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The new India is traveling like never before. Thanks to the travel spirit, knowledge, awareness and disposable income in hand, the new generation of travelers are a tad bit different from the earlier breed. If you follow the travel trait, earlier the international travel or domestic travel was limited to a few popular destinations. 
 But suddenly the travelers aren’t really looking for a 3 nights 4 day’s stay at 6 different places of <keyword id="28504" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> and then hopping into the next flight back home. Today’s travellers are far more open to experiment and explore. They don’t bother if they miss out on a few places on the itinerary than to experience something more specific to a particular location. 
 
Making such things easier for travellers in India and abroad is a Bangalore based start up, <a href="https://www.byond.travel">Byond.travel</a>. Established by a group of travel professionals, <keyword id="1497582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Byond">Byond</keyword>.travel offers hand-crafted trips, carefully picked keeping the wider preferences and sensibilities of the travelers in mind. 
 Byond.travel organizes individual experiential and leads small-group journeys for like-minded travellers. The groups range from women-only travellers to yoga, bikers to wine lovers, mom &amp; kids, kayaking in <keyword id="163812" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Antartica">Antartica</keyword>, African Safari Expereinces . On request, they will even help you create a customized journey for your own private group! 
 
So be it culture, history, people to people connect, food, shopping, off-beat activities, or just adventure tours, spirituality or wellness, the travellers coming to India needs to express their desire and the team at Byond.travel will customize the travel plan. 
 The man behind strategy and development at Byond.travel, <keyword id="3694039" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-kishore">Amit Kishore</keyword>, who is also the co-founder of <keyword id="3723698" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="eastbound-group">Eastbound Group</keyword>, one of India’s leading travel group. He is playing a role of investor, co founder and mentor at Byond.travel, <keyword id="4778" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amit">Amit</keyword> shares his insight with us. 
 
“Discover yourself… through us. Whether its photographic expeditions, cullinary expereince , nature trail -cycling or just walking trips that makes you have a wow expereince – we design experiences that will put a new dimension to the word ‘discovery’. Tell us what you love or dream and we can customize a trip according to it, to help you discover and hone your inner traveller,” said Amit. 
 
For example, if you are interested in design and photography, Art Deco to Victorian, Mughal to miniature; India’s rich heritage, vivid design, and architecture will be of your interest. Byond will make a plan where you will just be focusing on exclusively these and yet build a trip around it to make it more fulfilling. 
 
Also the upcoming festivals in India are a big draw to tourists. While these were happening in an unorganized mode, Byond.travel has brought a customization in the festival travel circuit where the destinations and the festivals can be synchronized well. While these have been a plan for many experienced groups, this start up has made it possible. 
 And if you are far more adventurous, you can self drive to <keyword id="55091" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Iceland">Iceland</keyword> and <keyword id="6358619" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="jordan">Jordan</keyword> or plan a trip to Alaska. Well, you just dream of it and Amit and his team would help you realize. 
 
Here is the list of upcoming tours from Byond.Travel: 
 
<keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women">Women</keyword> only <keyword id="21474" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Italy">Italy</keyword>: 02 - 08 Dec : Rs 120,000 
 
<keyword id="236732" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kingdom">Kingdom</keyword> of the Thunder Dragon - Bhutan Photography Expedition: 20 OCT - 25 OCT - Rs 62,000 ( co-branded and marketed by <keyword id="11151" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympus">Olympus</keyword> and led by award-winning photographer <keyword id="3723699" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhishek-hajela">Abhishek Hajela</keyword>) 
 
The <keyword id="76379" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dead-Sea">Dead Sea</keyword> Drive : Jordan ( self drive): Rs 10,2000 
 
<keyword id="6357856" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="greece">Greece</keyword>: Gods, Myths and Mortals : 5 - 12 NOV: Rs 95,900 
 
Bhutan for the <keyword id="3723696" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="golden-club">Golden Club</keyword> (for Sr. Citizens) : 20 OCT - 25 OCT - Rs 59,000 
 
Pho’ever <keyword id="13486" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vietnam">Vietnam</keyword> : Women only : 3 -9 DEC - Rs 55,900 
 
