Introduction
In the summer of 2001, The 4th Dimension began as a three minute Mini-DV short film that was submitted to the HBO Project Greenlight’s Directing Competition by two aspiring writer/directors, Tom Mattera and Dave Mazzoni. After receiving positive feedback and an overall interest in the concept by their reviewers, as well as being selected as one of the Top 250 screenwriters out of a field of 5000 for their first feature script Mectl, Mattera and Mazzoni decided to follow their dreams and turn to filmmaking as a career. This began their transition into the film world.

After studying Management Information Systems at Drexel University for over three years, Dave Mazzoni transferred to Temple University to pursue a Communications degree in Film and Media Arts. Similarly, Tom Mattera, who had already graduated from Temple University in 2002 with a B.S. in Engineering, also decided to return to Temple and pursue a Communications degree in Film and Media Arts.

It was at Temple University that Mattera and Mazzoni were able to utilize each film class to enhance and workshop The 4th Dimension. Over their two years at Temple, The 4th Dimension transformed from a 21 minute Mini-DV short, to a 5 minute 16mm short, and finally into a feature length script.

While attending Temple University, Mattera and Mazzoni met their Producer, Daniel M. Kalai, also a 2004 Temple University Film & Media Arts graduate.

Preproduction
Upon graduation from Temple University, and after multiple drafts of the script, Mattera, Mazzoni, and Kalai set forth to do the impossible, shoot a feature film only weeks out of film school. Within weeks after their last class, they managed to raise a $75,000 budget by hitting the streets with a hand crafted investment package, and by taking out personal loans.

The 4th Dimension examines the complex themes of dreams, the supernatural, and Albert Einstein’s theories on the concept of time. In fact, many of the dramatic and supernatural elements in the script were inspired by actual events and personal experiences that occurred in Mattera and Mazzoni’s lives.

In order to accurately display the subject matter, Mattera and Mazzoni met with paranormal consultants, Michelle Livingston and John Stroh, as well as the Penn State Physics department throughout the writing process. Mattera even sat in on a course strictly dedicated to Einstein’s revolutionary Theory of Relativity, which celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2005.

Production
Upon entering production on The 4th Dimension, Mattera and Mazzoni set out to make a truly independent first feature. The filmmakers refused to shoot on video as they felt it would compromise the feel and aesthetic of the film. As a result, the two selected to shoot the majority of the film in Black and White on Super 16mm film and they crafted unconventional camera techniques in order to serve the story as honestly as possible. These were risks that the filmmakers took while being fully aware of the opposition that they would face from mainstream audiences. The filmmakers involved with The 4th Dimension set out to make an Art House Film.

On February 20, 2005, shooting officially began on The 4th Dimension. Production lasted a total of 5 weeks and was accomplished on time and within budget. The film showcased several members of the local filmmaking community and utilized Diane Heery to gather talented local actors. The film was shot 100% on location as the cast and crew battled the severe winter elements in order to fulfill the directors’ choice to shoot in the bitter cold for aesthetic purposes.

These brutal conditions also played an important role in bringing out organic performances from the actors. Louis Morabito, who plays the main character Jack, was the primary example of this scenario. Louis refused the use of heaters to stay true to the cold, dark world in which the main character exists. He insisted that the bitter cold weather and its effects on his behavior added a level of authenticity and validity to the character.

The locations consisted of voids that exist amongst everyday society. These forgotten worlds were used as the backdrop for the dark and lonely story that The 4th Dimension tells. Among these locations were the abandoned Wycombe Train Station, Holmesburg Prison (shut down in 1995), and the infamous Philadelphia State Hospital, also known as, “Byberry” Mental Institution.

Throughout the scriptwriting process, Mattera and Mazzoni were determined to obtain the right to shoot on location at Philadelphia State Hospital. Although every previous production had been denied access, the two were persistent and finally granted permission from PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation) to legally photograph the abandoned insane asylum. Ironically, three days prior to production, an unfortunate accident occurred on the grounds and the access contract was put on hold. The impossible seemed to be holding true. However, after a feverish surge of phone calls among the producers of The 4th Dimension, lawyers, and PIDC, The 4th Dimension film crew arrived on set at Byberry on February 23, 2005 and acquired all of the necessary shots for the production. The 4th Dimension is the only film ever to have been granted permission to shoot on location at Byberry. It is scheduled to be demolished in 2006.