The optimum time for filming romantic or magical scenes due to 'warm' and 'soft' lighting conditions, characterized by a golden-orange hue color and softened shadows.
Magic hour occurs for about 30 minutes around the time of sunset and sunrise - which also is known as ‘golden hour’.
When on set you’ll typically hear the First Assistant Director yelling that ‘we’re losing daylight, people’ in his/her attempt
to motivate the crew to roll the next take. The First AD’s not joking around, as there is a limited amount of time to get the perfect glow of Magic Hour. It can get expensive.
Nestor Almendros' cinematography in Terence Malick's Days of Heaven (1978); and Phil Alden Robinson's Field of Dreams (1989) are fantastic examples of Golden Hour or Magic Hour on film.