Yomaste <keyword id="3723700" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sikkim-darjeeling">Sikkim &amp; Darjeeling</keyword> - A yoga retreat- 20 - 26 NOV : Rs 49000 
 
(Image: Pixabay)

A self drive trip to the Dead Sea
or a yoga trip to the Himalayas: this Bengaluru start up is offering such
experiential trips

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Maersk will resume operations in the Red Sea, despite Houthi attacks in the area.</li><li>It reversed its decision to reroute around Africa after a multinational task force was deployed.</li></ul>Shipping firm Maersk plans to resume its operations on the Red Sea now that a multinational security initiative is active in the area, the company said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.maersk.com/news/articles/2023/12/15/maersk-operations-through-red-sea-gulf-of-aden">statement on Sunday</a>.The company will no longer send vessels around Africa, a lengthier and costlier route it announced last Tuesday as a way to avoid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea region.For weeks now, the Iran-backed Yemen rebel group has been targeting passing commercial vessels with<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ships-go-dark-red-sea-tracking-attacks-israel-iran-2023-12"> drones and ballistic missiles</a> in protest of Israeli operations in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-israel-trying-to-achieve-in-gaza-bombing-2023-12">Gaza Strip</a>.In mid-December, the shipping firm's Maersk Gibraltar container ship was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/maersk-says-container-ship-en-route-saudi-arabia-was-targeted-by-missile-2023-12-14/">targeted by a Houthi drone strike</a>, though the company denied claims that the ship was hit.The ongoing turmoil has caused shipping disruption in the area, despite the Red Sea's connection with the Suez Canal, making it the fastest lane between Europe and Asia. Longer reroutes have meant increased costs for carriers, sparking a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shipping-firms-red-sea-surcharges-reroute-cape-good-hope-maersk-2023-12">rise in surcharges</a>.To address the issue, the US has<a target="_blank" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3621110/statement-from-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-ensuring-freedom-of-n/#:~:text=Therefore%2C%20today%20I%20am%20announcing,security%20in%20the%20Red%20Sea."> organized a joint naval coalition</a> known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, aiming to provide security to shipping lanes around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden."With the OPG initiative in operation, we are preparing to allow for vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound," Maersk said in their statement. "We are currently working on plans for the first vessels to make the transit and for this to happen as soon as operationally possible."Though originally announced as a 10-country task force made up of key members of the Combined Maritime Forces, OPG's start was not easy sailing, as certain states <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dw.com/en/red-sea-attacks-why-arab-nations-wont-join-naval-coalition/a-67790545">denied participation</a>.And while OPG has reassured Maersk, the firm also acknowledged that it could still reverse its decision in the future, as "overall risk in the area is not eliminated at this stage."

Shipping giant Maersk is preparing to return to the Red Sea after Houthi attacks, but risk remains

