NYC, NY Line Sign-up Question

Not to mention the risk of utter chaos if the lines are split up in two.. It's not really that big of a space we have and chance of misunderstandings(intentional or otherwise) could create alot of problems.

so yeah, I agree with Jamey on this one..

peace:

Viktor

 

OK, here's the deal on Ticket day:

As mentioned above, the Ziegfeld allowed us to buy extra tickets for being at the head of the line in '99 (except that it was that members had to be there at midnight, not 6 am). We didn't even ask for it, but they let us. This time, the Ziegfeld is NOT going to allow this to happen. We can debate all we want, but it won't do any good. And we're not going to press them on it, because they're already setting aside 350 tickets for us, and they're letting us sleep on their pavement, use their phone lines, and use their bathrooms. The way it will work on ticket day is this: Anyone who wants extra tickets is just going to have to line up with the regular line that forms behind us. I don't think getting on the regular line will entail being there 2-3 days early...the Zieg will decide how early others can wait behind us. I don't know if the event will be as big as last time, so it could be much easier to line up for that extra ticket (plus of course you could do it with friends and set up your own shift system of holding the place in line) Believe you me, if I wasn't staff, I'd be there trying to get extra tickets! But this is how it has to be.

On ticket day we will be present as a group, manning the tables and spreading the word on our charity to any press that shows up. Also, line members will get their shift points with us if they're on the regular ticket line (especially if they're plugging Starlight while they're there!). When the line moves, we'll pack up our gear and let them do their thang. There won't be an issue of two lines, because we won't be buying tickets, so nobody'll be upset. Which works out better for us, because we want those people behind us to donate to Starlight!

 

Asax-- thanks for the explanation. I must say it is deeply troubling, as I am very interested in obtaining multiple tickets for various days/nights throughout the weekend-- as I did last year.

Does anyone know when the ticket on sale day actually is?

 

Chan no one knows yet. I guess the US will be the last place tickets go onsale....Im guessing somewhere in the week before it opens

*Preys its not May 3rd*

 

Thanks J-S,

Well I guess we will all keep each other posted on this one. My contingency and I need to plot our next move... NYline for one ticket each... or two days preticket day for the love and honor of our other friends.

Difficult the choice is.

 

Yes a very difficult choice.

Just get the 1 ticket for myself..

Or wait online and get a ticket for my dad and brother too...IF they still wanna come...

Decisions decisions...

 

Disregard this post. I deleted it.

 

Of course you're right on, Asax. We shouldn't press the Ziegfeld into more favors for us.

So for us NYLiners who wish to line up for ticket day, lets coordinate amongst ourselves. Let's use a 1:2 ratio so that one person may hold a spot in this line for one other person. Let's do it for 2 days prior to ticket sales. If we have 40 people total (meaning 20 people in line at any given time), and each person may buy 10 tickets, that's a lot of tickets, and we can arragne with other line members to buy their tickets for them.

We jsut have to make sure we're physicaly present where the Zeigfeld management will recognise the ticket buyers' line to be.

 

I'm down with that Jamey. I was gonna camp out the days there anyways but the more the merrier...

We need to find out the date of the tickets soon so we have enough time and all.

peace:

Viktor

 

Jamey's recommendation makes sense. We should start the separate line 2 days in advance, and control it as a separate entity. I fear some people will think that both lines are the same, but we will have to make it extra-special clear to everyone that they are not.

Zach

 

This is an interesting idea E-V. But two things:
1) What is the day the tickets go on sale.
2) Who's to say the Zieg will allow a second line for two days in advance... My take on the situation is that they are being very tight about the security etc, and will not want to have a second large line forming for that amount of time-- My hunch, AND SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG-- is that they will only allow the official line to begin the morning the tickets go on sale.

 

That's fine if they only allow for a line to be formed the morning the advance tickets go on sale. We simply just modify our start time, but gain control of the Secondary Line. It doesn't dampen our plan in the least. We just have to work WITH the Zeigfeld management to determine when EXACTLY the tickets go on sale. As of right now, no one knows, unless they are holding out.

