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Solar planning comparison

A sun number becomes useful when it is tied to the setup.

A sunrise and sunset table describes the edges of the day. Production decisions happen between them. CallSheet lets the producer move through scheduled setups, see the solar direction and elevation over satellite imagery, and include the result in the crew link and PDF.

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Download for MacMac. This link opens the Mac App Store product page.
See the workflow
Interactive CallSheet Sun Path over north-up satellite imagery on iPad
iPad app
Static table
Daylight events
CallSheet
Timed setups
Orientation
True north
Share
Crew link + PDF

The production decision

Sunrise and sunset are context, not a setup plan.

Production needs to know the direction and elevation of the sun when the exterior actually photographs. An interactive run-of-day view makes the scheduled time the control instead of asking the team to translate a separate table.

What production needs
How CallSheet handles it
Know daylight bounds
A static table can provide sunrise, solar noon, and sunset.
Compare scheduled setups
CallSheet updates direction and elevation as production moves through the run of day.
See location context
The native app places the true-north path over satellite imagery.
Share the plan
The crew link stays interactive and the PDF carries a north-up diagram.

Working sequence

From plan to current crew handoff.

  1. Start with the run of day

    Give the exterior setups real times instead of checking the sun in isolation.

  2. Move through the sequence

    Compare true-north direction and elevation at each critical setup.

  3. Publish the reference

    Carry the same solar plan into the private crew link and PDF.

Truth boundary

What CallSheet does, and what stays a production judgment.

CallSheet's Sun Path uses the primary production location, not each company-move address. Neither it nor a static sun table predicts weather or shade from local obstructions. Check the location and conditions on a scout.

Also written about in American Cinematographer and British Cinematographer, August 2026.

Keep evaluating

All use casesAll comparisons
WorkflowSun Path for film production

Plan film-production setups with true-north sun direction and elevation over satellite imagery, then carry the plan into the crew link and PDF.

WorkflowOutdoor shoot sun planning

Review true-north sun direction and elevation at crew call, first shot, company moves, and wrap for an outdoor production day.

WorkflowSun Path for photo shoots

Use a true-north Sun Path across the photo-shoot run of day, then put the same solar plan in the private link and PDF.

CallSheet Pro

Choose monthly access or the lower-cost annual plan.

Monthly$7.99per month
Annual$59.99per year
View CallSheet on the App StoreiPhone and iPad. This link opens the iOS App Store product page.
Download for MacMac. This link opens the Mac App Store product page.

4 answers

Questions about Interactive Sun Path vs. a static sun table.

What does a static sun table give me?

Sunrise, sunset, and usually civil twilight for a place and a date. It is accurate, and it is not enough to place a camera.

What does Sun Path add?

Direction and elevation across the run of day, referenced to true north, so you can see where the light comes from while you are actually shooting.

Why does true north matter?

Because a bearing you cannot orient is just a number. Referenced to true north, the sun's direction maps onto the location and the way you will point the camera.

Does it travel with the call sheet?

Yes. The solar plan is part of the document the crew receives.