THE STORY

The Thrill is Gone is about an aging musician and his best friend trying to follow their dream. Matt has a family to support and is thinking about hanging it up and Jim is fully in on this dream even if it costs him everything. This film follows them as they play what might be their last gig after Jim goes on a drunken rampage and destroys the bar.

WHY?

My dad has always believed that life is about the stories you can tell. At parties, he’d hold court with guests, wowing them with stories from when he was a young musician. He always took great care in telling his many stories and making sure they were as entertaining as possible. This is why I’m making “The Thrill is Gone.” It’s an ode to the man who taught me the importance of telling a good story, as well as a love letter to live blues, the music that raised me.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

Not unlike every independent film project, we need one crucial ingredient: funding.

In the spirit of Big Jim Kohler, we believe in taking care of our crew before ourselves. Our first priority is to feed our cast and crew, which will cost about $1,250 over our five-day shoot. We also plan to pay our actors for their work, totaling $1,350 once the stage lights fade.

Beyond that, each department has its own needs that need to be taken care of. Our art department needs $500 for props, set decoration, and costumes. Our camera, electric, and sound departments have equipment rentals and kit fees totaling around another $1,000.

Your support can help make that possible. Every contribution goes directly toward creating the best film we can—one that not only looks great but also takes care of the people making it happen.

THE TEAM

Chris Philbin is a 21-year-old writer, cinematographer and soon to be director based in Richmond, Virginia. He has a knack for creating authentic, relatable characters and has a keen for visual storytelling. He has a particular love for comedy and coming-of-age stories, which is apparent in the film he co-wrote called “Critic’s Choice.” It was selected for production in VCUarts Cinema’s second-year summer intensive. He also served as the film’s Director of Photography, a role he earned through his team’s standout pitch video. He has written numerous short films and two features, and is currently developing “The Thrill is Gone” into a feature-length project.

Rania Ashoor is a 22-year-old Arab-American assistant director and producer based in Richmond, Virginia. They are extremely passionate about helping people bring their ideas to life through collaboration, workflow organization, and logistical planning. They have assistant directed and produced over 20 projects ranging from shorts, commercials, and music videos. They have also been training under assistant directors in the Richmond area for the past year, building their skill set. They are currently working towards an acceptance into the DGA’s assistant director training program in New York, where they hope to connect with other assistant directors and grow as a creative supporter.

Rebecca Gendron is a 22-year-old producer, director, and production designer also based in Richmond. As a VCUarts Cinema and VCU Psychology graduate with a minor in philosophy, she brings a unique blend of understanding of human behavior and abstract thought to creative team collaboration. Additionally, she is the co-founder and co-CEO of Pocket Productions, a production company breaking global barriers for indie filmmakers. They are currently in pre-production for the Global Shorts Project, “Under the Same Sky,” which will bring together 7 short films from each continent into one feature length film.