Synopsis
Set in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, the video recasts Rachel Goodrich's gentle, childlike song as an exaggerated street-rap fantasy. A tattooed tough guy, a dancing woman, a pit bull, kids on bicycles, and a customized car occupy the frame while the performers pose and mime along. The deliberately rough, deadpan presentation creates the central joke: sweet gratitude for everyday objects collides with the visual language of a low-budget gangster clip.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was created as part of a Sweat Records contest inviting filmmakers to make a music video for "Light Bulb." Several competing versions were produced, making this entry one of multiple videos associated with the song.
- The shoot took place in Wynwood, a Miami neighborhood known for its street art. Much of the cast came from the filmmakers' circle of friends, neighbors, and people encountered locally.
- The customized car seen in the video featured airbrushed images of a Mortal Kombat fatality, the Joker, and Ken from Street Fighter.
- The production was completed in roughly four or five hours. The editing was finished under a very tight deadline, which helped preserve the video's intentionally unpolished look.
- The footage was captured using a Panasonic HVX and a Canon XH A1 fitted with a Letus Extreme adapter.
- A planned scene involving the preparation of crack was filmed but ultimately removed from the finished version.
- The video's unlikely pairing of a sweet folk-pop song with Miami street-rap imagery attracted considerable attention. It appeared on IFC's list of the 10 greatest music videos of 2010 and was also recognized as a top Miami music video.
- "Light Bulb" originally appeared on Goodrich's 2008 album "Tinker Toys." The song later received exposure through appearances in "Weeds," "My Life as Liz," and a Crayola commercial.