfully been surpassed, all thanks to Unreal Engine. With many more ambitious projects emerging, it’s safe to say that Unreal Engine gives a greater range of possibilities to creative teams. This comes as no surprise considering that it literally expands the space in real-time, all while simplifying the production pipeline and enabling higher control of the creative process.
Aside from this, Unreal Engine has found its role in the world of the automobile industry, specializing in driving simulations and new car model testing. Due to its ability to create realistic simulations, it is being used more and more in science, as seen in the project of “resurrecting” a prehistoric man from Lepenski Vir, which the Serbian delegation presented last year at Dubai Expo.
Why Learn the Art of Unreal at Crater Training Center?
At the start of 2021, the leader in the field of interactive and 3D engine technology, Epic Games awarded Crater Training Center with the Epic MegaGrant for the project dedicated to educating professors from numerous schools in Serbia. From this stemmed the original Train the Trainers initiative during which we trained 45 university professors to work in the Unreal Engine.
Later that same year, we participated in the European education project in this engine called Summer of Unreal, shoulder to shoulder with the leading European schools for animation and digital graphics. These are Escape Studios, ArtFX, The Animation Workshop, Screen Skills Ireland, La Salle Barcelona, and Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart.
Our educational program Technical Art in Unreal Engine, completed with this course, has been accredited by the Agency for qualification by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia.
About the Lecturer
Milan Ličina
Visual artist and a docent at the Metropolitan University in Belgrade, as well as a lecturer on the Unreal Engine Essentials course at Crater.
As a specialist for audio-visual technologies in studio Galerija 12, he worked on many local and international projects. Through his work, he connects art, design, and new technologies to create immersive content for TV production and VR, and is prone to using game engines for the development of interactive art installations and virtual set design.
Unreal Engine Essentials - Aftermovie
CGAcademy: Shaping the Industry with Education
CGAcademy: Shaping the Industry with Education
CGAcademy provides educational content to help students and entry-level artists work their way up in the VFX, gaming, animation, and CG industry. With CGAcademy sessions, you won’t wander off the right learning path.
With CGAcademy, we support the new generation of digital artists through the development of software and other relevant skills. The program targets young creators working in the fields of visual effects, game art, animation, interactive media, digital design, and other related fields. As one of the founders of the CGA Conference, we launched CGAcademy on the parent platform.
The realization of the CGAcademy for us was a logical step, as we have been committed to strengthening the CG ecosystem for many years, either through the popularization of deficient occupations, or by designing study programs, and free training for university teachers, professors, and associates. We are committed to strengthening the talent base in Serbia, and CGAcademy is one way to succeed in this mission.
In addition to individual sessions, the CGAcademy team also organizes all-day events such as Emerging Talents (May 2021) and Talent Sandbox (April 2022) conferences, as well as an educational streamline within CGA Belgrade: Embracing Metaversity (November 2021) conference.
To keep up to date with CGAcademy content, we recommend that you follow Crater’s YouTube channel.You should also know that the CGA’s official channel hides a variety of related sessions held both online and live in front of a large audience.
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Watch the CGAcademy Sessions in Full
The CGAcademy sessions were initially divided into three series, and over time we organized several “stand-alone” episodes. Creative Software Sessions are practical tutorials on industry-leading tools such as Unreal Engine, Autodesk Maya, Zbrush, etc. Know-How Sessions are focused on soft skills that help young people better understand the professional environment and collaborate with others. Finally,there is the Career Paths series, in which we “reveal the secrets” of career paths in the creative industries and explain what positions exist in the market.
CGAcademy Team
Miljana Jovović
Director
After years of working in architecture, Miljana turned to the VFX industry. As an executive producer, she led Crater Studio through many major projects. About a decade ago, she made yet another career jump, this time towards non-formal education in the field of creative industries.
Together with her team, she mapped Crater Training Center as a unique place where future and existing professionals gather on courses, events, mentoring, and internship programs. Over time, Crater has become the place-to-be for artists of all kinds, eager to hone their skills, gain knowledge, and network.
Along with partners from the Serbian Film Association and VFX Serbia, she founded CGA Belgrade, the first international conference dedicated to computer graphics in the region.
Marija Rakić-Lovrić
Education & Events Specialist
Marija is an ethnomusicologist with vast experience in teaching juniors and high schoolers, as well as in international schools.
