成人论坛

As the sixth and final episode of the third series in a series of three series, very much comes to an end, a 成人论坛 staff member reveals what it was like to be an extra person, in a room full of other extra people and a TARDIS, in a scene that, when all the other scenes were put in order, was to become the final scene of the sitcom 'W1A':

When I first moved from the US and joined the last year, a colleague told me I needed to watch in order to understand what the 成人论坛 was like. I found the comedy absolutely hilarious. The tropes of clueless managers, consultants full of meaningless buzzwords, put-upon staff and endless meetings where nothing gets decided were recognisable to anyone who’d ever worked in an office, not just the 成人论坛. (Although I work in Birmingham, so maybe we’re just insulated from some of the craziness of London!)

So when another colleague told me she’d seen signs in New Broadcasting House in London advertising for staff volunteers to be extras for a W1A 'launch party' scene, I jumped at the chance. Having come from a web video background where I was always a one-woman-band, I’d never experienced a proper TV or film shoot with an actual crew and set.

I arrived at NBH at 7am on a Friday in February for a coach to Pinewood Studios with about 30 other staff.

After arrival, we changed into our own 'party clothes', and were told to wait outside the building on a converted double-decker bus with tables. I squeezed in with some friendly team mates from the 成人论坛 Weather app and we played cards until things finally kicked into action at noon.

We 'extra' extras joined the more glamorous professional extras inside a large set dressed to look like a party venue or club, with moving coloured lights, dry-ice smoke, and logos and decorations for '成人论坛 Me' (a fictional new initiative involving selfies and user-generated content, of course) everywhere.

A lit-up Doctor Who blue police box TARDIS was the centrepiece on a small elevated stage. We were all handed prop drinks (sadly non-alcoholic) and told to mime like we were talking to each other, but not make any noise. This was as embarrassing and difficult as you’d think.

While we silently chatted away, the characters Siobhan Sharpe (Jessica Hynes) and her Perfect Curve team were arguing with Simon Harwood (Jason Watkins) and Tracey Pritchard (Monica Dolan). They did the scene again and again, with the two cameras in different positions, while the writer  constantly popped between the monitors in the back of the room and the shot to give them directions.

I noticed Jessica Hynes wore ridiculous silver platform heels for the wide shots, but stood on a small box wearing fuzzy slippers for the closeups. Very sensible!

After a short break, it was time for the silent disco. We all put on headphones that glowed green, a DJ beamed Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping into our ears and we danced energetically (but quietly) while roving cameras filmed us and the big cameras stayed on some scenes involving Will the intern (Hugh Skinner) and Ian Fletcher (High Bonneville). After a few takes, that was a wrap, around 7:30pm.

As we all walked out, my new friend Andy from the weather app team was brave enough to ask Nina Sosanya, who plays Lucy Freeman, for a photograph. I was too shy to do the same, but I did tell her that I worked for the 成人论坛 and that she was my favourite character on the show. She laughed and said “Why, because I’m the only normal one surrounded by a bunch of crazy people? Am I basically you?”

Well, not to cast aspersions on my lovely colleagues, but...

Laura Taflinger is a Multi Platform Producer for Web Editorial Production at the 成人论坛.

• Read John Morton's blog ''
• Watch the full series of  - available for 5 weeks from the broadcast of the last episode (Monday 23 October)
• (she's the one with the 'Hello Ben' sign)