The music video for "White Knuckles" was co-directed by lead singer Damian Kulash and his sister Trish Sie.

[2][3] Sie thought that in considering the success of the treadmill video, "wouldn’t it be kind of cool if this time the guys were the machines and they’re enabling and operating the dogs".

[2][5] Part of the requirement of the band was that the shot had to be performed in a single take, a feat that Roland Sonnenburg, a spokesperson for Talented Animals, said was "not bloody likely" to happen.

[3] The dogs were trained for two weeks prior to the band's direct involvement, tweaking and tuning the choreography to work with the animals they had.

[2][6] The trainers sought to create a relaxing atmosphere for the animals, realizing that they would not be easy to handle under normal human situations, and tried to ensure that the dogs would be enjoying the tricks they had to perform.

[6] The video premiered on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 20, 2010, and was posted shortly afterward by the band to YouTube.