Advice really needed!

[xebonykissesx]

Basically, I'm starting uni in about a week or so, and i am still with my agent and have just been put onto Spotlight and such.
My mum and dad said that i should leave my agency to concentrate on uni as it would be too difficult to attend auditions or do filming etc, but i really really still want to do castings and things, and i spent so long trying to find an agent and things without the help of my parents and have always sorted everything myself.
In the end we decided that i would renew my contract with my agency as long as i still went to uni and that i would sort out all the trains for castings and things myself.
I agreed, but i'm thinking that it's going to be really difficult to juggle the both of them. And Uni is not going to just give me time off to attent castings/filming if i get any.
I'm really stuck and i don't know what to do now as have just confirmed with agent on renewal.
Please please can anybody offer any advice as it's really stressing me and i realy have no clue where to go from here. What is the best thing to do? Will i be able to do both or not?

[shortguy]

When my son was thinking of going to uni this year he had a chat with his agent and told them his plans. They suggested he stay with them and they could assess each casting as it came up as to wether he felt he would be able to a) attend the casting and b) take the job if he was offered it.

[missmoneypenny]

I agree with shortguy's advise - I think you and your agent just need to make sure you are only submitted for things where you absolutely fit the bill, to avoid any wasted trips etc. Are you going to uni near London/a major city? x

[xebonykissesx]

Ahh i see thankyou Shortguy and missmoneypenny. I was planning on letting her know, but i'm not sure if she will keep me on if i'm honest, but of course i wouldn't want to waste her time either. Although my mum and dad have just paid for the spotlight thing aswell and my mum said she knew that it would upset me if they didn't, but now i feel as though i have wasted their money.
I'm moving to Norfolk, but it isn't very expensive and doesnt take too long to get to central London from there i dont think. But i guess the issue would be if i actually got the jobs.
Does anybody have any tips on what i should say/write to agent? as my mum doesn't know either. And i really don't want to sound as though i don't care or that i am wasting her time...but am not very good with words and have no idea what to say.
Any help would be much appreciated, pm if you prefer.

[aliceinwonderinc]

Why don't you try calling her instead of writing? It might be better to have a proper conversation anyway so that you can both put your points of view across? Just an idea :)

[doris]

Definitely talk to your agent and also talk to your Univ tutors as well so they all understand the situation. You need to find out as soon as possible what restrictions (if any) the Univ would have on you taking time off from lectures etc to be in a production.

I'm sure agents are very used to actors who are juggling several work/study commitments. Just be honest with her and keep her informed about when you are available and when not.

It understandably means a lot to you to stay with your agent and on spotlight and it sounds like you are quite an independent person so I think you will find a way to manage it all

Good luck!

[titania]

University isn't like school lectures are not 5 days a week and many students hold down part time jobs whilst studying so it may well be possible to find time for attending meetings subject to costs of course.

One caveat is that does depend on what you are studying as I have no idea what the requirements are for performance courses and I know medicine is more than 12 hours teaching a week.

The sensible thing is to pick up the phone and talk to your agent.

Good luck

[xebonykissesx]

Thankyou for all the advice!! The lucky thing is that we are in the middle of 'renewing' my contract If anybody has any pointers on how to word an email i would be incredibly grateful for a quick pm, as i have no idea what to write and my mum is at work so i've had to check her emails, and i cannot leave it any later to email agent (my mum hardly ever has time to get on the computer). But i don't know what to write, because of course i still want to be with the agency, but i need her to know that it isn't a decision taken lightly and that if possible i would still like to be with her as far as possible, in the sense that if she is still willing to have me even though i am at university. But i'm rubbish with words!
Thanks once again!

[shortguy]

I think what you have written there is just about right

[doris]

Write the email based on the assumption that you ARE staying with the agency regardless. i.e. you have posted here that you think she won't have you because you are going to uni, but you don;t know this for certain, so don't mention this in your email as it makes you sound less confident (if you see what I mean)

How about something that says you are just letting her know that your new address will be xxx as you are now studying for a degree at xx university. Then say that you realise that there might be occasional difficulties with attending auditions but that you will always try your best to be available. It might be polite to ask her how she would like to be kept informed of your availability. To show how serious you are about managing both uni and acting, you could mention that you will be talking to your tutors as soon as possible to clarify what their position is on taking time off studies for performing.

Use your own style of words though - your dedication and enthusiasm comes across very well in what you write on NAPM, so keep that in!

good luck

PS i still think a phone call might be better