Video website Chill will shut down before the end of the year, the company said today in an email to customers.

The L.A. site, an online distributor of videos from independent filmmakers, will shut down permanently on Dec. 15. The Business Journal obtained a copy of the email, which instructs Chill customers to download any videos they’ve purchased from the website before the shutdown.

“We enjoyed connecting you to your favorite creators, and we’re sad to see it end,” the email concluded. “It’s been an incredible journey and we are grateful to you for embarking on it with us.”

In October, Chill laid off much of its staff in an attempt to move away from the entertainment industry. Chief Executive Brian Norgard said at the time that the company had laid off its entertainment team and some engineers, cutting down to nine employees.

Norgard told the Business Journal on Friday that the company’s core team is working on other projects.

Chill had experimented with a few business models over the years. At first, it was social video platform where people could post videos from the Web for others to see and comment on. The company later struck deals with comedians and filmmakers to become a distribution platform for independent projects.

At one time, Chill’s distribution model appeared to be a hit. The company raised an $8 million round led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and talent agency William Morris Endeavor in June last year and signed a premium content distribution deal with gossip network TMZ.