“The Gambler”

The Gambler is Paramount Pictures’ 2014 drama starring Mark Wahlberg as Jim Bennett, a literature professor whose gambling debts spiral out of control. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film follows Bennett as he borrows money from his mother and a loan shark, while a relationship with one of his students further complicates his situation. Will Bennett risk his life for a second chance?

SCANable provided on-location 3D LiDAR scanning for the production, working alongside VFX vendor Atomic Arts. Our team scanned the Galen Center at the University of Southern California, giving the visual effects team accurate geometry to populate the computer-generated crowd throughout the basketball game scene. We also captured Jim Bennett’s residence, where the scan data drove complex fluid-dynamics simulations for a CG flood — a visual portrayal of Bennett hitting rock bottom. The photogrammetry-grade data supported camera tracking, crowd placement, and simulation work throughout.