Zach

 

Seems to me like "gaining control" of the secondary line is exactly the problem, though. How can we do this effectively without many interlopers from the regular public.

Also, the question is will those tickets go on sale at the box office at the same time they do on Moviefone? If so, taking control of the line may be moot.

One option, however, which seems a little dicey (not to mention a little backhanded) is to create a separate schedule for persons NYLine members who are willing to wait in the secondary line. This, of course, involves a whole separate shift schedule... But if we can get enough of our people in there (in shifts) to buy a ton of the regular tickets then we'll be safe as far as multiple tickets go.

The tickets that we get using this method could then be distributed on a point basis.

For example, as it is now, 45 pts gets you a garunteed single ticket to the midnight showing. Now, what if you were able to "spend" any surplus points on additional tickets which would be distributed by the NYLine. For example, if additional tickets to the midnight showing cost 10 pts each, and I waited in line for some ungodly number of hours, then I could buy additional tickets from the NYLine, which has purchased them.

Perhaps the thing we could do is buy tons of tickets for both the midnight show and, say, one other show (the 8pm on wednesday for example) which would be priced differently (for, say, 5 pts. a piece).

Now, since there will be a cost for purchasing these additional tickets, the extra points you have only gives you the right to BUY the tickets. Furthermore, if this is something we're willing to do and NYLine members get behind it, then we could set the "real" cost (in dollars) of the ticket at, say, $12 and donate the remaining monies to Starlight.

Its a plan so crazy it just might work.

The problems I see with it are

(a) It REEKS of scalping... But its for a good cause.
(b) Coordinating, basically, a whole other component to the NYLine.
(c) Reliability. Since the purchasing of additional tickets will not be through any official channels, NYLine folks COULD get in line, purchase the 12 additional tickets, and then just say "um, no... I think I'll keep these for myself." Don't get me wrong, I'm sure we're all a bunch of honest, trustworth people... But there are just too many folks around here with the word "sith" in their handle to be totally sure...

 

"Seems to me like "gaining control" of the secondary line is exactly the problem, though. How can we do this effectively without many interlopers from the regular public."

How is this a problem? If there are interlopers from the regular public that are there before us, then they are there before us. What we need to do is be in close contact with the management, determine EXACTLY when the tickets will go on sale, determine EXACTLY where the beginning of the Advance Tickets line will start, and just simply step from our NYLine.org line into the new Advance Tickets line. A completely separate entity. As long as we are in the know, we should at or towards the front of the Advance Tickets line. As simple as that.

"Also, the question is will those tickets go on sale at the box office at the same time they do on Moviefone? If so, taking control of the line may be moot."

If we are towards the beginning of the line, this will not be moot.

The rest of what you suggested...

NYLine.org does not want to be bothered by the aspect of ruling over another line. Nor do they want to regulate their point system for such purchases. I don't speak for them, I speak about them. Their system is in place, and this would throw it out of whack. Not to mention your idea of regulating the separate line is not important. All we have to do is take Jamey's advice that he posted earlier. Whomever is in the Advance tickets line, coordinates with people in the NYLine.org line about purchasing tickets for them. If each person in the Advance Ticket line buys 10 tickets each, they can then be handed out to those people who requested tickets, but could not stand in line. This seems to be the simplest, and less governed approach. I'm looking out for my leaders.

-Zach

 

Scumandvillany, your ideas and concerns are the same as my own. You make a convincing argument for why it would be better if the NYLine were also the advance ticket line or, failing that, officially co-ordinating an advance ticket line. The first is right out and the second seems unlikely. But if the NYLine staff are willing to follow your idea to "create a separate schedule for persons NYLine members who are willing to wait in the secondary line...etc," then I, for one, am willing to co-ordinate this.

If the NYLine staff does not want to do this, then we probably should not use NYLine shift points as the criteria for Advance Ticket Line placement.

What we're doing is not scalping, by any definition. It's buying tickets for friends. But you're right, individuals could screw us. I'm not certain how to eliminate that risk unless the NYLine makes this part of their efforts. Even that would not eliminate the risk, but it makes greater the reprecussions of being dishonest.

