Hoite Caston Productions

08/21/2023

Enjoy this joy full dance!

84.7K likes, 2531 comments. “Bianca & Nils”

02/12/2023

A moving story about caring and gratitude!

A female humpback whale became entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.
This is her story of giving gratitude.
A fisherman spotted her just east of the Faralon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so badly off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her…. a very dangerous proposition.
One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, nudged them, and pushed gently, thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.
May you be so fortunate …
To be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you.
And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.
❤️

02/12/2023

My thanks go out to all my teachers for helping shape who I am and will be. And to this particular teacher for sharing this so impactful learning experience!

This starts my 22nd year of teaching middle school. Yesterday was quite possibly one of the most impactful days I have ever had.

I tried a new activity called “The Baggage Activity”. I asked the kids what it meant to have baggage and they mostly said it was hurtful stuff you carry around on your shoulders.

I asked them to write down on a piece of paper what was bothering them, what was heavy on their heart, what was hurting them, etc. No names were to be on a paper. They wadded the paper up, and threw it across the room.

They picked up a piece of paper and took turns reading out loud what their classmate wrote. After a student read a paper, I asked who wrote that, and if they cared to share.

I’m here to tell you, I have never been so moved to tears as what these kids opened up and about and shared with the class.

Things like su***de, parents in prison, drugs in their family, being left by their parents, death, cancer, losing pets (one said their gerbil died cause it was fat, we giggled😁) and on and on.

The kids who read the papers would cry because what they were reading was tough. The person who shared (if they chose to tell us it was them) would cry sometimes too. It was an emotionally draining day, but I firmly believe my kids will judge a little less, love a little more, and forgive a little faster.

This bag hangs by my door to remind them that we all have baggage. We will leave it at the door. As they left I told them, they are not alone, they are loved, and we have each other’s back.

I am honored to be their teacher.

Credit: Karen Wunderlich Loewe

01/01/2023

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09/13/2020

My Independence Sesquicentennial Celebration Video

To celebrate the Independence, Kansas Sesquicentennial, Brayden Smith, a city resident and sophomore music student at Kansas State University, was commissioned to compose a musical tribute for the community's 150th Anniversary.

His composition, "Declaration for Wind Band," was inspired by the Declaration of Independence and its stated Creator-endowed "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." All values that have been reflected in our city's goals and accomplishments during its first 150 years.

As a personal contribution to my hometown's year-long Sesquicentennial Celebration, I chose to record the public premiere of Brayden's composition as he conducted the Independence Mid-Continent Band during its July 4th, 2020, concert in the Riverside Park Hille Bandshell.

With his approval, I then re-edited my previously produced Independence City Website Video using his composition as the new soundtrack along with visual highlights from this year's July 4th city fireworks display for the 7-minute video below.

Happy 150th Birthday to our hometown of Independence, Kansas, from Brayden, The Mid-Continent Band, and me!

To celebrate the Independence, Kansas Sesquicentennial, Brayden Smith, a city resident and sophomore music student at Kansas State University, was commissioned to…

08/13/2020

As a former Rock Chalk R***e Producer and KU Radio & TV Production graduate, I'm a collaborative, award-winning video "storyteller."

I specialize in "communication-problem-solving," incorporating humor and heart as I research, write, produce, direct, shoot, edit and provide voice-over narration for corporate promotions, documentaries, and commercials for clients of all sizes, from Amazon.com to family celebrations.

I specialize in "communication-problem-solving" and have worked with my clients to create unique presentations for their organizations through customed-tailored concepts to promote such things as:

Cities' accomplishments, economic development, school systems, tourism, police department, and staff recruitment.

Non-profit organizations' achievements, public relations, and fundraising outreach.

Small and large businesses' promotions of their products, services, and employment opportunities.

Interviews of grandparents answering submitted questions about their family history, legacies, and life's lessons during a celebratory anniversary gathering of their descendants, while interweaving family photos and Internet examples of their memories.

While most organizations' marketing messages are designed to attract and appeal to an outside audience, I've found that one of the most consistent results of my promotional productions has been their impact on my clients' employees and constituents.

After those members see all of their organization's positive attributes condensed into an informative and entertaining video presentation,' their knowledge of and pride and enthusiasm for the organization's past accomplishments and its future goals are eagerly supported and celebrated.

What new can we create together?

08/13/2020

As a former Rock Chalk R***e Producer and KU Radio, TV & Film Production graduate, I'm a collaborative, award-winning video "storyteller."

I specialize in "communication-problem-solving," incorporating humor and heart as I research, write, produce, direct, shoot, edit and provide voice-over narration for corporate promotions, documentaries, and commercials with clients of all sizes, from Amazon.com to family celebrations.

I enjoy colaborating with my clients to create unique presentations for their organizations through customed-tailored concepts to promote such things as:

Cities' accomplishments, economic development, school systems, tourism, and staff recruitment.

Non-profit organizations' achievements, public relations, and fundraising outreach.

Small and large businesses' promotions of their products, services, and employment opportunities.

Interviews of grandparents answering submitted questions about their family history, legacies, and life's lessons during a celebratory anniversary gathering of their descendants illustrated by family pictures and Internet researched visuals.

While most organizations' marketing messages are designed to attract and appeal to an outside audience, I've found that one of the most consistent results of my promotional productions has been their impact on my clients' own employees and constituents.

After their members see all of their organization's positive attributes condensed into an informative and entertaining video presentation, their knowledge of, pride in, and enthusiasm for the organization's past accomplishments and future goals are eagerly supported, celebrated, and achieved.

What new productions can we create together?

Give me a call at (785) 766-4314!

11/04/2019

While I'm now concentrating on longer promotional videos, as a past writer, producer, director, and editor of over a thousand 30-second commercials, I used to have the ability to walk into a selling situation and come up with a pretty good concept for an engaging TV spot for various kinds of messages. Today's talented practitioners of those mini-productions that occupy some 25% of each hour of television can pack an enormous amount of information into those fleeting 30 seconds, all designed to stick in your memory and compel you to believe in or "buy" what they're selling.

A recent Netflix documentary about the brain spotlighted three main ingredients that tend to make things we experience memorable. The first was having that mental encounter be part of a "Story." The second characteristic that makes something stick in our minds is an identification with a familiar "Place." The crucial third factor tying all these memory inducing stimuli together is "Emotion," of which music is often a prime inducer.

Therefore, a most memorable commercial should have a captivating story set in familiar places that combine to evoke strong emotions, like inspiration, sentiment, or humor. Such a message will not only be remembered, but as a bonus will also probably be enjoyed, again, and again, giving it an excellent chance that it will also be enacted upon when the "buying" opportunity arises.

I believe this McDonald's commercial below hits the bullseye on each of those critical memory-making targets. What do you think?

Commercial for McDonald's created by Purple Strategies, shot by Rogue Producer, and edited by Utopic.

10/12/2019

The Independence City Commission gave Hoite Caston Productions permission to customized my recent Indy website video as a way to promote local businesses and also widen the audience for its welcoming message to potential visitors and others who may consider moving their families and businesses to the community. The entrepreneurial owners of Magnolia Scents by Design were the first to take advantage of this opportunity to boost their business and the city! Here is the link to their customization. Be sure to enlarge the screen before starting for a bigger picture of our hometown!

I created the video for the new Independence website to promote things to do and see when visiting the city. I received permission from the city to customize the…