Film production in Marseille
Between June and December, usable daylight in Marseille moves by 6h 23min — from 15h 23min down to 9h 00min. 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 Marseille rises at 05:59 and sets at 21:21; the evening golden hour starts at 20:38 and runs for 43 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:05–17:04, with a 46-minute golden-hour window from 16:18.
In practice, a spread of 6h 23min 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 | 08:09 | 17:28 | 9h 19min | 16:43 |
| February | 07:38 | 18:09 | 10h 31min | 17:29 |
| March | 06:52 | 18:45 | 11h 53min | 18:07 |
| April | 06:57 | 20:21 | 13h 24min | 19:43 |
| May | 06:16 | 20:56 | 14h 40min | 20:15 |
| June | 05:59 | 21:21 | 15h 23min | 20:38 |
| July | 06:12 | 21:18 | 15h 05min | 20:35 |
| August | 06:44 | 20:44 | 13h 59min | 20:04 |
| September | 07:18 | 19:51 | 12h 33min | 19:13 |
| October | 07:53 | 18:57 | 11h 05min | 18:19 |
| November | 07:32 | 17:16 | 9h 44min | 16:33 |
| December | 08:05 | 17:04 | 9h 00min | 16:18 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Marseille starts at 21:42 in June and ends at 21:57 — a window of 14 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:24. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:45) and September (19:51) there are 66 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Marseille averages 9 rain days in November and 1 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in November statistically loses 0.9 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 | 8.3 °C | 6 | 7.4 |
| February | 9.3 °C | 7 | 8.2 |
| March | 11.1 °C | 6 | 9.8 |
| April | 13.6 °C | 7 | 11.1 |
| May | 17.1 °C | 7 | 12.1 |
| June | 21.8 °C | 5 | 13.8 |
| July | 24.6 °C | 1 | 14.0 |
| August | 24.2 °C | 3 | 12.7 |
| September | 20.7 °C | 5 | 10.9 |
| October | 17.0 °C | 8 | 8.9 |
| November | 12.5 °C | 9 | 7.4 |
| December | 9.7 °C | 7 | 7.2 |
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 Marseille?
In June it starts at 20:38 and lasts 43 minutes; in December it starts at 16:18 and lasts 46 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Marseille get?
Between 9h 00min in December and 15h 23min in June. The 6h 23min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Marseille?
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.