A lot can happen behind closed doors, especially in a place that’s known for providing the ultimate amount of privacy – the bedroom.

There’s often love, passion, and of course, sex between the sheets, but sometimes the moments that take place in the bedroom can be equally amusing and dramatic. Now, a new anthology web series demonstrates that reality in entertaining and compelling fashion. Furthermore, it’s a show that brings together the collaborative talents of some of New England’s best filmmakers and actors in each episode.

The 13 episode web series IN THE BEDROOM focuses on different stories and scenarios revolving around some of the more intimate and unexpected moments that can arise between two people – and how those moments can impact their lives far beyond the boundaries of an otherwise private setting. (Note: The show’s first episode can be viewed at the embedded link at the end of this article.)

Created by Seth Chitwood of Angelwood Pictures (responsible for such shows like WORLD’S WORST DIRECTOR, FAMILY PROBLEMS and LUNGS), the show debuted on May 30th, with new episodes airing every Friday on its official Youtube page. Chitwood worked on the series with some of New England’s most talented actors, writers, producers and directors.

Among them: actor/producer Curtis Reid (THE COLD READ), director Chris Esper (A GUY GOING CRAZY, PUPPATICS), writer/director JR Hepburn, actress/producer Carlyne Fournier, actor/director Andrew Adler, plus Creusa Michelazzo and Stephanie Castaños, founders of the media/PR/community development firm Macremi Inc. Both Michelazzo and Castaños have plenty of experience on both sides of the camera in radio and TV, and both are dedicated filmmakers.

An acclaimed web series creator and filmmaker, Chitwood sought to develop IN THE BEDROOM as a way to bring together many of New England’s best on and off camera talent for a truly distinctive anthology series.

“I was pretty confident I knew what I was doing. I think it goes back to why I set out to do this in the first place. I wanted to have the chance to work with several filmmakers in New England (as well as actors) and I felt like doing a 13 episode weekly web series that showcased several different talents collaborating on an episode each week was the best way.”

Having created IN THE BEDROOM, and having penned four of its 13 episodes, Chitwood set about finding the people who would eventually serve as his team of actors and production personnel together. With his distinctive concept now fully developed, Chitwood immediately issued them a unique challenge.

“I reached out to several writers asking them to write me a 5-8 page script about only two characters dealing with an issue (comedic or dramatic) within a bedroom. The only other rule was that the characters couldn’t leave the room. After I collected the scripts, I reached out to Carlyne Fournier, Curtis Reid, Chris Esper, Stephanie Castanos, Creusa Michelazzo, JR Hepburn, and Andrew Adler to join my board of advisors. We collaborated together to make this project a success,” he recalls.

With the scripts completed, the next phase of the show’s production began. “Moving forward, they (Fournier, Reid, Esper, Castanos, Michelazzo, Hepburn and Adler) organized an audition, sent out casting calls, and narrowed down a pool of hundreds of actors to the 26 final actors for the show,” Reid says.

“Once the locations were finalized (by Curtis Reid), the entire cast and crew met for a rehearsal, read through the scripts and prepared for their roles (by episode) with their respective directors. Principal photography lasted about a month and a half, and all 13 episodes were completed.” The actors were all New England-based talent, ranging in age from as young as 10 to 65 years old, participated throughout the 13 episode shoot.

Filming all 13 episodes of IN THE BEDROOM had its challenges, primarily in a logistical sense as Chitwood and his team traveled throughout New England looking for locations to shoot.

Yet, that experience proved to be memorable and fun for all involved. “Every weekend for about two months, we would be traveling to different houses or motels to shoot each episode. We did two episodes a day,” Chitwood says.

“Generally, we would be shooting either in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or Connecticut. We would shoot in two different rooms of a single location for an episode. Sometimes, we would have to drive from one to another. Either way, we were basically setting up and shooting one episode and while we were doing that, our production designers were working on setting up the next room we would be needing,” he adds.

