Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Kaili Blues?

Directed by Bi Gan, with Chen Yongzhong, Daqing Zhao, Feiyang Luo leading the cast, Kaili Blues was produced by Heaven Pictures with a confirmed budget of $150,000, placing it in the ultra-low-budget category for drama films.

At $150,000, Kaili Blues was produced on a lean budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $375,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• The Seventh Seal (1957): Budget $150,000 | Gross $311,212 → ROI: 107% • Hundreds of Beavers (2024): Budget $150,000 | Gross $1,267,995 → ROI: 745% • Bad Taste (1987): Budget $150,000 | Gross N/A • Chungking Express (1994): Budget $160,000 | Gross N/A • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): Budget $140,000 | Gross $30,922,680 → ROI: 21988%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Above-the-Line Talent Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances. Securing award-caliber actors and experienced directors represents the single largest budget line item, often consuming 30–40% of the total production budget.

▸ Location Filming & Period Production Design Authentic locations — whether contemporary or historical — require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period. Period dramas add the cost of era-accurate props, vehicles, and set decoration.

▸ Post-Production, Color Grading & Score The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone. Color grading, a nuanced musical score, and detailed sound mixing are critical to achieving the emotional resonance that defines the genre.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Chen Yongzhong, Daqing Zhao, Feiyang Luo, Lixun Xie, Shuai Zeng Key roles: Chen Yongzhong as Chen Sheng; Daqing Zhao as Older Doctor; Feiyang Luo as Young Weiwei; Lixun Xie as Crazy Face

DIRECTOR: Bi Gan CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tianxing Wang MUSIC: Lim Giong EDITING: Qin Yanan PRODUCTION: Heaven Pictures, China Film International, Beijing Herui FIlm Culture, Blackfin Production FILMED IN: China

Box Office Performance

Kaili Blues earned $646 in worldwide box office revenue.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Kaili Blues needed approximately $375,000 to break even. The film fell $374,354 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $646 Budget: $150,000 Net: $-149,354 ROI: -99.6%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Unprofitable (Theatrical)

Kaili Blues earned $646 against a $150,000 budget (-100% ROI), falling short of theatrical profitability. Ancillary revenue may have reduced the deficit.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

The underperformance may have increased risk aversion around ultra-low-budget drama productions.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Production

Most of the cast members are local residents who were nonprofessional actors. Bi incorporated the actors' real lives when developing their characters. The lead character Chen Sheng is portrayed by Bi's uncle Chen Yongzhong, who like the character is a former gangster.

Bi primarily filmed Kaili Blues in his hometown of Kaili City. The scenes in Dangmai were shot in the nearby village of Ping Liang. The film's budget was exhausted after completing the 41-minute long take of Dangmai. To finish the film, Bi assembled a small team to shoot the rest of the film using a portable Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. The film's Chinese title comes from the Strugatsky brothers' novel Roadside Picnic, which Tarkovsky adapted into the 1979 film Stalker.