Why we still shoot at night

Night work is slow, cold and expensive. Crews cost more, everything takes longer and half the day is spent waiting for it to get dark. We keep saying yes to it, for three reasons.

You choose every light

In daylight you manage what is there. At night nothing is lit until you light it, so every source in the frame is a decision.

The street is yours

After the last bus a city centre is an empty set. Hollow Road and Night Bus Home were both shot in places that would have needed a road closure at any other hour.

Actors change

People are quieter at three in the morning. Performances get smaller and more honest, and the camera can come closer.

What it costs

Plan for half the set-ups you would get in a day, a hot meal at midnight and a slower edit, because night footage needs more care in the grade.