The film was shot primarily in New York City, using specially constructed exterior sets and recognizable Manhattan landmarks. The story follows the residents of a condemned apartment building and the unexpected arrival of tiny alien machines that help them resist aggressive neighborhood redevelopment. To create a convincing image of a "lonely house in ruins" on the Lower East Side, a large street facade set was built, and additional scenes used Midtown and Lower Manhattan locations to give the story an authentic urban atmosphere.

Filming Locations:

Rockefeller Center (Fifth Avenue Facade)

In the Movie

Scene where brief establishing shots of Manhattan show ordinary city traffic and the famous public space, contrasting with the threatened building in the neighborhood and clearly placing the story in New York.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the part of Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue between West 49th and 50th Streets, an easily recognizable complex in the center with heavy pedestrian traffic, clear sightlines, and iconic buildings often used for quick establishing shots.

Street Exterior Shots of Times Square

In the Movie

Scene where additional establishing shots emphasize the scale and energy of Manhattan, supporting the film's contrast between massive urban development and the small vulnerable community around the dilapidated building.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the heart of Times Square around 1 Times Square on Broadway, where Broadway and Seventh Avenue converge. The area is visually dense with signs, traffic, and crowds, making it a quick and recognizable marker of New York on screen.

Facade of the Tenement Block on the Lower East Side

In the Movie

Scene where the main location of the "single building amid rubble," including the exterior area around the residents' building and the cafe facade, allows for wide shots emphasizing the idea of demolition and redevelopment pressure on the entire block.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on a section of East 9th Street in the Alphabet City neighborhood of Manhattan, between Avenue C and Avenue D. This is a densely populated residential block near Tompkins Square Park, where a large three-sided facade of the tenement building could be erected and controlled for filming.