David attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1991-92 and studied under the industrial Design Technology program where he received a Renaissance style education studying under talented persons who not only instructed in their given field but also worked in the industry as well.

In this environment David gained much hands on experience.

After leaving school, David ran and operated his own special effects make up studio

he created many works as a spill over studio for film and stage.

During the period of around 1994 David began working with Local Link Teleproductions (a television production studio)

David helped to produce several programs,

actively seek syndication and distribution outlets

and helped to produce many independent film projects.

It was in the studio environment where David met and began working with published author on camcorder art, Jorn K. Bramann,

and also worked with four time Emmy award winning producer, Glenn Patrick Tolbert.

Also during this period, while producing a music program (called "Ground Level" with Sounds Fun Entertainment/Jonny Rock Entertainment, and Metal Blade) that David first encountered composer Steve Kusaba.

In the later-mid 2000s, a problem that David had been afflicted with for much of his life, arose to strike him down (Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia).

David suffered through months of medical tests and neurologists prescribing med after med to no avail. David suffered the most unendurable pain night, after night, Day after day. Finally David got a second opinion from another doctor and received treatment and diagnoses that made all the difference for his quality of life.

In 2015 David began reviewing home video footage he had taken during that period, and decided to cut the film "Five Nights of Waking Dreams" in a way to come to terms with his experience and share it with others that they may better understand his afflictions effects on his person as opposed to focusing on the physical aliments of his disorder.

Who better to score such a deeply evocative film steeped in ambiguity and turmoil than his old contact Steve Kusaba.

together they have each brought a unique vision before the public eye in a way that anyone can relate to and take away from it what they have brought to it crafting a unique experience for each viewer and paving the way for future collaborations from Composer Steve Kusaba and David Cartwright.