How an “Epic, Cinematic, and Surreal” Casino Came to Life for Vanessa Hudgens and BetMGM

Ultimately, we decide to play games because they’re fun. And ‘fun’ is the operative word when it comes to the latest visually spectacular spot from BetMGM, starring Vanessa Hudgens. The glitzy spot sees the famed actress and singer stride through an otherworldly casino with an aesthetic which somehow mixes an epic library with futuristic fantasy. 

The ad, from 72andSunny New York, was brought to life thanks to the visual talent at Artjail, working alongside director Calmatic. And, right from the start of the project, there was a shared feeling that something special was attainable. “When we first came across the project brief, we were incredibly excited by the script”, recalls Adriana Wong, Artjail’s senior producer. “We could immediately envision the creative possibilities for each room, and how our team could bring these diverse spaces to life”. 

Working in collaboration with 72andSunny and Prettybird, the team did exactly that. “Calmatic’s treatment had excellent references for the overall tone and feel of the project, which our film very much stayed true to”, adds head of 3D Jackie Liao. “The story was always to begin in a real, grounded place but almost immediately the games start to transform the library in surprising, surreal ways”. 

Fittingly, that stays scrupulously true to the initial vision from 72andSunny. As creative director Geno Burmester puts it, “We knew we wanted to do something visually driven that brought all of the scale of MGM’s cinematic heritage to life - something that would feel elevated in the category”. 

In fact, as Geno goes on to explain, virtually every aspect of the original concept was meticulously tied to an element of BetMGM’s platform, brand, or games. “At the outset we needed a clear and simple concept to convey the grandeur of BetMGM as the award winning destination to the most jackpot networks in the US”, he tells LBB. “We then fully embraced that visual motif in the most epic way possible, bringing their different game worlds all together in a surreal library”. 

Above: A video behind-the-scenes breakdown of the spot. 

That library which we see depicted in the ad reflects BetMGM’s own extensive archive of games and jackpots. In 2022, for example, the online casino awarded over $100 million in progressive jackpots across its one and a half thousand games. Naturally, bringing that offering to life in a way which felt visually satisfying was a challenge that excited the Artjail team - especially as the casino underwent a number of twists and turns on its journey from idea to reality. 

“As with most projects, there were some changes throughout the creative and concept phase that nudged us in different directions”, reveals VFX supervisor Christoph Schröer. “The Bellagio game room, for example, was initially supposed to represent a different game entirely but due to some last minute creative changes we re-conceptualised the room into its current form”. 

At the heart of that particular visual challenge were the fabulous fountains that we see in the finished ad. “The question became ‘how do you fit those fountains in a room and what exactly happens in that room?’”, explains Adriana. “The creative challenge was coming up with the right concept that would bridge the practical and impossible world of a grand library with an even grander fountain!”. 

It’s a solution that speaks to the problem-solving skills that Artjail brings to the table as a studio. And, as Geno points out, those skills were especially valuable on this spot. “The biggest challenge we faced was relying so heavily on VFX, and mapping out each world to feel so seamless”, he says. “That’s where Artjail really shined. They were with us and Calmatic, the director, every step of the way, continuing to push the visual at every turn. And the end product really shows Artjail’s talents”. 

It wasn’t just the fountains which required expert solutions. In the Bellagio scene, for example, the team had to tackle the concept of a near-endless library. “Instead of placing each item manually, our CG team developed a procedural system that can easily fill up any bookshelf automatically with a bunch of controls for the variations”, says Jackie. “That greatly reduced our layout time, as well as helping us to create a natural-looking library scene with ease”. 

And ‘the gold room’ - in which we see numerous golden vaults pop up amidst a jaw-dropping ocean of gold surroundings, was another example. “In order to animate hundreds of vaults up and down to create the undulating wave effect, we built the entire environment procedurally”, notes Christoph. “And we also developed the proper tools to be able to control this massiveness all at once, and create the desired shapes and movements within a simple and intuitive setup”. 

The result is the mind-boggling, surreal casino that we see in the finished ad. But, perhaps surprisingly, the team’s visual inspiration came from some unexpected sources. “We looked less towards real-world casinos, because we wanted it to be clear this wasn’t a physical casino. So we actually pulled a lot of visual inspiration from Park MGM’s NoMad Library Restaurant”, says Geno. “It’s a lounge space that looks and feels like a library. It had the perfect balance of being a place that felt elevated and timeless while also being a library where you’d want to have a drink. We’re always looking for ways to draw visual connection to the larger MGM brand and on-property locations. It’s a core differentiator and makes everything feel like it’s a part of the same universe”.

And Artjail, too, broadened their collective horizons when it came to the visual inspiration for various components of the ad. “Given the surreal nature of the film we actually took a lot of inspiration from locations that are very non Casino locations”, explains Adriana. “Most of those were architectural inspirations, places we have been and that captured our imagination”. 

With that in mind, the team turned towards different sources of inspiration for the different moments of the ad they needed to bring to life. “For the Bellagio room, which serves as a bridge from the practical library in our previous scene to the surreal world, we took inspiration from the library of Trinity College in the UK, and the ruins of the Carmo Church in Portugal”, says Jackie. “And for the fountains we of course studied the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas”. 

Above: A selection of behind-the-scenes imagery from the shoot. 

And the surprising source material didn’t stop there. “For the vaults in our Gold Room we drew a lot of inspiration from Blade Runner 2049. The club “Tresor” in Berlin also played a part, as did some outdoor installations in Storm King”, says Christoph. “And the animation of the vaults was inspired by the ocean, because we wanted to create a counterpoint between those rigid structures with their fluid water-like movement”. 

With all of these ideas and visions in play, the final ingredient in the project’s eventual success was the ease of collaboration between all parties. As Adriana puts it, “We had a great collaboration with 72 and Sunny, Calmatic, Mauro Fiore the DP and Christian Zollenkopf the production designer. When all parties work so well together and are aligned creatively, achieving a great outcome is much easier”. 

To top it all off, Geno looks back fondly on the entire production process. “My only regret is that I should have gone back for seconds at craft services. The breakfast sandwiches were fantastic”, he laughs. “Honestly, Calmatic and Artjail did everything we asked for and then some with our ambitious timing for a VFX-heavy job. And Vanessa was so great to work with on the day. She even brought her own playlist that we are all now listening to!”.