Walk-On Line Discussion

[dudesky1000]

Hey guys,

I wanted to open up a discussion that is currently developing amongst the competitors and fans of the show about the state of the walk-on line, how early is TOO early, and the fairness in allowing the competitors mediate their own walk-on line before and after Production shows up to begin construction of the course.

Essentially, the walk-on line is continually beginning to form earlier and earlier each season, most recently in Venice this year before the production team even arrived.

Some say that it is unfair that some competitors hoping to be walk-on contestants show up so early and begin to enforce a line of their own--when people with jobs and families can only arrive to the location of the try-outs a day or so before competition. This virtually takes anyone with a day job, college classes or children to tend to out of the equation. Only the most dedicated will get a chance, and even then only the first 15 or so will actually get a shot at the qualifying course. Those 15 spots filled up in Venice very quickly after the first two people arrived. Now, there are dozens, so it's basically done and dusted over there.

Personally, this actually doesn't seem too unfair to me. I can't speak for casting of course, but anybody who is able to put their lives on hold for such a long amount of time probably doesn't have anything that they're looking for, so they wouldn't have any other way of competing otherwise. Only the most dedicated will show up so early, and those are probably the guys training year round for this thing, so why not give them their shot at it? I would think that if you have a responsibility preventing you from showing up so early, you probably have the making of a good enough submission video to be cast. And if you still don't get cast...well, I'm sorry, that's life. This is a game show raking in millions of dollars for one of the largest media conglomerates in the world in a primetime slot. Unfortunately not everyone will get a chance this year.

Your thoughts?

[Oti]

I think they should abolish the walk-on line altogether. It's a broken tradition.

[brockriebe6]

I think instead of a walk up line they should just set up the course a week early and let all the people that would usually be in the walk on line to just pay 100 bucks to run the course. Then just take like the top 20 fastest finishers and let them run the real course. That way everyone gets a chance if they really want it but only the people who have a good shot at doing well make it through.

[slider676]

That would be a huge advantage to the 20 walk-ons that made it through. They would steal the show.

[thatoneuser]

There have been pages upon pages upon pages of debate about this in the Facebook groups recommending everything from a lottery to a trial to a death match, but ultimately there will be people who violate the gentleman's agreement and show up 2 weeks early anyway. The only solution is to end it altogether. Obviously NBC could solve this by doing one of the options above (maybe not the death match) but they don't care because that would involve effort. I guarantee you that if Joe Range clears the qualifying course he's going to get on TV and be promoted as "the guy that waited 9 days in line". Good for TV + no effort = happy NBC.

[brockriebe6]

I just gave my 2 cents on what I would do that would benefit NBC (by making them more money) and the competitor (by letting them run the course).

And true the 20 walk ons may steal the show but NBC would give most of the Tv time to all the moms and old people that will probably fail on the first 3 obstacles anyway.

[arsenette]

This debate always rages every year the bigger the show gets. The problem is people want a trials for the trials. That's just not possible. USA is a HUGE country and if something is popular inevitably a lot of people will be left out. I hate the option of the walk-on anyway. It's purely an American invention. No other country has the concept (at least that I'm aware of). The only reason why it exists is because the state of California has the law. No other state has it, but because it's a Hollywood show NBC extends it country-wide. They don't even have to do it. As hash as it sounds, those who say "tough" when you don't get picked are correct. Welcome to television casting.

[TCM]

I want the walk-on to still exist because casting is an imperfect process (even more so when you have four locations to deal with as opposed to just Midoriyama/Vegas), but it has to be heavily regulated by production. Specifically set a date that says 'this is when potential walk-ons can line up; anyone attempting to line-up earlier will be turned down.' There is still the issue of people having less responsibilities/people who can postpone those responsibilities sooner having an advantage, but none of this letting them stand outside for a week and being OK with it because it's 'good TV' when they've gained no ratings increase based on that. There might be people who camp out for crap like Idol but that doesn't guarantee them anything, just like these walk-ons don't really guarantee anything.

At the same time, the best decision would be to abolish it. It's a broken process, one that production has no desire to actually control.

[arsenette]

They can't abolish it. It's the law in California. Unless the politicians in California abolish the law then Walk-ons will still stand. If they abolish it on their own then they can be sued and that's not good regardless. It should have never been a law but it is that's the reality of the situation. As for fairness, I disagree. It's a television show. They have the right to chose whoever they want. It's not imperfect. Hell they don't have to chose you. They could have gone through Central casting and gotten actors for the same thing. Or worse, they could have done a voting process like G4's ANW 1 and we all lose on that. American Idol does popular voting and we all know how messed up that system is when you have fandoms robocalling for their favorites. I think people are forgetting the fact that this is a television show and not a sports event. Neither is Sasuke btw. You don't "deserve" to be on the show. It's just that simple.

[mesa3for4]

Let me throw my 2 cents in. I mostly agree with arsenette in that they have to have it if it's a open location.
I do agree there should be something on place to keep this from getting to people showing up earlier than 2 weeks. But right now the show garners free publicity from the walk on who come early. Just look at their twitter and Facebook page. I know no matter what this will be my final walk on line and after last year's experience of 2 walk on lines with no runs I couldn't miss another. The thing I laugh at is both j.p. and Yancey lat year arrived 9 days early. 2 days before construction and this argument didn't happen to this scale.

