By The Intrepid — 29 Jun 2025

Debord Overboard: Storyboard and Script

Storyboard

Each frame is described with visual details, camera angles, and transitions to guide the animation process. The style is hand-drawn, vibrant, with exaggerated proportions and expressive character design typical of Chuck Jones.

Title Card

Frame 1: Distressed Marxist red background, textured like cracked paint. Center: Black silhouette of Guy Debord holding a megaphone in one hand, baguette in the other. Bold, stencil-like text: “DEBORD OVERBOARD.” Below, in playful cursive: “Starring that Situationist Scamp, Guy Debord.”
Camera: Static wide shot.
Transition: Fade to black as accordion-heavy mashup of La Marseillaise and a corporate jingle swells.

Scene 1: Theory Meets Toon

Frame 2: Black-and-white shot of Debord at a chalkboard, drawn in a stark, woodcut style. He’s mid-lecture, pointing to a diagram labeled “Spectacle.” Sepia filter.
Frame 3: Close-up of Debord’s face, serious. His eyes narrow as he speaks.
Frame 4: Sudden color burst. Chalkboard vanishes (puff of smoke). Neon sign appears: “WELCOME TO COSTCO – WE LOVE YOU.” Debord’s jaw drops, eyes bug out.
Frame 5: Medium shot. Debord shakes his fist, shouting. Background flashes with corporate logos.
Camera: Quick zoom-in on Debord’s shocked face, then pan to neon sign.
Transition: Wipe to Scene 2 with a cartoonish “sproing” sound.

Scene 2: The Reification Gag Reel

Frame 6: Debord grabs chalk, which morphs into a Costco free sample tray (mini hot dogs). He stares, confused.
Frame 7: He picks up notes, which turn into a coupon booklet. He tosses it away, only for it to boomerang back and hit him.
Frame 8: A rogue shopping cart barrels toward him. Wide shot: Cart flattens him, leaving a pancake-shaped Debord.
Frame 9: Debord pops back to shape, now holding a clipboard. Customers surround him, demanding surveys. His eyes spin.
Frame 10: Debord starts ranting, but the floor drops out (trapdoor style). He plummets through an MC Escher-inspired warehouse aisle, past absurdly large mayo jars and lawn chairs.
Camera: Dynamic angles—overhead for the cart gag, Dutch angle for the fall.
Transition: Spiral wipe to Scene 3.

Scene 3: Alienation in Aisle 7

Frame 11: Debord lands in a pile of bulk toilet paper. He stands, dons a beret, and waves a red flag defiantly.
Frame 12: Camera pulls back to reveal he’s a cardboard cutout next to rotisserie chickens. Shoppers ignore him, grabbing food.
Frame 13: Close-up of Debord’s horrified face. He screams upward.
Frame 14: Camera pans up to a giant Costco membership card holding a pencil, grinning mischievously.
Camera: Slow zoom out for the cutout reveal, whip pan upward for the card.
Transition: Hard cut to black.

Scene 4: The Final Revolt

Frame 15: Debord tears off a Costco uniform, revealing his classic suit. He grabs a megaphone and marches in the snack bar.
Frame 16: Medium shot of Debord shouting about hot dogs. Shoppers clap, thinking it’s performance art.
Frame 17: Debord freezes as smartphones flash. A cartoon Instagram post appears, captioned “#Authentic #Spectacle #ResistanceIsCute.”
Camera: Tracking shot of Debord’s march, quick cuts to shoppers’ faces.
Transition: Dissolve to Scene 5.

Scene 5: Resignation and Regret

Frame 18: Debord slumps on a bench, defeated. Soft jazz Internationale plays. Background is muted, desaturated.
Frame 19: A hot dog lands in his lap (off-screen toss). Close-up: He sighs, takes a bite.
Frame 20: Debord’s face, chewing slowly. Sparkle overlay appears with text: “Zat’s all, folks… and eet eez exactly ze problem.”
Camera: Static medium shot, slow zoom on Debord’s face.
Transition: Iris out to black.

Post-Credits Scene

Frame 21: Black screen. Debord’s silhouette in a spotlight, muttering. Text fades in: “I wanted revolution… and got rewards points.”
Camera: Static wide shot.
Transition: Fade to black.

Script

Below is the dialogue and action script, formatted for animation production. Timing is approximate, assuming a 6-minute short.

INT. TITLE CARD – DAY

SFX: Accordion mashup of La Marseillaise and corporate jingle.
TEXT: “DEBORD OVERBOARD” fades in over red background, Debord’s silhouette. “Starring that Situationist Scamp, Guy Debord.”
FADE TO BLACK.

INT. CLASSROOM – DAY (SCENE 1)

Black-and-white. DEBORD, a wiry toon with a French accent, stands at a chalkboard. He’s serious, gesturing at a “Spectacle” diagram.
DEBORD
In ze society of ze spectacle, human relations are mediated by—
SFX: POOF! Chalkboard vanishes. Neon sign appears: “WELCOME TO COSTCO – WE LOVE YOU.”
DEBORD
(eyes bug out)
Non, non, non! Zis is not... ZIS IS NOT ZE DIALECTIC I ORDERED!
SFX: Corporate jingle sting. Background flashes with logos.
WIPE TO:

INT. COSTCO WAREHOUSE – DAY (SCENE 2)

DEBORD grabs chalk, which morphs into a free sample tray.
DEBORD
(confused)
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
He tosses it, grabs notes—now a coupon booklet. It boomerangs back, SMACK!
SFX: Boing!
A SHOPPING CART barrels in, flattens him. He pops back, now holding a clipboard. CUSTOMERS swarm.
CUSTOMER #1
Rate my shopping experience!
DEBORD
(dizzy)
Ze commodity, she eez not neutral—she—
SFX: WHOOP! Floor drops. DEBORD falls through an Escher-like aisle, past mayo jars and lawn chairs.
SPIRAL WIPE TO:

INT. COSTCO AISLE – DAY (SCENE 3)

DEBORD lands in toilet paper. He dons a beret, waves a red flag.
DEBORD
(defiant)
I resist ze spectacle!
Camera pulls back: He’s a cardboard cutout by rotisserie chickens.
DEBORD
(horrified)
WHO EES DRAWING ZEES ABSURDITY?!
Camera pans up to a GIANT COSTCO MEMBERSHIP CARD with a pencil, grinning.
CUT TO BLACK.

INT. COSTCO SNACK BAR – DAY (SCENE 4)

DEBORD rips off a Costco uniform, grabs a megaphone.
DEBORD
Zees hot dog eez not liberation! Eet eez submission in tubular form!
He marches. SHOPPERS clap, snap photos.
SFX: Camera clicks.
An INSTAGRAM POST appears: “#Authentic #Spectacle #ResistanceIsCute.”
DEBORD
(horrified)
Nooooo!
DISSOLVE TO:

INT. COSTCO BENCH – DAY (SCENE 5)

DEBORD slumps, defeated. Soft jazz Internationale plays.
SFX: Plop. A HOT DOG lands in his lap. He sighs, bites.
DEBORD
Of course… ze spectacle devours even ze critique.
Sparkle overlay. TEXT: “Zat’s all, folks… and eet eez exactly ze problem.”
IRIS OUT.

INT. BLACK VOID – POST-CREDITS

DEBORD’s silhouette in a spotlight.
DEBORD
(muttering)
I wanted revolution… and got rewards points.
TEXT FADES IN: Same as dialogue.
FADE TO BLACK.

END