Film production in Austin
Between June and December, usable daylight in Austin moves by 3h 53min — from 14h 05min down to 10h 12min. 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 Austin rises at 06:30 and sets at 20:35; the evening golden hour starts at 20:00 and runs for 35 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:21–17:33, with a 36-minute golden-hour window from 16:57.
In practice, a spread of 3h 53min 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 | 07:29 | 17:53 | 10h 24min | 17:18 |
| February | 07:12 | 18:20 | 11h 08min | 17:47 |
| March | 07:42 | 19:40 | 11h 58min | 19:08 |
| April | 07:04 | 19:59 | 12h 54min | 19:27 |
| May | 06:38 | 20:18 | 13h 41min | 19:45 |
| June | 06:30 | 20:35 | 14h 05min | 20:00 |
| July | 06:40 | 20:35 | 13h 55min | 20:00 |
| August | 06:59 | 20:14 | 13h 15min | 19:41 |
| September | 07:16 | 19:38 | 12h 22min | 19:06 |
| October | 07:34 | 19:01 | 11h 28min | 18:29 |
| November | 06:57 | 17:36 | 10h 38min | 17:01 |
| December | 07:21 | 17:33 | 10h 12min | 16:57 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Austin starts at 20:52 in June and ends at 21:02 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 10 minutes from 17:49. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:40) and September (19:38) there are 2 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Austin averages 16 rain days in May and 8 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in May statistically loses 1.6 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 | 10.5 °C | 9 | 7.3 |
| February | 12.5 °C | 9 | 6.9 |
| March | 17.3 °C | 11 | 7.7 |
| April | 20.3 °C | 13 | 8.7 |
| May | 24.2 °C | 16 | 9.3 |
| June | 27.7 °C | 11 | 11.3 |
| July | 29.7 °C | 8 | 12.0 |
| August | 30.1 °C | 9 | 11.5 |
| September | 27.0 °C | 10 | 10.2 |
| October | 22.3 °C | 9 | 9.1 |
| November | 16.1 °C | 10 | 7.2 |
| December | 12.9 °C | 9 | 6.6 |
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 Austin?
In June it starts at 20:00 and lasts 35 minutes; in December it starts at 16:57 and lasts 36 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Austin get?
Between 10h 12min in December and 14h 05min in June. The 3h 53min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Austin?
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.