Going to China: Advice needed

[<SacTown>]

I looks like we are going to China to cover our Kings who are playing in a couple of exhibition games in Shanghai and Beijing in the fall. I've been to overseas (London) but never to any of the Asian countries.

What can I expect shooting in China (other than the massive population)? Will I be free to shoot anywhere or does the government have a lot of control in either city? What type of power adaptor will I need?

I really don't know what to expect but I can't wait to go.

[canuckcam]

Don't try to push your luck. This ain't democracy. The people there are very suspicious of the media (since their media is state controlled) and will not like being on the other side of the lens. If you need to shoot on the street, bring a PD150 to look more like a tourist.

I learned almost the hard way not to point your lens at a cop or soldier. This was in the Forbidden City, a huge tourist destination. Perhaps it just wasn't his day.

Beijing and Shanghai are fine for electricity, they're very modernized. You'll be 220v/50Hz. Hotels will have adaptors, just ask at the desk. I stayed at the Beijing Hyatt near Wangfujiang Daije, and they even had 110v/60Hz electricity for us in the room!

But I'd still bring a line conditioner or at least a surge protector along. Cheap insurance.

Shoot with 100 shutter, or else you might get the 50Hz flicker in your video.

... I got very sick from the pollution and humidity while I was there but found the food to be fine, I didn't have a problem with it. You can stick with the Western names like KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, they're all there. Slightly different menu, and all crazy cheap compared to American standards. You can get a full McD combo for about $2.50.

And once you're there, I suggest you don't drive, and hire a local driver. You'll find out real quickly why!

[<Sac Town>]

Originally posted by phillypulse:
Shoot with 100 shutter, or else you might get the 50Hz flicker in your video.

Even outside? :)

Thanks for tips. And there is certainly no way I would consider driving. I think we are going to hire an interpretor/guide for at least part of the trip to hang with us.

[canuckcam]

Well you know, you ARE on the other side of the world.. you'll eventually notice that you're actually standing upside down, and the sun sets in the east!

:D

[Lil' Photog]

I had the chance to shoot a few months ago in China with a network crew and learned a lot.

First of all, you are going to be in Beijing and Shanghai or close to them. These are both major cities that are a lot more western than you might originally believe. You might have some problems with police, so hopefully you'll have translator with some clout who can help get you out of sticky spots. I never had much of a problem when I was there.

One of the greatest tricks I learned when shooting there is with the shutter. Shooting 1/100 might seem like the smart way to get around the 50Hz lighting cycles - HOWEVER - you'll actually find a mix of 50Hz and 60Hz lighting there. The second you go turn your synco-shutter, clear-scan, or whatever your camera calls it to 1/33.3 It is a safe shutter rate that will eliminate flicker from either major power cycle.

Try to stay away from questionable fruits and meats at smaller places. If you are staying at a respectable hotel or restaurant you should be fine - but you have to be careful at some of the smaller places.

I echo the statements of phillypulse with the driving - in fact, if you are going there and want to do a sidebar on some of the differences of American and Chinese cultures, the roads might be a fun one to do if you have a decent writer with you. Let's just say if you stuck LA or NYC drivers on the streets of Beijing or Shanghai, there would be bodies piled up on the sidewalks. I thought I was going to die in car wrecks multiple times... a day.

It'll be a great experience. I suggest you make the most of it. I promised myself I would try one of everything food wise while I was there. Try to do the samething - it'll force you to experience things. Oh - I hope you know how to use chopsticks - sometimes it is your only option.

If you want to know a little more or have any more specifics you want to ask, shoot me an email.

Have fun - I'll be watching at home. The Kings are my favorite NBA team.

[SandRat]

Here's just a few pointers:

Spread your feet really wide if you have to use the 'hole in the floor'.

Only drink things that come in bottles and try to stick to brands you can get in the West...not a guarantee, but more likely to be pasteurized.

Lights flicker like crazy, so avoid lights unless you have a monitor and can adjust the flicker.

My white balance temps were WAY off from what I was used to.(this was SE China) Trust your camera.

Stay away from prostitutes. The worst diseases known to man come from the Far East.

Don't use ice cubes.

Tip the doorman, waiter, cab driver, front desk attendant, room cleaner, translator, boat operator, etc. with US Dollars $$$. It means a whole lot more to them than it does to you and they can make your stay in China hassle free.

Personal safety is not much of an issue.

Bring travelers checks.

Take some sort of antacid with you, even if you don't usually have stomach problems.

I had NO problem what-so-ever with shooting anything I wanted, just use common sense and don't intrude too much...and don't risk shooting police or military.

You may never have a chance to go to China again, so have fun and soak in as much of the experience as possible.

Have some valium for the flight home.

oh yeah...don't even think about driving.

[ August 02, 2004, 02:02 PM: Message edited by: SandRat ]

[<China Bound>]

Great tips.

[WV24fpspro]

Make numerous copies of your passport.

Try to get to know exactly where the embassies are.

Be prepared for extensive inspections and questioning and have papers ready.

As mentioned in an earlir post; bring travelers checks. Make every attempt NOT to use credit cards as ID AND credit theft are quite widespread in the region.

Wear a Canadian hat, everyone likes Canadians, and they're considered politically neutral.

Whern in the sothern hemishere a compass will point to the south pole but the sun will still rise in the east.

Be extremely careful as to what types of computer technology you decide to bring along with you. If one elect to bring any computer and then connect it to an online port somehwere, note that you'll be hacked along with any access codes and any private data.