Film production in Paris
Between June and December, usable daylight in Paris moves by 7h 52min — from 16h 09min down to 8h 17min. 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 Paris rises at 05:47 and sets at 21:56; the evening golden hour starts at 21:07 and runs for 50 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:38–16:55, with a 55-minute golden-hour window from 16:00.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 42 and 55 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 | 08:40 | 17:21 | 8h 42min | 16:29 |
| February | 08:00 | 18:11 | 10h 11min | 17:26 |
| March | 07:05 | 18:55 | 11h 50min | 18:14 |
| April | 07:01 | 20:42 | 13h 41min | 19:59 |
| May | 06:10 | 21:26 | 15h 15min | 20:39 |
| June | 05:47 | 21:56 | 16h 09min | 21:07 |
| July | 06:03 | 21:51 | 15h 47min | 21:02 |
| August | 06:44 | 21:08 | 14h 25min | 20:24 |
| September | 07:28 | 20:06 | 12h 39min | 19:25 |
| October | 08:11 | 19:03 | 10h 52min | 18:20 |
| November | 08:00 | 17:12 | 9h 12min | 16:23 |
| December | 08:38 | 16:55 | 8h 17min | 16:00 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Paris starts at 22:22 in June and ends at 22:39 — a window of 17 minutes. In December it is 14 minutes from 17:18. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:55) and September (20:06) there are 71 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Paris averages 14 rain days in March and 9 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in March statistically loses 1.4 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 | 4.6 °C | 13 | 3.5 |
| February | 5.9 °C | 11 | 5.3 |
| March | 8.0 °C | 14 | 7.1 |
| April | 10.7 °C | 10 | 10.0 |
| May | 14.4 °C | 13 | 10.8 |
| June | 18.6 °C | 12 | 11.7 |
| July | 20.6 °C | 9 | 11.7 |
| August | 20.4 °C | 10 | 10.8 |
| September | 17.0 °C | 9 | 9.0 |
| October | 13.0 °C | 12 | 6.5 |
| November | 8.3 °C | 12 | 4.7 |
| December | 6.1 °C | 13 | 3.5 |
Filming permits
The responsible body is die Mission Cinéma der Stadt Paris (Paris Film) für Drehs im öffentlichen Raum. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: paris.fr (Mission Cinéma)
Incentives and rebates
Internationale Produktionen nutzen den TRIP-Rebate des CNC; die Île-de-France-Region fördert zusätzlich regional. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: cnc.fr / iledefrance.fr
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 Paris?
In June it starts at 21:07 and lasts 50 minutes; in December it starts at 16:00 and lasts 55 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Paris get?
Between 8h 17min in December and 16h 09min in June. The 7h 52min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Paris?
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.