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Kerch Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea was damaged by explosions on Monday morning. </li><li>The bridge was previously hit in October by an bomb-laden truck and didn't reopen until February.</li></ul>The 12-mile-bridge connecting Russia and Crimea is a lifeline for Moscow's economic and cultural interests in the occupied peninsula — but recent attacks have damaged it severely, causing lasting problems for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Crimean occupation officials. On Monday, an explosion rocked the roadbed of the Kerch Strait Bridge, killing two adults and suspending traffic. The Kremlin called the event "a terror attack" completed by Ukraine's unmanned drones, while Putin and other Russian officials urged tougher security and threatened "targeted and quite inhumane" consequences."The impact on transportation and logistical supply to Crimea are immediately becoming evident," said Karolina Hird, a Russian analyst and Evans Hanson fellow at the Institute for the Study of War think tank. "But the biggest thing we're tracking right now is the suspension of movement to and from occupied Crimea via the bridge, and that will obviously have implications on the Russian military presence in occupied Ukraine."An attack on the Kerch Bridge is far from "an extraordinary event," as Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, said, according to <a href="https://www.kyivpost.com/post/19521">The Kyiv Post.</a>The bridge is the physical link between Russia and the Crimea peninsula, and attacks on it bring the war home to Russians and undermine Putin's successful seizure of this territory from Ukraine.<div type="image" title="The Kerch Strait Bridge between Russia and Crimea was damaged in a blast on October 8, 2022." height="3126" width="4689" msid="101837342" hostid="261" sizebytes="1346894"></div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-attack-on-russia-crimea-bridge-is-blow-to-putin-2022-10">Last October</a>, an bomb-laden truck exploded on the westbound span of the bridge and eastbound span of a rail bridge, killing three. The damage was so severe, Kerch Bridge was closed for normal vehicle traffic until February 2023 and railway traffic until May 2023. While Ukraine didn't take responsibility for October's attack, a Ukrainian Security Service source did tell <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/16/europe/russia-crimea-bridge-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a> the group and Kyiv's naval forces were behind July's attack.Kyiv has previously threatened the bridge, which served as a route for Russia to transport equipment before its February 2022 invasion, and has contributed to supply lines through Crimea and operational support along the southern front. While much of Russia's military traffic has "shifted to other land bridges father to the north" after October's attack, according to Samuel Bendett, a research analyst with the Center for Naval Analyses' International Affairs Group, the bridge still "demonstrates uninterrupted access" between Russia and Crimea. The most recent attack also hinders summer tourism to Crimea, which ISW's Hird said has a been a priority for Russia. "There's been a huge push on the part of Russian authorities to really sustain and even increase tourism in occupied Crimea for economic reasons, and for an integration of occupied Crimea into the larger Russian system." Beach goers in an active war zone? One of the many examples of Putin and the Kremlin avoiding bringing the war home to their own citizens. "They don't want to fully mobilize society for war," Hird said.Putin himself has signaled the Russian Navy's involvement in bringing more tourists in, she added, calling it a "cognitive dissonance" as Crimea continues to be a legitimate target area for Ukraine, who's targeted the area and the Black Sea Fleet in the past few months. The result has been constant stress on Crimean citizens. <div type="image" title="A satellite image of the damaged portion of the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea on July 17, 2023." height="5444" width="6888" msid="101837343" hostid="261" sizebytes="1560264"></div>Finished in 2018, the Kerch Bridge was seen as a landmark achievement by Russia, a relatively short and permanent way to access Crimea. And while it primarily serves to connect the two, it's also symbolizes Russia's influence and control over the peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014, and Ukraine has identified as the most important territory to reclaim. But defending the Kerch Bridge is a logistical nightmare for Russia, prompting a hoard of questions. "How do you defend a long bridge like that? Where do you place your defenses? Do you fly patrols around it? Do you install sensors on it all the time? Do you have maritime patrols all the time?" Bendett said. "It's difficult to properly and completely defend an asset as large as a bridge like that." And the attack has severe military repercussions, especially as Ukraine's counteroffensive pushes against deeply rooted Russian trenches, mine fields, and defensive lines. "Right now, we've seen really high rates of insubordination and problems of morale and discipline in elements of Russian forces that are deployed" in the south, Hird said, adding that the bridge made evacuation "a lot easier" and "now that this capability is inhibited, that is bound to be have some sort of psychological morale impact on Russian forces.""We might start to see some panic induced in a struggling force that's already on the low end of morale," she added.

This 12-mile-bridge in Crimea is a lifeline for Russia's occupation, but attacks and damages are making it a headache for Moscow

