Mike Stockham is the man responsible for transforming Queenstown mall and the cinema into an "Ice Age wonderland" for the New Zealand premiere of the popular animated movie, and for "dressing" the Village Green ice rink.
"I work in event management, creating attractions and all sorts of theming. A lot of the country's shopping malls are my clients."
"I've been down here 18 months so the Winter Festival is something new for me - the wackier and the more dynamic the better."
Along with life-sized cut-outs of the movie characters and "fairy lights for Africa", Mr Stockham's plans for the cinema's foyer include frosty warped mirrors and a general Ice Age cave feel; hence the icicles.
"This is going to be the whole Hollywood number for Queenstown."
He said re-creating the era had taken thorough planning and attempts to overcome challenges.
"The logistics of how we can transform the mall, the timing and the buy-in from other retailers - being mindful of the users of the mall and the cinema.
"The other was getting half a truckload of polystyrene up to Queenstown."
Last year Mr Stockham imported a Cinderella carriage as a prop for the Village Green's temporary ice rink, which he, along with festival director Simon Green, brought to life.
"It just went off. There were people all over it, wanting to get photos. We had to get a security guard. But it was great to see it being used and people responding to it."
He was unsure if the carriage would be reinstated, as there were space issues, but the rink would be subject to the same winter dressing as last year, with the addition of certain movie critters.
Mr Stockham, who worked on the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, moved his business from Auckland to Queenstown in an attempt to down-size.
"That went right out the window, but it's all good.
There's lots of exciting opportunities here in conference and film and it's great to get involved.
"And unlike Auckland I'm only five minutes from anywhere, not hours down a motorway, and I enjoy that."
Aside from making a lot of props, he sourced them from "all kinds of places".
"You build up a network and right now my biggest problem is space. I've got 3000sq ft and already I've outgrown it.
"The other day I was offered police traffic lights."
Over the years he has acquired skills such as sculpting, painting and drafting, which he said were necessary.
"I can talk to sculptors, carpenters, builders and you just make a nuisance of yourself in someone's factory - and I've done all that."
