SCENE 01 / LOCATION SCOUTING SERVICES
Location Scouting Services
Find perfect filming locations across China—from Beijing to Shanghai and beyond.
Finding the right location can make or break a production. That's why we've built a team of skilled scouts who know China inside and out—from the hutong alleyways of old Beijing to the futuristic skyline of Shanghai's Pudong district. We handle everything: site research, logistics assessments, permit forms. You tell us what you're looking for, and we'll find it.
Over the years, we've put together a database of more than 5,000 locations across the country. But we don't just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts hit the ground to check each site meets your specific needs, whether that's an ancient water town near Suzhou for your period piece or a sleek Shenzhen tech campus for a corporate campaign.
Here is how this works in practice. What really sets us apart is our network. We've spent years building relationships with property owners, local government officials, the China Film Administration, and regional film bureaus. Navigating China's filming rules needs deep local knowledge. We've built the connections that make complex shoots possible.
Our Location Scouting Services
Finding the right location can make or break a production. That's why we've built a team of skilled scouts who know China inside and out—from the hutong alleyways of old Beijing to the futuristic skyline of Shanghai's Pudong district. We handle everything: site research, logistics assessments, permit forms. You tell us what you're looking for, and we'll find it.
Over the years, we've put together a database of more than 5,000 locations across the country. But we don't just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts hit the ground to check each site meets your specific needs, whether that's an ancient water town near Suzhou for your period piece or a sleek Shenzhen tech campus for a corporate campaign.
Here is how this works in practice. What really sets us apart is our network. We've spent years building relationships with property owners, local government officials, the China Film Administration, and regional film bureaus. Navigating China's filming rules needs deep local knowledge. We've built the connections that make complex shoots possible.
Comprehensive Location Scouting Solutions
Expert location scouts with intimate knowledge of China's diverse landscapes, urban environments, and cultural sites. Professional location services from initial scouting to production support with permits and logistics coordination.
Urban Locations
- • Modern cityscapes
- • Historic districts
- • Commercial areas
- • Residential neighborhoods
- • Industrial zones
Natural Landscapes
- • Coastal beaches
- • Mountain regions
- • Vineyard settings
- • Forest locations
- • River systems
Cultural Sites
- • Historic chateaux
- • Medieval architecture
- • Traditional villages
- • Museums
- • Heritage locations
Production Facilities
- • Studio spaces
- • Controlled environments
- • Green screen facilities
- • Equipment storage
- • Crew facilities
How We Work With You
Here's how we typically work with productions. You tell us what you're looking for, we go find it, and we handle all the headaches in between—permits, negotiations, logistics. By the time you show up to shoot, everything's ready.
Requirements Analysis
First things first—we sit down with you to know exactly what you're after. We'll go through your script, look at reference images, talk about budget constraints, and nail down the visual style you're going for. No detail is too small at this stage.
Research & Reconnaissance
Here is how the work shapes up. Our scouts will start their work after we determine what you need. Our team retrieves site options from the database followed by actual inspections at each location. Our team takes photos of each location from different perspectives while we record all key operational details including power availability and parking spaces and site-level conditions and daylight patterns.
Presentation & Selection
We put together a detailed presentation for each shortlisted location. You'll get pro photos, logistical breakdowns, rough costs, and info on what permits we'll need. Most clients find exactly what they want within the first round of options.
Coordination & Securing
Once you've made your choice, we handle the rest. We negotiate fees with property owners, set up access schedules, manage contracts, and secure all needed permits. By the time your crew arrives, everything's sorted and ready to go.
You'll have a single point of contact throughout—someone who knows your project and can give you straight answers when things change. And things always change.
What We Bring to the Table
Years of boots-on-the-ground experience across China, a database we've built from scratch, and the kind of local connections that take time to develop.
Our Resources
5,000+ Locations On File
We've been building this database for years. Every entry has photos, GPS coordinates, notes on access and power, and info on what time of year works best. It's not just a list—it's institutional knowledge.
On-Site Technical Surveys
Before we recommend anywhere, we check it ourselves. Power capacity, truck access, parking situation, ambient noise—the stuff that matters when you're actually trying to shoot there.
Permit Handling
Chinese bureaucracy can be... Chinese. We deal with the permit applications, the property releases, the back-and-forth with local officials. You shouldn't have to.
Scouting Statistics
Why Choose Fixers in China for Location Scouting
Local Expertise
Our scouts developed their lives within this location. The locals possess knowledge about all the rural paths which lead to secret gardens and concealed towns that most visitors fail to find. Our local knowledge enables us to give locations which you cannot find elsewhere.'t see in any other production's portfolio.
Complete Documentation
Here is how it adds up. Each location report we deliver is thorough enough to hand directly to your line producer. The document has tech specs together with permit needs and access routes and info about nearby facilities.'s all there, organized and ready to use.
