KAYLA TRAN

Filmmaker & Graphic Designer

Kayla Tran (she/her) is a Vietnamese American filmmaker and graphic designer born and raised in San Jose, California. She is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis, working towards a double B.A. degree in Communication and Cinema & Digital Media with a minor in Political Science.Through documentary and narrative filmmaking, Kayla is committed to telling multifaceted, interpersonal stories about various interests and diverse, underrepresented communities. She recently directed a student feature-length documentary about Formula Racing at UC Davis, sharing the story of a team of engineering students who overcome personal and technical challenges to build a race car.As a proponent of change, Kayla values the power of filmmaking in uplifting important issues in society. For freelance work, she produces political videography content that highlights progressive organizations and important leaders dedicated to creating a better future for Gen Z, queer women, and communities of color. This past January, she was the California Legislative Progressive Caucus Center’s official videographer for its second annual policy conference in San Francisco.Kayla currently works as a graphic designer at ASUCD Creative Media. She has previously designed graphics for student-led organizations at UC Davis, including the Davis Filmmaking Society, Formula Racing at UC Davis, and The California Aggie. Among various specializations, she is experienced in brand identity and social media marketing design.Beyond her work, Kayla enjoys going to the cinema, playing the piano, watching sports, grabbing matcha lattes with friends, and staying educated about the world. She’ll always look for ways to be out and about, reaching and achieving her goals one day at a time.

LPCC PHOTOS BY MJLMSTUDIO

FILMOGRAPHY

FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS

SHORT FILMS

Beyond the Podium: A Formula Racing at UC Davis Documentary (2025), dir. Kayla Tran

Formula Racing at UC Davis (FRUCD) heads into another season of
competing in the annual Formula SAE Electric competition in
Brooklyn, Michigan. The team must try to build their fastest and
most innovative car yet, but to do so, they must test their own limits,
facing new challenges in designing and manufacturing a car unique
to FRUCD’s history and legacy.Film Credits: Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, Camera OperatorThe film officially released online on October 19th, 2025.

Video

Summer of Discovery (2025), dir. Kayla Tran

A Davis Filmmaking Society (DFS) production about an ambitious high school senior who spends a summer deciding what to study at university by experimenting with different activities. The short film premiered at the 2025 DFS Film Fest.Film Credits: Director, Producer, Co-Writer, Co-Editor

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Don't Hold Back (2024), dir. Ryan Elliott AuYeung

A Davis Filmmaking Society (DFS) production about a friendship fallout between two student writers. The film premiered at the 10th annual DFS Film Fest at UC Davis.Film Credits: Assistant Director, Co-Producer, Co-Writer, Co-Editor

Video

VIDEOGRAPHY

California Legislative Progressive Caucus Center - 2nd Annual Conference
(January 2026)

I was the official videographer for the California Legislative Progressive Caucus Center’s second annual conference in January 2026. During my two days in San Francisco, I recorded footage of educational panels and keynote speeches by legislators, advocates, and academics committed to progressive change in California and throughout the country.

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GRAPHIC DESIGN

GRAPHIC DESIGN: PERSONAL WORK

GRAPHIC DESIGN: CASE STUDIES

OP:EX - 2026 DAVIS DESIGN FEST

OP:EX (abbr. Operation: Exterminate) is a time-sensitive spy-adventure app where users are tasked with completing offline activities with friends in the real world. Once they complete all tasks and finish their “spy mission,” they are prompted to delete the app. The app was created during the 2026 Davis Design Fest (hosted by Davis Design Interactive) and received the Best Overall Design award. I contributed to this project alongside several of my peers at ASUCD Creative Media: Shampave Kandiah, Nicole Paja, and Tegan Leong.OP:EX explores issues of digital addiction among tweens and teens, especially during a critical time in their lives where they develop valuable skills (e.g., decision-making and critical thinking) through formative experiences. We wanted to address how adolescents today face difficulties socializing offline due to early digital influences. Through OP:EX, they hoped to redirect their target audience back to activities in the physical, offline world by breaking down the experiences they are familiar with online.

DECIPHER: AN ISSUE-BASED EXPLAINER

DECIPHER examines how data-driven targeting on social media platforms can disproportionately impact digital experiences for marginalized communities, including queer women of color. For this project, I conducted research and created samples of clear, informational graphics designed for Instagram, applying visual storytelling to communicate complex technocultural concepts. DECIPHER was originally developed as coursework for CDM 002: Introduction to Technocultural Studies at UC Davis.Read the full report here:

CAMPAIGN STUDY: 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

During the 2024 presidential campaign, I designed social media graphics informed by digital strategies, studying how rapid-response content operates in fast-paced political environments. In this work, I emphasized strong visual hierarchy, bold typography, and clean, mobile-first layouts to ensure messages are quickly understood and easily shareable. Throughout this process, I explored how platform-specific design and key messaging can drive voter engagement and shape how audiences interact with political content online.

GRAPHIC DESIGN:
ASUCD CREATIVE MEDIA

I design print and digital graphics for various clients and units of the Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD), including Aggie Studios, the Bike Barn, the Unitrans “Moo-vin’ Moo-seum” art installation, and the Elections Committee. Projects and assignments range from Instagram posts, physical flyers, business cards, stickers, etc.

GRAPHIC DESIGN:
DAVIS FILMMAKING SOCIETY

Throughout the 2024-25 academic year at UC Davis, I designed numerous graphics as the associate publicist of the Davis Filmmaking Society (DFS), a student-led filmmaking organization. Graphic design projects included a brand marketing campaign for the 2025 DFS Film Fest, Instagram posts, and merchandise.

GRAPHIC DESIGN:
FORMULA RACING AT UC DAVIS

As a current business team member of Formula Racing at UC Davis (FRUCD), I collaborate with colleagues to design graphics for social media. I have also taken responsibility for designing Instagram carousel posts featured on the team's Instagram account.For Beyond the Podium: A Formula Racing at UC Davis Documentary, I designed the official flyer (featuring commissioned artwork by Thanh Nguyen), Instagram posts, and merchandise to promote the film.

GRAPHIC DESIGN:
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

During the 2024-25 academic year at UC Davis, I designed and illustrated numerous graphics for The California Aggie, the university's student-led newspaper. Graphics appeared in The Aggie's print and digital issues, accompanying student journalists' articles on topics like sports, cinema, music, nationwide issues, local news, and school updates.

FRAMES & STILLS