[arsenette]

Those who have been going for a while can probably attest that each city/location has their own ordinances on top of whatever gentleman agreement exists? Meaning that regardless of how city a is handling the walk ons, city b won't do the same thing because city b's location won't allow the congregation of people past (insert random time of 11pm on weekends without a permit, etc.). Am I correct on that assumption? So doing a universal walk-on organization for all locations is virtually impossible. It all boils down to people's entitlement where they think they HAVE to be on the show and because they weren't picked that somehow the world is at fault. By design, casting will exclude most of the applicants.. they had over 30,000 applicants this year. There's only so much you can do when only roughly 500 even RUN the course throughout all of the cities. That's just statistics!

[evan]

I think the walk on line is great, it provides people with the opportunity to compete. I had a positive experience in Venice last week. What sucks the most IMO is that if you are not in the top 10 you will most likely run (if at all) after 5 am and as a walk on you have to be ready for the production crew around 4pm. Also you don't know if and what time you are going to run for sure (a few walk ons run in the middle of the night) so you are left anticipating all night. That does not allow you to rest or mentally prepare as well as the people who know for sure when they are running. Just my opinion.

[grandpaninja]

The below is information form the Casting facebook page regarding the Walk on line in Houston.
A. Deign & Co
18 hrs ·
Hello Houston Walk-on Ninjas! We appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication and want to continue to have the walk-on experience be fair and safe. Our Houston location is on private property. As such, no overnight "camping" is allowed. The location has advised us that trespassing laws will be enforced
Please read below carefully for how the walk-on line will be handled in Houston. We are relying on the Ninja community to conduct themselves in a positive manner so that we may continue to allow for walk-ons at all our city qualifiers.
Time and Location: The walk -up line will be allowed to form on Mon., March 23rd at 9AM.
The Barry Center
8877 Barker-Cypress
Cypress, TXLot ASign indicating the start of the line will be clearly posted by production. Map attached.
Parking/Walking: We ask that all interested persons enter the Barry Center from Barker Cypress Road no sooner than 9AM and immediately turn right into Lot A. There will be an area for parking dedicated to walk-up competitors. Persons without a car will be allowed to enter the lot at the same location at 9AM and no sooner. No cars or persons entering Lot A from any other entrance or direction will be allowed to join the line, and will be asked to exit the property and reenter from Barker Cypress. Video surveillance will be in effect. Any persons found to deliberately attempt to circumvent this process will be indefinitely disqualified from competing at any current or future American Ninja Warrior locations.
Daily Schedule: The Barry Center does not allow for overnight "camping" of any kind, therefore, the walk-on line will be disbanded every evening at 7PM and allowed to reform at 7AM each morning. There can be no loitering around the facility, or course, between 7PM and 7AM. This schedule will continue until the evening of competition on Sat., March 28th.
As with Venice and previous seasons, production does not anticipate accommodating more than 50 walk-ons.
There will be no exceptions to the above and any violations could result in disqualification and disbanding of the walk-on line in Houston until day of competition.
Please stay connected and check-in for walk-on information for Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Orlando.
'Hello Houston Walk-on Ninjas! We appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication and want to continue to have the walk-on experience be fair and safe. Our Houston location is on private property. As such, no overnight "camping" is allowed. The location has advised us that trespassing laws will be enforced
Please read below carefully for how the walk-on line will be handled in Houston. We are relying on the Ninja community to conduct themselves in a positive manner so that we may continue to allow for walk-ons at all our city qualifiers.
Time and Location: The walk -up line will be allowed to form on Mon., March 23rd at 9AM.
The Barry Center
8877 Barker-Cypress
Cypress, TXLot ASign indicating the start of the line will be clearly posted by production. Map attached.

Parking/Walking: We ask that all interested persons enter the Barry Center from Barker Cypress Road no sooner than 9AM and immediately turn right into Lot A. There will be an area for parking dedicated to walk-up competitors. Persons without a car will be allowed to enter the lot at the same location at 9AM and no sooner. No cars or persons entering Lot A from any other entrance or direction will be allowed to join the line, and will be asked to exit the property and reenter from Barker Cypress. Video surveillance will be in effect. Any persons found to deliberately attempt to circumvent this process will be indefinitely disqualified from competing at any current or future American Ninja Warrior locations.

Daily Schedule: The Barry Center does not allow for overnight "camping" of any kind, therefore, the walk-on line will be disbanded every evening at 7PM and allowed to reform at 7AM each morning. There can be no loitering around the facility, or course, between 7PM and 7AM. This schedule will continue until the evening of competition on Sat., March 28th.
As with Venice and previous seasons, production does not anticipate accommodating more than 50 walk-ons.
There will be no exceptions to the above and any violations could result in disqualification and disbanding of the walk-on line in Houston until day of competition.
Please stay connected and check-in for walk-on information for Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Orlando.'

[evan]

Mar 19, 2015 17:56:42 GMT -5 grandpaninja said:

The Barry Center does not allow for overnight "camping" of any kind, therefore, the walk-on line will be disbanded every evening at 7PM and allowed to reform at 7AM each morning.

They are in a way lucky, no check ins from 7pm to 7am, that's 12 hours of rest.

[Amber]

I have a feeling there will be a "walk on" line for whatever they replace the walkon lines with tbh...