She has organized and launched numerous workshops and festivals for children related to music, art, culture, and education (GroArt Fest, Culture for Beginners, European Heritage Days), as well as the Music Archeology in Serbia project. She is a member of the Serbian Ethnomusicological Society and an associate of the Jeunesses Musicales Belgrade.
At Crater Training Center, she coordinates classes, organizes events, and actively cooperates with educational institutions to improve teaching in the field of multimedia technologies and computer graphics.
Bojana Simić
Program Specialist and Industry Relationship Representative
As a specialist in adult education, Bojana acts as a program coordinator at our school. She is the first in line with our industry partners and works closely with their HR teams.
As part of the CGAcademy, she launched Portfolio Review sessions in which artists from leading creative studios review the participants’ portfolios while providing expert advice.
So far, she has coordinated projects in the entertainment industry and education (including Summer of Unreal and Train the Trainers, to name a few).
CGAcademy Partners
As a link between industry and academic institutions, Crater Training Center collaborates with industry leaders such as 3Lateral (Epic Games), Nordeus, Mad Head Games, Ubisoft, Playstudios Europe, and other creative studios. The realization of the CGAcademy program is also supported by local universities with curriculum aimed at creative industries. Most of our partners play significant roles in our sessions.
Page example TEEN - English
Ukoliko ste odlučili da uronite u vode dizajna, grafike, Interneta, 3D I VFX industrije – ovde počinje vaša karijera.
Na ovom kursu, namenjenom početnicima, upoznaćete se sa radom u programu Photoshop. Uz ovladavanje raznim alatima, tehnikama i okruženjem u kome se Photoshop koristi, steći ćete širu sliku o mestu koje zauzima u svetu vizuelne umetnosti i medija. Sertifikovani Adobe instruktori pobrinuće se da naučite da retuširate, editujete, pripremate slike za Web i koristite alate na načine koji će razvijati vašu kreativnost. Ovladaćete korišćenjem vektorske grafike i četkica, kao i upotrebom grafičkih tabli, što će vam pomoći u daljem razvijanju profesionalne karijere u 3D i VFX industriji.
Napredne tehnike u radu sa slojevima
• Dualistička priroda svetlosti sa akcentom na talasnu prirodu
• Napredne tehnike primene blending modova
• Primena filtera Vanishing Point
• Uvoz vektorske grafike nastale u programu Adobe Illustrator
• Snimanje kompozicija slojeva
• Kreiranje smart objekata
• Menjanje smart objekata
Napredne tehnike za kreiranje kompozicija
• Primena filtera i smart filtera
• Uređivanje slike kumulativnom primenom većeg broja filtera
• Primena četkica za slobodoručno crtanje
• Kreiranje efekata primenom četkice
• Usklađivanje kolorita slika (Match Color, Channel Mixer, Photo Filter…)
• Kreiranje panorame povezivanjem većeg broja fotografija
Samostalna vežbe
• Kreiranje razglednice Beograda
Podešavanje Photoshopa i ubrzavanje rada
• Kreiranje sopstvenih prečica na tastaturi
• Automatizacija primenom akcija i kreiranje akcija
• Primena akcija na veći broj fotografija
Uvod u vektorsku grafiku
• Kreiranje i podešavanje putanja
• Kreiranje selekcije od vektorske putanje
• Kreiranje slojeva sa vektorskim maskama
• Kreiranje i menjanje predefinisanih vektorskih simbola
Napredna primena vektorske grafike
• Kompleksne motode primene putanja u kombinaciji sa alatima za rad sa rasterima
Osnove primene grafičke table
• Kreiranje custom četkica i Preset Manager
• Instalacija grafičke table
• Personalno podešavanje za desnoruke i levoruke
• Podešavanje tastera i olovke
• Primena grafičke table u radu sa standardnim četkicama
• Crtanje preko postojeće grafike (tracing)
• Primena grafičke table za kreiranje selekcija
• Primena grafičke table za pisanje teksta
Samostalna vežbe
• Crtanje grafike prema zadatoj referenci primenom grafičke table
Napredne tehnike u radu sa četkicama (Mixer Brush i grafička tabla)
• Izbor i podešavanje četkica
• Mešanje boja
• Kreiranje sopstvenih podešavanja
• Retuširanje alatom Mixer Brush
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a Book, Peachpit, Berkeley, California, 2012
Upon completion of the course students will receive the internationally recognized Adobe Certificate of Completion, as well as the Crater VFX Training Center Certificate.
