Operator's Companion
Enter your ZIP code to get sunset, movie start time, and hour-by-hour weather for your event night.
Projector placement and operator checklists are below.
Calculate Movie Start Time
Enter the venue's ZIP code and the event date. Find the earliest the sky is dark enough for a high-contrast picture.
Event-day detail
Hour by hour for the date above, 3 PM through 2 AM. Wind, gusts, and chance of rain for the location you entered, from Open-Meteo.
| Time | Conditions | Temp °F | Precip % | Precip | Wind | Gusts |
|---|
Forecast by Open-Meteo. Hourly numbers shift through the day — re-check 2–3 hours before doors.
Live radar
Watch which way storms are moving — straight toward your venue, or about to pass by.
Radar unavailable right now. The hour-by-hour table above still works without it.
Radar by RainViewer · basemap tiles © Esri.
Monthly sunset calendar
Sunset, movie start, and temperature for every day of the month.
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Enter a ZIP or postal code above to see sunset times.
Download 12 month guide per state
A free, printable year-round sunset guide for every U.S. state capital — each day’s sunset, the temperature at sunset, your ad-reel start (about 10 minutes after sunset), and movie start (about 25 minutes after).
Choose your state and download PDF.
Each guide is calculated for the state capital. Want one adjusted for your exact zip code? Produce your own above, or contact us and we’ll generate it for you.
Sunset marks the start of darkness — the moment the projected image begins to become viewable. About 10 minutes later is your ad-reel window: there’s still a lot of ambient light right after sunset that washes out contrast and dilutes the picture, so design those reels with bright backgrounds, big bold fonts, and saturated colors — high contrast and high saturation are what cut through. By roughly 25 minutes after sunset it’s dark enough for a crisp, full-contrast image — start the feature.
Projector throw distance
Where to place the projector depends on the projector model — every lens has its own throw range. Projector Central has the calculator that handles every model; this page sets the rule of thumb so you arrive knowing what to aim for.
Open Air Cinema projection surfaces have a 16:9 ratio, and we name our screens by their horizontal width — a Pro 20, for example, measures 20′ × 11′. To find throw distance, enter that horizontal width into the Projector Central calculator linked below.
Precision matters. Moving a projector at showtime is hard — sometimes impossible — so double-check every measurement before you set up.
When you cross-reference your projector’s throw range on Projector Central, aim for the middle of its range. That leaves zoom headroom on both ends.
Checklists
Two short lists: pre-event prep at home, then everything from day-of through showtime at the venue. Check off as you go — the page keeps your place.
Keep the Companion one tap away
The Companion lives on this page — no app to install, no account to create. Bookmark it so it's there when you need it at the venue.
On iPhone (Safari)
- With this page open, tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose “Add to Home Screen” to keep it next to your other apps, or “Add Bookmark” to save it in Safari.
- Tap Add. Open it any time from your Home Screen or Bookmarks.
On Mac or PC
- Press ⌘+D (Mac) or Ctrl+D (Windows) to open the bookmark dialog.
- Choose the Favorites bar so the Companion stays one click away.
- Click Add. You'll find it across the top of every new tab.
Tell us about your event.
Screen size, audience, venue, budget — send us the details and we’ll put together a quote. Purchase orders, W-9s and government terms are routine here.