Film production in São Paulo
Between December and June, usable daylight in São Paulo moves by 2h 53min — from 13h 34min down to 10h 41min. 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 São Paulo rises at 06:47 and sets at 17:29; the evening golden hour starts at 16:55 and runs for 33 minutes. By December that shifts to 05:15–18:50, with a 33-minute golden-hour window from 18:17.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 30 and 33 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 | 05:34 | 18:59 | 13h 25min | 18:27 |
| February | 05:55 | 18:48 | 12h 53min | 18:17 |
| March | 06:09 | 18:24 | 12h 15min | 17:54 |
| April | 06:21 | 17:54 | 11h 33min | 17:23 |
| May | 06:34 | 17:33 | 10h 59min | 17:01 |
| June | 06:47 | 17:29 | 10h 41min | 16:55 |
| July | 06:49 | 17:37 | 10h 49min | 17:05 |
| August | 06:33 | 17:51 | 11h 17min | 17:20 |
| September | 06:04 | 18:01 | 11h 57min | 17:31 |
| October | 05:34 | 18:12 | 12h 37min | 17:41 |
| November | 05:15 | 18:29 | 13h 15min | 17:58 |
| December | 05:15 | 18:50 | 13h 34min | 18:17 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in São Paulo starts at 17:44 in June and ends at 17:53 — a window of 10 minutes. In December it is 10 minutes from 19:05. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:24) and September (18:01) there are 23 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
São Paulo averages 24 rain days in January and 3 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 2.4 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 | 22.3 °C | 24 | 9.5 |
| February | 21.9 °C | 19 | 9.4 |
| March | 21.5 °C | 18 | 9.5 |
| April | 19.8 °C | 9 | 9.2 |
| May | 17.7 °C | 8 | 8.2 |
| June | 16.6 °C | 6 | 8.1 |
| July | 16.2 °C | 3 | 8.8 |
| August | 17.0 °C | 6 | 8.3 |
| September | 19.4 °C | 8 | 9.1 |
| October | 20.0 °C | 15 | 8.2 |
| November | 20.1 °C | 16 | 9.0 |
| December | 21.6 °C | 22 | 9.8 |
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 São Paulo?
In June it starts at 16:55 and lasts 33 minutes; in December it starts at 18:17 and lasts 33 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in São Paulo get?
Between 10h 41min in June and 13h 34min in December. The 2h 53min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in São Paulo?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. December has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.