Todd Rojall’s destructive X-rated film “Fuck My Son!” opened on September 10th as part of the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival. Rowdy’s first show chuckles and writhes from the dark comedy about a mother trying to put a tempted woman to sleep with her transformed son, as he had expected.
However, after the screening, several LetterboxD reviews and social media messages expressed criticism of the film for its use of AI. Rohal included an AI explanator in the film’s press conference, but to clarify his message directly with film fans on complex topics, the director shared his detailed breakdown with variety. This will make the audience clear about how and why it was used before watching the film.
Please read the complete letter below.
Notes on VFX and Generated AI for “Fuck My Son!”
It can be difficult to identify when and where it will be used in a film. So here’s a short guide to what was made with AI and what was made using the “traditional” computer effects of films:
I created many of my post-VFX and animations myself using a variety of tools and software combinations. For more complex VFX needs (blood, liquid, absorption, smoke, vapor, explosion, wire removal), I relied on Suplex FX in Atlanta, tsp FX in LA/Seattle, Lightbuddy Studios in Seattle, and independent FX artists and friends in Austin in LA and Jeorgia. I gave these people all the post-production money I had and I took on the task of completing the remaining 200+ VFX shots.
Otherwise, I served as the sole editor and post-production department of the film, using assets from Avid Media Composer, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Blender, Davinci Resolve, and ActionVFX from ActionVFX in my spare bedroom.
I created an AI image at the next spot in the movie.
AMC style “Cinema Rules”
Initially, the idea here was to recreate the imposing cinema roller coaster animation that would play before the show. Instead, I chose a shorter version of the AMC “Movie Enthusiast” set, which will be created with AI versions of Film Noir, SF, Ben-Hur and Vaudeville Movie Tropes. This felt like the proper use of AI. Because it felt like an appropriately accurate way to portray the current state of the film, as AMC is likely making something like this. Digital projectors project digital images of digital people in the pathetic effort to come up with every analog glory day.
Perv-O-Vision audience shot
Move Theater Pre-Show Guide uses AI-generated images from viewers using dual technologies for Perv-O-Vision and Nude Blok. AI was used here. This is set up to appear to be presented by Christian high-tech companies, and is happy to use Christian high-tech companies to sell their products using AI. Since AI platforms can’t generate anything in the image with the word “Pervo”, it was easy to take these shots with friends, so I had to put that text back into each image with that text.
Meat companion
The first Meatie Mates animations seen on Bernice’s iPad were created by animator Cable Hardin using traditional, hand-drawn 2D animations for the show’s “opening” sequence.
For sequences where meat buddies become “real,” I wanted them to resemble a modern, cheap “Veggie Tales” type of show that felt like a modern (or futuristic) version of what the YouTube Kids Show would take advantage of. At first I tried Blender (the same software used in the film “Flow”) and my results felt too outdated and clean. After that I tried Adobe’s outdated “Mixamo” animation tool, which was fun, but I’ll eventually use a mixture of AI tools (Midjourney, Kling, Sora, Flux) to create characters based on 2D drawings, train AI models, and register images of their own drawings and images. Since none of these AI tools were able to fully create and animate characters in the way they needed, they sew all the characters together one at a time, compose each mouth and eyes individually, and create their own “animation workflow” with Adobe’s aftereffects, making them all work together, combining the footage of production and synthesize the voice.
My idea was that it was by the time “Fuck my son!” Now that I’ve finished, these AI tools are at a point where they allow for a fully animated show and are similar to what I created, but at the time of writing (fall 2025), I don’t think they’re at all until that point.
Other instances of AI are used for film shots that call back or refer to the above sequence. The opening title previews the world of Meatie Mate, with Perv-o-Vision’s audience mingling with sex scenes, Fabian’s brain shorts, nonsense AI blips, memory, flesh, perversion blips, vintage clips from Doris Wishman’s films by Belgian artist Marcin Pospiech, and digital artwork.
Apart from these sequences, what you’re looking at on-screen was essentially created by special effects legend Robert Kurtzman or the visual FX artists mentioned previously.
The AI was also used to complete the K1 form and provide it to 35 investors and complete the LLC tax returns.
This is “Fuck My Son!” If you have any questions or would like to discuss this, feel free to contact us.
thank you!
– Todd Rohal
Todd Rohall is a writer, director, producer, editor, post-supervisor, VFX artist, accountant and mixing assistant for “Fuck Myson!”
