
By Andrew Berthoff
What is SOCAN? It’s a question that every SOCAN employee has been asked at least a few times.
Most Canadians have heard of SOCAN, and the name prompts a squinting quizzical look and, “Tell me again what SOCAN does?”
While it’s a simple question, we all know it’s an answer that can easily become complex. But a simple question requires a simple answer.
What better way to explain what SOCAN is all about in the most basic and essential terms than through video? And who better to encapsulate that explanation than smart and savvy younger adults with a love of music and an aspiration for a career in animation and video production?
The SOCAN team had the idea to reach out to the community, so we approached our friends at Sheridan College who put us together with two excellent students who knew little about SOCAN. All the better. That’s what we wanted. A fresh, uncluttered perspective on what we do.
The result is our new “What Is SOCAN?” video. In a handful of seconds, SOCAN’s essential function is explained.
It’s only one explanation of what we are. There are unlimited perspectives and interpretations, and there are myriad more things that we could include. We plan to create more explanatory pieces with the video and animation education community.
This is the first for SOCAN, and we’re proud of the work that Gaby Reiss and Victor Tarapacki did under the guidance of Elaine Brodie and the SOCAN Communications & Marketing team.
We hope that you like it, and, next time you’re asked, “What is SOCAN?” at a professional event, a party or a family gathering, you can simply pull out your phone and show them our video.