RYNOS.dop

Commercial Cinematography in China & Asia

Ryan Potts (Rynos) is a commercial cinematographer based in Guangzhou, working most often across Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. He shoots brand films, TV commercials, and campaign content for global and Chinese brands, and can run the whole production directly.

Commercial work in China demands a rare combination of skills: the visual language to satisfy international creative directors, the cultural fluency to read a room in Mandarin, and the on-the-ground relationships to pull off a shoot in a country where logistics can make or break a campaign. That intersection is where Ryan Potts - operating as Rynos - has built his practice over twenty years based in Guangzhou.

Past clients include Huawei, DHL × BBC StoryWorks, Fiido, XPeng, OPPO, VIVO, and TCL - covering everything from product launches and brand documentaries to testimonial campaigns and corporate content.

What commercial work looks like here

South China's production infrastructure - centred on Guangzhou and Shenzhen - is among the most capable in Asia. Gear houses stock ARRI, RED, and Sony cinema cameras. Studio facilities rival those in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Local crews are fast, professional, and experienced with international clients. What's less common is a DP who can translate between the international agency side and the local production reality without losing anything in the translation. That's the role Rynos fills.

Projects are shot on digital or analog formats depending on the brief. For brand films requiring a premium, textured look, 16mm has become an increasingly requested option - see the analog cinematography page for more on that.

Serving international agencies and brands

Foreign production teams face a specific set of challenges when shooting in China: permits, vetted local crew, gear access, location scouting, and communication across language and time zones. Rynos handles all of it - acting as a DOP who can also function as a local production partner. If you're an agency or brand running a commercial shoot in China, start at the guide for foreign production teams.

Formats and capabilities

  • Brand films and hero content
  • TV commercials and digital-first campaign content
  • Testimonial and interview-led pieces
  • Product launch films
  • Brand documentary and mini-doc formats
  • Multi-camera and multi-location productions

Based in Guangzhou - available across Asia

Guangzhou is the base, but commercial work regularly takes Rynos to Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and beyond.

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Common questions

What kinds of commercial work do you shoot?

Brand films, TV commercials, digital campaign content, product-launch films, testimonial and interview-led pieces, and brand-documentary work, including multi-camera and multi-location productions.

Can you handle the whole production, not just the camera?

Yes. Ryan can come on purely as DP, or assemble and run the whole production on the ground (crew, locations, logistics, and the shoot itself) as one point of contact, so foreign brands skip the agency-chain markup.

What cameras and formats do you shoot on?

ARRI, RED, Sony, and Blackmagic cinema cameras depending on the brief, all available through local gear houses. For a premium, textured look he also shoots Super 16mm film.

Where do you shoot commercials?

Most often in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, based in Guangzhou, and across the wider Asia region.

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