Along with its emphasis on the collaboration between its talented cast and crew, IN THE BEDROOM is a unique web series thanks to its characters and stories. “The actors are likeable, talented, and the execution of each episode will be different based on the different visions of the separate writers and directors for each,” says Reid, who adds that even the show’s visual look adds to the overall effectiveness.

“The locations are also amazing and were done up by some absolutely talented set designers (Mary Hronicek and Stephanie Castanos). They put in so much work to transform the rooms and it would be incredible to see the before and after photos from the many sets.”

Even more so, IN THE BEDROOM is one of the few anthology web series currently in existence. That fact was not lost on Chitwood and his fellow filmmakers as they embarked on creating their series.

“There really aren’t many anthology web series. I also don’t think there are many shows that featured 9 guest directors, and 5 guest writers, and 26 different actors (two different actors per episode) apart of their series. It was a true web series collaboration.”

Already having seen the incredible potential of shows like HORROR HOTEL, which he instantly became a fan of at this past year’s LA Web Fest, Chitwood hopes that the anthology format will continue to be a popular medium. Even though every show is different, the show’s creator also hopes that IN THE BEDROOM will appeal to fans of the genre itself.

“Other notable anthology web series that are big right now are WHAT LURKS BEYOND, 403 FORBIDDEN, and CROSSWALK. I think that again, all these shows are not like IN THE BEDROOM, but if you are a fan of this kind of domain you should give our series a shot,” he says.

Overall, Reid, Chitwood and Esper hope that IN THE BEDROOM will not only continue its success among viewers, but will also be a new tradition that will become an important part of the thriving New England film community.

In fact, they hope IN THE BEDROOM and its success will bring more opportunities to its excellent actors, writers, directors, producers and other filmmaking talent.

“We would want the series’ first season to be a success. That way, people will want to see more and the show can continue with a second season, and perhaps even further. The continuation of the show would mean several more opportunities for local filmmakers, since the writers, directors, and actors would (essentially) change each season and involve many, many people. That would be a great project to see passed on and continued for a long time within our film market in New England.”

Thanks to its one of a kind setting and stories, IN THE BEDROOM is an anthology series that truly peeks behind closed doors to reveal what people can be really like when no one’s watching.

“When you don’t see a friend of family member in person, there’s something going on personally be it in their bedroom or somewhere else. We all have stories behind the scenes and I think this is what it touches on. A person’s bedroom is their private place and their world, so to speak. Again, each episode has a different theme and message but as whole the theme is seeing what happens behind closed doors,” Esper says.

Because of its wide ranging series of stories that transcend genres, IN THE BEDROOM is sure to appeal to an equally wide range of audiences. “What sets it apart is the range it has. There aren’t very many shows out there with different episodes and cast members. Plus, each episode touches on different subjects and in different ways. Some are funny and some are serious, but you always get something out of it which is fun for the viewer,” Esper says.

Yet, while no two episodes are alike, nor will they attract the same kinds of viewers, Reid also believes that the hard work and dedication of its cast and crew will add to the fans’ appreciation of the show itself.

“Anyone and everyone will want to watch the show, and hopefully enjoy it. There are many different types of stories, characters, and plots, so some episodes may be enjoyed more by different people, but overall the series will be supported by the many fans of the wonderful actors and people behind the show. A lot of hard work went into the series, so people will appreciate that as well.”

No matter how different each story can be, IN THE BEDROOM is consistent in its one undeniable truth – one that presents itself in dramatic fashion throughout every episode. “I think at least one person can connect to each of the stories presented this season. We don’t know what happens behind closed doors; in fact it’s something that we rarely share in conversations. It will be interesting to see how many people relate to the characters. I think each episode teaches audiences that if you think you have your own issues in your bedroom, you really have no idea what could be going on in your neighbor’s,” says Chitwood.

(Note: Regarding closed-captioning, Reid says: “As of right now, it will not be closed captioned. However, that is a great thing to look into for the future.”)

ON THE WEB: http://angelwoodpictures.com/inthebedroom/

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/InTheBedroomSeries

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Inthebedroomseries

The show’s first episode can be viewed here: