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.
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Dan McKayDirector
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Adam RadageProducer
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Dan McKayEditor
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Adam RadageDirector of Photography
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Tom BosherSound Design
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Tom BosherOriginal Score
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Adam RadageCamera Operator
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Dan McKayColourist
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Tom BosherSound Mixer
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Project Type:Experimental, Short
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Genres:Documentary, Enviromental, Experimental
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Runtime:17 minutes 17 seconds
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Completion Date:May 12, 2025
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Production Budget:5,000 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital, Sony A7IV
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Aspect Ratio:21:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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Wildscreen Panda AwardBristol
United Kingdom
October 22, 2025
Sound Award -
Cornwall Film FestivalFalmouth
United Kingdom
November 23, 2025
Best Environmental Film -
International Wildlife Film FestivalMissoula
United States
April 18, 2026
New Vision Award -
Camarthen Bay Film FestivalLlandeilo
United Kingdom
May 21, 2026
Best Experimental/Poetic Film
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.
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