USC Cinematic Arts

Matt Checkowski is the Founder & Creative Director of The Department of the 4th Dimension (The D4D), a branded content and experience design studio. The D4D is the culmination of Matt’s unique experience as director and designer of dynamic storytelling experiences, from feature film to brand driven engagements.

Over the last decade, Matt has crafted culturally significant, original content projects that are diverse in scope and context. From directing a world-wide theatrically released feature film to live digital content for an opera, a 24-hour interactive content program for a Times Square skyscraper, network branding campaigns, and the first ever pop up museum for scent: All were conceived with a design mindset and story at heart.

The development of his multi-dimensional storytelling company, The D4D, was inspired by earlier career experiences that used design thinking to emotionally engage audiences. Among them, his role as co-creator of the dream sequences in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, which seamlessly weave cinema, design and a dynamic gestural interface into the fabric of the science fiction masterpiece.

Matt and his work have been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Time, I.D., Metropolis, Popular Science and Communications Arts; and have been internationally recognized with awards and industry honors. His passion for brand empowered, dynamic storytelling and understanding diverse audiences in relationship to media has been the subject of his industry and educational presentations and informs each endeavor.