SCENE 01 / GAFFER LIGHTING TEAM
Gaffer & Lighting Services China
Professional gaffers and lighting crews with expertise in LED, HMI, and tungsten systems. From intimate interviews to large-scale nighttime shoots across China.
The gaffer and lighting team turn the Director of Photography's vision into working lighting setups on set. In China, gaffers work at top studios like China Film Studio in Beijing, Shanghai Film Studio, and the huge Hengdian World Studios. They design and run lighting plans that build mood, depth, and a steady look across each scene.
We build skilled gaffer and lighting teams matched to your production's scale, style, and tech needs. Gear comes through rental houses like Jebsen Industrial and Beijing Film Equipment. Our team lines up crew, gear, and department logistics so your lighting team arrives fully prepared.
Capabilities
Lighting Department Solutions
From intimate interview setups to large-scale feature productions, we provide experienced gaffers and complete electric crews tailored to your project's needs.
01
Feature & TV
- Cinematic lighting design
- Large-scale set lighting
- Night exterior setups
- Practical integration
- Period and stylized looks
Narrative Excellence
02
Commercial
- Product lighting
- Tabletop photography
- Beauty and fashion
- Food cinematography
- High-key brand looks
Brand Impact
03
Live Events
- Concert and performance
- Corporate presentations
- Award ceremonies
- Fashion shows
- Live broadcast lighting
Event Production
04
Corporate
- Interview setups
- Office and facility
- Training videos
- Webinar production
- Executive portraits
Professional Content
On Location
Chinese gaffers and electric crews around Aputure-led Shenzhen lighting
Chinese lighting departments are built around the deng guang shi, the gaffer. They run with the discipline that mainland feature output and Hengdian's back-to-back shooting schedules demand of each set day. Our gaffers come up through Beijing Film Academy's cinematography stream and the Hengdian World Studios crew base. Their credits span Frant Gwo's Wandering Earth franchise, photographed by Bao Dexi; Zhang Yimou shoots lit by Zhao Xiaoding on Hero and The Great Wall; Jia Zhangke independent features shot by Yu Lik-wai; NRTA-cleared inbound co-productions hosted at China Film Studio Beijing and Shanghai Film Studio; and the commercial economy running out of Beijing CBD, Shanghai Pudong and West Bund, Guangzhou, and the Shenzhen brand-tech corridor.
The department usually pairs the gaffer with a best boy electric, adds a rigging gaffer on larger setups, and builds out a graduated team of dian gong. These electricians handle set lighting, power packs operation, dimmer-board management, and on-set adjustments through the shooting day. Gear leans heavily on the Shenzhen-built domestic ecosystem. Aputure has grown into a global cinema-lighting brand leader from its Shenzhen base, and its Nova P600c and P1200, LS 600x Pro, and 600d Pro COB units are now standard on mainland sets. These sit alongside Nanlite Forza and Godox KNOWLED full-frame panels, ARRI SkyPanel S60 and S30, M-Series HMI, Mole-Richardson tungsten for period looks, Kino-Flo Diva-Lite, and Astera Titan tubes for practicals and pixel-mapped looks.
We match crews by format and creative drive rather than a generic day rate. Mainland features in the Wandering Earth and Zhang Yimou tradition need gaffers who can build an Aputure and SkyPanel plan for the long takes Chinese DPs favour. Shanghai West Bund and Beijing 798 commercial work wants fast-turnover gaffers who deliver beauty, tabletop, food, and editorial looks against tight brand-deck colour palettes and Tencent or iQiyi platform delivery specs.
On the ground the picture gets more specific. Crews are bilingual when inbound global DPs sit in the chair on co-productions. Pre-production covers detailed lighting plots and power assessments built against Chinese 220V/50Hz mains, plus silent power packs rented from our partners. Tech scouts run across Hengdian World Studios' 30-plus backlots, Qingdao Wanda Movie Metropolis, China Film Studio Beijing, Shanghai Songjiang stages, and exterior sites from the Bund through Tibet at 3,400-metre altitude, where HMI ballast and battery performance both need engineering adjustments. Those conditions span Yunnan high passes, Inner Mongolia cold, Hainan tropical humidity, and Beijing winter PM2.5 air. Crews work under NRTA, CFA, and CFCC frameworks on foreign shoots, with the 17% VAT and inbound filming-permit forms folded into one setup contract.
FAQ
Our Lighting Network
What does a gaffer do on set?
The gaffer heads the electrical and lighting department and carries out the DP's lighting vision. They design lighting setups, manage the electric crew, set up gear, and keep power distribution safe across the production.
What crew positions are in a lighting department?
A full lighting department has: Gaffer (department head), Best Boy Electric (gaffer's assistant, manages crew and gear), Electricians/Sparks (set up and operate lights), and on larger shoots, Rigging Gaffers and Generator Operators.
Do your lighting crews bring their own equipment?
Crew and gear are mostly separate. We can set up gear packages from Chinese rental houses to complement your crew booking. Some gaffers have personal gear for smaller shoots.
How many electricians do I need for my production?
Crew size depends on production scale: small shoots may need just a gaffer, medium shoots mostly need gaffer plus best boy and 1-2 electricians, while larger shoots need full departments with rigging crews.
Can your lighting crews work with international DPs?
Yes. Our gaffers are skilled at working with global cinematographers and know global terminology, techniques, and workflow expectations. Many are fluent in both English and Chinese.
Do you provide generators and power distribution?
We arrange generator hire and distribution gear through our rental partners. Generator operators can join your crew package for shoots that need major power setups.
Related Services
Productions in China that need this often pair it with LED Lighting Systems, Portable Power Solutions, and Grip Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Gimbal Filming and Virtual Production.
On Set
Need a Lighting Team?
Tell us about your production and we'll recommend the right gaffer and crew for your lighting needs.