About this project
I worked as a barista at a coffee shop for three years. In my hundreds of days slaving over burn-prone machines with my cracking-dry hands, I saw countless characters and situations unfold. Some were hilarious, some tragic, and some tragically hilarious. I started writing down these ideas and they turned into the pilot episode of Covenant Coffee in 2007.
Covenant Coffee is a like a combination between Aaron Sorkin’s “Sports Night” and Alan Ball’s “Six Feet Under” set in a ridiculously-themed Judeo-Christian coffee shop. In the show we see the hijinks of some crazy baristas and customers, but we also see what the baristas are going through internally through the use of fantasies. The reception from the trailer and the readings we’ve had make us feel great about this concept being unleashed on the world.
In 2008, I used my credit cards to fund a fancy-looking trailer and a team of writers to try to make a million-dollar Web series based off of my pilot episode. I figured we’d hunt for investors and make the Web our coffee-flavored oyster (gross!). As my interest rates grew so did the impending financial crisis. I had no luck finding additional backers with the trailer and I closed up shop to try to keep my head above water. The show, however, never stopped moving around in the back of my brain.
When I found out about Kickstarter, I decided that this would be the last ditch effort. Trying one last time to raise the money; giving it one last shot to try to make Covenant Coffee happen. This time I would do it with a more manageable plan, filming my pilot episode and turning it into 12 short episodes with a much smaller budget of $25,000.
Your contributions give me a chance to put several Chicago actors and crew people to work, making this show a reality. They give us an opportunity to make baristas and coffee drinkers alike laugh and cry at the ridiculous situations that independent and corporate coffee create every single day. Lastly, they will give me a chance to finally make this project a reality.
Contribute and you can get some of the flippin’ sweet gifts on the side including a pre-release copy of the DVD, a personal comedy show, and the rights to naming one of the characters! Spread this puppy around to all your barista friends and your coffee loving compadres. If we get this to enough backers, I promise you, that we will wake you up with our dark-roasted comedy.
Thanks!,
Bryan Cohen
Creator
Covenant Coffee
FAQ
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3
Backers
$70.00
pledged of $25,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on July 1, 2010.
Pledge $5 or more
Give baristas and coffee drinkers everywhere some awesome entertainment with their lattes. Your name will be in the credits for all 12 first season episodes. Receive all of our Kickstarter updates.
Pledge $25 or more
Behind-the-scenes access to Covenant Coffee special features on our website. This includes deleted scenes, interviews with the cast, and making-of featurettes (plus all of the above).
Pledge $50 or more
An early release of the finished season 1 DVD of Covenant Coffee before it is released to the general public (plus all of the above).
Pledge $75 or more
Your own Covenant Coffee barista apron. Make your beverage in style (plus all of the above)!
Pledge $100 or more
A second copy of the season 1 DVD to share with your loved ones (plus all of the above).
Pledge $200 or more
A copy of the season 1 scripts autographed by the actors, writers, and directors by request (plus all of the above).
Pledge $500 or more
A high-class dinner with the cast, crew, and creators (plus all of the above; travel and lodging expenses not provided).
Pledge $1,000 or more
A personal comedy show put on by the cast and creators (plus all of the above; travel and lodging expenses not provided).
Pledge $2,500 or more
The right to name a character after yourself or a loved one (first, last, and middle name; plus all of the above).
Pledge $5,000 or more
All-access pass to the entire filming process, a speaking role in the series, and a collection of Covenant Coffee merchandise (plus all of the above).
Pledge $10,000 or more
Other than our undying gratitude, you will receive Executive Producer credit on every episode in season 1 (plus all of the above).
Project By
Connected as Bryan Cohen
Bryan Cohen loves teaching, directing theatre and learning in Chicago, IL. He has worked on his writing motivation website Build Creative Writing Ideas since December 2008. It focuses on giving writers the motivation and ideas to start writing as soon as possible. He has always had an interest in the brain and he is excited for the chance to write an entire book and CD about it. He recently self-published his first book, "1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More."
