Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, winners of the Best Director award for ’Everything Everywhere All at Once’, pose in the press room during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as the genius directing duo the Daniels, have had quite a spectacular year. Before the major success of their A24 film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, the filmmakers directed some pretty cool music videos and commercials.

Levi’s, Apple and Nike are some of the big brands the duo has worked with. Tying in their creative minds with music videos, the Daniels have directed music videos for a wide range of genres. From pop bands like Foster the People to techno club bangers with DJ Snake and Lil Jon, their credits are quite impressive.

But, how did the Daniels team up for EEAAO? It took another duo, directing brothers Joe and Anthony Russo (known for their Marvel films Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) to fund and executive produce the film via their own independent production company, AGBO.

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Last year, Joe told Syfy that what the Daniels can do is “insane,” adding that it has been “a long time since we’ve seen filmmakers that adventurous with that high level of skill. They spent their 10,000 hours making commercials and music videos, honing their craft, and pulling up their team that works on all their projects, which helps them bring rocks to life and hot dog fingers and all the other interesting things that they do.”

Joe praised the Daniels, calling them “the most radical kind of storytellers, who have a process that is emotional and is something instinctual and undefinable for them.” Russo compared the duo to him and his brother. “They reminded us a lot of ourselves when we first started and made this completely riotous movie that only Steven Soderbergh could love, and only Steven Soderbergh did love,” he laughs, talking about their 2006 film, You, Me and Dupree. “But we watched Swiss Army Man and went, ‘Oh, interesting. I wonder if we help them calibrate just slightly without corrupting who they are so they could create something a little more explosive, that would reach a much bigger audience?’ Because their blending of absurdism and emotion is unlike anything we’ve seen in quite a long time. And also their technical abilities are great.”

Check out other works directed by the Daniels below:

  • Turn Down For What - Lil Jon, DJ Snake

    The hype club song came out in 2013, winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction the following year. Can’t argue with the unstoppable power turning up does for the people in this music video. We’ll note that this video is sort of NSFW.

  • Foster The People - Houdini

    The Daniels directed the pop band’s music videos twice for two songs (“Houdini” and “Don’t Stop”) on the album Torches. In “Houdini,” professional poker player James Mackey makes a cameo as a paramedic.

  • Apple - Fly Market

    While eyeing a fedora, this man activates Apple Pay and opens up all the possibilities of this market with just a glance, elevating his entire wardrobe by the end of the commercial.

  • Children's Hospital - Season 4 Promo

    https://vimeo.com/46795889

    The ridiculous Adult Swim show chose the best directors to handle this promo. Though we have to remind ourselves it’s fake blood, the blood fight is absurdly hilarious.

  • Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix

    In 2012, a hooded Jack Black and Kyle Gass take to the desert to rock out with fun animations popping up left and right. Blink and you’ll miss some really cool kaleidoscopic effects!

  • Levi's + Opening Ceremony - Come Together

    In this promo for a collaborative collection, the chaotic sequence of events tying in from room to room is a fun watch.

  • Nike - Unlimited You

    In 2016, Oscar Isaac narrated this commercial which began as inspirational, to highly ambitious people taking on some of the most iconic athletes. It was featured in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that same year.

  • Swiss Army Man

    The Daniels’ enlisted another Daniel (Radcliffe) to star in this hilarious, yet bizarre, adventure film in 2016 starring opposite Paul Dano.

  • The Shins - Simple Song

    In this surrealist music video for vocalist James Mercer’s funeral, he decides to give the money to none of his children. Instead, they have to find where he hid the deed in the house to determine who gets everything. As they rip the house apart and attack each other, moments of their childhood play.

  • Converse - Warrior

    Colorful Converses complete the luchador outfits for this commercial/music video featuring A-Trak, Mike Foster and Kimbra.

  • Foster The People - Don't Stop

    Starring Gabourey Sidibe as a driving student, she unknowingly lets a con man (vocalist Mark Foster) into her car, thinking he is the DMV examiner. Chaos ensues as they fight for control of the wheel, where two cops (played by band members Mark Pontius and Cubbie Fink) chase them around Hollywood.

  • Chromeo - When The Night Falls

    The music video starts off to be pretty normal for the Daniels until the women at the bar lose control and get spontaneously pregnant as the band plays. They have no choice but to fight them off by any means necessary.

  • Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

    Starting off the video with an intense car crash, frontman, Andy Hull’s life flashes before his eyes, highlight-reel style.

  • My Best Friend's Wedding/My Best Friend's Sweating

    https://vimeo.com/27167723

    In this short from 2011 starring the Daniels, a friend tries to help a nervous, sweating groom by adjusting his back. Uncontrollable sweat begins to pour from his head, armpits and mouth until he is reduced to a puddle.

  • Swingers

    https://vimeo.com/58574054

    In 2009, the Daniels, who are apparently Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, play on the swings. After getting hit by Scheinert, their faces horrifyingly merge.

  • Pockets

    A desperate mugger quickly realizes he is connected with his victim through their pockets when he begins to hit him back. The pockets go both ways, though, and an epic, insane fight ensues.

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