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The Insider’s Guide to Shooting in China

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:04:00 +0000

This article is originally from here

Photographers are heading to China in droves right now, whether for the coming Olympics in Beijing (August 8-24), to cover the aftermath of the tragic May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province — or just to shoot stock: China’s ferocious growth and rapidly changing economy have made it a perennially hot news property.

“It’s an unusual time of openness in China, which is traditionally a xenophobic country, thanks to the Olympics and the earthquake, ” says Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveler , a project of the Earth Island Institute. “That openness is a two-way street. People traveling to China, particularly Americans, can try to counteract some of the negative images that China has of us from its media.”

But this is a very politically sensitive country. Attempting to shoot certain subjects—anything to do with say, Tibet, religion, state executions, and disease—can get you in trouble with the authorities. Along with Greenwald, PDNOnline talked to ten photographers who have shot in mainland China to get their tips for those new to the country. Several living in or frequently working in China spoke on the condition of anonymity. Those who spoke to us on the record are:

Monte Isom, a commercial photographer who specializes in portraits of athletes
Catherine Karnow, photographer behind National Geographic Traveler: Beijing
Wayne Liu, a Taiwan-born fine-arts shooter
Mads Nissen, a freelance photojournalist based in Shanghai
Sara Remington, a food and travel photographer
James Whitlow Delano, a Tokyo-based photographer with Redux Pictures and author of Empire: Impressions from China

BEFORE YOU GO

Vaccines: Many photographers recommended getting the Hepatitis B vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control has a Web site for China with a full health briefing.

Visas: Note that your passport has to be valid for at least six more months. The visa situation has changed several times in the past few months. Check the Chinese Embassy’s Web site for the most up-to-date requirements.

Everyone had an opinion on getting a tourist or business visa versus an official journalist visa:

“We went in on a tourist visa to shoot a wedding and pick up stock. The photographer I went with and I had four camera bodies and 10 lenses. But she and I purposefully made ourselves look younger and separated ourselves.”—Remington

“When I was freelancing, I was on a business visa because I wanted to stay completely off the radar. Now, I am staff and on a J-1 (resident journalist) visa, as it is required by my company. There are benefits to being unregistered and registered. Unregistered allows more freedom to move and work on sensitive stories, but you run the risk of being deported, arrested, or having your contacts get arrested. Being registered allows you to do official events and work openly, but it is restricted. Registered journalists are not allowed to visit Tibet unless invited, and the invitation is difficult to obtain.”—Photojournalist based in China

“It depends on how much you have to lose. If you were going to come and shoot a big production with a lot of lights and models, you kind of need to get a proper visa. The police can close your operation down in a second.”—Beijing-based documentary photographer

“The business visa situation was changing constantly this year. Even my local Chinese producer couldn’t get it all put together. We needed a letter of invitation from the company hiring me, proof the airfare was confirmed and booked, hotel confirmed and booked, two passport photos, a letter from me to my assistants saying I was hiring them and they needed a visa, and an official invitation from the correct department. And that’s for one month. For a multiple-entry visa you need to prove why you need to come in and out.”–Isom

SHOOTING

Street/stock photography:

“The first thing to remember about China is that it’s not just one ethnic group. You can’t make assumptions about how people will feel about having their photo taken, or the courtesies involved. People in Beijing on the street might be OK with you shooting without asking, but Muslim Chinese people in the southern regions might react every differently.”— Greenwald

“As a woman, you just look a lot less threatening. Sometimes I wear little open-toed sandal with a pedicure. I wanted to shoot this massive demolition scene from above. There was a hotel nearby overlooking it, but there is no way in China you can just go up to the manager and explain you’re shooting for a National Geographic guidebook and get permission. I pretended I was checking in, looked at several rooms, and then I ended up sneaking in through the kitchen and shooting from the fire escape. I stuck my camera in my nice big Coach purse.”—Karnow

Photojournalism and sensitive topics

“Sometimes the political situation is dominant (anti-NATO riots 1999, the annual party congress), and sometimes it fades. But during the Olympics you can be sure it will be forefront. It’s not like there are cops everywhere telling you not to shoot, but subjects might get touchy about mildest things during times of political stress. Be subtle and act innocent. —Documentary photographer

“There is a saying in China that it is easier to ask forgiveness than for permission (read: access). Act first, and chances are if you are mild mannered, good natured, and wear a smile, even authorities will forgive a photograph of a bridge, soldier, or some other moderately sensitive subject in this often loosely controlled one-party state.”—Whitlow Delano

