Creative Entrepreneur

Adam Richlin ’09 Production option (Film and Animation BFA) serves the filmmaking community through his lighting equipment rental house in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Richlin and David Finn co-own Lightbulb Grip and Electric Company, servicing customers working on small- and medium-sized projects from films to music videos to commercials. Since starting in 2016, the company has grown significantly. Neatly packed in a 3,500-square-foot-space are LED lighting systems, dollies, lamps, stands and much more — which all adds up to more than 31,000 available items and 2,000 rentals a year, Richlin said.

Inspired by the many visiting artist talks he attended as an RIT student, Richlin also launched the “Late Nights at Lightbulb” networking series in his company’s space for professionals to share knowledge. 

Whether it was learning the art of filmmaking, faculty inviting him to be a production assistant on shoots or using the film gear in the School of Film and Animation’s well-stocked equipment cage, Richlin felt prepared for everything after RIT. It’s a place that made him “creative and adaptive to resources.” 

“It’s impossible to have a true perspective of what it means to be working professionally while you’re still in school, but I think RIT gets you as close as possible,” the creative entrepreneur said. “... I love RIT’s culture in how driven the students are. That’s important when you’re sitting in a room where you’re the 50th filmmaker and 49 other people are saying, ‘We’re all going to be professional filmmakers.’ It’s now my job to keep up.”

Learn more about about Richlin and his career as a creative entrepreneur: rit.edu/artdesign/news/alumnus-aids-community-business-coronavirus-fight