Stephen Graham helped write Adolescence (Image: NETFLIX)
Netflix’s new drama Adolescence has struck a chord with viewers, not least for featuring the multi-talented Stephen Graham in his first outing as a screenwriter. Taking on the intense role of Eddie Miller, a father torn asunder by his son Jamie’s (Owen Cooper) arrest under murder suspicions, Graham’s four-part story unfolds amidst a backdrop of familial strife.
Although the series presents the vibrant city of Liverpool, the filming took place elsewhere, with the team setting up camp at Yorkshire’s esteemed Production Park. While audiences immerse themselves in the Liverpudlian landscape, all the magic was actually made at the studio haven of Wakefield. The site, which typically hosts with pre-tour rehearsals of big music names, saw its stages reimagined to bring the gritty show to life over an exhaustive six-month schedule.
Warp Films’ joint CEO Mark Herbert commented on the experience to The Yorkshire Post, saying: “The series posed a major challenge for us with the one-shot element so we needed a studio space that could match our technical needs but also provide a home for the crew and actors during the whole process.”
He relished the local connection: “We loved working at Production Park and it was a great space to build our sets, and the day to day working atmosphere was fantastic, I will certainly film there again.”
Philip Barantini with the cast of Adolescence (Image: NETFLIX)
Adding a touch of personal sentiment, he remarked: “And its mad it is in an old mining community not too far from where I grew up and just up the road from Warp Films HQ in Sheffield.”
Directed by Philip Barantini, who previously collaborated with Graham on the acclaimed “Boiling Point”, the series stays true to Barantini’s signature single-shot approach, delivering each episode in continuous, real-time sequences – much to the delight and challenge of the actors and crew alike.
Philip discussed the complexities behind their innovative one-shot scenes, detailing: “It takes months of preparation and weeks of rehearsals and an incredible team of people to pull it off at every stage from the script, to the locations, to the production design, to where exactly the camera is going to be able to shoot and from what angle.
“Matt Lewis – the brilliant cinematographer who I’ve worked with on everything before – and I would meticulously plan out the moves in advance.
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Owen Cooper stars as Jamie Miller (Image: NETFLIX)
“Our production designer, Adam Tomlinson even built models for us where we could place little mini actors and move them around and the pair of us also spent many evenings walking around the set minutely planning our camera moves so that when we finally pressed record nothing had been left to chance.
“Every tiny thing has been taken into account and every single person was ready.”
The director revealed that extensive weeks-long rehearsals preceded the filming, ensuring the critical one-shot sequences were executed flawlessly. The narrative spanning over 13 months unfolds across four episodes, showcasing varied scenarios from Jamie’s distressing arrest to his looming court hearing.