Smooth sound flow between angle cuts?

[DanielRutterFilms]

Smooth sound flow between angle cuts?/Colour correction stuff

Question One: Sound flow

Ok, so in previous projects I've had A LOT of trouble getting nice, smooth sound flow between seperate clips. These seperate clips are usually just angle changes, but I'd usually stop recording... change the angle, and then roll. The result would always be something a little ugly, like the voice of the character talking is different in volume on the seperate takes. One way I tried to fix this, was record the actor saying the lines in one take, then changing angles and getting them to do it again. I did this for each angle change, but I always thought there was easier ways for doing this.
For my future projects, hopefully using a better quality mike will help fix the sound issues... but should I still continue to use the current formula (Use the sound from one take for all angles)?
Of course, using this formula... you get the odd angle change where the actor is saying the line, his voice is really emotional... but his face just isn't in it as much. This is easily picked out...

Any ideas?

Question two: (saves creating two threads) Colour Correction.

Usually when I import my clips into Sony Vegas, the colour is drained out of the clips. When I recorded them via my camera, they looked alright... but once in Vegas, they look like shit. To fix this up, I dump a quick colour correction preset (studio RGB to computer RGB) and it boosts the colours a bit. Its great, but I feel a bit lazy afterwards, and I reckon the colour could be much more vivid. How exactly would I do this in Vegas... or After Effects? Would I have to use just one plugin, or several on the one clip?
Would this remove the rather annoying blue "noise" (grain) that some of my footage has?

 

[DanielRutterFilms]

Is anyone monitoring the sound when you are shooting?

It's only a little shoot... me and three actors (and a boom mic op, hopefully). I'll be monitoring the sound via headphones during shooting. As I'm doing the camera work, I'll have the op to jam some headphones into the camera.

Get a good hour or more to capture individual cars. Then use empty street and cut in the cars when you see them in your edit

If I can help it, I don't want cars in the shot. It's supposed to be an abandoned street (cars won't be coming anywhere near a street that would have two guys shooting it out...)

 

[CDCosta]

Hate to say it...

You should try and 'shoot for gold'

Either get a Dp, sound mixer, and crew, and do it right...

or just live with the fact that it's not going to come out the greatest.

 

[Alcove Audio]

It's only a little shoot... me and three actors (and a boom mic op, hopefully). I'll be monitoring the sound via headphones during shooting.

You should try and 'shoot for gold'. Either get a Dp, sound mixer, and crew, and do it right or just live with the fact that it's not going to come out the greatest.

I agree with CD; a DP, a PSM/Boom-op and you, and maybe even a PA. Yeah, yeah, I know seems like overkill, but your job is to direct, not be the crew. Your focus should be on getting the best performances out of your talent and you can't do that if you have to worry about the camera, the lighting, the sound, logging takes, etc.; leave that to your crew. It is also a courtesy to your talent; they are not waiting around for hours while you try and do everything yourself. It also implies enough professionalism that you may be able to attract better caliber talent.

The secret to a successful shoot is PREPRODUCTION. Preproduce it to death. The smaller your crew and the smaller your budget the less you can leave to chance; there are enough unexpected problems that happen without the ones you could have avoided with proper preparation and planning.

As I'm doing the camera work, I'll have the op to jam some headphones into the camera.

Under the above scenario it is the PSMs/boom-ops job to monitor the sound. Yes, you should be monitoring the sound yourself to hear the dialog, but it is the PSMs/boom-ops job to worry about it.

It's supposed to be an abandoned street (cars won't be coming anywhere near a street that would have two guys shooting it out...)

Then select your location accordingly. If you're planning on a day shoot you may have to alter the scene to be at night - fewer cars, etc. BTW, if you have "two guys shooting it out" be sure that you have all the proper permits or you may end up with real guns in your face when the cops show up. Then, instead of the few bucks for the permits/permissions, you end up with ten or a hundred times that amount in court costs and fines.

 

[DanielRutterFilms]

Permits and such are NOT a problem.

I CANNOT afford extra crew members. I have less than 2 thousand dollars at my disposal and out of that I have to buy equipment. I have no choice but to handle all this myself. I'm prepared for the extra work... all I want to know is HOW I can make the sound better and CUT OUT the un-necessary bullshit. I appreciate the help and advice on extra crew etc. but I can't do that at the moment.

Thanks for the advice.