Las Vegas Weekly

December 3, 2008 · 6 AM

Morning Call: No editing tricks here — Steve Wynn films atop his buildings!

By Robin Leach

Director Brett Ratner and hotel mogul Steve Wynn.

Photo: Wynn Las Vegas

When hotel mogul Steve Wynn released his original commercial for the Wynn, it featured him standing dangerously atop the building as part of the Las Vegas skyline. Some skeptics said it was video editing and film trickery and that nobody would risk their lives that way just for a TV ad -- however dramatic and talked about it became!

Now he’s gone even one step farther: To promote the Dec. 22 opening of his new Encore Tower, Steve shot a commercial sitting on the roofline with his feet dangling right over the edge! Now for the first time, Vegas DeLuxe has the behind-the-scenes look at the daredevil hotel tycoon high above the famed Strip!

“It should put to rest once and for all that Steve does his own stunts,” said Brett Ratner, director of the Rush Hour films, X-Men: The Last Stand and the Encore commercial.

The shoot took place 48 stories above Las Vegas Boulevard with Steve sitting on top of his new hotel and being filmed in close range by a precision-piloted helicopter equipped with a camera. The footage features heart-pounding views of Steve taking his exact mark on the roof as his feet dangle over the edge and the chopper grabs the necessary shots! The behind-the-scenes footage also shows the pre-production and private planning meetings.

No longer a stranger to heights, Steve’s tongue-in-cheek ad follows on the successful one he made for the opening of the original Wynn Las Vegas in 2005 from a similar viewpoint, with Steve’s closing comedy lines. Now he asks if future commercials can be shot in the lobby with his feet on the ground!

The Encore commercial has begun airing nationally on CNBC, Fox News, CNN and Bloomberg Television and on local Fox stations in San Diego, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and here in Las Vegas.

Encore, a distinct resort destination located next door to flagship property Wynn Las Vegas, opens Dec. 22 and features five new restaurants, 11 retail outlets, Victor Drai's ultra-chic XS nightclub and a luxurious spa and salon all set around a European-inspired pool area and vibrant atrium as centerpieces of the experience.

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