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Rock Pool

In Rock Pool, we invite the viewer into a space of quiet encounters, one that asks for attention, rewards stillness, and hopefully awakens a sense of awe for the hidden rhythms of the life all around us.

From murky kelp forests to scallop burial grounds and a UV lit cosmic expanse, Rock Pool's non-narrative flow draws its audience through the circadian cycles that turn the worlds beneath our feet. As commonplace as they are alien, these cauldrons of primordial wonder are animated by an innovative experimental soundscape and seamless, layered montage. In the short span of 17 minutes, Rock Pool renders the miniscule titanic and works upon the senses to coax the attention of its viewer into a quiet sense of awe.

  • Dan McKay
    Director
  • Adam Radage
    Producer
  • Dan McKay
    Editor
  • Adam Radage
    Director of Photography
  • Tom Bosher
    Sound Design
  • Tom Bosher
    Original Score
  • Adam Radage
    Camera Operator
  • Dan McKay
    Colourist
  • Tom Bosher
    Sound Mixer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Enviromental, Experimental
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 12, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Sony A7IV
  • Aspect Ratio:
    21:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Wildscreen Panda Award
    Bristol
    United Kingdom
    October 22, 2025
    Sound Award
  • Cornwall Film Festival
    Falmouth
    United Kingdom
    November 23, 2025
    Best Environmental Film
  • International Wildlife Film Festival
    Missoula
    United States
    April 18, 2026
    New Vision Award
  • Camarthen Bay Film Festival
    Llandeilo
    United Kingdom
    May 21, 2026
    Best Experimental/Poetic Film
Director Biography - Dan McKay

Rock Pool is the first project by Soup Audiovisual, a collective comprised of Director/Editor Dan McKay, Producer/DoP Adam Radage and Sound Designer/Musician Tom Bosher.

Dan is a multidisciplinary artist and academic who is currently undergoing a PhD by practice in Film at University of Exeter. He has previously graduated from University of Exeter with a BA in Film and Television studies and Falmouth University with an MA in Film and Television Production. Dan’s core interests involve ecology, slow cinema and the soundscape. His latest project, Rock Pool, applies this creative lens to the Cornish landscape.

Adam has a background in biological sciences, graduating with a Genetics BSc from University College London. He then worked in wildlife conservation abroad, working for companies such as Panthera and Operation Wallacea, before using his acquired field work skills as an ecological consultant in the UK. Since completing his MA in Film and Television from Falmouth University, Adam has combined his love for nature with cinematography using his scientific understanding to approach and film wildlife in new and novel ways.

Tom is a sound designer who is fascinated by the emotional power of sound in cinematic storytelling. After studying English Literature at Exeter, he discovered sound design as a powerful non-verbal language capable of eliciting visceral emotional responses and unpacking complex ideas. This led him to pursue a Master’s degree in Sound Design at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), where he continues to refine his craft.

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Director Statement

Rock Pool emerged from a desire to slow down and reorient the viewer's attention toward the overlooked, the minute, and the strange beauty of natural microcosms. We were fascinated by the liminal world of rock pools, as environments that are at once familiar and alien, ephemeral and ancient. We wanted to create a sensory and immersive piece that would evoke a kind of intimate presence with nature rather than the conventional mode of labelling its constitutive parts.

The film draws upon my research into slow cinema, the haptic, and soundscape, as well as the belief that film can be a deeply embodied experience. Through layered montage and a carefully constructed soundscape, we sought to build an audiovisual language that bypasses narrative and instead speaks directly to the viewer’s body and emotions.

Working with Adam, whose background in ecology brought a scientific sensitivity and reverence for the natural world, allowed the project to develop in ways that honoured both artistic and ecological integrity. Our collaboration was rooted in a shared commitment to experimentation, and a belief that film can foster not only aesthetic engagement, but also a subtle shift in the way we perceive the more-than-human world.

— Dan