The Second Studio announces their arrival in the Bangladesh animation scene

“The Second Studio Featuring Best Show Everest”, an immersive exhibition put together by the independent animation studio The Second Studio, took place at Alliance Française de Dhaka. The exhibition opened on June 25 and concluded on June 27. The show exhibited work across a range of media, including animations, video games, comics, illustrations, and concept art. The main draw, however, was the screening of the pilot episode of Best Show Everest, an original animated mini-series currently in development.

​Founded by three artists – Oishik Jawad, Junaid Iqbal, and Rakeeb Razzaq – The Second Studio works across comics, graphic novels, video games, illustration, and animation. The exhibition sought to give visitors a glimpse into what goes behind their craft, offering a curated assortment of storyboards, maps, rough sketches, character sheets, background assets, sketches, and animation breakdowns, amongst other pieces.

​The pilot episode of the mini-series was screened on all three days. It follows the tale of the three friends on their trip to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Inspired by the real-life experience of the artists, it is put together with a lot of wit, humour, and whimsy. During an interactive discussion at the exhibition, the artists disclosed that they took time out of their day to develop the mini-series, without any kind of funding or structural support, spurred on by their shared vision. 

​Alongside the mini-series, the show also had a playable demo of Dhaka Survivor, a video game that emphasises the hurdles that women have to put up with every day while moving through the capital. It is a two-dimensional platformer with simple mechanics where players can jump over hurdles and also squash them. With accessibility in mind, the game was developed with the intent to effectively discuss the harrowing realities of women. 

​In addition, the trio exhibited work they made for EMK Centre’s Animation Carnival, a promotional short that introduced a mascot inspired by the Nilgai and celebrated the nation’s emerging animation scene.

​“When we started working on animation projects, we noticed that there are different types of studios that keep announcing that they intend to be the first studio to develop a series. However, the project never materialises. They list many limitations, such as inadequate funds and a lack of time, amongst other issues. So, we thought we were not going to announce anything. We are going to work on it first. This is why we made the pilot episode and then announced our aspiration to develop an animated series,” said Junaid. 

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​The exhibition was inaugurated on June 25 with the screening of the pilot episode. On the following day, an interactive discussion was organised with members of The Second Studio, moderated by cartoonist Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy. The closing day consisted of a “Backyard Session” where artists, animation enthusiasts, and creatives gathered for an informal session, followed by an unplugged music show to see out an eventful three days.   

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As an independent studio based in Dhaka, the three artists seek to develop original creative output in Bangladesh while actively contributing to a vivid emerging art scene. With their exhibition, The Second Studio wished to showcase their work and the possibility of what an independent studio could look like to a wider audience.

​“For our future plans, we want to work on another six to seven episodes. However, funding is a big concern. We first thought we could make the entire series with our own money. Many of our friends volunteered to work on the pilot episode and helped us put it together. We obviously cannot turn to them for labour for an indefinite period of time. So, whatever we do next, we hope to pay them some amount of money,” Junaid added. “As such, we have a crowdfunding booth at the exhibition. Additionally, we are open if any producer wishes to approach us to take the project further.”

The realm of animation in Bangladesh undeniably holds a lot of promise. Yet, it has frequently been mired by many structural shortcomings. Despite these hurdles, The Second Studio has managed to develop and execute a project that showcases its commitment to craftsmanship and quality. What is particularly inspiring is that this is merely the beginning. As audience members, we cannot wait to see how their journey unfolds.