China: 12 Tips Filming On Location

Filming on location in China is exciting and challenging with each city feeling like a different experience in its own way. If you're a filmmaker, researcher or just the culturally curious type, below are a few recommendations working in Beijing and Shenyang - and places of interest to visit before heading to the airport.

1. Visas. If you are travelling on business with a UK passport you will need a visa to enter China. I recommend using a Chinese visa application service to check and process your documents. One of the requirements is an invitation letter from a Chinese company or Government Department. Budget the time and cost to organise the paperwork.?

2. Kit. If you are a filmmaker - don’t bring camera gear with you. You will need a journalist visa to do that and the whole process is involved, time consuming and stressful. Better to work with a local fixer and a team on location that has the kit, or hire filmmaking equipment ahead of your arrival. Also book a local driver for the entire shoot so you have space in the car for the gear. Drivers also know the city well and will be able to recommend places for you and your team to eat and find anything you need. During the shoot the screen of my mobile phone smashed and it was the driver who took me to a mobile phone market where it was repaired for 20 USD in under an hour.

3. WeChat. This app is your gateway to China. With over 1 billion monthly active users WeChat is said to be world's largest standalone mobile app. You can message, make payments, make calls, organise transport and more. It also has language-to-languagte voice recognistion translation features. Make sure you know how to use the app. Personally I didn’t find it very intuitive to use. I still don’t.

4. VPN. Download a VPN to your devices before you travel. Once you are in China you won't be able to do this. If you, like me use Google you will need a VPN to access your email and files. Ask your host which ones they recommend otherwise you will not be able to connect to Wi-Fi and you will need to rely on the network in your country. You can still download emails and files but it’s an expensive and slow way of doing it.

5. Language. Learn some words in Mandarin. Most people don’t speak or understand European languages, just as most Europeans don’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese. Just do it. It goes a long way and is always appreciated.

6. Money. You don’t need to bring cash. All payments in China can be made using WeChat or Alipay app on your phone. Also you don’t need to leave tips.

7. Battery life. If your battery dies and phone goes down you will feel like you are off-grid. That’s because you really are. Get your hotel receptionist to write your place of stay on a piece of paper in Chinese in case your phone battery runs out of power and you can’t give the taxi driver directions back to the hotel. There are battery pack dispensers all over the city (see upright box container below) which allow you to rent a charger for your phone for a small fee. Or just bring your own back up battery pack. I wish I did.

8. Food. The food is amazing and inexpensive. After the first day of our shoot our driver took us to a grocery store selling fruit. The Chinese love eating fruit and you can find the most amazing varieties (rambutan, Java apples, mangosteen, dragon fruit, Asian pear and more). Some I hadn't seen before and they tasted delicious. Pick and mix.

9. Check the weather. If you are filming in December in Beijing or Shenyang you can expect temperatures to be well below freezing. Early spring and autumn are the best months to film outdoors where temperatures are around 15c-20c.

10. Take the train. China’s has the largest high-speed rail network on the planet. The train from Beijing to Shenyang was travelling comfortably at 350 km per hour. Super efficient, reliable and comfortable. Make sure you plan ahead -particularly if you travel on a public holiday as tickets need to be booked well in advance. Taking the train feels more like an airport experience. Before boarding I was asked twice for my passport, there were bag checks and once you arrived on the train you have assigned seats. The ride was amazing, the scenery beautiful.

11. Superstitions. Not theirs - ours. If someone sneezes you don’t need to say "bless you". Our taxi driver exploded 3 loud sneezes in a row and I asked my fixer what you say after someone sneezes. She said “Nothing. We don’t care”. I thought that was great. Usually when that happens I don’t care either. So why bother even saying it? Larry David moments happen all over the world.

12. Park life. Public parks offer a great insight into Chinese culture. Our participant uses the space for their health and wellbeing so we shot some footage in a public park. As soon as the sun rises the park fills up with people from all walks of life doing the most seemingly random activities: calligraphy, mahjong, ping pong, karaoke, fishing, lake swimming, people watching, taking blood pressure, putting on displays – cracking whips on spinning tops, lots and lots of dancing to loud music on sound systems, people walking backwards, meditating, stretching, buying and selling food. There is also an activity called jianzi. Similar to hacky sack, players need to keep - not a small ball but a weighted?shuttlecock - off the ground using only their feet. Apparently the game originates from the Han Dynesty some 2,000 years ago. People of all genders and ages play it. I had to stop myself from asking if I could have a go.

If you like coffee and vinyl records read on …

Speciality coffee. The speciality coffee scene in China is booming. China produces and roasts excellent coffee and it is enjoyed by people all over the city. You can find excellent coffee everywhere: city centres, hotel lobbies, office districts, train stations, shopping malls, the airport etc. With a steady growing coffee market don’t be surprised to find coffee beans grown in China for sale in some of your local speciality coffee shops in your country.

Vinyl records. Everyone with an interest in vinyl records knows that on this side of the world Japan is by far and away THE place for vinyl diggers. After searching various blogs I found a record store specialsing solely in vinyl located on the eastern part of Beijing in the Chaoyang District called Fruity Shop. I actually booked my hotel near this place so I’d get to see it before the shoot. Once you get inside there is an amazing selection of jazz, Afro, hip hop, Latin, funk, electronica - and vintage amplifiers (The Chinese LOVE amps!). Fair prices, beautiful records and some hard to find gems. A dedicated digger’s dream. Fruity Shop's opening hours are weird, the staff are great.

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