Film production in Bologna
Between June and December, usable daylight in Bologna moves by 6h 41min — from 15h 32min down to 8h 51min. 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 Bologna rises at 05:30 and sets at 21:02; the evening golden hour starts at 20:17 and runs for 45 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:45–16:36, with a 48-minute golden-hour window from 15:48.
In practice, a spread of 6h 41min 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 | 07:49 | 17:01 | 9h 12min | 16:15 |
| February | 07:16 | 17:43 | 10h 27min | 17:02 |
| March | 06:29 | 18:20 | 11h 52min | 17:42 |
| April | 06:32 | 19:59 | 13h 27min | 19:20 |
| May | 05:48 | 20:35 | 14h 47min | 19:53 |
| June | 05:30 | 21:02 | 15h 32min | 20:17 |
| July | 05:44 | 20:58 | 15h 14min | 20:14 |
| August | 06:18 | 20:22 | 14h 04min | 19:42 |
| September | 06:54 | 19:28 | 12h 34min | 18:49 |
| October | 07:30 | 18:32 | 11h 02min | 17:53 |
| November | 07:11 | 16:49 | 9h 37min | 16:05 |
| December | 07:45 | 16:36 | 8h 51min | 15:48 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Bologna starts at 21:24 in June and ends at 21:38 — a window of 15 minutes. In December it is 13 minutes from 16:57. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:20) and September (19:28) there are 68 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Bologna averages 13 rain days in May and 6 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in May 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 | 4.0 °C | 6 | 6.2 |
| February | 6.6 °C | 8 | 7.0 |
| March | 9.5 °C | 9 | 8.9 |
| April | 13.3 °C | 9 | 10.5 |
| May | 17.4 °C | 13 | 10.8 |
| June | 23.1 °C | 8 | 13.1 |
| July | 26.3 °C | 7 | 13.5 |
| August | 25.5 °C | 8 | 12.1 |
| September | 20.4 °C | 8 | 10.3 |
| October | 15.5 °C | 9 | 7.7 |
| November | 9.4 °C | 10 | 6.0 |
| December | 5.1 °C | 8 | 5.4 |
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 Bologna?
In June it starts at 20:17 and lasts 45 minutes; in December it starts at 15:48 and lasts 48 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Bologna get?
Between 8h 51min in December and 15h 32min in June. The 6h 41min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Bologna?
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.