About The Studio
A space where a butler belongs, put to many uses
About About The Studio
Queen's Butler The Studio is a rental space in which the antique Manor at 2-7-4 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo may be used not only as a photographic studio, but as a meeting room for hire, a place for discussions with those who matter most, a green room for those appearing at events in Odaiba, a location for film and television, and a setting for recorded conversations and broadcasts.
One Manor answers to shoots, meetings, green rooms and locations alike
This Manor was furnished as a butler salon for women. An English yew table of the 1980s, a Maria Theresa chandelier, a nineteenth-century French bed, a leather-topped study desk, a suit of Western knight's armour: these are furnishings for a butler to serve among in earnest.
Outside the hours of The Salon, that space is placed at the disposal of those who need it for photography, meetings, a green room or a location. A butler is always present to receive you, carry the tea, keep the door and explain the handling of the furnishings; the Manor is never let unattended.
On the day of a shoot, the butler never steals the picture. He compares the light of the chandelier with the photographic lighting, alters the angle of a chair by a fraction, and keeps a distance so that the hem of a costume never brushes the armour or the table. If a hand opening a door or a white glove offering tea is wanted, the butler enters the frame at the photographer's signal and, that one gesture done, withdraws quietly.
A butler, exclusive use and genuine furnishings support every use of the Manor
A butler always in residence
Whatever the use, one butler is present to receive you, serve tea, assist with the shoot and open and close the doors.
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By appointment only, one party at a time
By appointment only and for one party at a time, with the butler overseeing every arrival and departure. Suitable for shoots in which products are laid out, and for conversations that matter.
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Genuine furnishings
Not temporary backdrops, but furnishings collected for Queen's Butler's butlers to serve among in earnest. The butler is present whenever they are handled, checking their condition and placement.
Read moreWhat the Manor can accommodate
- Photography (portraits, pre-wedding, products, costume), meetings and discussions, green rooms, locations, recordings, gatherings and exhibitions.
- One butler in residence, tea service, assistance with the shoot, opening and closing of doors. Chauffeured pick-up (up to six, to and from five points) is included with plans, subject to confirmation at booking.
- Lighting equipment, power, Wi-Fi, a 120-inch screen and costume hire.
- Your own food and drink.
What requires discussion in advance
- Unattended use or the handing over of a key. The butler remains within the Manor after receiving you
- The provision of meals or cooking. You are welcome to bring your own food and drink
- Leaving the premises outside the booked hours, or leaving in costume without permission.
- Photography of the Manor's exterior or the common areas of the building.
Purpose and the way the time is spent set The Studio apart from The Salon
| Item | The Studio & Rental Space | The Salon |
|---|---|---|
| Who may use it | Everyone | Lady guests only |
| Purpose | Shoots, meetings, green rooms, locations, recordings and similar uses | Time spent in the care of a butler |
| Butler | One in residence (reception, tea service, assistance) | One at your side, in attendance |
| Unit of time | Plan hours by purpose | 2 to 6 hours, or an overnight stay |
| Example price | 3 hours ¥56,800 (tax included) | 2 hours ¥17,600 (tax included) |
The same Manor, the same butlers. Please choose according to your purpose.
Eleven scenes: one Manor in which the background can be changed
The eleven scenes are the rooms of the Manor, the dining room, the study, the fireplace room, the bedroom, the wardrobe, the corridor and more, each of which stands as a picture in its own right. Rather than swapping a backdrop, every door you pass through changes the furniture, the light, the colour of the walls and the way the time itself is spent.
In the fireplace room, gold damask walls, a wine-red velvet sofa and an electric flame create a depth like early evening. The bedroom holds a nineteenth-century French corbeille bed with burgundy linen, while the double doors and the longcase clock become backgrounds that catch a figure in motion.
Using all eleven scenes is not necessarily the answer. If the colour of a costume sings against wine red, linger in the fireplace room; if you wish to show a black or white silhouette, match it with the leather and wood of the study. Narrow the scenes to the impression you wish to keep. The butler asks about the shooting time and the number of costume changes, and proposes an order that avoids hurried moves.
