Amy Bartner

IndyStar

NBC's popular "American Ninja Warrior" will shoot from Monument Circle Downtown at the end of April.

Indianapolis is one of six cities chosen for the eighth season of the TV show, which pits "ninja warriors" against one another for the fastest time on intense courses of ever-changing obstacles. The ninjas will compete in stages before the top American Ninja Warrior is crowned in the finals with a $1 million prize at the end of the season.

The curved shape of the Indianapolis course will be a first for the show — the courses typically are linear. Contestants complete a host of feats, such as jumping from a trampoline to a moving propeller, then scaling a 14-foot wall, before ending the challenge by hitting a buzzer. The shoot will shut down traffic on the north side of the circle, and the course will stretch from Anthem Inc. to just past the Columbia Club.

"It's really going to look spectacular," said Brian Richardson, the show's executive producer and an Indianapolis native. "Because we're on the circle, it's got that half-moon curve to it, which gives you unique camera angles that you’re never able to get. It's going to look a lot different than a lot of other places we've been."

Pair of Hoosiers relish shot on NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior'

The crew of more than 200 will arrive April 20 with seven 18-wheeler trucks filled with equipment and begin the five-day setup. Producers prefer a dark backdrop, so they shoot overnight from 9 p.m. until as late as 5 a.m. Shooting is scheduled for April 27 and April 28. There are about 130 contestants who will run through the course during the two-day shoot. The show will break down the set and leave the city by April 29. The episode will air in June on WTHR-13.

"It's a pretty big operation," Richardson said. "It literally looks like the circus is moving in."

Richardson said he knows exactly what the Indianapolis course will look like, but he wouldn't offer any information — secrecy is key to the competition. The show's producers have to take major security measures, because ninjas are hungry for anything to help in training.

"We have to encrypt a lot of stuff," he said. "They will go build it in their garage today. We have to be very protective."

Visit Indy, the city's visitors' bureau, has been working working with producers for about 18 months to land the show. Having a Hoosier on the crew didn't hurt the cause.

"I always push for Indy," Richardson said. "It has a great reputation as a place to go. It usually comes down to a scheduling thing, because we’re a pretty big footprint show. We basically have to take over a large area for 10 days."

"American Ninja Warrior" is a spinoff of Japan's "Sasuke," which has been on air since 1997. "Sasuke" gained a large cult following and an even larger one when the American spinoff began airing on cable TV channel G4 in 2009.

The show in 2012 moved to NBC — it is now coproduced with Esquire Network — and Richardson joined then. A graduate of Perry Meridian High School and Indiana University, Richardson grew up on the south side, and much of his family still lives around the area.

"I'm anxious to show everyone on the crew to show them around my hometown, especially Downtown, which has come a long way in the last 20 years or so," Richardson said.

In addition to Indianapolis, the show also will shoot in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia this season. The finals will be in Las Vegas.

The now-too-large-to-be-considered-cult following will have the opportunity to sit in one of 500 audience spots during shooting. A currently undetermined portion of those seats will be allotted to local nonprofits, who will be able raise money for their organizations. Nonprofit volunteers will be paid by the show to sit in the stands.

Chris Gahl, vice president of marketing and communications for VisitIndy, estimates the show will draw 2,000 people down to Monument Circle. That, combined with the crew staying Downtown, is expected to have a $1 million economic impact on the city. There was no exchange of money between the city and the show, Gahl said.

"Our hope is that whether you’re an 'American Ninja' fan or not that the community will rally around this popular program filming in Indianapolis and want to come down and take a peek at the setup," he said. He added that he hopes the show will attract others to shoot in Indianapolis.

In December an initiative called "Film Indy" was launched, with a goal to attract movie and TV producers to film on location in the city. The push is funded with $300,000 of private and city funds.

Film Indy says 'roll 'em' with $300,000 investment

"We're a city that would be hungry to host other NBC productions. We're a city that's easy to work with, sophisticated in our approach," Gahl said. "It was a competitive process. We know that other major cities were competing to host them, and we were able to edge them out."

Producers looked at a few locations before deciding on Monument Circle, including near Lucas Oil Stadium or at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"We're not hiding behind the patriotic undertones of this show," Gahl said. "It's called 'American Ninja Warrior,' and they're meeting in the heartland, and they're meeting in arguably the most iconic location in the city."

Contestants who auditioned for the show and didn't make it, or those who just want to see if they can make it, have the chance to wait in a walk-on line, Richardson said. This line has become legendary, with people waiting for weeks in it — with absolutely no guarantee they will get the chance to run. Some of the best stories, though, come from walk-ons, Richardson said.

"You always get the local fans. There’s a few people who are just diehards," he said. "The ninja community in Indiana has really built up quite a bit in the last few years."

Richardson, who has been a producer for more than 20 years and worked on a number of shows, said the "American Ninja Warrior" fan base is one of the most dedicated he has ever seen. On a flight, he started chatting with a woman across the row and told her what he did.

"Her eyes light up, and she goes: ‘Oh my God, that show is the one show that brings us together every week. You don’t know what that show means to us,'" she told him. "You get that response from this show and not the other crappy shows I’ve worked on over the years that are just TV shows."

The same sentiment is felt among the ninjas, who more closely resemble a team than foes, Richardson said.

"The ninja community is such an amazing group of people," he said. "They are so supportive of each other. They’re so encouraging. There’s no trash-talking. There’s no bad attitude at all.

"It really makes you feel better about the world when you see the ninjas' sportsmanship and the sense of community."

Call IndyStar reporter Amy Bartner at (317) 444-6752 and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Embrace your inner ninja

Want to be part of the audience? Get tickets at on-camera-audiences.com/shows/American_Ninja_Warrior.

The audition deadline for this season has passed, but here's how to try out for next season: www.anwcasting.com