Xinqiao Film Studio anchors Zhang Yimou's 'Scare Out'

Many key set-built scenes in film director Zhang Yimou’s Chinese New Year release “Scare Out” were shot at the Xinqiao Film Studio in Bao’an District, underscoring the site’s growing role as a professional production anchor for Shenzhen’s emerging imaging industry.

The thriller, which follows a national security team racing to stop leaked intelligence about China’s latest fighter jet and dismantle a spy ring, was filmed nearly 90% in Shenzhen, with a significant share staged and shot at the Xinqiao studio. Organizers say the site’s “technology + culture” DNA not only delivered robust technical support for the film’s covert operations sequences but also helped the production convey its anti-espionage themes with precision.

Xinqiao Film Studio in Bao’an District. File photos

Developed and operated by Shenzhen Jinshu Film, the Xinqiao Film Studio covers about 84,000 square meters. The complex is built around three core elements: digital professional soundstages, the Qingping Ancient Market film culture park, and an integrated industrial support compound. Its master plan aims to create a full-chain Greater Bay Area hub for IP incubation, production, training and film tourism.

A planned cluster of 10 digital soundstages, including virtual production facilities, anchors the park. Studio No. 1 is already operational: a 2,000-square-meter, 24-meter-high digital stage, Guangdong’s first high-standard facility of its kind, equipped with set and prop workshops and an initial editing and screening room. The base also offers a wide range of real-world office sets, including luxury and creative offices, period street scenes and outdoor backlots. A dedicated “micro-studio” zone for short and micro-dramas recreates 1990s convenience stores, family interiors and workplace sets, enabling end-to-end production workflows.

Studio No. 1.

Since opening, Xinqiao has hosted major projects including the film “My Country, My Parents” and TV series such as “Lady’s Rules,” “The Right Way to Open Up Life,” “Just Love” and “A Lady’s Character.” The site has also attracted about 30 upstream and downstream companies, forming a cluster that spans planning, production and ancillary services.

Industry observers say Xinqiao’s combination of modern digital infrastructure, diverse set resources and an integrated industrial ecosystem is helping Bao’an and Shenzhen build a “new-quality” imaging industry capable of supporting large-scale domestic film and TV production. For films like “Scare Out,” the base provided the technical reliability and creative environments needed to realize complex, set-driven narratives — a sign of Bao’an’s strengthening production capabilities.