‘UNPRECEDENTED’
How Packers fans helped get ‘The 60’ into theaters
GREEN BAY – The filmmakers behind “The 60 Yard Line” don’t just want the people of Green Bay to laugh along to the Packers-themed romantic comedy this weekend, they want them to know they’re the reason it’s even in theaters at all.
“Our film has become a movement that literally has started here,” said Ryan Churchill, the Beloit native who co-wrote and co-produced it with fellow Los Angeles actor Nick Greco. “This is unprecedented what we’re doing here.”
A low-budget, indie project that started nearly three years ago with a $105,000 crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com and an ambitious cast wish list that once included Olivia Munn and Justin Timberlake, “The 60” has racked up plenty of yardage on its journey from filming in Green Bay during the 2015 Packers season to landing in theaters last week.
The hope all along was that “The 60” would somehow play in Green Bay, but for it to be in 50-plus cities is a cinematic Hail Mary touchdown pass. The film’s highest concentration of theaters is, not surprisingly, across Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. There are also scattered theaters as far away as Rochester, N.Y.; Georgetown, S.C.; and Parma, Idaho.
Many of the theaters are owned by Marcus Theatres, the Milwaukeebased theater chain. Churchill made frequent requests during the film’s post-production for Packers fans and supporters of the film to call their local theaters asking for the movie to be played there. That helped generate buzz across the state and get the film on the radar of theater chains.
When “The 60” made its world premiere in April at the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison with a pair of soldout screenings, Marcus had two representatives in attendance. They went back to brokers at the chain and said, “Hey, this thing went crazy,” Churchill said.
Once Marcus agreed to pick it up, particularly beyond just Green Bay and Appleton, other chains, such as Mann Theatres and CEC Theatres, also took interest.
“We kind of think of it as we didn’t do this. We just made the movie. It’s the people of Green Bay that are doing this,” Churchill said. “You the fans and you the audience and the consumer are really the ones that decide what you get to see. And so this is an example of that.”
Often times, small indie films that don’t have the benefit of studio backing do something called four-walling as a way to get into theaters. It’s a process in which filmmakers pay to rent a theater (perhaps $800 a night, Churchill said) for the film to be shown. They keep all of their own ticket sales.
In the case of commercial films, the movie is sold to a studio like Paramount Pictures or 20th Century Fox, which then connects directly to theater chains and provides the marketing campaign.
“The 60” found a way to get the benefits of studio distribution without a studio.
“The theater chains have come directly to us. They’re giving us all twoweek runs, just like a normal movie. They’re treating us just like a blockbuster film,” Churchill said.
It’s not unlike how Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh is opting to make movies now, albeit on a larger level, Greco said. He launched “Logan Lucky” this summer with his own company; no major studio help. Other indie movies like the romantic comedy “The Big Sick” are finding similar success.
“The 60” signed on with distributor Gravitas Ventures for the film’s iTunes, DVD (due out late this year) and TV rights. That in itself is a feat. Seventy-five percent of independent films never get a distributor, Churchill said.
For now, the focus is getting the film in front of as many people as possible in theaters. While Churchill and Greco admit there’s some nerves about what the opening-weekend box office numbers will bring on Monday morning, they’re determined to keep “The 60” momentum going.
“Our plan of attack always has been that this is the most important city, Green Bay . ... We want it to be well known and successful and literally every single person in Green Bay to see it. That’s always been the goal,” Churchill said.
“From there, then we go out to Appleton, then Madison, Milwaukee. We call this the epicenter and then have it go out from there and see how big we can make it get.”
It’s a testament to the fans that the film crossed the goal line the way it has. Support for the project from the beginning has been amazing, Greco said.
“I’m so proud,” Churchill said. “This is my home state, and I always know we always have each other’s backs. We just proved it again.”
The cast and crew of “The 60 Yard Line” are hosting a VIP tailgate from noon until Seahawks-Packers game time Sunday at the house, known as The 60, at the corner of Stadium Drive and Oneida St. used for filming in the movie. There will be food, drink, music, prizes and photo opportunities. To sign up, visit 60yardline.com/tailgatetour.