I arrive at an office building in Northeast Minneapolis on a street so empty that my Lyft driver hesitates before leaving me. This is a ghost town, even though the sun is still out on a beautiful day in late May. However, I know this is the right place because a lighting instrument is aimed at a basement window. That’s the telltale sign of a production crew making magic happen. The landmark is a signal that the Frogman Returns squad is already hard at work.

My random (four-year) detour and job at Dread Central has led me to getting the coolest invitation. I’m about to be one of the lucky few people to get a sneak peek at Frogman Returns. A teaser trailer and poster dropped back in March. That was enough to awaken the Frogman fans who have been waiting to hear more news about the mysterious frog. We know, “Frogman Fucks,” and the first film said he would return. However, everything else about the green one has been under wraps. So, getting the message to see our favorite evil amphibian in action feels like winning the found footage lottery.

DAY ONE ON SET OF FROGMAN 2

I call Zechariah Thormodsgaard, founder of Gaardhouse and producer of Frogman Returns, to make sure I am at the right door. He comes downstairs to greet me and leads me to the basement, where the magic is happening. He tells me this is the team’s fourth overnight in a row, so I expect everyone to be tired. However, when we walk into the holding room, we’re met with a flurry of energy. I spot Outpost 31 Productions laying out sick pieces of things I’m not allowed to talk about yet amid the activity. Thormodsgaard takes me into a seemingly never-ending basement where a good chunk of the movie is being shot. As soon as we enter, a fluorescent light falls and shatters, so everyone not tasked with cleaning it up is fair game to meet.

The Production Designer, Jason Dean Thomas, is one of the first people introduced. We talk about movies and bond over zombie titles before he tells me I should see one he just worked on called Uncontained. He gives me a pin and tells me that from our conversation, it sounds like I’ll dig it. Thormodsgaard asks if I’ll be staying for the 11:00 PM lunch because if so, they have to feed me. I know that means more time bothering the Frogman Returns team and a free meal. So, I obviously say yes and order some shrimp tacos. 

Also Read: ‘Frogman Returns’ Writer-Director Anthony Cousins On The Frogman Universe

That’s when director-writer Anthony Cousins walks by and we exchange pleasantries. He is somehow the calmest person on set, a trait that I soon realize is just his usual disposition. However, he’s always in the middle of about nine conversations because indie found footage movies about cryptids do not make themselves. He is on his way to snag shots of returning cast members Chelsey Grant (Amy) and Nathan Tymoshuk (Dallas) crawling through tunnels. I soon find out that even those quick moments have a lot more moving parts than most of us realize.

In a new dark corner, I bump into Elaine Frost, who has been on set for a week. Cousins also sent her a set invite, and she has been soaking up information like a sponge. My friend becomes my lifeline in the never-ending basement, and we bond over the fact that Frogman Returns is our first time on a film set. She helps me figure out who is who as my eyes continue adjusting to the dark, and we dodge cobwebs together. 

After capturing a few tunnel moments with the leading humans, we head back to the main area. Cousins walks beside us and explains that Frogman will be making an entrance in a few moments for the next scene. He tells me and Elaine to feel free to ask questions as we go, reiterating what is fair game to share online regarding Frogman Returns. I note again that he is unbelievably chill and kind while multitasking without sleep.

I ask him where this new movie finds Amy and Dallas, as they cannot be okay after what they went through in the first one. Cousins agrees, “Yeah, the events of the first Frogman were definitely traumatizing for Dallas and Amy. It left them in very different places. We start Frogman Returns following Dallas’s story. It’s about a year and a half later, and the first movie was a huge success because it proved monsters are real.”

Cousins continues, “So, Dallas is having a lot of success and getting to do new projects. Are they the project he necessarily wants to do? Maybe not. And then Amy…he hasn’t spoken to her since the first movie. So, we’re kind of just as much in the dark as he is about how Amy is doing, but we will eventually catch up to her and find out.”

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Finally, the frog of the hour enters. Frogman’s costume has gotten a severe makeover, and it looks good on him. It soon becomes clear that even the cast and crew are as excited as I am about this moment. Everybody’s phone appears, even though we have all been told we cannot share these photos until after the movie is out. The Frogman doesn’t seem phased by being treated like he’s a pop star walking a red carpet. He strikes a few poses, and this moment becomes an impromptu photo shoot. I feel like paparazzi as I snap photos no one can see.

Eventually, the shot is set up, and Frogman has to take his place so filming can commence. We are being treated to a scene where Amy and Dallas face their froggy foe and a new character. I watch as the scene is shot a few times with minor tweaks. I find myself with even more appreciation for how hard it is to make these shots look natural in a found footage film. We all know the camera is crucial to found footage. However, seeing the intricacies involved to make it look like it is not being held by a professional is eye-opening. It makes me want to go back and give an extra star to every movie in the subgenre I have ever reviewed.

