Let me preface this with a bit of a warning....This post will be heavily front-loaded with a bunch of praise and barely-contained rambling from me: a MASSIVE Miniac fan. I can say, without a doubt, hands-down, when I get a notification saying all of my favorite content creators released a video, Miniac's is always the first I watch. His artistic talent is impressive, don't get me wrong, but that's not what keeps me on the hook. It's his presence. It's the genuine enthusiasm and deep-rooted joy he brings to me, and every other viewer. When he says something took hours to perfect, I empathize with him, feeling the drain and exhaustion even though it took mere seconds to see the outcome. When he brings a topic before the viewer, they know without a doubt he has gone the distance with his research. He shows his process, his many trials and few errors.
Something else that keeps me all tangled up in his web is the fact that he not only admits, but SHOWS his mistakes. So often we as people (especially content creators) try to only show our best. When we open the window so the world can see us, it's the window to the nicest room, with all of the fanciest decorations and most interesting conversation pieces on display. I remember years ago when I was trying to record an arena winning montage for a World of Warcraft video...I could only use one out of every 6 or so recordings. But when I chopped through those 30+ hours of recordings and I watched that 2 and a half minute video I felt like a god....then like garbage. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep people interested in me relying on my "skills". I would have tricked them into subscribing to me because of a slimy video showing only my best. I deleted the video and moved on. Scott shows his mistakes, admits when he "cheats a little bit" or cuts a corner to save on time or reduce the likelihood of embarking on a rage induced spree due to edge highlighting. This makes him relatable, this makes him real, and to me, this makes him the best.
Anyway..... let's get to why you're here....to the....Meat and Potatoes, as it were....
1. How long have you been involved in the hobby in general? "19 years". 2. How long have you been actively promoting your content on social media?
"5 years".
3. What initially drew you to the miniature model hobby realm? "I was 10 years old and I'm a massive geek. I loved LOTR, Drizzt, King Arthur, etc. To this day I can't really articulate exactly what it is about painting + miniatures that I find so appealing, but the combination of it being art, geekery, and a crunchy nerdy game make for a great combination that appeals to me on multiple levels". 4. What tabletop game would you say is your favorite? What particular faction within that game is your favorite and why? "My favorite is Guildball. I love how chess-like the game is. You understand the objective very simply but the paths to that objective are varied and many. My favorite GB team are the Morticians". 5. What is more enjoyable for you personally: painting or actually playing the game? "I think I like both equally, maybe painting a bit more".
6. If money or time weren’t a consideration, what single purchase/upgrade/expansion would you make to further your hobby enjoyment? "A standalone space for airbrushing, and a standalone space for photography/videography of miniatures". 7. Where do you get the inspiration for your particular army theme or style? "All over instagram from various painters and 2D illustrators, graffiti, album art from old 80s thrash metal". 8. What tips or advice would you give someone just starting out in the hobby? "Focus on your own enjoyment. Don't let other people's painted work dictate how you want to paint your miniatures. Do whatever gives you joy". 9. What was the moment you realized commission painting was something you wanted to pursue as more than a hobby? "Almost immediately when I started making videos. I enjoyed it so much more than my current job". 10. What was the most difficult obstacle you had to overcome on your path to becoming a full-time painter? "Replacing the money I made as a software engineer, and balancing my time".
11. What was the most rewarding experience you’ve had as a painter?
"Looking back on 4.5 years of content creation and knowing how hard some of the videos were to make. There were a lot of times where I was deep in it and had the feeling of being overwhelmed and crushed. I kept telling myself that later down the road when this was all over, I'd be proud of myself for finishing what I said I was going to finish and that's what got me through a lot of those scenarios. Also, very proud of painting a large portion of my wood elf army in a 6 month period, and painting my entire GB team in an escalation league". 12. If you could do anything to expand your company/studio/hobby footprint, what would it be?
"I love the idea of hosting a convention, and also incorporating gaming into my channel". 13. What product line do you endorse and what about their products do you feel sets them above their competitors? https://miniac.bigcartel.com/gear
Scott, Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! You are the single most positive influence on me, motivating me to dive deeper into this amazing and interesting hobby. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to "interview" you and I look forward to your next project!
Reader, I don't even know why I'm saying this....it almost feels like when the Pastor asks the early morning congregation if there is anyone that doesn't know Jesus....Everyone knows the only people there are the ones that needed His Holy help getting out of bed that early in the first place! If you're a hobby enthusiast, reading this post and you aren't subscribed to Miniac's Instagram, YouTube, Patreon or a member of the Trapped Under Plastic Facebook Group, number 1: shame on you (kidding, kidding) and number 2: as my Drill Instructor so eloquently put it.....you have 10 seconds to Un(expletive) yourself, or I'll do it for you! Go subscribe, follow, like...all the things. You won't be let down!