‘Top Coffee’ Series Pilot Explores the Stories Behind the Coffee Shop

Electric Soul filming at Methodical Coffee in Greenville in 2020. Photo by Taylor Cash Photography, courtesy of Electric Soul Creative.

A visual creative agency based in Greenville, South Carolina, called Electric Soul Creative has pointed its cameras at specialty coffee for a new streamable series called Top Coffee.

A 34-minute pilot episode focused on Greenville-based roaster and retailer Methodical Coffee is currently streaming on Amazon.

In the episode, crisp action footage in the cafe and roastery is interspersed with interviews with the owners, roasters and baristas. The show explores the company’s history in becoming a beacon of the local and regional coffee scene.

Seven more shops have been identified for the first full season of the series, though shooting is on hold until additional funding has been secured.

Photo by Taylor Cash Photography, courtesy of Electric Soul Creative.

While Electric Soul Creative is not yet publicizing which companies they have lined up, the firm’s director and executive producer Marc Pagliuca told Daily Coffee News that all were chosen for having well-designed storefronts; for their unique back stories among owners and staff; and for their excellence in roasting and delivering coffee.

“I wanted to create a show that made connecting with these coffee shops more accessible to people outside of the city in which they’re located,” said Pagliuca. “I love trying new coffees and I love exploring new shops when I visit different cities. Even though I enjoy visiting a well-designed space and drinking great coffee, I like to know more about the people and story behind the business. I find that when you know more about the individuals involved, you connect with companies in different ways.”

Related Reading

• Methodical Coffee Launching Roastery, Cold Brewery and Lab in Greenville, S.C.
• David Schomer Launches Video Seminar on ‘Espresso Perfection’
• ‘Stronger Than Coffee’ Documentary Puts Stories in the Hands of Women Producers

Micah Taylor, a producer on Top Coffee as well as co-founder and motion lead at Electric Soul Creative, said the project is an opportunity for the team to spread its creative wings, as well as a fun way to feed the staff’s collective obsession with specialty coffee.

Photo by Lee Campbell (@lee_campbell), courtesy of Electric Soul Creative.

“Most of us are incredibly passionate about coffee, and we have a good number of friends and partners in the coffee industry,” Taylor told DCN. “When Marc [Pagliuca] brought the idea of creating a documentary series about coffee, we immediately wanted to get behind him. It checked a lot of the boxes for us: a chance to support a team member in their pursuits, the opportunity to tell meaningful and diverse stories, and the chance to do something new, creatively.”

The agency, which has done film and TV work for networks such as Discovery and Showtime, is controlling the creative process of Top Coffee from the ground up. Pagliuca said the agency has been pitching the series to streaming networks. The pilot episode debuted with a screening in Greenville late last year and became available through Amazon last month.

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