Atchinson spent most of his youth in Arizona where he made his first films at the age of fourteen. Afterwards, he enrolled in the University of Southern California, where he studied at the department for film and television. He graduated with the short film Ellen's father (1990). He made his feature film debut with the film The Pornographer (1999), and is currently working on his new film Akeelah and the Bee (2005). He also writes screenplays for his films.