We’re looking forward to introducing you to David Miniatures. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning David, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
To be totally honest, I’m a late riser. Not because I’m lazy, but because I’m a night owl who stays up way too late. That’s usually when I get the most done: planning upcoming projects, tracking down odd materials, or diving into research for the next build. Since I mostly recreate real places or scenes from movies, there’s a lot of internet detective work involved.
My mornings, once they actually start, kick off with coffee and catching up on emails or social media messages that came in overnight. Because my work is seen all over the world, I usually wake up to a pretty full inbox. Once that’s out of the way, I head down to the shop and that’s when the real day begins.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m David, the artist behind David Miniatures and DM Studios. I build detailed miniatures and props that recreate iconic places and moments from film, TV, and real life. My work has been featured by studios like Netflix, Sony, Amazon, Universal, and Disney, and I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with brands and celebrities who share the same love for nostalgia and storytelling that I do.
What makes my work unique is that it blends obsessive attention to detail with a cinematic approach. Whether it’s a tiny version of the Seinfeld apartment, the Ghostbusters Firehouse, or a miniature version of Marty’s house from Back to the Future, every piece is built to feel like you could step right inside it.
DM Studios is the next chapter, expanding from miniatures into full-scale creative production, big props, and content creation. At the end of the day, my goal is the same: to make things that spark a sense of wonder, nostalgia, and joy, whether you’re holding it in your hand or seeing it on screen.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a kid (and let’s be honest, most adults still hear this too), you’re taught that you can’t actually make a living as an artist, or at least not a comfortable one.
Before doing what I do now, I had a few different careers, all still in the arts but leaned more corporate and “safe.” If you told my 10-year-old self that one day I’d be making a solid living building scale models for a living, I don’t think he’d believe you for a second. He probably would’ve laughed, gone back to playing with action figures, and said, “Yeah, right.”
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. Whether you’re an artist or just starting any kind of business, there’s always that initial high. It’s new, it’s exciting, and you feel unstoppable. Then reality shows up: inventory, clients, finances, juggling five social media platforms at once… it’s a lot. It’s also really easy to burn out or feel like quitting. I actually took almost two years off at one point.
When I came back, I knew I had to approach it differently. For me, that meant treating it like a business first, with the big bonus that my “business” happens to be making scale models. A lot of artists get stuck in the mindset of “I just want to make art, not deal with all the business stuff.” And that’s valid, but most of the time that path ends up turning art back into a hobby. Which is fine too, but if you want to build a career, you have to wear both hats. It’s not easy, but the trade-off is well worth it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
“Luck” is something I hear a lot. People tell me I’m lucky to do what I do and to have the success I’ve had. And I don’t mean this in a cocky way, but any business owner will tell you there’s no such thing as pure luck. Sure, there’s the rare case where someone with zero intention of chasing success has a video go viral, but they still had to post that video in the first place, right?
I didn’t magically wake up one day with these skills, and I definitely didn’t stumble onto an Instagram account that already had a huge following. I started at zero, just like everyone else. For me, “luck” is really just the result of putting yourself out there over and over. It’s taking 200 shots to get 10 wins. From the outside that might look like luck, but on the inside it’s just persistence, hard work, and not quitting when it gets hard.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
This past year I actually had to turn down two huge contracts, one from the largest fast food chain in the world and one from Disney. The timing just didn’t work out with deadlines and due dates, so I had to say no. Luckily, Disney came back around recently and I was able to work with them on another project.
The ironic twist? The first Disney project I had to refuse was because I was on vacation… taking my family and kids to Disneyland. You really can’t make that up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.davidminiatures.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidminiatures/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidminiaturespage
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@David_Miniatures
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidminiatures
Image Credits
All are ©David Miniatures®
The image of the Pool is the project for Disney https://www.davidminiatures.com/the-amateur-for-disney
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
