A Fixed System

I am long overdue in blogging about “A Fixed System” by Aaron Fisher, one of the finest brickfilms in recent memory.

It’s been over a year since “A Fixed System” came out, but it still manages to surprise and delight me every time I watch it. The standout feature of this film is the incredibly expressive computer-generated facial animation. While lots of brickfilms made nowadays use digital facial animation, this is one of the few instances where it feels vital to the storytelling. The incredible fast-forward montage shot from 2:17 – 2:44 is this film’s defining moment. So much information is conveyed here solely through the facial animation. It’s a defining moment not just for this film, but for brickfilming as a whole.

The stop-motion animation is also very expressive and delightful. I love the opening moments where the main character’s disembodied arm bangs on a side table and carefully catches a falling picture frame. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice how Aaron used backwards legs to have the main character walk down a staircase. This inventiveness continues throughout the film.

The film also boasts a great original score and a compelling story. It’s no wonder it took home four awards in the 2015 Brickfilmer’s Guild Film Festival. The only problem is that this amazing video currently has less than 14,000 views! Share this brickfilm with all your friends. The world needs to see it!