Cameras focused on members of the Penn State Paranormal Research Society (PRS) yesterday as they taped the first scenes of their reality television show.

The show, currently called Paranormal U, will follow PRS members as they conduct interviews and use video cameras and thermometers to generate evidence of ghosts and demons.

Each year, the organization receives about 100 phone calls and e-mails containing claims of UFO sightings, hauntings and apparitions from families and churches along the east coast.

Sometime next year, the show's 13 half-hour episodes will air on the A & E Network and could reach about 90 million television sets across the country, said Barry Rosenberg, an A & E spokesman.

Yesterday, camera crews filmed a PRS club meeting. This weekend, camera crews plan on following the organization on an investigation that will take place a couple hours from State College, said Betsy Schechter, the show's executive producer.

"We're just getting started on the show," she said. "We just finished getting our production crew, and everything's going well and according to schedule."

PRS Director Ryan Buell said he felt a sense of accomplishment after filming the meeting in his townhouse.

"They parked a U-haul filled with equipment right outside my building," he said. "It feels weird and still hasn't sunk in that this has started."

After Thanksgiving, students will see more cameras around campus as crews tape the training of the organization's new investigators and the members' personal lives, including attending classes and campus events, Schechter said.

Recently, the camera crew, two producers and other members of the production team moved to the State College area. On a regular basis, other producers, including Schechter, commute from New York City.

"Everyone loves being here," Schechter said. "I'm so excited about being here. There's so much energy on campus with all the students, and it's a great atmosphere."

Last year, Laguna Beach director Gary Auerbach and Schechter approached Buell with the idea for the show and filmed a 40-minute pilot.

In September, the network's executive vice president approved the show, and the producers began selecting a production team and following PRS' recruitment of new members.

Before the pilot taping, Penn State administrators worked with the team during the show's planning and insured no students would be taped "while engaging in any illegal activities," said Bill Mahon, a university spokesman.

"It looks like a high-quality show," he said. "It'll be great exposure for the university. There's no way we could afford to buy that much air time on a major network."