AOL has retired DVGuru, everyone’s favorite filmmaking authority.

DVGuru, the Weblogs, Inc. blog that offered links, tutorials, and the occasional podcast episode, was closed reportedly because it could not reach one million pageviews and was not profitable at the level AOL was hoping to get out of the site. Instead, AOL will be focusing on blogs that appeal to wider audiences, such as Engadget, Autoblog, and Joystiq.

Randall Bennett of DVGuru posted this in his farewell message:

We have the most loyal and interesting readers in the whole world! (*tear*) Honestly, our readers are intelligent and always have an interesting comment to leave. Working at other blogs within Weblogs, Inc., I often dread reading the comments because they’re filled with unintelligent drivel, but thanks to readers and comment writers like you, DV Guru has been an awesome place to be.

The post also includes details on where the other bloggers at DVGuru (Ajit Anthony, Sheila Ward, Mike Burgoyne, Russell Heimlich, Ryan Bilsborrow-Koo, Adam Nielson, and Brian Liloia) will be headed. Several will be moving to other blogs within the Weblogs, Inc. network, many have personal blogs and podcasts (I won’t re-link, check the original post), and there are early rumblings of some exciting new media projects.

It’s sad to see DVGuru go, however these bloggers are definitely on to greater things.

Indie filmmakers, shunted by Hollywood, are being forced to move to the self-distribution path with their films. The lack of interest from Hollywood, thanks to lackluster theatre sales (blame it on what you wish) has driven filmmakers to discover their own audiences in areas never previously explored.

In a recent issue of Filmmaker Magazine, Jay Craven, writer/director of the film “Disappearances”, wrote about his experience with the self-distribution of his film in rural areas – a demographic traditionally ignored by Hollywood, who shops their high-brow films to city audiences, where profits are almost guaranteed.

Craven notes

We needed cash, so while we waited for movie theaters to clear their schedules, we started playing town halls, granges and old opera houses. You can rent most of them for $50 and set up the show in less than an hour. And you take home all the cash at the end of the night.

Craven and co. took their film around Vermont, and played the film in over one-hundred towns that, for the most part, didn’t have theatres, instead relying on community gathering points. Despite the success the film achieved, distributors were still cautious, said one:

As far as I’m concerned, there’s a brick wall eight miles outside of Manhattan. And I don’t care what happens on the other side of that wall.

This isn’t the only film that has relied on the self-distribution path and found success in it though, the film “Four Eyed Monsters“, by Arin Crumley and Susan Buice, utilized the internet to attain a cult-like following. Through a massively successful video podcast and their connection to fans via social tools such as MySpace, Buice and Crumley were able to garner enough support to set up a self-distribution platform. Fans could go to the Four Eyed Monsters website and request a screening. If enough people requested a screening in a certain area, the pair would call local theatres and set up a time and date.

The success of their self distribution push won them showings at the IFC Center in New York as well as a contract with the Sundance Channel and Cinema Village (also in New York). They’ve started selling DVDs on their website, and recently at Sundance, Crumley declared his desire to make another film. They’ve showed the film in the internet virtual world “Second Life” and are continuing their video podcast.

Self-distribution is made easier by companies such as Withoutabox.com and other internet systems will become more prevalent (YouTube and Revver are already great examples, however more direct iTunes competitors will play a greater role). This independent movement will force Hollywood to de-centralize, as that is the independent advantage. We’ll see if Hollywood can learn before it is too late.

In a breaking story (where details are still unfolding), reports are coming in that New Line Cinema, the studio responsible for the massively successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, is breaking its ties to Peter Jackson, the trilogy’s influential director.

The controversy is surrounding the full payout of Jackson’s salary. Jackson is suing New Line, claiming they are holding what is his. Thus, Robert Shaye, an executive producer on the Lord of the Rings and a New Line head, said that the adaptation of “The Hobbit” (a prequel, of sorts, to the primary Lord of the Rings trilogy) will not be directed by Jackson.

“I do not want to make a movie with somebody who is suing me. It will never happen during my watch.”

This is huge not only for the “ringers” (fans of Lord of the Rings), but for the film world in general. Peter Jackson is one of the most influential directors in Hollywood, and this is the latest in a series of misfortunes that Jackson has encountered after the stunning success of Lord of the Rings. King Kong, his remake of the 1933 epic, did not perform to expectations, as mentioned before he is suing New Line Cinema, the production of Halo was ceased, and now he’s being completely shut out of the production of The Hobbit.

