Permits, timing, cost, tax, and crew -
all you need to know before shooting in China
Where
to Shoot in China?
Planning for a film/video shoot in China? There
are no city-wide permits. It is essential to have a good Chinese fixer or
production service producer to navigate the process and sensitive locations.
Rules, regulations, and procedures for setting up production are
different for every part of China. It can take a bit of planning so
choosing a service company that has a strong nationwide on the ground
network and established operating procedures are essential. Permitting
times vary depending on the location and use. Locations such as airports and
subways are possible to film in but location fees are expensive and location
control is restricted. Shutting down city streets is very difficult but limited
traffic control such as rolling blocks is possible. A no-fly zone applies to
all major cities. Helicopter footage can be shot outside of cities. Allow
plenty of time for permitting. Contact us for location-specific information.
Alchemist Films is a
local and experienced film crew in China that offers full support for shooting in
China.
When to Shoot in China?
It is
very important to schedule the time when to shoot in China. China is a large
country with a vast diversity of climates. North and central China tends to
have hot, dry summers (June to September) and freezing cold winters (December
to March) with clear blue skies. Southeast China has rainy, semi-tropical
summers and cool winters. Western and Himalayan China has very
harsh, cold winters. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Festivals and events of
interest to filmmakers and photographers include:
Public
holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. In particular, it’s
best to avoid shooting around Chinese New Year, May Day and Labour
Day. See here for
public holiday dates in China.
Costs & Tax
Incentives
Costs: Chinese government
currency controls keep the RMB undervalued and therefore the purchasing power
of foreign currencies remains strong. Although low-skilled labour costs in
China may be low, the cost of professional crew and filming in China is on
par with wealthy Western countries. The cost of shooting in Shanghai and
Beijing is on par with any other major international cities like Tokyo, London,
or New York. That said, our locally based fixers and service producers
will negotiate deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to
match every budget.
Tax Incentives: In
terms of financial incentives, a 40% rebate is available for films
shooting at Wanda’s Movie Metropolis facility in Qingdao.
All business transactions
within China incur tax up to 15% of total production cost. Providing the
commercial is to be aired outside of China and your payment is made to the
service company’s overseas bank account, you will not incur this tax.
Most experienced service
companies will have established financial procedures and a Hong Kong bank
account.
Film Crew & Talent
- Alchemist Films
Alchemist
Films has a very good talented and experienced film crew who have worked with “Western
creative’s” and other production companies.
Crew: China has a
good pool of local English speaking directors, directors of photography
and stills photographers including many expats now based in China. Local crews
continue to gain more experience in servicing visiting productions. Crews are
non-union. Rates and hours of work are negotiable and flexible to budgetary
requirements. Labour on the whole is abundant and very inexpensive in China
however costs of skilled key crew members are now on par with costs in the
West. Although crews understand the language of film many are not fluent
in English. Translators are provided to help jobs run smoothly. Production
support is of course fluent in English.
Contact us if you
are looking for a Shanghai, Beijing, or Guangzhou based director, DP,
photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant
(focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA /
runner, production driver, or any other film crew in China.
Talent in China is
non-union, day rate and buyout costs are negotiable.
China is home to 56
distinct ethnic groups including the majority Han Chinese, and minorities
including Uyghurs and Tibetans.
China has a growing pool
of global talent looks. If needed, higher-end Western talent can be quickly and
easily brought in from Hong Kong, although the costs can be expensive.
Fringes and Premiums: There
is no 6th or 7th day, weekend or night premiums with crew or talent. A 30
– 50% surcharge does apply if you are going to shoot during Chinese
New Year or on the first week of the month of May Day and October Labour
Day. Some crews have started charging overtime after 16 hours.
China Film Equipment
Alchemist
Films provides film equipment rental services along with its production support
service. You can rent film gear, film camera, drone and other necessary equipments
from us.
Equipment: China is Arri based.
Additional equipment can be easily imported from Hong Kong. China has a good
stock of locally available equipment including Arri 435 & 535, Pegasus
Crane, Libra Heads, Panther Dollies, as well as new Alexa and Phantom cameras.
For the more complicated shoots requiring equipment such as Fly-Cam,
Motion Control, Steady-Cam or Tracing Car that can be easily accessed from
Hong Kong suppliers. If you are planning on bringing in your own gear our
Chinese fixer / producer organises easy customs clearance.
China is an ATA carnet
country. For smaller projects looking to bring in their own gear and supplement
with local rentals, note, most Chinese camera, grip and lighting rental houses
require a gear minder to be hired to accompany the gear. If you’re working to a
tight budget and cannot afford to hire a minder, it’s best to double-check what
gear is best hired locally and what is best to bring in with you.
Communications: In terms of communications, bandwidth
in China can be unreliable. Some websites are also blocked from access.
Government authorities are also cracking down on VPN’s. WeChat is a good way to
communicate with locals.
Communication is the key.
Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right
communications systems for every shoot.
Web posted casting,
scouting, and videoconferencing.
For clients that are
unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated
and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from
one or multiple time zones to view setups without compromise and to participate
in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the
discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working
remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround
times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.
Art Department, Studios,
Backlots, & Post Production
Art
department and set construction is inexpensive and quite good. China has
played host to several feature films including Empire of the Sun, Last Emperor, and Hero.
Studios exist in all
the major cities with the best facilities being in Shanghai and Beijing.
Pinewood Studios has a branch in Beijing. Qingdao Movie Metropolis is
a massive complex featuring 30 film studios, a theme park, shopping mall,
luxury hotels, and even a yacht club and international hospital.
Backlots, Hengdian:
World Studios has a Forbidden City backlot about 4 hours drive from Shanghai.
Please see here for
images. There also exists a backlot of 1930’s Shanghai that was built for
Steven Spielberg’s Empire
of the Sun.
Post Production. No
labs. All are digital these days. Technicolor, Digital District and PO are
the big players in Shanghai.
Contact
us and we will reply within 24 hours:
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