Frogman Returns’ camera choreography is one of the things I am paying the most attention to at the monitor. No matter how well you plan, it will change once the light meets the blocking in the space. I watch as Eugene Langlois and Alexander Hall make subtle light changes that make a world of difference. Meanwhile, people have conversations about things the camera is picking up and how to adjust the movements without losing the intensity.

Not long after getting the shot, crash pads are laid down because it’s time to do some stunts. However, after a couple of takes, Frogman’s wand hits the cement floor, which causes everything to stop again. The production designer appears as if by magic and takes it away. I get the feeling this is not the first time this has happened, and everyone knows it will not be the last. During the wait, I bother people again.

When asked if Frogman Returns will match the batshit energy of Frogman’s third act, Cousins gives me some great news. He confirms, “The first Frogman ends in a very crazy, balls-to-the-wall ten minutes. We didn’t want to start at zero and ramp up again. We wanted to start Frogman Returns where we left off with the first one and then get crazier from there. So, you’re gonna see a lot of insane shit in this movie for sure.”

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Karsen Schovajsa introduces himself and tells me how Cousins recently helped him with his film, The Killing Cell, in Atlanta. So, of course, he flew out to Minneapolis to do double duty as an actor and crew member on Frogman Returns. I tell him how I dug the third act of the first film, and he also confirms this sequel matches that energy and then some. The battered prop returns, and Schovajsa returns to the huddle to discuss camera business. 

After lunch, the crew gets ready for a practical effect that involves blood. I find myself next to actors who are not in the scene, as we crowd around the monitor to see what it looks like. However, we move further back when we see Cousins making tracks. The director reminds us that blood goes wherever it wants as we follow him out of the splash zone. Unfortunately for him, he’s summoned to help and has to return to the danger area. The effect looks cool, and I feel bad for this character. But we’re giddy that we’re seeing some practical effects magic in real-time.

It’s after 2 AM, and I’m thinking about leaving when Anthony asks me if I’ll be back tomorrow. I say maybe, and he tells me they’re going to blow something up. I realize he really does know what the people want because I am sold. While mentally clearing my calendar, I tell him I’ll be back to see that.

DAY TWO ON SET OF FROGMAN 2

My second day on set gives me time to catch up with more cool people I did not get a chance to chat with the previous night. I arrive in time to see them blow up something I cannot talk about. There are new fake body parts in the SFX area, and I wonder what’s going on with them. 

The set is still cool and collected even after five overnights. Everyone is eager to see the practical effects in person. I discovered that the comfy couch in the holding area has a backstory and is still in the building even though it was sold years ago. I overhear tonight’s dinner is made by Cousins’ mom, who wanted to ensure the production team had something home-cooked. While everyone eats an amazing vegetarian chili, it becomes apparent again that this is like a summer camp. People share memories from the first Frogman movie, and ask about each other’s family members and day jobs. These are people who like each other and are making a movie together. It is a much different vibe than people making a movie who happen to like each other. It also explains everyone’s sense of ownership of the movie and willingness to pitch in when they can.

I get to hang out with the leading human lady and ask her a few questions. Grant is happy to be stepping back into the role of Amy. She is very eager to share this chapter of the character’s journey. “I feel incredibly fortunate first and foremost!” Grant continued, “Amy has a special place in my heart. I am beyond thrilled to not only step back into the Frogman world, but to work again with all of the amazing creators.”

We chat about how her character must be a stronger woman than I am to survive the previous film. Grant acknowledges, “She did go through a lot. Amy is still grappling mentally and physically with the outcome of the first Frogman film.” Grant teases, “I think audiences may be surprised and intrigued to see how Amy is coping. I can’t reveal too much, but let’s just say…she has vehemently and unapologetically taken on her new path.”

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As the night gets later, I discover how easy it is to enlist people into a frog cult when Thormodsgaard asks if anyone wants to be extras. Everyone agrees, and robes and masks are donned. Rehearsal footage is shown so everyone knows what the goal is. However, once again, nothing ever goes as planned. Director of Photography Kyle Moe and his camera have to get creative. Moe also has to work with people who have no idea what they are doing, and made the mistake of wearing black and white Vans to set. The closer it gets to 3 AM, the more apparent it is that he should be sainted.

This epic sequence is the scene that takes the longest to shoot during my two nights on set. It’s very intricate and answers some of my questions. Although every additional layer makes it even more chaotic and raises more questions. This all-hands-on-deck scene finally wraps, and the remaining people begin to get released. When the Frogman Return team emerges from the basement, they are greeted by the sun. As everyone makes their way to their separate destinations for well-earned sleep, I think about the scenes I saw filmed over the last couple of days.

I have no idea how any of the wild and wonderful moments I observed come together. I also realize that I cannot talk about it with people who were not on set until after the movie comes out. Grant’s one-word description of the sequel might be the most succinct way to summarize the whirlwind experience that left my brain in pieces: “FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

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