-Jamey

 

Ewok Vaseline wrote:

NYLine.org does not want to be bothered by the aspect of ruling over another line. Nor do they want to regulate their point system for such purchases. I don't speak for them, I speak about them. Their system is in place, and this would throw it out of whack.

Thanks, E.V. - you're exactly right. NYLine CANNOT preside over another line. It would go against our agreement with the Ziegfeld and the Fisher Brothers. Also, our liability insurance caps out at 350 line members, so our presence on the Ziegfeld advance ticket line is merely as civilians - we can't have anybody assuming we're in any position of responsibility or liability that day, because we won't be. In fact, we're probably going to ask NYLine members to not display or wear their badges that day, so we don't give off any wrong impressions. Depending on what the Zieg asks of us, we may even have to strike our camp for ticket day.

Please try to remember - being a member of NYLine is the ONLY way to be guaranteed a ticket for the premiere opening-day show in this city, and we were able to open this opportunity to 100 more people than in 1999. And we have all that because of the cooperation of the Ziegfeld and Fisher Brothers, and because Fox and Lucasfilm said they would do nothing to stand in the way of our fan activities.

Even though things have become more visible in the past few weeks, NYLine staff members have been working behind the scenes since July 2001 to make this event happen. Please also remember that the NYLine staff is made up by volunteers, many of whom will be giving up vacation time and free-lance work to be able to be at the Ziegfeld from 4/27 to 5/15. We've also kicked in a lot of money to cover such administrative expenses as a business license and other things you'd never believe necessary to get such an event off the ground. In most cases, we are not passing these expenses on to line members, and none of us are seeking compensation, because we want NYC Star Wars fans to have a great time, and we sincerely believe in the work the Starlight Children's Foundation does for area kids.

I only state these things to give you an idea of the time, money and effort we've invested in this project. We've been kicking around most of these issues for a long time, and the rules and policies you see posted on our web site are the ones that were deemed the most fair to everybody concerned - NYLine members, the Ziegfeld, Fisher Brothers, Starlight, and, yes, non-NYLine members who will be at the Ziegfeld to get advance tickets. So if the rules seem harsh or an NYLine staff member gets testy over something that happens on the line, it's not personal; it's because we don't want anything to risk upsetting this delicate balance we've achieved.

After May 16, 2002, we have only one more "Star Wars" film to anticipate. And if things go smoothly this year, NYLine may be able to ask for more accommodations in 2005. But in the aftermath of 9/11, we are very lucky to even be having an organized line this year. And because of that, we have to respect the wishes of the Ziegfeld and Fisher Brothers - they're still very anxious about such a high-profile event being on or near their property while our country is at war.

So feel free to commandeer the advance ticket line, if that's what you want to do. But please don't represent yourself as an NYLine member if you do so - the advance ticket line is a Ziegfeld event, not an NYLine event, and we cannot afford the ill will of anybody who might tell the Ziegfeld we are representing ourselves as being in charge of the Ziegfeld ticket line.

 

I have to say I deeply appreciate the work that the NYLINE is doing in order to pull this whole thing together. It's really an amazing job.

And if things were different, I would gladly join in the fun. But unfortunately I don't feel that the one ticket (even if it is guaranteed) is sufficient for the waiting and the shifts particularly because the important thing for me is not to see the movie once but several times that opening day, and with a number of people who simply can't take shifts.

Why am I writing this. Well, one to make clear I am not bashing the NYLINE at all but also to say that I will be there (with others) to get the advanced ticket line up and running-- and so if others are planning on doing the same-- I hope that we can share information and reasources as it becomes available.

Perhaps this is worthy of a new thread? Yes I think it is.

 

chanjumar - Thanks for the comments, and I don't take your need to see the film as many times with your friends on opening day as anything but the passion that makes "Star Wars" fans so darned cool. It's just that you seem like the sort of person who would have a great time and contribute to the excitement we're hoping to generate, and it's a shame you don't think you'll be joining us.