Curabitur Accumsan
Morbi varius sapien in tellus vulputate, quis vestibulum urna suscipit. Phasellus pretium vitae lorem at efficitur. Duis magna nulla, molestie ut aliquet eu, dignissim sit amet purus. Quisque mattis convallis magna, vitae fermentum augue efficitur ac. Proin consequat mattis ultricies. Aliquam malesuada, sapien nec suscipit lobortis, risus ipsum luctus massa, id suscipit felis erat in nunc. Donec at nisi eu tellus euismod pulvinar id sodales lorem. Nunc ut dictum massa, ac dictum magna. Integer commodo imperdiet turpis sed scelerisque. In fermentum, leo vel fermentum bibendum, nulla purus volutpat turpis, quis accumsan magna lacus in libero. Aenean vestibulum odio non volutpat facilisis. Curabitur ac tempus metus.
COURSE INFORMATION
TUITION
650 EUR
VAT included. Class is 45 minutes
COURSE DURATION
51 classes / 6 weeks
REQUIREMENTS
basic computer skills
Digital Image Editing and Creation*
* or equivalent computer skills
TUITION in serbian
TUITION fee →
Students works
Page example SOFTWARE EDUCATION - English
Ukoliko ste odlučili da uronite u vode dizajna, grafike, Interneta, 3D I VFX industrije – ovde počinje vaša karijera.
Na ovom kursu, namenjenom početnicima, upoznaćete se sa radom u programu Photoshop. Uz ovladavanje raznim alatima, tehnikama i okruženjem u kome se Photoshop koristi, steći ćete širu sliku o mestu koje zauzima u svetu vizuelne umetnosti i medija. Sertifikovani Adobe instruktori pobrinuće se da naučite da retuširate, editujete, pripremate slike za Web i koristite alate na načine koji će razvijati vašu kreativnost. Ovladaćete korišćenjem vektorske grafike i četkica, kao i upotrebom grafičkih tabli, što će vam pomoći u daljem razvijanju profesionalne karijere u 3D i VFX industriji.
Napredne tehnike u radu sa slojevima
• Dualistička priroda svetlosti sa akcentom na talasnu prirodu
• Napredne tehnike primene blending modova
• Primena filtera Vanishing Point
• Uvoz vektorske grafike nastale u programu Adobe Illustrator
• Snimanje kompozicija slojeva
• Kreiranje smart objekata
• Menjanje smart objekata
Napredne tehnike za kreiranje kompozicija
• Primena filtera i smart filtera
• Uređivanje slike kumulativnom primenom većeg broja filtera
• Primena četkica za slobodoručno crtanje
• Kreiranje efekata primenom četkice
• Usklađivanje kolorita slika (Match Color, Channel Mixer, Photo Filter…)
• Kreiranje panorame povezivanjem većeg broja fotografija
Samostalna vežbe
• Kreiranje razglednice Beograda
Podešavanje Photoshopa i ubrzavanje rada
• Kreiranje sopstvenih prečica na tastaturi
• Automatizacija primenom akcija i kreiranje akcija
• Primena akcija na veći broj fotografija
Uvod u vektorsku grafiku
• Kreiranje i podešavanje putanja
• Kreiranje selekcije od vektorske putanje
• Kreiranje slojeva sa vektorskim maskama
• Kreiranje i menjanje predefinisanih vektorskih simbola
Napredna primena vektorske grafike
• Kompleksne motode primene putanja u kombinaciji sa alatima za rad sa rasterima
Osnove primene grafičke table
• Kreiranje custom četkica i Preset Manager
• Instalacija grafičke table
• Personalno podešavanje za desnoruke i levoruke
• Podešavanje tastera i olovke
• Primena grafičke table u radu sa standardnim četkicama
• Crtanje preko postojeće grafike (tracing)
• Primena grafičke table za kreiranje selekcija
• Primena grafičke table za pisanje teksta
Samostalna vežbe
• Crtanje grafike prema zadatoj referenci primenom grafičke table
Napredne tehnike u radu sa četkicama (Mixer Brush i grafička tabla)
• Izbor i podešavanje četkica
• Mešanje boja
• Kreiranje sopstvenih podešavanja
• Retuširanje alatom Mixer Brush
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a Book, Peachpit, Berkeley, California, 2012
Upon completion of the course students will receive the internationally recognized Adobe Certificate of Completion, as well as the Crater VFX Training Center Certificate.
