Film production in Detroit
Between June and December, usable daylight in Detroit moves by 6h 10min — from 15h 16min down to 9h 06min. 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 Detroit rises at 05:56 and sets at 21:11; the evening golden hour starts at 20:29 and runs for 43 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:55–17:01, with a 45-minute golden-hour window from 16:16.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 37 and 45 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 | 07:59 | 17:25 | 9h 26min | 16:41 |
| February | 07:30 | 18:05 | 10h 35min | 17:25 |
| March | 07:45 | 19:39 | 11h 54min | 19:02 |
| April | 06:52 | 20:14 | 13h 22min | 19:36 |
| May | 06:12 | 20:47 | 14h 35min | 20:07 |
| June | 05:56 | 21:11 | 15h 16min | 20:29 |
| July | 06:09 | 21:08 | 14h 59min | 20:27 |
| August | 06:40 | 20:35 | 13h 55min | 19:56 |
| September | 07:13 | 19:44 | 12h 31min | 19:07 |
| October | 07:45 | 18:52 | 11h 06min | 18:14 |
| November | 07:24 | 17:12 | 9h 48min | 16:30 |
| December | 07:55 | 17:01 | 9h 06min | 16:16 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Detroit starts at 21:32 in June and ends at 21:46 — a window of 14 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:21. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:39) and September (19:44) there are 5 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Detroit averages 14 rain days in April and 9 in February. A three-day exterior shoot in April 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 | -2.9 °C | 10 | 4.7 |
| February | -2.4 °C | 9 | 6.7 |
| March | 2.7 °C | 10 | 7.6 |
| April | 8.2 °C | 14 | 8.7 |
| May | 15.3 °C | 12 | 10.3 |
| June | 20.8 °C | 11 | 12.3 |
| July | 23.3 °C | 12 | 12.3 |
| August | 22.5 °C | 11 | 11.4 |
| September | 19.4 °C | 10 | 9.7 |
| October | 12.6 °C | 11 | 7.3 |
| November | 5.4 °C | 10 | 5.9 |
| December | 0.8 °C | 11 | 4.5 |
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 Detroit?
In June it starts at 20:29 and lasts 43 minutes; in December it starts at 16:16 and lasts 45 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Detroit get?
Between 9h 06min in December and 15h 16min in June. The 6h 10min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Detroit?
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.