Rapid Response
At times plans change at the last minute. We get it. That's why we give 48-hour turnaround on location reports and emergency scouting services when you need to pivot fast during production.
Cultural Heritage Access
Here is the run-down. Getting permission to film at UNESCO sites, historic chateaux, or national monuments isn't easy—but we've done it dozens of times. We know the application process, the right contacts, and how to present your project in a way that gets approvals.
On Location
Vetted Chinese locations from Beijing hutongs to Zhangjiajie peaks
Here is how the picture comes together. Scouting in China rewards local instinct as much as a deep database. Our team works a catalogue of more than five thousand pre-scouted sites. Each recommendation starts with a fresh visit so we can confirm light direction, ambient noise, car access and the realities of district-level film bureau permitting before a shortlist reaches your line producer.
Here is how this works in practice. We move fast through Beijing's contrasting neighbourhoods — the imperial axis from Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City out to the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace, the modernist towers of the CBD and the 798 Art District, the lived-in hutongs around Wangfujing and Houhai — and out to Shanghai's Bund waterfront, Pudong's Lujiazui skyline, the French Concession lanes, Tianzifang and Xintiandi, plus Guangzhou's Pearl River corridor, Shenzhen's Futian and Nanshan, and Hong Kong's Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. Each district carries its own forms through the city film bureau and, where heritage is involved, the local cultural relics authority.
Here is what we have to work with. China's heritage and natural locations bring their own protocols. The Great Wall at Mutianyu, Badaling, Jinshanling and Simatai, the Li River karst country around Guilin and Yangshuo, the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, Xi'an's Terracotta Army, Huangshan, the Yangtze's Three Gorges, the canal towns of Suzhou, the Anhui villages of Hongcun and Xidi, Pingyao's Ming-Qing core and Lijiang Old Town each need liaison with provincial film bureaus, cultural relics offices and, in many cases, CFCC for foreign co-productions to satisfy NRTA — and for the Qingdao, Wuxi, Xiamen or Hainan cash rebates to apply cleanly.
Here is the layout. The picture on the ground is more specific. Our scouts deliver production-ready packages within forty-eight hours, complete with daylight studies, power and parking notes, MCT-compliant access pathways and backup options for typhoon season on the southern coast or Beijing winter pollution windows. Long-standing relationships with property owners, danwei work units, Hengdian World Studios and the China Film Co-Production Corporation mean the locations we recommend are achievable inside the schedule you are working to.
FAQ
Location Scouting FAQ
Essential information for planning your location scouting project in China.
How long does location scouting take in China?
It really depends on what you're looking for. A straightforward commercial shoot? We can mostly turn around options in 2-3 days. Feature films mostly need 1-2 weeks of dedicated scouting to cover all the scenes. Documentaries fall somewhere in between—mostly 3-7 days. And if you're in a bind, we give emergency scouting with 24-48 hour delivery.
What permits are required for filming at Chinese locations?
The specific permit needs depend on your shoot sites location and its dimensions. Local authorities need all public areas to obtain permission for filming through a filming permit. The owners of private sites need to give release forms for their sites. Historical monuments and UNESCO sites have their own application process through cultural affairs offices. We handle all of this for you—it's one of the main reasons shoots hire us.
What are typical location scouting costs in China?
The cost for basic day-rate scouting operations ranges between $300 and $500 for each day of operation. The firm gives complete packages which combine service for many sites together with records support and permit management help.'re looking at $1,500-$6,000 based on scope. Remote locations add to the cost—figure $800-$2,500 per day for mountain or rural scouting. Permit fees themselves range from $150 to $1,500 based on the site.
Can you scout locations in remote areas of China?
Here is the short of it. We have several preferred destinations which exist outside of typical tourist areas. We often scout in the Himalayas, along the Guangdong coast, in rural Yunnan, and across the Tibetan Plateau. Our team performs accessibility reviews for distant production locations while we handle gear movement and find suitable housing for crew members working in the area.
How many location options will we receive?
Here is the breakdown. For each scene or setup you need, we mostly present 3-5 vetted options. These aren't just random suggestions—each location we show you has been checked for logistics, permit availability, and budget fit. We'd rather give you fewer, better options than overwhelm you with places that won't actually work.
What documentation do you provide for each location?
Here is what that looks like on the ground. The location packages contain many high-resolution photos taken from different perspectives together with tech survey data about power infrastructure and access points and facility details and logistics info which has parking details and service locations and site restrictions. The system gives site maps together with shooting position recommendations which depend on lighting conditions for all complex locations.
Related Services
Productions in China that need this often pair it with Local Fixer Services, Production Budgeting Services, and Production Scheduling Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Pre-Production Services and Travel Coordinator.
On Set
Ready to Discover Perfect Locations?
Let's find the backdrop your project deserves. Get in touch and tell us what you're looking for—we'll take it from there.