Second Unit Series Director

Adrian’s working relationship with director Stephen Woolfenden began on season five of OUTLANDER, where he was asked to direct an epic battle sequence. Woolfenden has since brought him onto FATE: THE WINX SAGA, WILLOW and both series of SAS: ROGUE HEROES, five productions across seven years, as both mentor and collaborator.

His run across the franchise began there. He went on to direct second unit across the whole of season five of Ronald D. Moore’s OUTLANDER for Starz, Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures, then blocks on seasons six and seven, before returning as second unit series director on the prequel OUTLANDER: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD, working with showrunner Matthew B. Roberts on additional photography and reshoots.

He spent nine months based at Dragon Studios in Wales as second unit series director on WILLOW for Lucasfilm and Disney+, the continuation of the Val Kilmer film created by George Lucas and Ron Howard. He directed across all eight episodes, stepping up to main unit during Covid emergencies and directing Christian Slater’s introduction to the series.

He directed second unit on Steven Knight’s SAS: ROGUE HEROES for Kudos, BBC and MGM+ across series two and three, with Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell, Sofia Boutella and Dominic West.

On VIGIL for World Productions and BBC One he was second unit series director, collaborating with lead director and executive producer James Strong and directing drama and action sequences across the entire season. Starring Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie and Martin Compston, the series won an International Emmy, was BAFTA nominated and drew 12.75 million viewers.

On Netflix’s FATE: THE WINX SAGA he worked alongside showrunner Brian Young (VAMPIRE DIARIES), reimagining drama and action sequences across the series, including the first use of Bloom’s magical fire powers in the pilot episode, with Abigail Cowen. The show opened at number one worldwide.

On TITANS for DC Studios and HBO Max he directed a visual effects sequence featuring a cameo by the comic book legend and creator Grant Morrison.

Lead & Main Unit Director

As lead director he made FOR HER SINS, a four-part female-led psychological thriller for Gaumont, Channel 5 and Paramount+, directing all four episodes on location in Malta and the UK and reuniting with producer Jessica Connell after RIVER CITY. Starring Jo Joyner, Rachel Shenton and Duncan Pow, it was Channel 5’s highest-rated drama of the year and now streams on Amazon Prime.

Adrian was lead director on THE LAST CZARS, charting the fall of the Romanovs for Netflix and Jane Root’s Nutopia. Shot across Lithuania and Latvia, it was a new drama-documentary hybrid, since credited with sparking the explosion in ‘superdocs’.

He directed across all six episodes, working closely with block two director Gareth Tunley on a deliberately unorthodox schedule. Rather than dividing the series into linear blocks, locations were shot out across all six episodes at once, so the whole series had to be held in mind at every setup. It drew more than 25 million viewers in its first three weeks and reached number five in the world.

After the success of THE LAST CZARS, Nutopia asked him to return and lead their new show JESUS: HIS LIFE for A+E Networks and the History Channel, leading the show across the first three episodes, shot entirely on location in Morocco. The series sold around the world, and Adrian’s pilot episode drew a run of awards and nominations, among them the Wilbur Award.

On EVE, the children’s science-fiction series for Leopard Drama and CBBC, he was there from the embryonic stages, developing the style and tone of the show with creators Emma Reeves and David Chikwe and series producers Jez Swimer and Peter Gallagher, shooting the initial teaser and leading the chemistry casting sessions. As lead director he directed 13 episodes across three series, including a Christmas special. EVE won two RTS Awards and a Writers’ Guild Award, and was nominated for a BAFTA Children’s Award.

He directed the BBC Two Christmas Special of TWO DOORS DOWN for BBC Studios, with Elaine C. Smith, Arabella Weir, Alex Norton and Doon Mackichan.

He directed 22 hours of returning drama on RIVER CITY, BBC One Scotland’s flagship continuing drama, with one of his episodes nominated for Best Drama and Best Camera at the RTS Scotland Awards.

Back in 2007 he directed two blocks of the long-running crime drama TAGGART for ITV, his first break directing a flagship show for mainstream television.

Film & Documentary

He directed the four-part documentary series GRAND PRIX DRIVER for Amazon Prime Video, narrated by Michael Douglas, filmed inside the McLaren Formula One team.

He produced, directed and operated camera on INSANE FIGHT CLUB, following the characters in and around Glasgow’s independent wrestling scene. A hit on BBC One, it led to a sequel, sold to Netflix in the US and was nominated for an RTS Scotland Award for Best Single Documentary.

His prison documentary CUTTING LOOSE, co-directed with Finlay Pretsell for the BBC and BFI, was shortlisted for the Academy Award®, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW, and took eight international awards including Encounters and Flickerfest.

MA BAR won the BAFTA Scotland Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. STANDING START, following track cyclist Craig MacLean’s Olympic training, was nominated for the Grierson Award for Best Newcomer, premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival and screened at more than twenty festivals worldwide. Both sit in a run of award-winning shorts co-directed with Pretsell that also includes ONE TRACK MIND and SLICE. WHO’S MY FAVOURITE GIRL? was entered for the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short.