The Idealists - Dogboarding (2011) 2:14 music video

The IdeaLists launched a year ago with the remit of being a 'matchmaker for ideas, opportunities and talent'. One of their goals was to be able to provide a marketplace for creatives to find homes for orphaned ideas.

In the case of Dogboarding, a client was seeking ideas for a specific film brief. A new directing duo called Daniels presented an idea, worked on it, and produced it, only to have it shelved by the client. Don't you just hate when that happens?

Co-director Daniel Kwan: "We conceived this video as a love letter to cool things, i.e., skateboarding and doggies. If you could ride around on your dog that would be awesome. It sounds stupid, but we wanted to make this badass, epic, joyful - and only a little stupid. "We modeled the functioning dog skateboards and roller skates on our pets and friends' pets and then shot in the LA area with a cast of skater/filmmakers sometimes just giving them the camera so they could film each other riding. And, in case we weren't clear, it's not real!"

Every good creative at every agency at some point sees a great idea die in the process. But since their agency is on IP retainer, those ideas remain in the basement, marked property of the client. Because The IdeaLists members are not on retainer, they allow the freedom to shop for great ideas that deserve to make it into the world. Case in point, this concept didn't survive the cut as a brand marketing piece and found new life as a music marketing piece.

For The Daniels Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert Producer: Gaetano Crupi Jr. Production designer: Sabrina Siebert DOP: Jackson Hunt Dogs: Janeane Raya-Flores, Molly Heidecker, Freddie Mercury Yaffe, Angie Blaiklock Skaters: Mike Dempsey, Ryan Reichenfeld, Ryan Young, Corbett Jones, Alex LeGolvan EP: Candice Oaknine Special thanks: The Idealists Music: "Helena Beat" by Foster the People