Day for night and magic hour: scheduling around sunrise and sunset

Get the times straight first

Sunrise and sunset. The Hong Kong Observatory explains that sunrise and sunset are the moments the upper edge of the sun appears above or disappears below the horizon. Atmospheric refraction makes the observed sunrise earlier and sunset later; the times the Observatory publishes already account for this, so users do not need to adjust them.

The Observatory calculates sunrise and sunset as the sun rising and setting at the horizon. On location, hills and tall buildings block the sun earlier than the published sunset, so visit the location at the same time of day on the recce.

Civil twilight. The Observatory defines it as the period in the evening from sunset until the centre of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, or in the morning from when the centre of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon until sunrise. The Observatory notes that during this time general outdoor activities become difficult without artificial lighting, but the light is still enough for large-scale work where only outlines need to be seen.

Magic hour and blue hour. The English Wikipedia article "Golden hour (photography)" explains that golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise or shortly before sunset, when daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is high. Cinematographers often call it magic hour, and some use magic hour for the period between sunset and nightfall with no direct sunlight. The period before sunrise or after sunset, with the sun below the horizon, gives bluish light without strong shadows and is called blue hour. The article also notes that these periods have no fixed length; they change with the season and latitude. Our call sheet and sun direction map use the term golden hour and work it out from the sun's angle above or below the horizon (see below).

Because the definitions vary, agree with your DP before scheduling: do you want the warm light before sunset, or the blue sky after it?

How to schedule a dusk scene

Dusk light changes by the minute, and shots from the same scene can easily fail to match. A practical approach:

1. Schedule one scene only. Give the dusk window to one key scene and do not squeeze others in.
2. Be ready early. Have lighting, blocking and rehearsal done before sunset, and roll as soon as the light is right.
3. Shoot the most important shot first. Save the best few minutes of light for the shot that needs it most.
4. Be ready to pick up the next day. If you do not finish, shoot again at the same time the next day, so try not to put this scene on the last shoot day.

Night scenes: wait for dark or shoot day for night

The English Wikipedia article "Day for night" explains that day for night is a set of techniques for shooting in daylight to simulate a night scene, often used when shooting at night is too difficult or expensive. It is usually done by underexposing in camera, or by darkening the picture and adding a blue tint in post; the article says a common approach is to underexpose by two stops. The article also notes that as camera sensitivity has improved, day for night is used less often in recent years.

Day for night on an exterior means dealing with the sky, street lights and lit windows, which is not easy. Interiors are much simpler: black out the windows and shoot the night interior during the day. If the same set has both day scenes and night interiors, you can schedule them on the same day: black out the windows and shoot the night scenes first, then take the blackout down and shoot the day scenes, saving a separate move.

The order for building it into the schedule

1. Look up sunrise, sunset and the end of civil twilight for every exterior shoot day.
2. Pin the light-dependent scenes (dusk scenes, exteriors that need daylight) on the timetable first.
3. Consider blacking out night interiors to shoot them day for night, on the same day as day scenes on that set.
4. Fill the remaining time with the other scenes.

In our call sheet generator, the optional auto schedule, sunrise and sunset, light on set section lets you choose Hong Kong, Macau or Taipei. Enter the shoot date to see sunrise, sunset and the end of civil twilight, plus the morning and evening golden hour (sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon) and blue hour (4° to 6° below), worked out from the sun's angle. It is calculated in your browser, using the Observatory headquarters coordinates for Hong Kong, and does not account for hills or buildings. The scheduling feature also flags night interiors on a set that also has day scenes as candidates for blacking out and shooting day for night.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Observatory's sunset time when it gets dark?

They are not the same time. After sunset comes civil twilight, when there is still light in the sky. The Observatory notes that during this time general outdoor activities become difficult without artificial lighting.

How long is magic hour?

It has no fixed length. It changes with the season and latitude, and people define it differently. Go by the actual light on location and be ready early.

Where can I find sunrise and sunset times for Hong Kong?

The Hong Kong Observatory publishes astronomical data every year, including sunrise and sunset times.

References

1. Hong Kong Observatory, Effect of atmospheric refraction on the times of sunrise and sunset (Chinese): www.hko.gov.hk/tc/education/astronomy-and-time/astronomy/00493-effect-of-atmospheric-refraction-on-the-times-of-sunrise-and-sunset.html
2. Hong Kong Observatory, Twilight (Chinese): www.hko.gov.hk/tc/gts/astron2011/twilight.htm
3. Hong Kong Observatory, 2026 astronomical data (Chinese): www.hko.gov.hk/tc/gts/astron2026/almanac2026_index.htm
4. Wikipedia, Golden hour (photography): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_hour_(photography)
5. Wikipedia, Day for night: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_for_night

The pages above were accessed on 1 November 2026.

Published 1 November 2026.