Mark Ordesky, one of the more visible producers of the trilogy (fans may know him from the behind the scenes DVD set), commented that the reason Jackson is being removed as director is because of the limited time option they have on the story. Saul Zaentz, whose group manages the rights for Tolkien’s works, will receive the rights again if the film is not made soon enough – giving Peter Jackson the ability to make it independently (he certainly has the money and support) and distribute it (MGM owns distribution rights, not New Line).

This is just another example of the nonsense that comes out of Hollywood’s top-heavy bureaucratic decision making. Fortunately however, Peter Jackson has the resources to pull out of it. Hopefully we’ll hear more on this soon.

Audio Analysis: New Line Cinema Breaks Ties to Peter Jackson

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Randy Kerr, a co-founder of Twango.

Twango, which I reviewed in the past, is a great media hosting site that supports a wide variety of formats and is really focused on the sharing aspect. Here’s what I said last time:

Twango though, seperates itself from other media sharing sites like YouTube or Odeo. It doesn’t just handle one type of media — it handles them all.
…
Twango is YouTube, Flickr, and Odeo smashed into one application. It’s a site with an apparently active userbase and a committed developer team. The use of AJAX is sparse but effective, and the organization and design make the site easy from all angles.
…
While it’s undisputable that YouTube, Flickr, and Odeo hold the crowns in their respective areas, Twango presents a valiant dethroning effort.

The interview is available now. Below are some acquiring options. You’re strongly encouraged to send in your comments either at this post or in an audio comment via email!

• Listen at Odeo
• Download the MP3
• Subscribe through FeedBurner (iTunes coming soon!)

This year’s MacWorld keynote has brought several interesting product releases, including the long rumoured iPhone and the rebranding of the iTV as the Apple TV. My colleague Peter at GizBuzz has posted a more in depth roundup of Steve Jobs’ speech.

For YouMakeMedia readers, this isn’t terribly relevant news (though it is certainly exciting). DV Guru has promised to post a bit about how this all is relevant and I’m sure we’ll all be nodding in agreement when they do. For now though, I’m taking the opinion that sure, it’s all cool, but the major impact is on the consumer end. It won’t change how we deliver our media – except perhaps to encourage further delivery in HD thanks to the Apple TV. The iPhone has no greatly enhanced media features, in essence we still will treat it like an iPod.

I’m very excited about the new products, but from a media creator aspect, there isn’t a lot of excitement. I’m expecting more toward NAB (Final Cut Pro 6 with Silicon Color’s FinalTouch enhancements!).

I’d argue that the biggest impact is what wasn’t announced. Apple made the change from Apple Computers, inc. to Apple, inc. (they announced that, but really, who called them Apple Computers?) – this implies to me that they certainly aren’t done. The iPhone could have easily been branded as a pocket computer and they would have been able to maintain an Apple Computers name. What other consumer products should we expect? They haven’t crossed into games yet…

They also had a huge stock boost. Stockholders are obviously content with Apple’s decision to expand outside their original area of expertise and are willing to put forth what they can to help the business expand. This will be an interesting year.

In an announcement that has filmmakers around the world screaming "thank you", Adobe has released news that the Adobe Production Studio, the only comparative competitor to Final Cut Pro, is heading back to the Mac platform.

The suite, which Adobe describes as an "integrated video and audio post-production tool set", is comprised of eight different application (pro bundle):

• Adobe After Effects – special effects compositing
• Adobe Premiere – general non-linear editing
• Adobe Photoshop – still graphic manipulation
• Adobe Audition – sound editing
• Adobe Encore DVD – DVD production and design
• Adobe Illustrator – vector graphic manipulation
• Adobe Dynamic Link – preventing re-renders
• Adobe Bridge – "navigational control center"

Adobe notes that Soundbooth, the program that Adobe is currently offering as a free beta, will be replacing Audition in the Mac version of the Production Studio.  It is unclear as to Audition's future, however they do say it will continue to be developed for Windows users (strangely!).

The best news?  They claim it will be ready by mid-2007.  If this is true… Apple, you had best watch out.