Paging Audio Experts

We're in the final stages of post on the film, and the main issue right now is audio. We're using no ADR -- in part because we don't have access to the actors anymore, unless we want to fly them in or go to them (neither of which we have the money for). The other reason I'm avoiding ADR is that is sounds so artificial unless you have access to real professionals, and since this is a mock doc, I really don't want to heighten the artificiality any more than I have to.

So -- we're trying to geet audio done. And at this point, I'm just frustrated. Part of the problem is that I'm not an audio expert, so I don't have the right vocabulary to even discuss this. But I still know when the audi isn't up to snuff.

After the first 'cleanup' (noise reduction and etc.), everyone sounded like they were in tunnels or holding their hands over their mouths!

We started from scratch with the original audio, and after the second cleanup, the audio was muffled, like I was listening to the actors speak with my head on their chests. Sounds like an EQ problem to me, but I know there's a fine balance between noise reduction and vocal quality.

We just flat-out don't have the money for a professional sound mix, and I don’t know what to do. And now that we’re in our first fest, we’re ‘on the clock’ so to speak.

So if anyone has any advice, or knows a good sound person who would work for very little money, or has access to a wish-granting genie... let me know.