greatest sports books ever written image
katie
Ok I am in a bit of a pickle. I just graduated from a well-known musical theater program and had always planned on going to law school. I got into the best law school in my state with a full-ride thinking I wanted to be a litigator. Both my parents are attorneys in the state, and with those connections I was able to obtain an internship at the largest a law firm in my state. After working here for about a month, I am slowly beginning to realize that law school might be an awful decision for me. I am absolutely miserable and cannot imagine working in this kind of environment for the rest of my life. I started thinking about what I really wanted to do with my life and realized that all of my passions come back to the theater industry. I had been a performance major, but the life of a performer had never been too appealing to me, so I wrote it off as a possibility. However, I had never until recently thought that I could maybe have a career in the business side of theater. I am very interested in becoming a theatrical and literary (playwrights, screenwriters) talent agent, or even get into theatrical management and producing, or even theatrical marketing.
With this information I have several questions. First of all, I know that a talent agent position is extremely hard to obtain and people often work for years in the mail room before ever obtaining any kind of meaningful position. However, the only information I can seem to find is about people who are wanting to become Hollywood agents. I would want to focus on the theater and musical theater industries. Is it just as difficult to make this a career? Money isn't really an issue for me, I would like to be comfortable in the long run, but making six figures of more has never been my goal.
Also, if my ultimate goal is one of these careers, should I even bother going to law school? I have a full-ride and my parents are paying for my living expenses so I will not be incurring any debt, but I am giving up three years of my time and income. However, a law degree could prove to be a valuable asset for a talent agent when dealing with contracts and negotiations, and I would not be able to move to NY any time soon regardless due to I have no money saved LOL.
My plan right now is this. Go to law school and focus on business related classes. Get as many internships as I can during the summer with agencies and during the school year try to obtain IP and contract drafting internships... Or something that pays well. Once I am into second year of school I should also be able to work and could use those next two years to save as much money as I can. Then when I graduate law school, I could move to New York and have some money saved while I work as an agent assistant or something along those lines for $10 an hour LOL. Or even take a year off and work as an attorney for a year, assuming I've made a high enough rank to obtain a decent paying job.
Or should I just not go to law school, work for a couple years and move to NYC? That's a scary option for me as it contains no structure and I would be turning down a debt free ride to law school, which I had always planned on attending. Also, if i for some reason have a terrible experience and want to move back to my home state, I can and could maybe use my law degree and office experience to obtain a job in HR or something similar (I have had two HR internships and actually quite enjoy them). Also, is becoming a theatrical/literary agent for the theater industry a realistic option? I have no fear of hard work and bad pay as long as the end justifies the means, and I have great communications skills with an eye for talent (or so I've been told anyway).
Any and all thoughts are appreciated!!! I am just trying to figure out what the best course of action to take right now is!!! Thanks everyone in advance!
Answer
Take the free ride!!!
Anything to do with performing arts is a serious risk, no matter how good you are. I've seen so many really great musicians toiling in anonymity in nightclub bands it's not funny. Same with agents. A lot of luck is involved along with skill.
Get your law degree on a free ride, and sure, take a few business classes too.
A really good agent needs to know all the ins and outs of contracts and how to litigate if the contract is violated or abused. A lawyer can spot bad language and hidden loopholes in contracts that a less educated agent would find.
You will be a much more effective and valuable agent if you get your law degree.
Now, one question, why NYC?
Not much money in representing Broadway and off-Broadway actors.
If you become a good all purpose agent you can represent sports figures, actors, musicians, you name it.
You could be based in NY but, I'm guessing there are shysters coming out of the woodwork over there. Same with L.A.
Maybe thing San Francisco or another city. You'll need to research carefully your move. Be an agent where there aren't a ton of them.
As far as being miserable....did you really expect that being an intern was going to give you challenging, exciting law experience? No way. You get coffee and make copies of depositions and find books in the law library (or other simple drudgery)
the excitement wouldn't come until you HAVE your degree, and you start making that sweet money.
You think doctors love med school and the long marathon residency hours? No, but eventually they make busloads of money that makes the suffering worthwhile.
Working for 10 bucks an hour won't give you any life at all.
Where I live you need to make 14 an hour just to scrape by.
Take the free ride!!!
Anything to do with performing arts is a serious risk, no matter how good you are. I've seen so many really great musicians toiling in anonymity in nightclub bands it's not funny. Same with agents. A lot of luck is involved along with skill.
Get your law degree on a free ride, and sure, take a few business classes too.
A really good agent needs to know all the ins and outs of contracts and how to litigate if the contract is violated or abused. A lawyer can spot bad language and hidden loopholes in contracts that a less educated agent would find.
