[Martin Puglio]

If you are a journalist (with credentials) you would be required to have a journalist visa. No handler necessary for such insensitive issues a music.

Handlers are only necessary for reporting/filming on sensitive issues. Not musical groups 🙂 If you are only filming a band, and not doing any type of doc work, a handler won’t be necessary.

As videographer, you’ll be required to obtain a work (Z) visa or business (f) visa.

But what you may want is someone called a “fixer”. This person is usually a veteran of productions in China and can help you in many ways. The red tape in China (no pun intended) is vast, and difficult to navigate if it is unknown to you. And it can change at the whim of anybody with even the slightest bit of power.

Because you are coming in to the country with full size professional video camera, better to get your ducks in row and go about the correct procedures.

Other than that, China is pretty cool. The large modern cities are production hotbeds, with solid crews and no hassles save for the initial paperwork. In smaller cities (and by small I mean 3 to 7 million people… China has 200 cities with over 1million!!) you’ll be more noticeable and might draw the attention of the police. They are very cool, polite, and professional – have your permit. Yes I’m sure you’ve heard horror stories but given the amount of people in the country, horror stories are the smallest fraction of reality!

I’ve been here for five years and have never had a problem.

Beijing, Shanghai, (and maybe Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao,) you’ll have no problem. I film with a full DSLR type setup around Shanghai all the time sans permit, and I’ve been fine.

Tips? Expected the unexpected…times 10!