Blackshell Films Presents: Film in China Handbook - Equipment
- Blackshell Films
- Dec 11, 2020
- 3 min read
Dear friends and colleagues,
Happy Friday! I hope you are all well and safe.
Let’s cut directly into our topic today - Equipment.
There are two scenarios when you want to film in China. Let’s say you have your own equipments, and you want to bring the equipments to China. In this case, you will need to apply for an ATA Carnet, and also apply for J-2 journalist visas. Or you want to rent the equipment locally. The availability and the price varies a lot depending on where you rent the equipment, but generally speaking, the equipment price in China is much cheaper than that in western countries. Blackshell Films would recommend you to hire the equipment in China, unless you are using really rare equipments that you can’t get anywhere else or you own the equipments yourself.
1. BRING YOUR OWN EQUIPMENTS? APPLY FOR AN ATA CARNET.
What is a Carnet? A Carnet or ATA Carnet (pronounced kar-nay) is an international customs and temporary export-import document. It is used to clear customs in 87 countries and territories without paying duties and import taxes on merchandise that will be re-exported within 12 months. Carnets are also known as Merchandise Passports or Passports for Goods. Click HERE to watch a 20 seconds explanation video on What is a Carnet?
ATA Carnets ease the temporary importation of commercial samples (CS), professional equipment (PE), and goods for exhibitions and fairs (EF). They facilitate international business by avoiding extensive customs procedures, eliminating payment of duties and taxes, and replacing the purchase of temporary import bonds. ATA Carnets can be used in China for exhibitions and fairs (EF), commercial samples (CS), professional equipment (PE) and sporting goods.
Once you get the Carnet, you can bring your own equipments to China and cross the border without any problem.
*Note: You’ll also need to apply for the J2 Journalist Visas to accompany with the Carnet. Please see HERE to check out how to apply for the J2 visa in China.
2. MAKE IT EASY! RENT IT IN CHINA.
To make your life easier, remember you can always rent the equipments in China with a very reasonable price, and there are a lot of options to choose from. For documentary filmmaking, the commonly used cameras are Sony FX9, Sony FS7 Mark2, Sony A7M3, Sony A7S3, Panasonic GH5/GH5s, Panasonic Varicam LT, Canon C300 Mark2, BlackMagic, etc. For commercial filmmaking, the commonly used camera brands are ARRI, RED, SONY, etc. Basically, you will easily find the equipments you want to use or the equivalent in China. The prices are reasonable, and with some connections, you can find below the market price too. Blackshell Films has known some good rental houses in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and other cities in China for years and have established good relationship with them. We can help you get a very good price for the equipment rental.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our email list (www.blackshellfilms.com), we will update the blogs at least twice a month. Subscribe and don’t miss any new update! Also, If you need help of renting equipments in China, feel free to shoot us an email at contact@blackshellfilms.com. We would be happy to assist with your needs.
Stay safe and happy! See you all on next week.
Regards,
Pan
Dec 11th, 2020
Co-founder of Blackshell Films
Website: www.blackshellfilms.com
Email: contact@blackshellfilms.com
WhatsApp: +86 18607190503
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackshellfilm/
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