Adolescence - and why creative intent made the show a hit!

Stephen Graham's new mini-series with a special twist

When it comes to storytelling — whether you're writing, directing, editing, or all three — every decision you make should come back to one thing: intent.

Why are you telling this story?

Why are you telling it this way?

If you don’t know the answers to those questions, you’re flying blind.

A perfect example of intent driving every creative decision is the new Netflix show Adolescence. It's a "why done it" instead of a "who done it" — a slow burn, character-driven, emotionally loaded experience. And it’s brilliant.

Now, the writing is strong. The acting, solid. The production design? Clean and immersive. But what really elevates the entire show — what everyone is talking about — is one bold decision: every single episode is shot in one continuous take.

Let that sink in for a second.

Not just a cool opening shot. The whole damn episode.

From the first 10 minutes alone, you're following officers down the street, through a door, into a home, and straight into an arrest. No cuts. No coverage. Just you and the characters, locked in. You're not watching the action — you're with it.

And when I say “action,” I don’t mean car chases or shootouts.Most of the time, it’s quite the opposite.

You sit in the silence of a car ride.

You wait through the tension of an interview room.

You breathe with the characters.

You feel what they feel.

It reminds me of the concept of “Ma,” from Studio Ghibli’s philosophy — the idea of sitting in the moment. Of embracing stillness, space, pause. Letting things breathe. Letting them land.

Adolescence does this so well. And it’s that intentional choice — to hold you inside every second — that makes it resonate. Without the long takes, it still would’ve been a good show. But this choice made it unforgettable.

That’s the power of intent.It ties everything together — script, camera work, performance, rhythm. When every department is aligned around the why, you get work that punches through.

So here’s the takeaway:

Before you start making creative decisions, get clear on your intent. Know what you're trying to say — and why it matters. When that’s locked in, every choice becomes easier. And every frame has meaning.

I spoke a lot about this during the Next Gen Film Bootcamp — especially with the directing students. Over the 4-day course, we kept coming back to one question: What’s your intent? Once they locked that in, their ideas, their shot choices, even their set design decisions started falling into place. It’s not just a high-level concept — it’s the anchor that keeps everything honest.

👉 Interested in the Bootcamp? Check it out here.