Film production in Melbourne
Between December and June, usable daylight in Melbourne moves by 5h 11min — from 14h 45min down to 9h 34min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Melbourne rises at 07:35 and sets at 17:08; the evening golden hour starts at 16:27 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 05:53–20:39, with a 39-minute golden-hour window from 19:59.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 35 and 41 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 06:15 | 20:45 | 14h 30min | 20:07 |
| February | 06:50 | 20:20 | 13h 30min | 19:45 |
| March | 07:19 | 19:42 | 12h 23min | 19:07 |
| April | 06:47 | 17:55 | 11h 08min | 17:19 |
| May | 07:14 | 17:21 | 10h 07min | 16:42 |
| June | 07:35 | 17:08 | 9h 34min | 16:27 |
| July | 07:33 | 17:20 | 9h 46min | 16:40 |
| August | 07:07 | 17:45 | 10h 38min | 17:08 |
| September | 06:22 | 18:11 | 11h 48min | 17:36 |
| October | 06:36 | 19:37 | 13h 01min | 19:02 |
| November | 06:01 | 20:10 | 14h 08min | 19:33 |
| December | 05:53 | 20:39 | 14h 45min | 19:59 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Melbourne starts at 17:26 in June and ends at 17:38 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 20:58. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:42) and September (18:11) there are 91 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Melbourne averages 13 rain days in August and 6 in February. A three-day exterior shoot in August statistically loses 1.3 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.5 °C | 8 | 11.1 |
| February | 19.8 °C | 6 | 11.1 |
| March | 18.5 °C | 7 | 9.7 |
| April | 15.2 °C | 9 | 8.4 |
| May | 12.1 °C | 12 | 7.4 |
| June | 9.8 °C | 11 | 6.9 |
| July | 9.5 °C | 12 | 6.9 |
| August | 10.4 °C | 13 | 7.9 |
| September | 12.1 °C | 13 | 9.2 |
| October | 14.5 °C | 12 | 9.9 |
| November | 16.6 °C | 11 | 10.7 |
| December | 18.7 °C | 8 | 11.5 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in June, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Melbourne?
In June it starts at 16:27 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 19:59 and lasts 39 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Melbourne get?
Between 9h 34min in June and 14h 45min in December. The 5h 11min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Melbourne?
Combining daylight and rain days, December comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. December has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.