Cost Estimation Services

Cost estimation for Chinese shoots turns creative drive into yuan projections built on today's market data from the country's main production hubs. Our estimators track crew day-rates and head-of-department fees across Beijing, Shanghai, Hengdian, Qingdao, and Shenzhen. We also price gear rentals from the major rental houses around the China Film Group base and the Sunshine and Filmgear depots in Beijing's Chaoyang, location fees at heritage sites under cultural heritage permits, and post-prod at facilities in the 798 Art District and around Pudong.

Budgets account for 17% VAT and the inter-city travel grid that links Beijing with Hengdian and Shanghai with Qingdao. They also cover the cost of NRTA on-set monitor rules, which apply to any production shooting under a CFCC co-production permit. We model provincial rebates in detail, from Qingdao's 40% spend rebate at the Oriental Movie Metropolis to the Wuxi subsidies and the Xiamen incentive packages. That way producers see the net cost after Chinese support.

Our process starts with a script breakdown turned into board days, stunt and VFX ratings, and a location plan that flags each permit type and dialect coordinator need. We then benchmark against past data from similar shoots at Hengdian's Tang Dynasty Imperial Palace and Republic of China street, the China Film Group sound stages, and the Wanda complex in Qingdao. From there we build scenario models for best-case, worst-case, and base-line outcomes.

Backup planning factors in Chinese New Year and National Day Golden Week shutdowns, plus air-quality spare days during Beijing's October-to-March pollution season. It also allows for the lead times CFCC needs on co-production approvals, mostly four to twelve weeks before the shoot. We deliver estimates inside twenty-four hours for standard requests. Each one comes with detailed vendor comparisons, deal-making leverage points, and a tracking framework that maps real spend against the model across principal photography.