the cast and crew, including the Producers, Writer and Director, still had to work in the ‘Universe of Mundane’ to pay the bills, feed the family and keep the car running etc. Only to volunteer their entire forty-eight hour weekends, with boundless enthusiasm, commitment and loyalty to the exciting ‘Lost World’.
In all, thirty-two days of production, shot over a five-month period in over twenty different locations around Victoria Australia, took place with only one day being rained out. An irony in itself, as Director, James Cole wanted the whole feel of the movie to be shrouded in rain, a major factor in his decision to shoot in the winter of 1999.
However, the entire length of production was magical, a mix of skilled and eager people working together, performing amazing tricks, incredible tasks and small miracles on every shoot. Why?…because they loved it!

Fix it in Post!
A director’s secret spell, a sacred chant or a clever bluff? No one was quite sure. They simply came to know the Director’s often quoted phrase as a quick response to an inability for the crew to crawl inside James’ head and see the vision he had carefully constructed of his perceived special effects shots, that he knew he would create in post-production editing. The comment was essentially to speed things along on the day of actual shooting.
Postproduction actually began…eighteen months later. James had to finish all his ‘Day jobs’ still pending. Mostly editing other people’s projects, before being freed up enough to cope with the humongous task of editing, special effects art & design, sound production etc. All required to turn the raw footage of a bunch of clowns pretending to be trekking across a hostile landscape, chased by monsters and aliens, into the real world of the ‘lost’ heroes of the Black Earth.
The huge crew of over fifty, suddenly was cut to three primary post-production crew, Colin Paxman, Chris Daniels and their illustrious Director, J.C. himself.
The bulk of this ‘dinocollosomongous’ task fell on the shoulders of the skilled, talented and audacious James, as both the most qualified editor on the team and the owner of the only editing suite.
Colin and Chris supported with their own specialist skills-sets and talents in areas including; model making, graphic art and design, sound design and recording, as well as just ‘being there’ to save James from being sucked into some other unknown planet of insanity where he was in danger of becoming ‘one’ with the computer.
Matt Farrugia was finally convinced after two long years of trying, to come on board as the ‘Lost Music Composer’ producing nearly the entire soundtrack at his home studio.

It’s done! What’s next?
Needless to say, they all survived, even though re-creating every single tiny sound in the movie, from actors dialogue, to footsteps in the sand, almost saw the intrepid trio plunged into an abyss so dark and deep, it is likely they would be ‘lost’ forever!
However, on New Years Eve 2003, they emerged back into the world, proudly holding up a completed project, only to find themselves back in the town of ‘WhereDoWeGoFromHeresville?’
And so began the journey of getting ‘Lost-Black Earth’ out into the world where it belongs, and you are joining that experience right now… So enjoy the ride!