In 2013, a handful of former AV Club writers and editors teamed up with Pitchfork to launch The Dissolve, a new film criticism site. Sadly, two years into its existence, the site has ceased operations.
Founder and editorial director Keith Phipps shared the following message on the site's front page:
For the past two years—well, two years this Friday—it's been our pleasure to put up this site, a site founded on and driven by a love for movies, alongside a company with passion and talent for creating thoughtful, important work. Sadly, because of the various challenges inherent in launching a freestanding website in a crowded publishing environment, financial and otherwise, today is the last day we will be doing that. We've had this opportunity thanks to Pitchfork, which has been incredibly supportive of our vision. We couldn't have asked for a better partner.
So, some parting business: We've all loved working on this. And we've loved working together, and if anyone reading this knows of a way we can continue to work together, please don't hesitate to be in touch. My personal email address is kphipps3000@gmail.com. I can be found on Twitter at kphipps3000. Scott Tobias, Rachel Handler, Tasha Robinson, and Genevieve Koski are all reachable that way, too. They're the most talented people I've ever worked with, and would be a benefit to any employer.
Thank-yous: I want to thank all the talented contributors who made the site what it was, starting with former staffers Noel Murray, Nathan Rabin, and Matt Singer, and going on through the many talented freelancers we've worked with. In naming any of them, I run the risk of leaving off key players, but let me start with the names Mike D'Angelo, Kate Erbland, and Charles Bramesco, who were essential to the site's identity and helped keep it going. And, of course, to Pitchfork, especially Chris Kaskie and Ryan Schreiber, whose belief and trust in us and our collective vision for the site gave us the opportunity to work on this project.
Finally, to you, the readers. To quote a movie, we'll miss you most of all. But we will be seeing you again. Keep watching, thinking about, and discussing movies. It matters.
While we're certain that the talented writers of The Dissolve will bounce back from this, it's always sad to see our peers lose their jobs. R.I.P. The Dissolve.
Founder and editorial director Keith Phipps shared the following message on the site's front page:
For the past two years—well, two years this Friday—it's been our pleasure to put up this site, a site founded on and driven by a love for movies, alongside a company with passion and talent for creating thoughtful, important work. Sadly, because of the various challenges inherent in launching a freestanding website in a crowded publishing environment, financial and otherwise, today is the last day we will be doing that. We've had this opportunity thanks to Pitchfork, which has been incredibly supportive of our vision. We couldn't have asked for a better partner.
So, some parting business: We've all loved working on this. And we've loved working together, and if anyone reading this knows of a way we can continue to work together, please don't hesitate to be in touch. My personal email address is kphipps3000@gmail.com. I can be found on Twitter at kphipps3000. Scott Tobias, Rachel Handler, Tasha Robinson, and Genevieve Koski are all reachable that way, too. They're the most talented people I've ever worked with, and would be a benefit to any employer.
Thank-yous: I want to thank all the talented contributors who made the site what it was, starting with former staffers Noel Murray, Nathan Rabin, and Matt Singer, and going on through the many talented freelancers we've worked with. In naming any of them, I run the risk of leaving off key players, but let me start with the names Mike D'Angelo, Kate Erbland, and Charles Bramesco, who were essential to the site's identity and helped keep it going. And, of course, to Pitchfork, especially Chris Kaskie and Ryan Schreiber, whose belief and trust in us and our collective vision for the site gave us the opportunity to work on this project.
Finally, to you, the readers. To quote a movie, we'll miss you most of all. But we will be seeing you again. Keep watching, thinking about, and discussing movies. It matters.
While we're certain that the talented writers of The Dissolve will bounce back from this, it's always sad to see our peers lose their jobs. R.I.P. The Dissolve.