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A New York <keyword id="772528" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="police-scanner">police scanner</keyword> broadcast voices advocating violence against protesters.</li><li>Audio clips of the communication have circulated on social media.</li><li>In one clip, someone says: "Shoot those motherf---ers," referring to the protesters. In another, someone says: "Run them over."</li><li>It's unclear whether the voices were those of police officers.</li></ul>A citywide police scanner in New York broadcast communication that advocated violence against protesters on Monday night. Audio clips of the communication, <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/live-protest-updates-after-another-night-looting-cuomo-tells-de-blasio-nypd-do-your-job?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=shared_twitter_twitter">reported by Gothamist</a>, have circulated widely on social media. Around 6:20 p.m. on Monday, a person called in to the police radio describing a crowd of protesters marching toward the 77th Precinct in Brooklyn. In the clip, a person says: "Shoot those motherf---ers." "Don't put that over the air," another person replies.In a second clip, someone describes a group of protesters marching toward an intersection in Brooklyn. "Central, we have a group of people blocking traffic on Albany and Dean street," the person says. "They're refusing to ... go eastbound on Dean Street and Albany, so we're stuck here."Another person replies: "Run them over." "The NYPD is aware of the transmission and it is under internal review," an NYPD spokesperson told Insider.It is unclear who the people speaking on the scanner are, or if they are actually police officers. The spokesperson declined several requests for more information. The audio clips have caused outrage online, especially in light of numerous reports of <keyword id="1674170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="police-violence">police violence</keyword> since protests began.On Saturday, NYPD officers <a href="https://www.insider.com/nypd-officer-pulls-gun-on-protesters-de-blasio-criticizes-him-2020-6">drove two cruisers into a crowd</a> of peaceful protesters. On Sunday, an NYPD officer pulled a gun on protesters. New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating the police's treatment of protesters, <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2020/attorney-general-james-statement-investigation-interactions-between-police-and">she said in a statement</a> on May 30. Mayor Bill de Blasio initially defended the officers who drove into the crowd."It is inappropriate for protesters to surround a police vehicle and threaten police officers," he said. "That's wrong on its face and that hasn't happened in the history of protests in this city."He recanted the next day, saying, "There is no situation where a police vehicle should drive into a crowd of protesters or New Yorkers of any kind. It is dangerous, it is unacceptable."De Blasio swiftly condemned the officer who pulled his gun on protesters. "That officer should have his gun and badge taken away today," he said.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/george-floyd-protests-police-violence-reform-change-2020-6">The George Floyd demonstrations have led to a cycle of violence between cops and protesters. Experts say only a shift in policing itself can end it.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nypd-watched-looters-ransack-stores-manhattan-2020-6">New York City cops sat watching as looters ransacked stores in Manhattan</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-police-arrest-over-4200-protesters-nationwide-2020-6">Police have arrested more than 4,200 people nationwide in protests following George Floyd's death</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/white-protesters-deface-and-destroy-property-endangering-black-protesters-2020-6">'They gonna blame that on us': Videos show white protesters smashing windows and defacing stores as black protesters tell them they're endangering black lives</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/minneapolis-protesters-social-media-users-suspicious-of-umbrella-man-2020-5">Rumors are swirling over footage showing a shadowy figure dubbed 'umbrella man' breaking windows during the Minneapolis protests</a></li></ul>

Voices captured on an NYC police scanner can be heard saying protesters should be shot and run over