Commercial photography

“Chinese clients typically do not pay the agency and have them pay you. If they did, it would cost them about 12-15 percent more because of invoice taxes etc. So the client pays you directly—except the client does not want to pay anyone outside of China because that incurs a 15 percent tax; there is a loophole in Hong Kong. So the best way to go about doing a job there is to find a local production, hire them to produce your job, and then they pay you. They will charge a premium, but it makes the Chinese company more willing to hire you. Also, negotiating with Chinese clients is much different than in the United States. They want a deal. Doesn’t matter where the starting price was, they want it to be lower. “—Isom

LOGISTICS

“Skype is great for calling back home. With an unlocked cell phone, you can get a local SIM card, put $50 on it, and SMS back and forth to your local clients and back to the States. People in China text a lot and won’t like paying international fees to text you while you’re just across the city.”—Isom

“For those of us who are accustomed to uploading and downloading via FTP, you will realize as soon as you get to China that FTP speeds are nowhere near where it once was.”—from Nissen’s handy posting on
Lightstalkers.org for using the Internet in China

“It’s easy to find cheap hostels; I used Lonely Planet. Don’t pay until you see the rooms. They might be sketchy, dirty, rat infested. I felt safe leaving my film and extra camera equipment in the hostels I stayed in.”—Liu

“The bathroom situation is interesting for women. Pack your own toilet paper —and hand sanitizer is good, too.”—Remington

FOOD

“I basically eat what the locals eat. But if I’m doing a pollution story on, for example, in a ‘cancer-village,’ I’ll bring my own food or eat instant noodles, though it can be pretty boring for a whole week. “—Nissen

“I always have antibiotics on hand because my experiences is that one gets sick at 2 a.m. not 2 p.m.”—Delano

“The person I was traveling with was allergic to gluten, which was impossible to explain to people. So if you have food sensitivities, bring plenty of protein bars, almonds, etc.”—Remington

PEOPLE

“If you don’t speak Chinese, find a hip and friendly bilingual local assistant. It’s pretty easy to chat young people up, but older folks feel more comfortable with a local person talking to them. Avoid the scams where English-speaking ‘art students’ try to show you ‘their works’ that you buy because they are so friendly, or take you to a tea shop where each cup is practically $50.”—Documentary photographer

“A good guide, a good ‘fixer,’ is absolutely critical. Smart, tireless, their English has to be good but not necessarily great. When I am shooting portraits, for me to be able to coax the expressions and gestures out of people, I need almost simultaneous translation.”—Karnow

ETHICS

“Be aware that your actions when uncovering sensitive issues may bring heavy consequences upon people who can not leave the country. Do not post names, photograph faces of people who are quoted commenting on sensitive topics that are contrary to government policy. The story is not worth ruining a good person’s life. Period.”—Delano

“If I were covering a sensitive story I would hire a translator who is not a Chinese national—who has a foreign passport, but who speaks Chinese fluently. I would try not to use a minority, like a Tibetan, to work on these issues. Because they’re already in a politically sensitive situation. As the photographer I do what I can do to protect the people I work with and who I photograph, but in the end it’s a really messed-up situation.”—Beijing-based documentary photographer

Freelance writer Bonnie Azab Powell lives in Oakland with her husband, portrait photographer Bart Nagel . She would like to go to China someday — but maybe after the Olympics.

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003815876

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In need of cash, Hollywood looks to India, China

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:12:17 +0000

This Article Originally From:Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Disney’s $4 billion purchase of “Iron Man” moviemaker Marvel Entertainment signals a possible wave of media industry consolidation, but the cash to do deals may come from India or China, not Hollywood or Wall Street.

Even before Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and Marvel Entertainment Inc (MVL.N) made their announcement on Monday, Hollywood watchers said Indian firm Reliance ADA Group’s recent $325 million investment in Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks movie studio was a sign that opportunity exists for similar deals.

As the recession took hold in late 2007, Hollywood saw financing from U.S. hedge funds and banks dry up, and experts say Indian and Chinese firms are now in a better position to invest. For its part, Hollywood needs overseas cash to continue expanding globally where growth opportunities are strongest.

“If you have capital to invest, you can probably cut a better deal now than any time in the last ten years,” said Larry Gerbrandt, principal at consultancy Media Valuation Partners.

“A lot of Indian and Chinese companies have excess capital these days and Hollywood, aside from the fact there’s a certain glamour factor, those (Indian and Chinese) markets also need content, so there’s interesting deals to be made.”

Sky Moore, an attorney who worked with Reliance as it put together the DreamWorks financing package, said a bigger deal could be in the offing within two years.

“I think the bigger move is buying a studio, and I don’t know if it will be (a company from) India or China, but I think somebody is going to buy a studio,” Moore said.

STUDIO TARGETS

The Disney/Marvel deal fueled speculation DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc (DWA.O), maker of the “Shrek” movies and a separate company from DreamWorks Studios, could be next on the acquisition target list because of its solid position in the marketplace and focus on the lucrative family market.

