from Kayla:

There was only one meal I’d request from my Japanese grandma every time I’d visit her. It wasn’t that I thought she couldn’t cook anything else, she definitely could. But the way she made semi-scrambled fried eggs on top of furikake rice is something I’ve never been able to replicate.

I call the dish “eggs and rice” and I ate it for 26 years of my life.

Tamago is the word for “egg” in Japanese. When I was thinking of potential names for a company, I wanted something that represented who I was. Something that grounded me to my roots and reminded me of values I wanted to bring into the projects I created.

Baba, my grandma, had no filter and always spoke her mind. She was simultaneously the most blunt and loving woman I’ve ever known. She always led with honesty and often sandwiched it between silly songs and dance moves.

Unfortunately, when I first created my company, I misspelled Tamago Films as “Tomago Films” after misreading texts Baba had sent me about the proper spelling of “eggs and rice” in Japanese. I called Baba when I had realized my mistake, distraught and embarrassed. I was certain I had let her down. She just laughed, smiled, and told me it was okay and a good thing I could fix it!

On August 7, 2024, I mailed in my paperwork to correct the company name. Baba passed away unexpectedly later that night.

I wasn’t in the room with her but we talked on the phone and I told her about the correction. Her last words to me were “I love you!”. My mom told me she was dancing in her hospital bed as she said this.

Baba was everything I could hope for a company to be: honest, kind, loving, and never too far from the next dance party.

My hope is for Tamago Films to embody the same values Baba exhibited in her daily life. That the projects we create prioritize the well-being of our crew while also nurturing the heart of the story throughout the entire production process.

But most importantly, that we strive to use the gift of film and photography to connect, amplify, and uplift human beings from all walks of life.

It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to tell these stories. It’s our job to tell them well.