Between 1976 and 1977 he lived with the remote Acholi Tribe of Southern Sudan where he carried out doctoral research on the impact of civil war on the tribal society[1] before taking up the post of head of geography at Rendcomb College in Gloucestershire.
In 1983, he left teaching to become a full-time professional anthropologist working for the International Disaster Institute and the UN in Geneva and throughout the famine-gripped and war-ravaged areas of Africa.
As a programme maker, Terrill has always favoured anthropological methodology, particularly participant observation,[note 1] rather than more conventional documentary making techniques.
[6] This Inside Story Special (BBC1) exposed the major gangs smuggling endangered orangutans to illegal markets in Taiwan, the US and Russia.
After 20 years at the BBC, and with over 100 prime time films and numerous awards to his name, he left the corporation in 2003 after being headhunted by Elisabeth Murdoch for her newly set up Shine company.
For Shine Terrill made several prime time music and arts films and a major series about the Royal Navy (Shipmates BBC1).
Two years later Terrill set up his own company, Uppercut Films, and began to specialise in military and high adventure documentaries[note 3]—though always concentrating on communities/groups and their internal dynamics.
In 2007, he documented and participated in the rigorous eight months training with the Royal Marine Commandos after which he followed the newly qualified recruits to the front line in Afghanistan for their first taste of real war.
[9] Using the new digital technology, he was the first mainstream filmmaker to experiment as a self-shooting/self-recording director in the mid 1990s when he made Soho Stories for the BBC; a seminal series that won him the Royal Television Society Award for Innovation.
[10][11] Terrill then went on to refine his techniques on prime time series such as The Cruise (BBC1),[12] Jailbirds (BBC1),[note 5][13] Through the Eyes of the Old (BBC1), The Ship (BBC2), Shipmates (BBC 1) and two feature documentary specials on Charlotte Church—Spreading Her Wings (BBC1) and Confessions of a Teen-angel (ITV1).
This was an intimate portrait of theatre people at work and featured Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow, Ronald Pickup and Anna Friel.
In the same year he made a two-part film series about Royal Marines, badly injured in Afghanistan, attempting to climb in the high Himalayas (Wartorn Warriors—Sky1).
In 2011 Terrill returned to working with the Royal Marines when he joined 42 Commando in the dangerous Nad e Ali (north) district of Helmand Province.
The Theatre Royal, Haymarket (where Terrill had filmed Theatreland in 2009) put on a play using injured soldiers and marines as the actors, singers, and dancers.
The play, written by the poet Owen Sheers and based on the experiences of the soldiers mostly in Afghanistan, was called The Two Worlds of Charlie F and was performed on 22 January 2012.
Terrill's feature-length film entitled Theatre of War, documenting the preparation of the play, was shown on BBC1's Imagine strand and was nominated for a prestigious Grierson Award in the best arts documentary category.
Shot in spectacular high altitude mountain locations in the Himalayas, the Karakoram as well as the French and Italian Alps, The Last Mountain was released in 2020 and so far the film has garnered seven international awards and a further three nominations including two for the Griersons - the British Documentary Awards For seven months in 2021 Terrill was back on HMS Queen Elizabeth for her first operational deployment to the South China Sea.
On 9 February 2013 Terrill received a full apology in open court from News UK for repeatedly hacking his phone in 2005/06.
1: Township Tango: Crime and political violence meets ballroom dancing in Soweto 2: Black Men Bite: Rugby goes multi racial in the Eastern Province 3: Wild Boer: The white dispossessed of Richard's Bay, Natal 4: The She Chief: The first female chief in Zululand 5: Joseph: Black entrepreneurship in Pretoria (Dir' Dan Reed) 6: Cape Fear: Drugs and gang-life on the Cape Flats, Capetown (Dir' Dan Reed) 1.
Heavy French Accent: Michelle celebrates Bastille Day by baring her breasts in public whist Troy Passion tours the south of France 11.
After the Wave: HMS Chatham leaves for the Gulf but ends up in Sri Lanka after the boxing day tsunami destroys most of the east coast 3.
Theatre of War: Warships and Fleet Air Arm planes gather for a massive military exercise in the English Channel 1.
Renewal: Rebuilding the church and excavating the grounds to discover an ancient burial site plus hosting gay pride 1.
Blond or Brunette: Anna Friel rehearses for Breakfast at Tiffany's but can't decide what colour her hair should be 8.
Fighting Back: An expedition comprising fifty badly injured Royal Marines and sailors sets off for the high Himalayas and Everest base camp 2.
A Mountain to Climb: A hardy group of war wounded marines attempt to summit Labouche East – a towering 6,000 metre peak adjacent to Everest 1.
Bad Guys Dead Ahead: HMS Manchester heads out to the Caribbean for a six month deployment in pursuit of cocaine smugglers 2.
High Winds and Savage Seas: The hurricane season draws close and HMS Manchester braces herself for the full impact 5.
Mission of Mercy: HMS Manchester moves fast to bring urgent help to the island of St Lucia smashed by a deadly hurricane 1.
For Queen and Country: Departing Portsmouth the Royal Navy's flagship spearheads a task force of ten ships 2.