What's in a name?
The reason why we're called LastBench
A lot of folks come in curious about why we decided to name our studio LastBench, it’s a question that sparks knowing smiles here. You see, the name conjures up images of those infamous last benchers—often perceived as uninterested in academics, lost in their own worlds. Step into our studio, and you might just think we've embodied that stereotype.
A Peek Into Our Space
A full view of the studio might reinforce their notion - where the nineteen “last benchers” have taken the space provided and turned it into their own creative playground. Anyone who steps into the studio at any time of the day would notice the buzzing hive of artistry and activity. Our illustrators and animators are usually neck-deep into their effort and time-intensive work, sketching and putting together animations frame by frame. While the live-action crew is often busy shooting on the ground, some of us are at the whiteboard furiously scribbling, jotting down points, making connections, and enjoying those delightful “aha!” moments that only come by during deep brainstorming sessions.
Our workspace is an evolving masterpiece of organized chaos, where creativity thrives and conventional norms take a back seat.
The Essence of ‘LastBench’
So, when asked “Why LastBench?”, the answer varies depending on who you ask.
Shashank, our co-founder also known as the creative ‘overthinker’, has to say that be it any setup - school, college, university - the last benches of a class are more often than not, occupied by the thinkers, the doodlers, and the storytellers. With access to the full view of the class, they see the bigger picture unfold right before their eyes.
Meghna, the self-identified introvert, believes the idea of the last bench translates directly into the people here. Even when somebody is not working on a project per se they’re usually engaged in some kind of creativity. Be it doodling on a post-it making something with clay, or even shooting something. There’s always that constant creativity flowing through this space.
On her first day here, she thought it was a very warm space because everybody was quite welcoming, at the same time they also understood that everybody needed their own space, so nobody was overbearing either. She added, “I kinda appreciate that because it's very rare. I think it's a compassionate space that way. They’re very tuned into everyone else and everybody else’s energies. There’s a nice little sync that way in between everyone, I think that’s the first thing I picked up on when I came here. I think there’s a space for all kinds of people here, so everybody fits right in like a jigsaw puzzle so yeah, it just gets better with additions”.
Jerry, our in-house creative thinker sees LastBench as a very frontbencher space as well, where people are very polite and communicative. They take care of each other, they do things on time - unlike the last benchers back in school. But at the same time, throughout the work, the sense of the last bench stands strong in freedom, playfulness, and mischief.
On the flip side, the real, I mean the REAL reason why we were named LastBench is - cue the drumroll…our founder had the words “Last Bench” on his mind. Simple as that. When he found the domain name was available, well, the rest was history. Aaaaaaaand that’s how LastBench Studio was born (we stick to Shashank’s story when people ask).
So there you have it—a name that captures the essence of creativity, curiosity, and a touch of rebellious spirit. Welcome to LastBench, where we turn the last row into the front line of storytelling!