Atomic is a gripping drama from Sky, which follows two strangers who become entangled in a cartel’s uranium-smuggling operation across North Africa, combining high-stakes action with deeply human storytelling.
We spoke with Series Director Shariff Korver about how he came to lead the project, the challenges and rewards of filming on location in Morocco, and ensuring every action sequence served the story’s emotional core.
How did Atomic first come onto your radar?
My agents sent me the scripts. The production company, Pulse Films, was meeting with directors and wanted to know if I’d be interested in being considered. I was honestly surprised to be on their list. I’d been off the TV radar for about five years. I’d gone off to make a feature film, then the pandemic hit, and suddenly I’d been away from television longer than I’d planned.
I later found out that an executive producer at Pulse, who I’d met years earlier when they were still working at another company, and who wasn’t even involved with Atomic, had recommended me internally. Turns out that’s how I ended up on their list. It's living proof that a coffee meeting years ago can turn into a dream job down the line.
How did you prepare your pitch and what were you keen to get across during that stage?
After a couple of encouraging Zoom conversations with executive producer Judy Counihan, I was invited to pitch to the writer, Greg Burke, the series producer Peter Mcaleese, and the Executive Producer for Sky, Sam Hoyle.
My biggest fear when joining any project is discovering halfway through that my vision and theirs don’t align like we thought they did. By then it’s too late, you’re too deep in and risk making something you don’t stand by. So my approach to avoid this is always twofold: I ask lots and lots of questions about their intentions, references, and inspirations, while also trying to be very specific about my own.
For Atomic, I wrote a two-page document outlining the themes that resonated with me and my thoughts on the visual approach. I remember talking specifically about how to depict the violence, and there’s a lot of violence, and the importance of creating a moment of reflection when a life is taken. I also wanted to translate the lead characters Max and JJ’s kinetic journey into a dynamic style, where chaos would be embraced as part of the aesthetic. The grit of the Moroccan desert and cities, the dust, sweat, textures and madness only enhanced this. I wanted the audience to feel like they're strapped into the back seat of this wild ride with these two lovely idiots.
To convey all this during the pitch, I screened scenes from films and series. Scenes from Children of Men, Three Kings, Breaking Bad, Casino Royale, among others. For each scene, I explained what specific elements related to my intentions for the visual style and tone of Atomic.
A coffee meeting years ago can turn into a dream job down the line.”
Was there any feedback you received on what made your pitch stand out?
I think they appreciated that I showed them scenes from films they hadn’t necessarily thought about, but which suddenly felt perfectly suited to the tone of the series. They had also seen and really appreciated my feature film, Do Not Hesitate. Of course, that helped too.
You’ve mentioned pitching is about laying out your vision for how the whole show should be made – did your pitch allow you to hit the ground running during pre-production?
The reality is that pitching is a declaration of intent. If you hire me, this is how I’m going to make the show. That’s a little mad, because how can you know your full approach before you’ve actually had the chance to fully immerse yourself in the world of the series and its characters? That’s why the time spent prepping your pitch is so crucial, to make sure that your heart is fully invested in the themes of the series and to develop some strong ideas about how you want to direct it.
Once I get a job, I expand my pitch into a director’s statement. A six to eight page document where I elaborate on my thoughts on the themes, characters, visual style, editing, score, acting approach, casting, locations and most of all: tone. I share this document with my producers and commissioners, and if the team approves, I have it sent to the actors and heads of department along with the scripts. The document isn’t set in stone. It’s an invitation to collaborate and build on it. I usually revise it during prep when new discoveries emerge.
Are there any strategies you found for getting the most out of your cast with limited rehearsal time?
On set, I try to create an atmosphere where it feels like there's always enough time to try something out, so the actors feel free to take risks and offer ideas. On Atomic, I worked with English, Irish, Scottish, American, Venezuelan, Belgian, Brazilian, Spanish, Moroccan, West African and Russian actors – all with wildly different methods and levels of experience. My job was to create consistency across all those approaches and do whatever was necessary to bring out the best in each of them.
Directing a series is a marathon, not a sprint.”
What was it like being the sole director for the entire series?
Luckily, it wasn’t my first rodeo, as I had directed an eight-part TV series on my own before. The biggest challenge of being the sole director of a series is literally the quantity of everything. For Atomic, it was the amount of locations. Having two guys on the run meant that you seldom revisit a place. Production Designer Darryl Hammer had walls full of pictures, depicting the different worlds we were creating, and making sure they were distinctive from each other and as accurate as possible. We shot the entire series in Morocco, but in the story they visit multiple countries, which we had to recreate.
Prep is everything for me. It means I can walk onto a set confident that when things go wrong, and they always do, I’ll know how to pivot, because I know where I'm coming from and where I need to go. We shot all five episodes in one block, which meant we had to have the entire series locked and loaded before day one. I was also lucky to have an exceptionally talented assistant, Pavi Ramani, who was brilliant at helping me manage the workload.
On a personal level, I tried to protect at least one day a week, usually Sundays, to recharge. I’d get a massage, spend time with my partner and my cat who traveled all the way to Morocco with me, and just switch off completely. Directing a series is a marathon, not a sprint. Managing your energy is what separates burning out and being able to enjoy the process.
Can you talk us through your process for crafting action sequences?
The action was scripted, but not yet tied to specific locations. Greg, was incredibly open to our input, encouraging us to try things out and come up with suggestions.
On location recces, I’d first walk through the entire action sequence by myself. Once I had a general idea of what I wanted to try, I’d go through it with stunt supervisor Cedric Proust and DoP Azul Serra. With assistants and stunt doubles playing the roles, we’d figure out inventive ways of staging and choreographing it. I’d then film rough versions on my iPhone and send them to Greg, who would rewrite the script accordingly. For the fight choreographies, Cedric’s team would record and edit mock-ups, which we’d review and refine before rehearsing them with the cast.
For me, action can’t just be spectacle. The question is always: what’s the emotion underneath? What’s actually at stake for the characters, especially when the audience knows the leads won’t die? So we looked at ways for action to reveal character dynamics, inject humour, or do something genuinely unexpected, rather than just manufacturing generic tension.
Action can’t just be spectacle.”
How closely were you involved in the edit?
I was across every part of post-production until the very last day, when we locked the sound mix of episode five. I spent about ten months working with a wonderful team in London finishing the show.
It was an intense process. I worked with two fantastic editors, Shahnaz Dulaimy and Celia Haining, on different episodes simultaneously, while also juggling ADR, grading, and VFX reviews.
The biggest challenge was nailing the tonal balance, which often came down to the music. Music is so subjective; everyone has a completely different relationship with a track based on their history, culture and lived experiences. Finding the right score and needle drops without compromising too much was one of the most challenging parts. I was lucky to work with composer Nathan Klein, music editor Darryl O’Donovan and music supervisor Matt Biffa. They had endless patience and the will to keep pushing until we landed on a soundtrack that was perfect for the show.
What was the most rewarding part of directing Atomic?
I feel very fortunate. I got to work with a writer who was genuinely pushing the boundaries of the genre and was incredibly open to collaboration. I had the resources to match the ambition of the series. I was able to take risks, challenge myself, and learn new stuff. And perhaps most importantly, I got to work with people I now consider my friends.
Finally, what's next for you?
I’d love to continue working within the British TV industry and explore new collaborations. I’d also love to make a film in the UK. There’s a concept I’ve been working on. We’re currently in early stages of development, so there's not much to share aside from this: if we pull it off, it's going to be a very fun job!