Burlington

On location

Director B.J. Rayniak sets up a shot Tuesday while filming a scene from the movie “Blame” in downtown Burlington. (Photo by Jason Arndt)

Film duo hits streets of Burlington to film movie

By Jason Arndt

Editor

The City of Burlington took center stage this week, when two independent filmmakers with local ties collaborated on a feature movie, which the writer calls a cautionary tale.

The feature movie, titled “Blame,” is about five young friends who embark on a ski trip and encounter tragedy.

Tragedy strikes when their vehicle is wrecked in a vicious snowstorm, and without cell phone service, they split up to find help.

“When they come back together, they realize one of the five has died,” said Richard Blake, the film’s writer and producer.

Blake wrote the script about 13 years ago and sold it to a production company.

Since the production company never produced the film, Blake regained the rights to the script, which he decided to film himself alongside producer B.J. Rayniak.

Blake and Rayniak, who also directed the film, selected Burlington because of their connections to the community and the general downtown atmosphere.

On Tuesday, cast and crew members filmed scenes at Ryan’s Railroad Station, the Chestnut Street loop and the Coffee House at Chestnut and Pine.

“Burlington is a beautiful city with amazing people,” said Blake, a 2001 Westosha Central High School graduate who lives in Los Angeles.

“This little corner here looks like a movie set,” Blake noted during a Tuesday interview at the Coffee House.

Rayniak, who lives in Wheatland and graduated from Wilmot in 2001, said he and Blake also selected the area because business owners have been willing to cooperate.

To read the entire story and see additional photos, see the Jan. 24 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.

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