We're going to be on the telly!

About three weeks ago I was emailed out of the blue by a TV producer. She was scouting for book clubs who would be prepared to participate in filming for a new book-related quiz to be broadcast later this year on BBC4, and had found our website. Would we be prepared, she wondered, to field 6 or 7 members to sit around discussing a couple of books we'd already read while they filmed us?

There followed a flurry of emails while I solicited the group for potential telly stars and asked for more details from Emma, the producer. After a few false starts we finally settled on a date for filming - last night at 7pm - and a venue: our house. They had originally wanted to film in our normal meeting place, but since we got together as a group a year ago we've nomadically wandered from bar to bar throughout Chorlton without finding an ideal place that combines a good pint with an environment conducive to good discussion. Emma had concerns too about securing permission to film in public places and the background noise we would inevitably encounter in a bar, so I offered our lounge.

The film crew arrived at 6.30pm and quickly agreed that the lounge was the best location in the house. All it took to give the impression of a cozy group was to pull our smaller sofa forward a couple of feet so we could all sit around in an "L" configuration while the cameraman positioned himself in front of the TV. Most of the filming was done in extreme close-up with the boom microphone buzzing around above our heads like an enormous crazed wasp.

We were ready to roll by 7, and when the last member of the group had arrived and we'd charged our wine glasses (with wine for some, and diluted cordial for the drivers!) we launched straight into a discussion of our first book. We'd been coached not to mention the title, author, or the names of the principal characters because the quiz panel watching our discussion will have to guess the book we were talking about, but there was no pressure as Emma had also made it clear that any slip-ups could be edited out when they came to make up the package for the programme.

Conversation flowed very naturally for about 15 minutes, made easier than normal because we'd already discussed the book before, and it was the first time we'd had chance to talk about it without competing with loud background music or other people's conversations! We were still in full flow when Emma called a halt, saying they had tons of material and it was time to move on to the second book.

Twenty minutes later our second book was in the can (get me, with my professional telly talk!) and it was time to recharge our glasses and shoot some additional footage for links and edits. Basically this consisted of the cameraman taking shots of every person in the group turning their head to look at every other person, to provide shots they can use to move the conversation naturally from one person to another and include the others in the group. He also filmed each of us sipping our wine, and then moved out into the conservatory to take a couple of "establishment" shots of the whole group that they will use at the start of each piece, just to give the audience the idea of where everyone is sitting. Two members of our group also had to repeat observations they'd made during filming that the director had especially liked, and wanted to make sure they had clear shots of.

At around 8.30 they declared it a wrap and started packing away their gear. I can't speak for the others, but I found this an utterly fascinating and enjoyable process. The whole film crew were great at putting us at our ease, but in any case I hadn't felt nervous at any time. It was easy to forget the camera and mic were there and just get on with the conversation. The crew seemed pleased with the results and have promised to let us have copies of the final package on DVD. The new quiz programme airs sometime in July, so be sure to watch out for us if you're in a BBC4 reception area!