About 60 hours of high-definition footage was shot for what is tentatively called Into The Frozen Abyss, a co-production by NHNZ Ltd, the Smithsonian Network and National Geographic Channels International.
Action Productions co-director Philip Hurring and NHNZ director-cameraman Max Quinn, of Dunedin, worked in the editing suite for five intensive weeks and have one more week to go.
They juggled pictures, sound, dialogue, music, scripted narration, sound effects, graphics and animation to create the 51-minute piece before it is sent for final sounding mixing in Dunedin.
Mr Hurring said there was a lot of footage and a lot happened on the expedition.
"With this sort of documentary there's no script or structure. We have to decide how to package it in a documentary time slot and what to feature.
"Any production is a matter of evaluating what one has in terms of usable material and there's a process of refining and condensing it into a story that works. There's also the integrity and ethics of the story to consider and the entertainment value for millions."
The documentary is one of several projects in various stages at the high definition post-production facility for picture and sound on Glenda Dr.
The company is also the home of quarterly lifestyle publication QT Magazine and Lakes district visitor information broadcaster Channel 5.
Mr Hurring joined Action as a partner in March and brought his 25 years of experience in making moving image productions for New Zealand, British and American television, documentaries and film festivals.
His co-directors are Julian Grimmond, an award-winning executive producer and Film New Zealand chairman, Margo Berryman, breakfast show host for Q92 The Breeze, and Andrew Hillman, who co-founded Action with journalist turned Central Otago wine pioneer Alan Brady 23 years ago.
Mr Hillman said Action Productions began with a single editing suite and camera system upstairs in the Skyline Arcade in Queenstown Mall.
"Alan had been with TVNZ as a news reporter. I came into town through skiing and saw a need for a video production company.
"I met Alan through skiing and we talked about producing a weekly ski show, which was the birth of Ski Whizz.
"The first client was a group called Top 5 - Shotover Jet, Skyline, Cattledrome, Skippers Canyon Tours and Walter Peak.
We made them an eight-minute promotional video.
They were closely followed by the Queenstown Promotion Board, which was the forerunner to Destination Queenstown."
Action Productions has produced a variety of projects over the years, including promotions for Shotover Jet, A. J. Hackett Bungy and for guided walk operators, plus live broadcasts, DVDs and commercials.
It brings in self-employed film-makers depending on the needs of the project.
Freelance sound designer Beth Tredray worked on the Barefoot Cinema: The Art And Life Of Cinematographer Alun Bollinger and The Art Star And The Sudanese Twins, which feature in this year's touring New Zealand International Film Festival.
The post-production house was one of the first in the country to adopt high-definition formats in 2005.
Mr Hillman used three high-definition cameras and three mini-cameras to cover this year's Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow for DVD release, a 70-minute film which was described by aviation buffs as like being at the event but getting much closer to the action.
Mr Hurring said larger productions, more documentaries and potential television drama series were on Action's agenda in the future.
"Forward bookings look strong."