Moore and Gerbrandt also named Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc as a potential acquisition target, although they said they had no specific information of any deal in the works.

Rumors of MGM’s potential sale have surfaced for years. The storied Hollywood studio faces looming payments on $3.7 billion of debt from a 2005 buyout of the firm, and earlier this week it replaced its CEO and hired a turnaround expert.

Chinese film studios are strengthening ties with their peers across the Pacific. The Huayi group, which Morgan Stanley called “China’s Warner Bros for tomorrow,” has said it is seeking capital to expand and has developed movies with Hollywood majors such as Sony Pictures. Its larger rival, The China Film Group, is reportedly keen on developing projects in the United States as well.

India’s expanding reach into Hollywood has included Reliance’s purchase of about 50 U.S. theaters and Indian entertainment company UTV’s investment of tens of millions of dollars over the last three years in several movies, including “The Happening” and “The Namesake,” Moore said.

“It’s not about bringing Bollywood to Hollywood, it’s about mainstream worldwide English-language entertainment,” he said.

Hollywood studios have also made big investments in India. Warner Bros, a division of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), has signed multi-picture deals with Indian companies People Tree Films and Ocher Studios.

Twentieth Century Fox, a division of News Corp (NWSA.O), has started a joint venture with Asian broadcaster Star to create films for India under the name Fox Star Studios.

Foreign investment in Hollywood is nothing new, of course. In the 1990s, German tax credits spurred production of U.S. movies, and before that Japan’s Sony Co (6758.T) in 1989 bought Columbia Pictures. Sony also has a stake in MGM.

David Molner, managing director of Screen Capital International, a media and entertainment financing firm, said that absent foreign investment, Hollywood could simply have to endure a slowdown due to lack of capital.

“Either the Asians lead the pack or we have a lull,” he said. “Mostly because they’re probably going to be the fastest out of the blocks as the economy recovers.”

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Tim Dobbyn, Phil Berlowitz)

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Our Sound Work Showreel

admin — Mon, 25 May 2009 05:51:57 +0000

We worked with 37 digital for this video, the video was made in 3D, we made all the sound in this video in 2 days, if you have a speaker, feel free to turn it louder and listen to the amazing work we have done, sametime you are welcome to visit Birght Shadow Films and watch this video with our German imported monitoring speaker.

[flv]http://www.brightshadowfilms.com/medias/fichier_58.flv[/flv]

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Bright Shadow Films Sponsored Spark 2009

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 06:22:10 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Spark 2009, you can actually take a look at this Wiki Page

Spark09 was a conference in Shanghai, China that defines its mission as “Igniting new ideas, opportunities and potential in 2009″. It was created due to the negative emotional effect the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009 had on businesses and individuals.

The presentations, each 20 minutes in length, covered the four areas of Humanity, Environment, Business, and Science. Topics included “How can a pig farmer save the world?”, “How can buildings defy gravity?”, and “How does cooking with spice save the panda?”. Speakers were from 51Give, Arup, Bayer, Frog Design, Haworth (company), IDEO, Microsoft, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Spark09 was organised by ClarkMorgan which is a corporate training company with headquarters in Shanghai, China. All 19 talks of Spark09 are provided for free viewing online.

This year’s Spark meeting was hold in the tallest building of China : Shanghai World Financial Center

We are glad that we sponsored a meeting like Spark 09, and can’t wait to see the Spark 10.

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Best Sound Production Award Goes To:Benjamin L’Hôtellier

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:30:59 +0000

Good News: Benjamin L’Hôtellier has won the best sound production award in China Cristal Award 2009!
Now if you are looking for a good sound engineer in China, Come to Bright Shadow Films!

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Listen To What Our Client Said About Us

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:38:49 +0000

Here is a video from our Client ” Soul Fire”, listen to what they say about us!

[flv]http://www.brightshadowfilms.com/medias/fichier_56.flv[/flv]

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How To Make it In China

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:16:30 +0000

Arriving on foreign soil, where everyone speaks a different language and the tastes, smells and sights are all so unlike anything you are used to, can be a daunting experience. An experience that immediately hits expats on arrival in modern, cosmopolitan Shanghai.

Then magnify this feeling if you are starting a business. And more people are starting businesses because Shanghai is hot and its rapid rate of growth makes it a very desirable place to set up shop.

Four expats — from Canada, France, the United States, and Germany — explain how they started their own unique and successful companies. And an Australian is getting ready to start his own.

They are thrilled at the opportunities, while citing regulations as inevitable but not unsurmountable to those with drive, ingenuity and often a Chinese partner.

