Three hours ago, the USS Norvrandt entered Saturn's orbit.

Two hours ago, its hull cracked.

One hour ago, life support went critical.

Now, there's no one left to save it.

Engineer River Cale has a plan. Make it to the emergency bay, launch the last remaining escape pod, and get out before the ship crumbles into nothing.

There's just one problem with it: her health insurance plan doesn't cover escape pods.

Trapped inside a metal coffin with a "helpful" AI hellbent on upholding company procedure, River must find a way out of the Norvrandt's labyrinth of bureaucracy before she becomes a permanent resident…

From left: Alien, Mouthwashing, Doctor Who

Exclusion is an absurdist horror-comedy that takes one of the most unpleasant experiences any of us face - dealing with health insurance - and asks the question "what if it was worse?" Inspired by films like Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey, video games like SIGNALIS and Mouthwashing, and TV shows like Doctor Who and Cowboy Bebop, it's a story set in the far future that's also about how we live now: the casual cruelty of late capitalism, the rampant spread of AI slop, and the terror of living in a world that feels more and more like it isn't built for your survival.

We know none of this sounds particularly funny when we put it this way... but that's part of our goal. Exclusion is meant to be something different from the norm, an abrasive, full-throttle punk thrill ride that'll have you laughing one second and gasping for breath the next. To achieve this vision when we start shooting, we'll use everything we have at our disposal, from best-in-their-class BlackMagic 6K cameras to practical sets and in-camera effects.

From left: Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, The Third Man, BLAME!

Exclusion’s visual style draws from cyberpunk manga, classic noir, and cult films like Eraserhead and Tetsuo: The Iron Man in equal measure, resulting in a uniquely grungy look captured in high-contrast black and white. Intricate scrap-metal sets, dense sound design, and an industrial-rock score in the vein of bands like Coil and Nine Inch Nails are all part of the apocalyptic vibe: this is a world that wasn’t meant for human survival, something River’s about to learn first-hand.

Of course, there’s one question that’s on everyone’s minds nowadays, which is why we want to make you a promise: Exclusion is, has been, and always will be a 100% generative AI-free production. This is a story about what happens when human life becomes secondary to corporate greed - to use AI would not only be lazy, but dishonest to our core themes. This is a handmade, human-crafted film, now and forever.

From left: writer/director/editor Quinn Bailey, production designer Schaedyn McIntyre, cinematographer Sam Boyar

The valiant crew of Exclusion is spearheaded by Quinn Bailey, the film’s writer, director, editor and composer. Born in the Chicago suburbs, Quinn grew up far from the film industry, but became obsessed with it at a young age, making their first film in third grade and never stopping since. After studying at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, they moved to Los Angeles to pursue their passion, attending Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television; they now live and work in LA full-time. Their last film, Play it All Night Long, screened at festivals across the US in 2023, winning several awards in the process; most recently, they edited and designed titles for the film-fest smash hit short Knifeman, and are currently set to return for its feature adaptation, now in pre-production.

Quinn isn’t the only Knifeman veteran on this voyage into the unknown, as its award-winning creator MP Hayes is set to produce; in addition, Hayes steps out from behind the camera to voice Hector, the Norvrandt’s cheerfully sycophantic AI. Sam Boyar, a fellow LMU graduate and immensely versatile DP, serves as Exclusion’s cinematographer, while production design is handled by graphic artist, web designer and filmmaker Schaedyn McIntyre.

At the moment, we have around $2,500 ready to invest in Exclusion, which covers our base camera package, SAG-rate pay for actors, and costs like transport and craft services. We're looking for approximately $8,000 to fill out the rest of our projected budget. Here's a breakdown of what your money will be going towards:

• A custom-built set for the interior of the Norvrandt's escape pod

• Rental fees for a soundstage to film that set in

• Camera and lighting equipment

• Pay for the film’s crew

• And more!

In return, we’re ready to offer incentives for whatever your budget might be, ranging from social media shout-outs, special thanks, and streaming copies of the film to cameo appearances, producer credits, and even a chance to rename the Norvrandt itself.

But what about stretch goals? We know we’re asking for a small amount of money, so any excess funds we raise will go towards making production easier - better pay for crew, extra filming dates, higher quality lighting and lenses, et cetera. Should we go over significantly, though, we plan to use the excess money to shoot Exclusion the way we always wanted to: on 16mm film.

PRE-PRODUCTION [NOW-DECEMBER 2026]. Exclusion has been in the works for some time, and we’re already well into the pre-production process. With the resources we’ve gathered, all we need is the green light to get moving.

PRODUCTION [DECEMBER 2026-JANUARY 2027]. Given Exclusion’s small scale, we fully believe we can shoot the film in two to three days over the course of a single weekend. We intend to film on a small soundstage in the Los Angeles area, constructing a custom set for the inside of the Norvrandt’s escape pods.

POST-PRODUCTION [JANUARY-MAY 2027]. Once filming stops, Exclusion goes straight into post. With score, editing, and visual effects already locked, taking the final steps to completion should be a breeze.

RELEASE [MAY 2027-BEYOND]. Our current plan is to secure a festival circuit release for Exclusion, touring the film across the US and beyond throughout 2027 and 2028. As for what happens after that… well, let’s just say that the Norvrandt’s story might not end with its destruction and leave it at that for now.

No film is ever truly made alone, and that’s the case for Exclusion. Though it might be smaller than most, this is still a deeply ambitious project, one that’d be hard to make without compromising its vision, and it doesn’t happen without your support. We really do mean it when we say everything helps, even just sharing the link or telling your friends about the film.

If you’re still reading this, thank you for hearing us out - and if you believe in this project as much as we do, consider donating or reaching out to others. What happened here needs to be told… so it never happens again.

This is Quinn Bailey, last survivor of the Norvrandt, signing off.

Special thanks to Enoch Duncan for his amazing poster art. See more of Enoch’s work at https://linktr.ee/0ddoblivion.