My Life as a Zucchini Budget
AnimationComedyDrama1h 6mUpdated
Synopsis
Courgette (Zucchini) is an intriguing nickname for a 9-year-old boy. Although his unique story is surprisingly universal. After his mother's disappearance, Courgette is befriended by a police officer Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. At first he struggles to find his place in this strange, at times, hostile environment. Yet with Raymond's help and his new-found friends, Courgette eventually learns to trust and might find true love.
What is the budget of My Life as a Zucchini?
"My Life as a Zucchini," a animation released in 2016, was directed by Claude Barras and stars Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat. The production budget was $8,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for animation productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a animation production like this include:
- Animation Production Pipeline: The bulk of an animated film's budget funds the multi-year production pipeline: storyboarding, character modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing.
- Voice Talent: Celebrity voice casting has become standard for studio animation, with A-list actors earning $5 to 15 million for voice roles.
- Music, Songs & Sound Design: Original songs and orchestral scores are central to animated storytelling. Sound design for animated worlds must be created entirely from scratch.
What were the major cost factors in My Life as a Zucchini?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "My Life as a Zucchini."
- Animation Production Pipeline: Animation Production Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Voice Talent: Voice Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Music: Music, Songs & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
How Does My Life as a Zucchini's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $8,000,000, My Life as a Zucchini sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Mutant Chronicles (2008): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,131,057
- I'm Still Here (2024): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $36,361,572
- Pulp Fiction (1994): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $213,928,762
- Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $100,523,351
- Stand by Me (1986): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $52,289,686
The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
My Life as a Zucchini Box Office Performance
"My Life as a Zucchini" earned $309,766 domestically and $5,873,256 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $8,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "My Life as a Zucchini," that break-even threshold was roughly $16,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $5,873,256, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $8,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $5,873,256
- Net Return: −$2,126,744
- ROI: approximately -26.6%
At -26.6%, "My Life as a Zucchini" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 25 wins & 22 nominations total
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- European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film: Céline Sciamma (29th European Film Awards)
- European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film: Claude Barras (29th European Film Awards)
- European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film: Max Karli (29th European Film Awards)
- Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film
- Lumière Award for Best Animated Film
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make My Life as a Zucchini (2016)?
The production budget was $8,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $4,000,000 - $6,400,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $12,000,000 - $14,400,000.
How much did My Life as a Zucchini (2016) earn at the box office?
My Life as a Zucchini grossed $309,766 domestic, $5,563,490 international, totaling $5,873,256 worldwide.
Was My Life as a Zucchini (2016) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $5,873,256 against an estimated $20,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing My Life as a Zucchini?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat, Paulin Jaccoud); multi-year animation production, celebrity voice talent, and original musical compositions; international production across France, Switzerland.
How does My Life as a Zucchini's budget compare to similar animation films?
At $8,000,000, My Life as a Zucchini is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Mutant Chronicles (2008, $8,000,000); I'm Still Here (2024, $8,000,000); Pulp Fiction (1994, $8,000,000).
Did My Life as a Zucchini (2016) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for My Life as a Zucchini?
The theatrical ROI was -26.6%, calculated as ($5,873,256 − $8,000,000) ÷ $8,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did My Life as a Zucchini (2016) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 25 wins & 22 nominations total.
Who directed My Life as a Zucchini and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Claude Barras, written by Céline Sciamma, shot by David Toutevoix, with music by Sophie Hunger, edited by Valentin Rotelli.
Where was My Life as a Zucchini filmed?
My Life as a Zucchini was filmed in France, Switzerland. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
My Life as a Zucchini
Official Trailer
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