Curabitur Accumsan
Morbi varius sapien in tellus vulputate, quis vestibulum urna suscipit. Phasellus pretium vitae lorem at efficitur. Duis magna nulla, molestie ut aliquet eu, dignissim sit amet purus. Quisque mattis convallis magna, vitae fermentum augue efficitur ac. Proin consequat mattis ultricies. Aliquam malesuada, sapien nec suscipit lobortis, risus ipsum luctus massa, id suscipit felis erat in nunc. Donec at nisi eu tellus euismod pulvinar id sodales lorem. Nunc ut dictum massa, ac dictum magna. Integer commodo imperdiet turpis sed scelerisque. In fermentum, leo vel fermentum bibendum, nulla purus volutpat turpis, quis accumsan magna lacus in libero. Aenean vestibulum odio non volutpat facilisis. Curabitur ac tempus metus.
COURSE INFORMATION
TUITION
650 EUR
VAT included. Class is 45 minutes
COURSE DURATION
51 classes / 6 weeks
REQUIREMENTS
basic computer skills
Digital Image Editing and Creation*
* or equivalent computer skills
TUITION in serbian
TUITION fee →
Students works
Multimedia for Teens
A CREATIVE HOLIDAYSpend a boredom-free summer break at Crater's Multimedia Teen Camp. Not only will you have fun, but you will also gain new skills and meet friends with whom you share the same interests.
MULTIMEDIA FOR TEENS
The program is intended for teenagers and takes place during the summer break. During two weeks of multimedia camp, our youngest students will take part in creative workshops, make friends and create original multimedia content each day.
Click here to read everything you need to know about the summer camp at Crater.
CAREER GUIDANCE COUNSELING
We can help turn your child’s imagination into a profitable career
Once considered doomed to an unsatisfying career and a penniless future, imaginative children today have a wealth of opportunities for a profitable yet rewarding career in visual effects, video games and computer graphics.
Seeing as this is a new and complex industry, we don’t expect you to be familiar with the different career paths available. Instead, our team of professionals dedicates time to each student individually to assess their talents, interests, and affinities.
By gaining an understanding of what they enjoy and how they see themselves, we can help map out all the possibilities that the future holds for them, giving both you and your child the freedom to enjoy their carefree years of learning new skills.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS
We come to you instead of waiting for you to come to us
With all those extracurricular activities filling up the weekly schedule, we understand that setting aside time for individual consultations and a visit to our training center is not an easy task. This is why we regularly partner with schools for in-house events, allowing elementary and high-school students to spend a day at a VFX studio, learn about our program and the profession, and get a taste of how production works.
If you are a teacher/parent, GET IN TOUCH with us and we’ll be happy to plan a visit to your/your child's school.
NEWS FROM CRATER
VFX Creation and Game Art Education
KICKSTART YOUR CG CAREERWant to become a VFX or game artist but not sure where to start? Our 3D Essentials course will equip you with the necessary technical skills and understanding of the industry for a smooth transition into your new career.
CHOOSE YOUR DELIVERY METHOD
Eager to start learning but can’t make it to the classroom? To accommodate varying student needs, we offer in-person, virtual and hybrid delivery options for all our courses. For more information, check out our Admissions page.
VFX CREATION AND GAME ART EDUCATION
Kick-start your visual effects or game art career!
Our modular program structure is designed for quick learning and allows for choices across the board to form a unique learning path for each student. We offer in-person, virtual and hybrid delivery options for all our courses.
All courses require basic knowledge of Photoshop. Depending on the level of instruction, some courses require proof of previous knowledge and/or completed work.
NEWS
OFFERING COURSES FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS
NEWS & EVENTS
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INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The real show begins when classes end!
Continue your learning on-the-job with a dedicated mentor and support network
A unique opportunity to build your first portfolio, test your knowledge in a project environment, and figure out the ins and outs of the VFX industry, our Internship Program is an extension of the vocational training offered to our best-performing, hungriest students who can’t wait to get into the arena! For more information visit Admissions.
OUR STUDENTS WORK IN THESE COMPANIES