<ul class="summary-list"><li>JetBlue is the newest airline <keyword id="11896631" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="flying" source="Orion">flying</keyword> between New York and London, catering to both leisure and business travelers.</li><li>Mint business class has been fully upgraded for the long-haul flights with a new cabin and dining experience.</li></ul>JetBlue is looking to make a splash in the transatlantic market with the start of new flights between New York and London, and it's off to a great start. First <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-jetblue-new-york-to-london-economy-mint-food-review-2021-8">inaugurated in August</a>, the route now sees two flights per day to London's Heathrow and Gatwick Airports from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Airbus' A321neoLR, a brand-new fleet type for JetBlue, powers the overseas flights with an onboard experience unlike anything in the airline's current network. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-jetblue-airways-london-new-york-mint-business-class-review-2021-8">Mint business class features an entirely new look and feel</a>, with<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-jetblues-newest-plane-taking-flyers-to-london-photos-details-2021-7"> 24 seats across a whopping 12 rows that takes up half of the aircraft</a>. JetBlue has invested heavily in the premium experience with new <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-jetblues-newest-plane-taking-flyers-to-london-photos-details-2021-7">herringbone-style suites</a> that all offer privacy, exclusivity, and direct aisle access. But whether business travelers will be the ones to fill those seats remain to be seen as there are some key premium features JetBlue has left out of the offering. I flew on JetBlue's inaugural flight from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-jetblue-new-york-to-london-economy-mint-food-review-2021-8">New York to London in economy class</a> and back a few days later in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-jetblue-mint-business-class-flyers-to-london-europe-2021-3">Mint business class</a>.Here's why JetBlue wouldn't be my first pick if I was a business traveler. <h2>No access to premium airport lounges</h2><div type="image" title="Flying JetBlue Airways from New York to London - JetBlue Airways London Inaugural Flight" height="1665" width="2221" msid="87369155" hostid="261"></div>A key staple of traveling internationally in a premium cabin is having access to airport lounges before departure. Nearly every full-service US carrier has a network of lounges at its hub airports, except JetBlue. Airport lounges serve business travelers by providing a quiet, exclusive space to get work done or simply rest before a flight. They offer complimentary WiFi and a selection of drinks and snacks, with the latter enabling travelers to get more sleep on eastbound transatlantic flights being by eating in the lounge and skipping the in-flight meal service. Terminal 5 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport isn't entirely deprived of premium lounges, it's just that none are available for JetBlue's premium passengers. Aer Lingus' lounge is not currently open to JetBlue flyers; though, day passes can be purchased for $50, according to <a href="https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airports/new-york-jfk-airport-lounges/#Aer-Lingus-Lounge">Upgraded Points</a>. Mint travelers will have to use other means to access lounges, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coolest-features-of-the-new-amex-centurion-lounge-jfk-airport-2020-10">such as credit cards</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/using-priority-pass-free-meal-perk-in-uk-heathrow-airport-2021-8">Priority Pass</a>, as their tickets won't be enough. JetBlue is aware that premium lounges are needed for the route and is reviewing options to offer the amenity to passengers in the future. As of now, though, none are available to those that simply buy a business class ticket. <h2>Inconvenient flight times</h2><div type="image" title="Flying JetBlue Airways from New York to London - JetBlue Airways London Inaugural Flight" height="1166" width="1555" msid="87369158" hostid="261"></div>JetBlue's flagship route between New York and London's Heathrow Airport isn't timed perfectly for business travelers. The late evening departure from New York is scheduled at 10 p.m. and arrives in London the next morning at 10:05 a.m. The late morning arrival means business travelers can write off an entire