Film production in Phoenix
Between June and December, usable daylight in Phoenix moves by 4h 24min — from 14h 21min down to 9h 57min. 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 Phoenix rises at 05:19 and sets at 19:40; the evening golden hour starts at 19:04 and runs for 37 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:26–17:23, with a 38-minute golden-hour window from 16:45.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 33 and 38 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 | 07:33 | 17:44 | 10h 11min | 17:07 |
| February | 07:13 | 18:13 | 11h 00min | 17:39 |
| March | 06:40 | 18:37 | 11h 57min | 18:04 |
| April | 05:59 | 18:59 | 13h 01min | 18:26 |
| May | 05:29 | 19:22 | 13h 53min | 18:47 |
| June | 05:19 | 19:40 | 14h 21min | 19:04 |
| July | 05:30 | 19:40 | 14h 10min | 19:04 |
| August | 05:52 | 19:16 | 13h 24min | 18:42 |
| September | 06:13 | 18:36 | 12h 24min | 18:04 |
| October | 06:33 | 17:56 | 11h 22min | 17:22 |
| November | 07:01 | 17:27 | 10h 26min | 16:51 |
| December | 07:26 | 17:23 | 9h 57min | 16:45 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Phoenix starts at 19:58 in June and ends at 20:09 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 11 minutes from 17:40. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:37) and September (18:36) there are 1 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Phoenix averages 5 rain days in January and 1 in April. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 0.5 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 | 11.8 °C | 5 | 8.5 |
| February | 14.1 °C | 3 | 9.7 |
| March | 18.0 °C | 3 | 10.6 |
| April | 23.4 °C | 1 | 12.4 |
| May | 27.5 °C | 1 | 12.9 |
| June | 33.8 °C | 1 | 13.2 |
| July | 35.4 °C | 5 | 12.1 |
| August | 34.4 °C | 5 | 12.2 |
| September | 31.4 °C | 3 | 11.4 |
| October | 25.0 °C | 3 | 10.6 |
| November | 17.7 °C | 2 | 9.4 |
| December | 12.5 °C | 4 | 8.2 |
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 Phoenix?
In June it starts at 19:04 and lasts 37 minutes; in December it starts at 16:45 and lasts 38 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Phoenix get?
Between 9h 57min in December and 14h 21min in June. The 4h 24min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Phoenix?
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.