The Costa Rican calendar looks like no other market in this series. There are not four seasons here: there are two, and they define when you can film, when you sell and when you have to order.

The six week rule

A creator needs five to ten working days to film and deliver. Adding review and approval, that is four to six weeks between the order and the ad running.

In Costa Rica there is an extra factor: if the material requires exteriors, the rainy season can delay a shoot by several days. Budget an extra week between May and November.

The two seasons

Dry season, December to April

The peak of tourism, of consumption and of the ability to film outdoors. Anything needing sun, beach or nature is filmed here.

Green season, May to November

Less tourism, more rain, and the window for filming interiors, product and content that does not depend on the weather.

The practical consequence: film the whole year's exterior content during the dry season. It is the only time you can.

The commercial year

December and January

Annual bonus, holidays and the arrival of tourism. The highest consumption month. Brief in October.

February

Back to school. Stationery, uniforms, technology, food. Brief in December.

March and April

Easter week and the end of the dry season. Tourism, food service, travel. Brief in January and February.

May

The onset of the rainy season. Parasite treatments, closed footwear, waterproofs, humidity solutions. It is the most underused peak of the year.

August

Mothers Day, the second commercial peak. Beauty, jewellery, gifts, restaurants. Brief in June.

November

Black Friday. Brief in September.

How to plan a year in one afternoon

Mark the four peaks in your category and subtract six weeks from each to set the brief date.

Then split the content into two lists: what needs exteriors, filmed in the dry season, and what does not, spread across the rest of the year.

That split is the Costa Rican particularity and the thing that prevents discovering in September that a beach shot was needed.

Where to go next

In Costa Rica, the climate rules the commercial calendar. Our complete UGC guide for brands explains the rest of the process.