The folkestone ladies' erotic fiction club
Directed by: Emelie Mahdavian
Produced By: Sharon Burrell
Production Company: We Are Hag
Overview
The Folkestone Ladies’ Erotic Fiction Club follows a group of women in a coastal town who meet to practice writing erotic fiction. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Emelie Mahdavian and written by Sharon Burrell, the film blends humour, intimacy, and the elemental power of nature.
Noise and Order was brought on board by Sharon Burrell, following a recommendation from Screen South, to oversee the film’s sound pipeline from production through to final delivery.
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​Challenge
The film features large ensemble dialogue scenes in pubs, outdoor locations along the Folkestone coast, and a dramatic storm sequence. Capturing authentic sound in these environments required careful planning:
• Crowds of 40+ extras in pubs.
• Complex one-shots where hidden microphones had to be placed without breaking continuity.
• Technical hurdles coordinating with the camera department with dozens of SA's moving around a large set.
• Coastal exteriors with wind, sea, and shifting weather conditions.
Approach​
Production Sound
• Used hidden mics in the bar to capture authentic background action in sync.
• Recorded large pub crowds in separate sessions — first ~40 men, then ~40 women — building a library of movement and atmosphere.
• Managed radio mic dropouts by enabling record-on-transmitter and syncing back to the recorder via timecode.
• Captured sea and storm recordings, which became a signature of the final soundtrack.
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Post-Production
• Served as Supervising Sound Designer and Re-recording Mixer.
• Designed a sound world where nature and voice blended, using the storm and sea as metaphors alongside dialogue and narration.
• Delivered in 5.1 surround and stereo.
• A small number of lines were re-recorded in ADR at Goldcrest for clarity and comedic timing.
​​​Collaboration
Working with director Emelie Mahdavian was a highlight: she is deeply attuned to sound and approaches storytelling in auditory terms. Together we spent a day fine-tuning the final mix, communicating in a shared sonic language.
The collaboration across the wider crew — camera, editorial, costume, makeup, and production — showed the depth of talent living and working on the Creative Coast.
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Outcome
The film is currently being submitted to festivals. For Noise and Order, the project demonstrates an ability to:
• Anticipate sound design needs at the production stage.
• Capture multi-mic recordings that build authentic, textured crowd and location sound.
• Seamlessly bridge production and post, blending realism with metaphor.
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It was also a chance to collaborate with brilliant filmmakers right here in Folkestone, showcasing the strength of local talent alongside international award-winning creatives.
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