And there it is.Bill Fisher:Even when I get the location tracks for the highest budget TV spots, the location audio is almost always "not so good".
Which is why many European films (where they do a lot less looping) have such lower audio quality. Just try to cut together a bunch of takes with ever-changing nat sound. Which is why, even with the videos I produce with budgets that are infinitesimal compared to Mr. Fishers, we loop as much as we can and add stock foleys, or send it to a professional audio tech. Pro Tools won't make a bad audio good.
That said, your problem of, "camera handing noise, wind noise, boat engines and people talking behind the camera" can be helped by getting a prosumer level mic like some that were suggested, and absolutely use a shock-mount and a windsock. Get the mic as close to the subject as possible. Record some nat sounds, without specific sounds like people talking or engine noise, and lay a continuous track over the final cut to create some audio continuity.
And then think, Blair Witch Project... Blair Witch Project...
