Audiences – Week 2

DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU WERE APART OF A MEDIA AUDIENCE

Question: Have you ever watched the show ‘Ninja Warrior’ on tv?
Answer: most likely 
Question: But have you ever watched it live?
Answer: I HAVE

On the 6th December 2017 my friends and I were accepted to go see a live taping of the next season of Australian Ninja Warrior. The ticket also included a ferry ride over to Ninja Island and accommodation for the night in provided tents. My friends and I sat through 8 hours of taping (2 live sessions). Seeing behind the scenes of a popular tv show is amazing and all the various techniques they use in order to make the show go smoothly.

Being apart of the audience you were required to always be attentive, stand up and cheer every time a contestant came past your section and to be supportive! The crowds were split into sections A, B, C and D. Each section was required to practice the cheering before the taping of the show commenced. Each time the crowd hyper noticed someone having fun and giving it their all, they’d win a prize. A child one passes to Luna Park at some stage!

The whole feeling of being involved in a program like this was amazing. The staff where friendly and constantly were hyping up the crowd to ensure everyone was having the best possible time even in the early hours of the morning. They also gave out water and muesli bars to the audience. The taping of the last live show for the night finished at 2am, thats why they provided tents to stay. The tents included a stretcher bed, bedding, towel, shower gel/ soap, water and a torch.

The next morning everyone that stayed on the island was required to be off the island by 10am.

The only negatives where how sore you get from constantly getting up an down to cheer the contestants on, and how tired you are by the end. It was a very exhausting experience. Can’t imagine how the contestant felt….. (Im just not the most athletic) 

Would I do it again? Totally

We were told that when the next season of The Voice finishes then Ninja Warrior starts so make sure to look out for me on TV during the try outs !!!!!!!!!

(Seeing contestants on this show made me look/feel very unfit)

 

Reference: 

• Turnbull, S 2010, ‘Imagining the Audience’ in S Cunningham & G Turner, (eds.), The Media & Communications in Australia, 3rd edn, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, pp 65-78