“My approach was a lot more speculative,” says Charlie Moretti, Bright Shadow Films managing director.

Starting his Shanghai-based film production company in 2004, the French producer explains, “I threw myself in at the deep end. Only buying a one-way ticket here, I thought, ‘I am at an age when I can take a risk so I may as well do it now in a place that is growing and where there is not yet much competition.”

Moretti has been invited to be in the “Who’s Who” guide to Shanghai and his company is starting to be recognized internationally as a small facilitator to the Chinese movie industry.

He sells footage to US filmmakers and organizes China shoots for international clients. He can arrange footage of imperial sagas evocative of the film “Hero” — or whatever a client desires. He is also working on his own films.

“I chose to set up my company here, after spending time in Hong Kong. I saw the potential in China and it was clear Shanghai was to be the next big thing.”

Moretti has a background in UK films and worked on productions such as “Layer Cake,” starring Daniel Craig, the new James Bond. “I always had in my mind that Shanghai is where I would start up my company,” he says.

Before setting up Bright Shadow Films, Moretti spent one year learning Mandarin, researching the Chinese film industry and selling his project to potential investors.

With two documentaries now under his belt and two films in active development, he says, “I am so pleased I took the gamble.”

“Initially moving out here was a daunting concept as it meant leaving everything behind, but there are so many more opportunities here that I would not have in Europe,” Moretti explains.

“I saw so much potential with many lavish sets and blockbuster films being made.”

At the time Moretti moved here, there were no foreign set-up film production companies in China.

“It is still forbidden for foreigners to wholly own media companies. However, I got round this by making a strategic partnership in China.”

The immediate future for Bright Shadow is about keeping the momentum going. “Film-wise, it is about managing to mix Chinese talent with our production and distribution capabilities in the hope of gratifying and promoting further the Chinese movie industry,” says Moretti.

“I feel very positive about what the company has achieved. It is very exciting to be part of such a diverse culture that makes every day an adventure, reminding me how lucky I am to have chosen Shanghai as my business and my home.”

For more information, visit www.brightshadowfilms.com.

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Sound Studio Equipment List

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:43:37 +0000

So here is the list of equipment and software we have been using:

MONITORING:
surround 5.1 setup ADAM S3a + SUB12
surround 5.1 setup DYNAUDIO BM5a + BM9s
COMPRESSOR:
UNIVERSAL AUDIO 2-1176 (2 mono channels / Stereo)
SOUND CARDS:
RME FireFace 800 (with TimeCode IN-OUT & VIDEO IN) – 28 IN OUT AD/DA/DD at 24bit/48kHz (up 24bit/192kHz in Smux mode)
RME HDSP.9652 (with 8 analog output channels card) – 26 IN OUT DD/DA at 24bit/48kHz (up 24bit/192kHz in Smux mode)
CREAMWARE Pulsar II
CONVERTER:
RME ADI.8.DS (8 channels AD/DA, up to 24bit/96kHz)
analog/ADAT/TDIF-1 / DA-88 compatible
CONTROLLER:
MACKIE Control Universal Pro + 2 MCU ext. Pro
MICROPHONES:
AKG C414 B.XLII Stereo Set (for Mono/Stereo/MS micking)
OKTAVA mk-012 Stereo Set (with caps Set: hyper-cardio, cardio, omni)
RODE NT5 Stereo Set
SHURE SM57
SHURE Beta 57
SHURE Beta 52
AKG C2000B (x2)
(+ 6 Shockmounts, 2 articulated mounts & 3 stereo bars)
HEADPHONES:
Sennheiser HD 25-1
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro
AKG K271S
SHURE Ear Monitor E2
HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERS
2 Presonus HP4 (4 stereo-channels each)
MICROPHONE STANDS:
2 Giant Stands
4 Standard Stands
2 Small Stands
2 Mini-Stands
COMPUTERS:
Proc: Intel Core2Duo E6600 Quad Core
Mother Board: ASUS P5K.E
RAM: CORSAIR TWIN.X (2Gb)
BLACKMAGIC Intensity (HDMI graphic card)
HHD 32Go Raptor [10000 r/min] system
HHD 74Go Raptor [10000 r/min] sessions
HHD 500Go [7200 r/min] data / libraries
HHD 130Go [7200 r/min] video
2 x HHD 500Go ext [7200 r/min] backup
3 SCREENS: 22″ WideScreen
APPLE MACBOOK.PRO 17″ – Intel Core2Duo 2.4Ghz – HHD 160Go.7200r/min
SCREENS:
Projector Screen 250×140 (5.1 Mixing Stage)
40″ WideScreen / HDMI (Rec Room)
VIDEO PROJECTOR:
SONY Bravia / HDMI

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