Upon graduating, Graves backpacked across Europe, finally running out of money in Aswan, Egypt near the border of Sudan.

The film was released by Miramax and led to Graves being hired to direct episodes of "The Practice," "Ally McBeal" and Aaron Sorkin's "Sports Night."

In 2009, Graves was asked by J. J. Abrams to direct and executive produce the pilot of the Fox science-fiction series Fringe.

From 2010 to 2011, Graves worked for Steven Spielberg to direct and executive produce the pilot of the Fox adventure series Terra Nova.

His Game of Thrones episode titled “The Children” won him a DGA nomination and was theatrically released in IMAX during 2015.

In 2015, Graves was the executive producer of the supernatural medical television drama Proof on TNT.

In 2019, Graves directed two episodes of the USA Network original Treadstone on location in Paris and New Delhi.