Film production in Los Angeles
Between June and December, usable daylight in Los Angeles moves by 4h 31min — from 14h 25min down to 9h 54min. 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 Los Angeles rises at 05:42 and sets at 20:07; the evening golden hour starts at 19:30 and runs for 37 minutes. By December that shifts to 06:52–16:46, with a 38-minute golden-hour window from 16:08.
In practice, a spread of 4h 31min 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 | 06:59 | 17:07 | 10h 08min | 16:30 |
| February | 06:39 | 17:37 | 10h 59min | 17:03 |
| March | 07:04 | 19:01 | 11h 57min | 18:28 |
| April | 06:23 | 19:25 | 13h 02min | 18:51 |
| May | 05:52 | 19:48 | 13h 56min | 19:13 |
| June | 05:42 | 20:07 | 14h 25min | 19:30 |
| July | 05:53 | 20:06 | 14h 12min | 19:30 |
| August | 06:15 | 19:41 | 13h 26min | 19:07 |
| September | 06:37 | 19:01 | 12h 24min | 18:28 |
| October | 06:59 | 18:20 | 11h 21min | 17:46 |
| November | 06:27 | 16:50 | 10h 24min | 16:14 |
| December | 06:52 | 16:46 | 9h 54min | 16:08 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Los Angeles starts at 20:24 in June and ends at 20:36 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 11 minutes from 17:03. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:01) and September (19:01) there are 0 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Los Angeles averages 8 rain days in March and 1 in June. A three-day exterior shoot in March statistically loses 0.8 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 | 12.7 °C | 6 | 8.3 |
| February | 13.6 °C | 5 | 9.0 |
| March | 14.7 °C | 8 | 10.2 |
| April | 17.1 °C | 3 | 11.1 |
| May | 17.7 °C | 3 | 11.4 |
| June | 21.0 °C | 1 | 12.3 |
| July | 23.4 °C | 1 | 13.1 |
| August | 24.0 °C | 1 | 12.3 |
| September | 23.2 °C | 1 | 11.0 |
| October | 20.7 °C | 2 | 10.1 |
| November | 16.5 °C | 3 | 9.3 |
| December | 13.1 °C | 5 | 8.2 |
Production landscape
Our production database holds 1 companies in Los Angeles with verified film or video production activity, plus 2 training institutions. 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.
Filming permits
The responsible body is FilmLA als beauftragte Genehmigungsstelle für die Stadt und den County Los Angeles. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: filmla.com
Incentives and rebates
Kalifornien vergibt Steuergutschriften in Bewerbungsrunden über die California Film Commission. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: film.ca.gov
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 Los Angeles?
In June it starts at 19:30 and lasts 37 minutes; in December it starts at 16:08 and lasts 38 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Los Angeles get?
Between 9h 54min in December and 14h 25min in June. The 4h 31min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Los Angeles?
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.