half a day in London. When I flew JetBlue to London, for example, I didn't get to my hotel until around 12:30 p.m., and that was with taking the Heathrow Express and using the e-gates at customs.British Airways, American <keyword id="11898285" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines" source="Orion">Airlines</keyword>, and Virgin Atlantic Airways, alternatively, all have flights that arrive before 7 a.m., giving business travelers the early bird advantage to tackle early meetings or more time to prepare for afternoon engagements.JetBlue's flights to Gatwick Airport are better timed for business travelers, departing New York at 7:50 p.m. and arriving in London at 7:55 a.m. On the return, the Heathrow flight departs London at 1:55 p.m. and arrives in New York at 6:49 p.m. while the Gatwick flight departs London at 12 p.m. and arrives in New York at 4:48 p.m. Both arrival times conflict with rush hour traffic in New York City and give travelers little time to adjust to being in a new city before it's time for bed. <h2>A lack of partner airlines on the route</h2><div type="image" title="American Airlines and JetBlue Airways" height="1666" width="2222" msid="87369161" hostid="261"></div>JetBlue is largely flying solo across the Atlantic, despite having a network of partner airlines on both sides of the pond. And in the event something goes wrong, whether it be a delay or cancellation, that could mean passengers are left without a backup option. American Airlines has British Airways, Delta Air Lines has Virgin Atlantic Airways, and United Airlines has Air Canada, and vice versa, each offering multiple ways of getting between New York and London. JetBlue doesn't have those same partnerships where travelers can simply be moved to a partner airline in case something goes wrong. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-american-and-jetblues-new-partnership-means-for-travelers-2021-2">American is a JetBlue partner through the Northeast Alliance</a> but it remains to be seen whether JetBlue will rebook flyers onto American flights if one of its own flights is delayed or canceled. JetBlue does have the benefit of a second daily flight to London's other area airport, Gatwick. But there will only be so many seats available to give to disrupted passengers. <h2>Where JetBlue does offer great value for business travelers</h2><div type="image" title="London's Heathrow Airport - JetBlue Airways London to New York in Mint business class flight 2021" height="1281" width="1708" msid="87369163" hostid="261"></div>The new Mint business class onboard JetBlue's transatlantic aircraft does offer travelers a wide variety of amenities that surpass what rival carriers are offering. Mint travelers will be able to stay connected throughout the entire journey with high-speed satellite WiFi that's free of charge in business class. When it comes to onboard dining, JetBlue has partnered with Delicious Hospitality Group, which operates restaurants in New York City, to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/food-review-trying-jetblues-new-dining-experience-on-london-flights-2021-10">cater the business class experience</a>. Flexible dining is available for those that want to focus on work or get straight to sleep. And the seats themselves are a step up from JetBlue's initial Mint product with brand-new private suites. All Mint suites have fully closable doors and do not disturb buttons to maximize downtimes. JetBlue offers what is arguably the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jetblue-flies-a321neo-small-narrow-body-between-new-york-london-2021-9">most convenient way to fly to London</a> because of the aircraft type it flies on the route. The Airbus A321neoLR is an incredibly nimble and capable aircraft that JetBlue has outfitted with a mere 138 seats. The result, as I found, was a smoother experience without a lot of the stresses that normally accompany <keyword id="11904258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international-travel" source="Orion">international travel</keyword>. I felt no different on the London flight than if I was flying JetBlue to, say, Florida. Not many airlines can offer that type of convenience and it made the flying experience all the more enjoyable. But JetBlue does have some downsides that need to be reconciled in order to be a true friend to business travelers on the route. Insider paid <keyword id="11896632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jetblue-airways" source="Orion">JetBlue Airways</keyword> a media rate to fly between London and New York.

