Film production in Wilmington
Between June and December, usable daylight in Wilmington moves by 4h 33min — from 14h 26min down to 9h 53min. 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.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Wilmington rises at 06:00 and sets at 20:26; the evening golden hour starts at 19:49 and runs for 37 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:11–17:04, with a 38-minute golden-hour window from 16:26.
In practice, a spread of 4h 33min 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 | 07:18 | 17:25 | 10h 07min | 16:48 |
| February | 06:58 | 17:56 | 10h 58min | 17:21 |
| March | 07:23 | 19:20 | 11h 57min | 18:47 |
| April | 06:41 | 19:43 | 13h 02min | 19:10 |
| May | 06:11 | 20:07 | 13h 56min | 19:32 |
| June | 06:00 | 20:26 | 14h 26min | 19:49 |
| July | 06:12 | 20:25 | 14h 13min | 19:49 |
| August | 06:34 | 20:01 | 13h 27min | 19:26 |
| September | 06:56 | 19:20 | 12h 24min | 18:47 |
| October | 07:18 | 18:39 | 11h 21min | 18:05 |
| November | 06:46 | 17:09 | 10h 23min | 16:33 |
| December | 07:11 | 17:04 | 9h 53min | 16:26 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Wilmington starts at 20:44 in June and ends at 20:55 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 11 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 (19:20) and September (19:20) there are 0 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
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 Wilmington?
In June it starts at 19:49 and lasts 37 minutes; in December it starts at 16:26 and lasts 38 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Wilmington get?
Between 9h 53min in December and 14h 26min in June. The 4h 33min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Wilmington?
On daylight length alone, June is strongest with 14h 26min of usable light.