Film production in Denver
Between June and December, usable daylight in Denver moves by 5h 36min — from 14h 58min down to 9h 22min. 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 and the local production landscape.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Denver rises at 05:32 and sets at 20:30; the evening golden hour starts at 19:50 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:15–16:37, with a 43-minute golden-hour window from 15:55.
In practice, a spread of 5h 36min 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 | 07:20 | 17:00 | 9h 40min | 16:19 |
| February | 06:53 | 17:37 | 10h 43min | 16:59 |
| March | 07:12 | 19:07 | 11h 55min | 18:31 |
| April | 06:23 | 19:38 | 13h 15min | 19:02 |
| May | 05:46 | 20:08 | 14h 22min | 19:30 |
| June | 05:32 | 20:30 | 14h 58min | 19:50 |
| July | 05:45 | 20:28 | 14h 43min | 19:48 |
| August | 06:13 | 19:58 | 13h 45min | 19:21 |
| September | 06:42 | 19:10 | 12h 29min | 18:35 |
| October | 07:11 | 18:22 | 11h 11min | 17:45 |
| November | 06:45 | 16:46 | 10h 00min | 16:06 |
| December | 07:15 | 16:37 | 9h 22min | 15:55 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Denver starts at 20:50 in June and ends at 21:03 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 16:56. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:07) and September (19:10) there are 3 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Denver averages 13 rain days in May and 3 in December. 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 | -3.0 °C | 5 | 7.9 |
| February | -2.2 °C | 6 | 8.9 |
| March | 2.9 °C | 7 | 10.0 |
| April | 7.9 °C | 8 | 10.6 |
| May | 12.8 °C | 13 | 11.3 |
| June | 20.5 °C | 7 | 12.7 |
| July | 23.5 °C | 7 | 12.8 |
| August | 22.5 °C | 7 | 12.2 |
| September | 19.2 °C | 4 | 11.1 |
| October | 10.6 °C | 5 | 9.5 |
| November | 3.2 °C | 5 | 8.4 |
| December | -1.0 °C | 3 | 7.9 |
Production landscape
Our production database holds 2 companies in Denver with verified film or video production activity. That is not an industry estimate but the count of vetted records — an entry is only kept when at least two citable production credits back it up.
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 Denver?
In June it starts at 19:50 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 15:55 and lasts 43 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Denver get?
Between 9h 22min in December and 14h 58min in June. The 5h 36min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Denver?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.