You will be a much more effective and valuable agent if you get your law degree.
Now, one question, why NYC?
Not much money in representing Broadway and off-Broadway actors.
If you become a good all purpose agent you can represent sports figures, actors, musicians, you name it.
You could be based in NY but, I'm guessing there are shysters coming out of the woodwork over there. Same with L.A.
Maybe thing San Francisco or another city. You'll need to research carefully your move. Be an agent where there aren't a ton of them.
As far as being miserable....did you really expect that being an intern was going to give you challenging, exciting law experience? No way. You get coffee and make copies of depositions and find books in the law library (or other simple drudgery)
the excitement wouldn't come until you HAVE your degree, and you start making that sweet money.
You think doctors love med school and the long marathon residency hours? No, but eventually they make busloads of money that makes the suffering worthwhile.
Working for 10 bucks an hour won't give you any life at all.
Where I live you need to make 14 an hour just to scrape by.
Boxing contributors if you could write a book or an article about boxing, what would it be about?
toughguy2
The book could be on anything from a former or active fighter, a particular fight, funny stories or whatever.
Answer
Hey toughguy,
How are you sir? Always a pleasure to answer your question.
If I could write a book or an article about boxing I would have three independent topics
1. Life After Boxing: From Perfection to Imperfection
Many boxers such as Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Alexis Arguello, and many others have suffered from tremendous depression right in the aftermath of their boxing careers. Some suffered from drug addiction, others went broke, while some broke down and lived an unproductive life. I think this is a great topic that covers the hidden facets of boxers after their retirement from the sport. Retiring is one of the hardest thing to do for many of these great boxers. Thus, this book would revolve around the social and individual and impersonal situations that boxers endure during their retirements.
2. The Cultural Influence of Resiliency: Boxers From the Third World
Many boxers from the third world lived a very traumatized life from seeing crimes, murders, poverty, corruption, civil wars, etc. This book would gather empirical frameworks that focus on how the third world culture motivates boxers to become fighters. Not only they are taught to be resilient to their own pain and suffering but their psychological bearings also influences their physical beligerence to use boxing as a way to retaliate from their harsh experiences. Boxing becomes their apparatus to enhance an improve life being.
3. The War of Independent Ideologies Beyond Boxing: Joe Louis vs Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis of course was known as an American hero who was proud of his country. He help united many African American and White Americans in his fights. He never encouraged any level of black superiority norhe has ever used any racial insults towards others in a time when race was such a provoking issue. Joe Louis of course happily served his country in the war. Muhammad Ali rejected the draft and went against the Federal Government as he believed that African Americans were not treated equally and African Americans should not fight a war based on the instructions of the predominant white society. Thus, both Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali differed in their ideological stance and this book will focus on these issues and compare and contrast the pros and cons of both of their beliefs.
Hey toughguy,
How are you sir? Always a pleasure to answer your question.
If I could write a book or an article about boxing I would have three independent topics
1. Life After Boxing: From Perfection to Imperfection
Many boxers such as Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Alexis Arguello, and many others have suffered from tremendous depression right in the aftermath of their boxing careers. Some suffered from drug addiction, others went broke, while some broke down and lived an unproductive life. I think this is a great topic that covers the hidden facets of boxers after their retirement from the sport. Retiring is one of the hardest thing to do for many of these great boxers. Thus, this book would revolve around the social and individual and impersonal situations that boxers endure during their retirements.
2. The Cultural Influence of Resiliency: Boxers From the Third World
Many boxers from the third world lived a very traumatized life from seeing crimes, murders, poverty, corruption, civil wars, etc. This book would gather empirical frameworks that focus on how the third world culture motivates boxers to become fighters. Not only they are taught to be resilient to their own pain and suffering but their psychological bearings also influences their physical beligerence to use boxing as a way to retaliate from their harsh experiences. Boxing becomes their apparatus to enhance an improve life being.
3. The War of Independent Ideologies Beyond Boxing: Joe Louis vs Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis of course was known as an American hero who was proud of his country. He help united many African American and White Americans in his fights. He never encouraged any level of black superiority norhe has ever used any racial insults towards others in a time when race was such a provoking issue. Joe Louis of course happily served his country in the war. Muhammad Ali rejected the draft and went against the Federal Government as he believed that African Americans were not treated equally and African Americans should not fight a war based on the instructions of the predominant white society. Thus, both Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali differed in their ideological stance and this book will focus on these issues and compare and contrast the pros and cons of both of their beliefs.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Posts
Comments :
Post a Comment