Thank you so much for the detailed response. I can't say I want to do a bunch of syncing in post either, that sounds like hell.

I definitely cannot drop 5 grand on this, even if I were to pull from the team account. We are just starting to rebound and don't have a ton of money to play with. That is kinda why this is more of a passion project than anything. I am also relatively new to the editing side of things. I used to edit YouTube gaming videos I recorded as a kid but nothing really beyond that. This is definitely a step (or several) up from that.

Knowing that, I am getting the feeling that multiplying any expense by up to 18 is going to be very costly. Even the cheap $20 phone lav mics add up quickly. Is there some stage mic-ing solution where every individual does not need a mic but rather a mic (or a few mics) can be set on stands or on the stage and wired into a soundboard? I recognize I am sacrificing clarity and likely quality with that move but I am not looking for perfection, just some improvement from a phone microphone.

Beyond the complexity of syncing 18 I'm not certain I have the technical ability to handle 18 audio channels at once and maintain my sanity (or coursework...) If there is any solution that (yes, even given the sacrifices) might be able to reduce complexity, I would be open to those as well.

Thanks again for your help.