Film production in Cluj-Napoca
Between June and December, usable daylight in Cluj-Napoca moves by 7h 16min — from 15h 50min down to 8h 34min. 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 Cluj-Napoca rises at 05:32 and sets at 21:22; the evening golden hour starts at 20:35 and runs for 47 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:04–16:38, with a 51-minute golden-hour window from 15:47.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 40 and 51 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 | 08:07 | 17:04 | 8h 57min | 16:15 |
| February | 07:31 | 17:50 | 10h 19min | 17:07 |
| March | 06:40 | 18:31 | 11h 51min | 17:51 |
| April | 06:39 | 20:13 | 13h 34min | 19:32 |
| May | 05:52 | 20:53 | 15h 01min | 20:09 |
| June | 05:32 | 21:22 | 15h 50min | 20:35 |
| July | 05:47 | 21:17 | 15h 30min | 20:31 |
| August | 06:24 | 20:38 | 14h 15min | 19:56 |
| September | 07:04 | 19:40 | 12h 36min | 19:00 |
| October | 07:43 | 18:41 | 10h 57min | 17:59 |
| November | 07:29 | 16:53 | 9h 25min | 16:07 |
| December | 08:04 | 16:38 | 8h 34min | 15:47 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Cluj-Napoca starts at 21:46 in June and ends at 22:01 — a window of 16 minutes. In December it is 13 minutes from 17:00. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:31) and September (19:40) there are 69 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Cluj-Napoca averages 15 rain days in June and 7 in October. A three-day exterior shoot in June statistically loses 1.5 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 | -0.9 °C | 11 | 5.1 |
| February | 2.2 °C | 9 | 6.2 |
| March | 5.1 °C | 9 | 8.3 |
| April | 10.3 °C | 11 | 10.3 |
| May | 15.2 °C | 14 | 11.6 |
| June | 20.0 °C | 15 | 12.6 |
| July | 21.4 °C | 13 | 13.2 |
| August | 21.8 °C | 9 | 11.9 |
| September | 16.6 °C | 9 | 10.0 |
| October | 10.5 °C | 7 | 7.9 |
| November | 5.0 °C | 9 | 5.3 |
| December | 1.1 °C | 10 | 4.6 |
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 Cluj-Napoca?
In June it starts at 20:35 and lasts 47 minutes; in December it starts at 15:47 and lasts 51 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Cluj-Napoca get?
Between 8h 34min in December and 15h 50min in June. The 7h 16min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Cluj-Napoca?
Combining daylight and rain days, August comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.