Film production in Jena
Between June and December, usable daylight in Jena moves by 8h 32min — from 16h 30min down to 7h 58min. 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 Jena rises at 05:00 and sets at 21:30; the evening golden hour starts at 20:37 and runs for 53 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:11–16:08, with a 60-minute golden-hour window from 15:09.
In practice, a spread of 8h 32min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:11 | 16:36 | 8h 25min | 15:40 |
| February | 07:28 | 17:30 | 10h 02min | 16:42 |
| March | 06:29 | 18:18 | 11h 49min | 17:34 |
| April | 06:20 | 20:08 | 13h 48min | 19:24 |
| May | 05:25 | 20:56 | 15h 31min | 20:08 |
| June | 05:00 | 21:30 | 16h 30min | 20:37 |
| July | 05:17 | 21:23 | 16h 06min | 20:32 |
| August | 06:01 | 20:37 | 14h 36min | 19:51 |
| September | 06:49 | 19:31 | 12h 41min | 18:47 |
| October | 07:37 | 18:23 | 10h 47min | 17:38 |
| November | 07:30 | 16:28 | 8h 58min | 15:36 |
| December | 08:11 | 16:08 | 7h 58min | 15:09 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Jena starts at 21:57 in June and ends at 22:16 — a window of 19 minutes. In December it is 15 minutes from 16:33. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:18) and September (19:31) there are 73 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Jena averages 13 rain days in January and 8 in September. A three-day exterior shoot in January 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 | 2.3 °C | 13 | 3.4 |
| February | 3.6 °C | 11 | 5.2 |
| March | 5.8 °C | 13 | 7.0 |
| April | 9.4 °C | 11 | 9.7 |
| May | 14.2 °C | 11 | 10.8 |
| June | 19.0 °C | 12 | 11.7 |
| July | 20.4 °C | 11 | 11.7 |
| August | 20.5 °C | 10 | 10.6 |
| September | 16.2 °C | 8 | 9.1 |
| October | 11.7 °C | 11 | 6.2 |
| November | 6.2 °C | 11 | 4.3 |
| December | 4.0 °C | 13 | 3.1 |
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 December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Jena?
In June it starts at 20:37 and lasts 53 minutes; in December it starts at 15:09 and lasts 60 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Jena get?
Between 7h 58min in December and 16h 30min in June. The 8h 32min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Jena?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.