One Times Square / Times Square - Filmed backdrops and set pieces

One Times Square and the surrounding Times Square plaza have been used as on-location backdrops in many films; the 2001 film Vanilla Sky includes a notable sequence showing an unusually empty Times Square. Filmmakers often use the area's billboards, crowds, and neon signage to evoke Manhattan in both contemporary and dystopian scenes. One Times Square is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop and a frequent cinematic shorthand for Midtown Manhattan.