Welcome to the Betway Clubhouse

Common People Studio has produced the launch film for Betway's new global brand platform, Betway Clubhouse, created with agency M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment. Directed by Virgil Ferragut, the film celebrates a home where players and legends from across the sporting world unite.

Shot over 15 days across five cities in three countries, spanning 10 separate shoots, the global TVC brings together 30 sporting stars to launch the new platform, rolling out across TV, social and more worldwide. It was a production on a huge scale, with a stacked roster of talent and countless moving parts, culminating in a rich, fast-paced who's who of sport and entertainment.

Ferragut commented: "From the treatment stage onwards, this was a film that was constantly evolving. Creative ideas, narrative beats and talent availability kept shifting throughout pre-production and even into the shoot, so a big part of the process was making sure we could absorb those changes without losing the bigger picture. I always try to stay very open to what the agency and client need, while also protecting the DNA of the film and making sure every new decision still belongs in the same world.

One of the main challenges was creating the feeling of a single, continuous Clubhouse when in reality we were shooting completely out of sequence, across London, Manchester, Nice and Johannesburg, often in different locations from one day to the next. Logistically, that was simply what the project required, but creatively the audience should never feel any of that machinery. We had to stay very disciplined with geography, performances, lighting and camera language so that all those individual pieces would eventually cut together as one coherent place and story.

The shoot itself was spread over a long period, with sporadic shoot days, different cities and evolving crews, so in many ways it started to feel more like making a small feature than a conventional commercial. You spend a lot of time together and quickly become a little family. There were definitely days when I spoke to Erin more than my wife. On a production like this, having a producer and production company that genuinely trust you, challenge you when needed and work alongside you to solve problems makes a huge difference. Common People gave us that support throughout, and despite all the moving parts, we managed to keep the process collaborative, focused and, importantly, fun!"