Traders Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film Traders directed by Olivia Gropp.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

The title of the short film is “Traders.” In the ‘80s and ‘90s, people would go to record stores and trade-in “junk” for music, t-shirts, etc.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

After re-watching Reservoir Dogs for the millionth time, I had had a dream of “Traders.” I woke up the next morning and wrote the first draft (even though there was about 14 of them by the time we started shooting!).

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

I am a huge fan of Tarantino, Hitchcock, and the Coen Brothers, so their works heavily inspired the overall feeling of this film. I really wanted the audience to feel like they were transported back to the mid-nineties watching a gritty, gory, grindhouse movie.

What is the goal of the film for you?

Honestly, I wanted to create a film that combined music with vintage filmmaking. Personally, I love classic rock so when my parents introduced me to the band Smashed Gladys, I knew that I had to use their song “17 Goin’ On Crazy” in the film. The second song, “Riverwalk” by Kenny Vanella and Higher Fire, was sent to me by the owner of our shooting location (Rich Fisher of SqueezeBox Records who had recently produced the band’s debut album). Vanella’s reggae vibe worked perfectly when introducing the audience to The Store Owner (Geno Bisconte). It was important to me to showcase other local artists in this work as well.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

The entire process from writing the first draft to releasing the film was exactly one year (December 2020 to December 2021). It was definitely a challenge learning to use editing software, directing, casting, designing and executing special effects makeup, and acting in one production! Since I was completely new to working behind the camera, it truly was a learning experience, but one that I will never forget.

One thing you learned from this project?

I’ve been acting in film and television since I was 13 years old (I am 20 now) and, as I had mentioned earlier, had never worked behind the camera. Of course, I had had a general idea of what was going on, since I was on the set, but could have never imagined the amount of work that goes into making a short film. Because I was completely new to this side of the industry, I truly am so grateful to my amazing team for supporting and helping me turn “Traders” from a dream into a reality.

How can folks find you and your film online?

• You can find me at:

  • oliviagropp.com

  • Instagram: @OGActress

  • Twitter: @OGActress

  • TikTok: @OGActress

• You can find OG Productions at:

  • Instagram: @OGProductions_2021

  • YouTube: OG Productions

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

Make the films that you want to watch. Its potential popularity should be your last priority.

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