NYLine had another 3-hour organizational meeting last night, and exciting things are happening. Alan and Chris at SWNYC are planning all sorts of events to keep things hopping on the line. We're finalizing deals with some very high-level businesses to be able to give out some excellent prizes, both for those who raise money for Starlight, and for people who win day-to-day competitions or events on the line.

The only way to be eligible to participate in these events and be able to win these prizes is to be an NYLine member. While we may not be able to promise handfuls of tickets, ask anybody who participated in 1999 - we're setting the stage for an amazing party that'll only live up to its potential if such die-hard "Star Wars" fans as you sign up!

 

I have to add one thing here. If you are not an NYLine Member and you are a SWNYC member, you still cannot participate in NYLine events.

 

I have to add one thing here. If you are not an NYLine Member and you are a SWNYC member, you still cannot participate in NYLine events.

Hmmmm. Now THAT'S confusing. I know I've gotten several missives for info on Yahoo! Groups, and have responded with my info. But what if I DON'T sign up for line shifts? Would that make me a member for SWNYC and not NYLINE? Would it make me a member of both perhaps, even if I don't sign up for shifts? I thought I got it before... now I have no clue... I know I signed up for the NYClone newsletter...

 

These are Line events that are being run by SWNYC. NYLine has the insurance to hold these events. People that register for NYLine are paying for 3 things. A ticket, insurance and a donation to starlight.

I hope that clears things up.

 

Then what does registering with NYLine entail? Getting a shift? That's where I'm still confused...

 

Both SWNYC and NYLine are a part of the "New York City Star Wars Alliance." Even though there's overlap between our groups, we are two separate entities. SWNYC plans all sorts of events for "Star Wars" fans, but the NYLine exists for two simple reasons - 1) to plan and host the lineup for "Star Wars" films at the Ziegfeld Theater; and 2) to raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation.

SWNYC grew out of the 1999 NYLine and has been an integral part of NYLine planning for this year's event. However, SWNYC does not need to have event insurance or a business license to host such events as charity dinners and outings to comic book conventions; NYLine does, because we are handling money and conducting business transactions, and because we are hosting a 19-day event on a public thoroughfare in Midtown Manhattan.

Therefore, even though SWNYC members will be holding contests and events, all those individual events will be under the umbrella of the 19-day NYLine event. If you aren't a registered member of NYLine, you cannot participate, regardless of whether you're a member of SWNYC, because you're not covered by NYLine liability insurance.

The reason you need to sign up for shifts is twofold:

1) NYLine staff members understand that people have to juggle work, school and other obligations during the 19 days the line, because we're doing that ourselves. Signing up for shifts ensures that we will always have a presence in front of the Ziegfeld, even during "normal" business hours and overnights during the week.

2) While NYLine is a party for "Star Wars" fans, it is also a fund-raiser for the Starlight Children's Foundation. The best way to serve Starlight is to have people out there 24/7 in front of the Ziegfeld, because that attracts the attention of passers by and the news media.

I hope this helps to clarify the situation.

 

And just to like...ultra clarify (you know those guitars that are like...double guitars?)

If you went to swnyc.com and put in your email address, you are not signed up for the line.
If you went to www.nyline.org and put in your address for our newsletter, you are not signed up for the line. But you will get an email telling you how to sign up for the line.
Once you get the email sending you the link to our sign up page, and you sign up for 45 points, you are now part of the tribe. And when we get your $15 and your waiver, and you wait on those shifts, you will receive your ticket on May 15th. And when you raise $50 for Starlight via the NYLine-a-thon, you will get a WIZARD T-shirt. And then you will see AOTC, and you will be happy - I can promise you that!

 

THANK YOU ASAX!!!

That is where I got confused -- I thought when I signed up with SWNYC.COM, I was signed up for the line - Duh, I am a dummy!

Anyway, I just have signed with the line on nyline.org - but according to paragraph 2 of the ticket request form, I am not restricted to the minimum of points thingy!

I put it all the shifts for the 8th, anyway, and my money order will be in the mail tomorrow morning!