See the scenes available for shoots
A space suited to its purpose is one in which people, things and conversation each have their place
| Small meetings | Read papers in the study and share a screen in the dining room. With Wi-Fi, power and a 120-inch screen at your disposal, the butler receives your visitors and serves tea. |
|---|---|
| Important discussions | Receive your guests in the fireplace room and lead them through to the dining room. The butler opens the doors and takes coats, and keeps a suitable distance while you talk. |
| Green room for events | Prepare your costume in the wardrobe, wait your turn in the fireplace room, and continue by chauffeured car to Tokyo Teleport Station and the like (included with plans, subject to confirmation at booking). A use suited to small parties of up to six. |
| Film location | The dining room, study, fireplace room, bedroom and corridor may be run together as a sequence of scenes. The butler is present from load-in to restoration, protecting the Manor's furnishings. |
| Conversations and recordings | At the study desk or on the sofa before the fire, a two-seat setting with depth in the background can be created. Sound and camera equipment are operated by you; the butler arranges the seats and the light. |
| Small gatherings | You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. The Manor serves no meals; the butler advises on where to place what you bring and how to handle the tableware, so that it and the antique furnishings coexist safely. |
From arrival to departure, the Manor moves in this order
Welcome at the door
The butler bows and confirms your purpose and the day's schedule. If you have bags or equipment, you are shown to a place where they will not block the passage.
A tour of the Manor
We first walk through the rooms to be used, the furnishings that may be touched, where to wait, and where to freshen up or prepare costumes.
Setting the first scene
Light and chairs for a shoot; seating and projection for a meeting; mirror and costume rail for a green room. The butler layers small preparations to suit the purpose before you begin.
Attending at a distance
After bringing the tea, the butler withdraws to where conversation is not disturbed, and in a shoot lends a door or a white-gloved hand on cue. The Manor is never left unattended; the butler keeps watch.
Changing scenes
The order of doors and the props are arranged so that limited time is not wasted in moving to the next place. The butler also checks that hems and equipment do not touch the furnishings.
Deciding these before you book makes the scenes of the day clear
What you wish to keep
Tell us whether a person, a product, a conversation or a film is to take the leading role. The butler proposes the rooms and hours best suited.
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Who enters the Manor
Up to six in all. Tell us the number including photographers and companions, and any preference for a gentleman or lady butler, when booking.
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What you bring
Sharing the quantity of costumes, equipment, products and food and drink lets us secure a place for them in advance. The Manor does not provide meals.
Read moreQMay I hire the Manor without a butler present?
We regret not. A butler is always present in the Manor during your booking, and no key is handed over. Once reception and tea service are done, the butler remains in the room at a distance that does not disturb conversation or the shoot, keeping watch over the furnishings and the door.
QMay I book for purposes other than photography?
Yes. The Manor may also be used for small meetings, a green room, a location, and recorded conversations or broadcasts. Tell us the purpose and we propose the space and hours best suited.
QHow many people may use it?
Up to six. If you tell us the number including photographers and companions when booking, we can arrange the movement through the Manor, the seating and a place for your belongings in advance.
QMay I bring food and drink?
Yes, you are welcome to bring your own. We do not provide meals, and where silver or porcelain is used, the butler handles it.
QMay I ask for a lady butler?
Both gentlemen and lady butlers are in residence. If you have a preference, please tell us when booking. If you wish the butler to appear in the shoot, we also ask about the gestures, costume and time in frame required.
QIs there a dress code?
Please come dressed as suits your purpose. If you bring costumes or wish to wear a full morning coat, we confirm sizes and the sequence of changes in advance.
About using The Studio
- The manor is never let unattended. A butler is present for every booking, and keys are not handed over
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. We do not provide meals
- Please use the antique furnishings under the butler's guidance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler
- Please consult us in advance about loud sound or the use of naked flames
- Prices shown include tax
You may also wish to read
The Manor may be viewed.
Viewings are by appointment. Please tell us in the form the purpose you wish to confirm and your preferred dates.