JetBlue is trying to cater to business travelers on its London routes with a new Mint business class cabin. But it's missing some key amenities.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Sundance InstituteDanny McBride in "Arizona."</div></div></div><ul><li>Jonathan Watson directed the Sundance movie, "Arizona." </li><li>It marks his directorial debut after over two decades being an assistant director for movies and TV.</li><li>A big reason he got to make the movie was because Danny McBride passed on "Arizona," which was going to be his debut as a director.</li></ul> For over two decades, Jonathan Watson has worked as an assistant director on some of the biggest movies to come out of Hollywood. On "Bad Boys," "The Truman Show," "21 Jump Street," "The Disaster Artist," and many more, he was the man responsible for not just managing the sets, but also assisting in the vision of high-profile directors. But with the extremely dark comedy, "Arizona," which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last week, Watson has finally made it to the director's chair, and a big assist by Danny McBride made it happen. Screenwriter Luke Del Tredici wrote the project as a vehicle for McBride. The story is set in Arizona during the midst of the housing crisis, and follows a single mother named Cassie who is tormented by a character called Sonny after she witnesses him commit a murder. This leads to a violent cat-and-mouse chase as Cassie tries to flee from Sonny in their neighborhood that is pretty much abandoned due to the housing crash.Two year ago, McBride considered taking on "Arizona" as his directorial debut, and cast Seth Rogen in the role of Sonny. But after disagreements with the financier on who should play the lead actress, and Rogen admitting that McBride was more suited for the role of Sonny, McBride decided to pass the directing baton to his friend Watson. This gave the veteran AD his long-awaited opportunity to direct.<h2>Baptism into the industry working on movies like "Bad Boys" and "The Truman Show"</h2>Watson began working as an assistant director at 24, and in just a few years found himself on the biggest movie sets Hollywood had to offer.He was a 2nd AD on "Bad Boys," Michael Bay's box-office smash debut, and looking back on it now he calls the experience a "baptism under fire.""Those movies are as tough as they get because if you run that set and you set something wrong people die - literally," Watson told Business Insider.He recalls setting up a shot on the movie where an actor driving a vehicle had to race past a row of cameras. But Watson got worried when he saw a group of guys rigging explosions nearby the shot. He told the guys to move. When the scene was shot, the actor mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake and crashed. Everyone was fine, Watson said, but where the crash occurred was right were the guys had been setting up.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">SonyA close call on the set of "Bad Boys" taught Jonathan Watson to always trust his gut.</div></div></div>"I realized, don't think that somebody else is going to ask those questions," Watson said. "Trust your gut."A few years later, he took over the 1st AD role on director Peter Weir's "The Truman Show," and once again found that anticipating all scenarios is a requirement of the job. This was especially true when scenes needed 300 extras, and had specific places everyone needed to hit to display the made-for-television world Jim Carrey's Truman Burbank character was unwittingly living in.Then there was anticipating the mind of Carrey."It was intimidating," Watson said of working with the actor. "When he would go there would be this explosion of energy, you just had to have everything ready. In one scene I realized I had to have stunt men in the shot, not extras. It was a scene that has some physicality in it, and I thought they can't just be extras because he's going to go at them full tilt like a linebacker."More 1st AD jobs would come - "The Thomas Crown Affair," "Reign of Fire," "Bruce Almighty," - and in many of those instances, he was also directing second unit. But he had to keep any aspirations of directing his own movies to himself. He learned the reality of being a good assistant director is to be ready whenever your director calls on you."When you get hooked up with a team, you don't say no," Watson said. "I know guys who work for Steven Spielberg, when he's ready for prep, the people he needs, whatever movie they're on, they are off to go work with Spielberg. That's how it is with a lot of big directors. And once you say 'no' to them you're off the train forever."Watson was getting steady work with a couple of directors, and it was pretty clear: "Most directors don't want to hear the first AD talking about how he wants to direct," Watson said.<h2>Finally getting into the director's chair</h2>Watson did almost direct movies a few times. In one instance, a script he wrote made the rounds but ended up in development hell. Another time he was all set to direct a project, with the full blessing of the big-name director he had worked with for numerous projects. However, when that big-name director's (who Watson declined to name) latest movie bombed at the box office, Watson's hopes to do the movie suddenly vanished."I would just put my hopes aside and go back to the day job," Watson said.Watson found his way to working with McBride, and his pals Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, at their Roughhouse Pictures shingle by first working with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on "The Green Hornet."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Ernesto Distefano/GettyJonathan Watson.</div></div></div>Sony's 2011 movie about the beloved masked crime fighter, which starred Rogen in the lead (he also cowrote the script with Goldberg), was a box-office bomb. It was one of those instances, Watson said, that he was called at the last second to be the 1st AD. Sony didn't like director Michel Gondry's longtime AD and replaced him with Watson."It was a crazy shoot," Watson said, but Rogen and Goldberg liked Watson and had him come and be 1st AD on their directorial debut, "This Is the End," which McBride starred in. McBride and Hill then nabbed Watson to be 1st AD on the second season of "Eastbound &amp; Down.""There's a lot of joy in getting a big movie completed," Watson said. "And working with Danny and Jody you get a similar joy because they create a real bond with everyone working with them because they want to make great movies."But working with Watson on season 2 of "Eastbound," followed by "Vice Principals," in which Watson was a producer and shot second unit, McBride could tell Watson wanted more."I remember Danny asked me, 'You want to direct, right?'" Watson recalled. "And in the past I would play it off but in reality, at that point, I was slowly thinking about it more and more. So I said I did and he handed me the script to 'Arizona.'""Helping anybody who has talent get an opportunity to execute is rewarding," McBride told Business Insider in an email about passing the project to Watson. "Helping a friend and a good person who has seen and done as much as he has in the industry is a no brainer."With McBride playing the Sonny role, Rosemarie DeWitt as Cassie, and a supporting cast made up of Kaitlin Olson, Luke Wilson, and David Alan Grier, "Arizona" is certainly an attractive title for buyers at Sundance. And now with the first one out of the way, Watson thinks he's ready to quit his day job and stay put in the director's chair."There's something with Seth and Evan I might direct, Danny has a script, I don't fully know yet, but I think the new dawn is here," Watson said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/georgetown-professor-reveals-people-wrong-mlk-martin-luther-king-jr-race-black-radical-racism-2017-5">A Georgetown professor explains how Martin Luther King Jr. 'has been severely whitewashed'</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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