A film crew shooting a scene in the Dining Room while a butler pours tea at the table

The Studio — Film Location

Film, Drama and Music Video Location

The Study, the fireside and the Dining Room as a stage for stories, watched over by the butler

Queen's Butler — Definition

About Film, Drama and Music Video Location

Film, drama and music video location use means taking the Queen's Butler The Studio Manor in Odaiba as the stage for a screen production for a full day. The Study, the Lounge, the Dining Room, the bedroom, the Wardrobe and the gallery can be filmed with up to six people.

A house with stories

With every change of angle, a different story's doorway appears

Using an antique Manor as a location is not a matter of placing one piece of furniture before a backdrop; it means bringing the relationships between door, desk, fireplace, bed and light into the frame. A figure appears through the double doors, reads a letter in the Study, sits face to face in the Dining Room. The very order in which one walks the Manor becomes a sequence of scenes.

In the Dining Room, the 2,286 mm yew table and the nine-light chandelier define the distance between figures. The Study holds the leather-topped twin pedestal desk, a typewriter, a globe and the knight's armour. In the Lounge, the wine-red sofa and mantelpiece form the background for dialogue or a quiet aftermath.

The bedroom has a 19th-century French corbeille bed; the gallery, French oak double doors 2,480 mm high, a hall clock and a cabinet. Pieces with age and provenance are not mere props. The butler explains how they are handled and confirms before filming who may touch them and where they are placed.

The whole Manor, with antique furnishings running from the Study to the Dining Room

The right space for a scene can be chosen from the movement and the linesChoose a scene

Scene comparison

Compare spaces and furnishings by the scene you wish to shoot

A white-gloved hand adjusting the face of the hall clock

Space	Main furnishings in frame	Suited scenes	What the butler checks
Study	Leather-topped desk, captain's chair, typewriter, globe, armour	Work, letters, reflection, one-to-one conversation	Items on the desk and the position of the chair
Lounge	Mantelpiece, wine-red sofa, six-light chandelier	Dialogue, recollection, relaxed conversation	Equipment paths around the sofa
Dining Room	Yew table, nine-light chandelier, gramophone	Face-to-face conversation, service, ceremonial moments	Items on the table and the camera position
Bedroom	19th-century French corbeille bed, candlesticks	Waking, reading a letter, a quiet interior	How far the bed and fabrics are touched
Wardrobe	Mirror, bookcase, Chesterfield chair, butler attire	Changing, dressing, angles through the mirror	Where costume and personal items are placed
Gallery	Double doors, hall clock, cabinet, sconces	Entrances and exits, waiting, walking	Opening the doors and the equipment path

The antique furnishings are handled under the butler's guidance. Please raise any wishes for moving or arranging them at the location scout or when discussing your booking.

Three approaches

Within the same Manor, the backdrop can follow the temperature of the work

Study

The Study, for a character's inner life

A letter laid on the desk, a hand on the typewriter, a pause before the globe. Suited to scenes where hands and expression are layered at close range.

The fireplace dressed with roses and the wine-red sofa

Lounge

The Lounge, for receiving dialogue

Side by side on the sofa, face to face, or standing with the fireplace behind. The relationship between characters can be shown by where they sit.

Dining

The Dining Room, for staging distance

Either end of the long table, a row with one seat empty, glances across the silver. A space that readily expresses the distance between several characters on screen.

Angles, power and paths for equipment are checked at the location scoutEquipment

The Dining Room: yew table and chairs beneath the chandelier

Production notes

Production details we ask you to share before filming

Production	The type of work, such as film, drama or music video, and the content of the scenes to be filmed
Dates and times	Preferred date and hours, including load-in, preparation, filming and load-out
Numbers	Up to six, including cast and crew
Equipment brought in	Type and size of cameras, tripods, sound and lighting
The Manor's lighting	Photographic lighting equipment
Facilities	Power, Wi-Fi, 120-inch screen

What the Manor can support

Filming within the Manor: the Study, the Lounge, the Dining Room, the bedroom, the Wardrobe, the gallery and more
Attendance by one butler of the operating body, the general incorporated association Japan Butler Association
The butler's guidance on handling the antiques and where to stand
Use of photographic lighting equipment, power and Wi-Fi
Filming with up to six people

What requires prior confirmation

Filming with the Manor left unattended
Handling the armour, hall clock, porcelain or silver without informing the butler
Naked flame, loud noise or filming after 9 pm without prior confirmation
Bringing in large equipment or set pieces that have not been confirmed
Any use that places strain on the antique furnishings

Butler on set

The butler attends to protect both the furnishings and the filming

The butler's attendance is not a matter of watching the shoot from afar; it means knowing which space and which furnishings come next, and offering a hand before anything is touched. The armour, the hall clock, the porcelain and the silver are handled by the butler. If you wish to change the position of chairs or props, please ask the butler first.

White gloves are worn not only as a mark of care for the pieces. They keep the hands that touch silver and porcelain in order, and help confirm the position and number of each item. Whenever filming pauses, the butler checks the pieces set outside the frame and clears the path before the next scene.

Both male and female butlers are in residence. During filming we defer to the crew's cues and add no unnecessary words. Where a piece is about to be touched, or a door and equipment must move at the same time, we speak briefly to indicate the safe order.

How the butler supports you

A male and a female butler bowing side by side inside the Manor

From location scout to final check, filming proceeds in seven stagesLocation flow

Flow

From enquiry to departure

The fireplace and rococo sofa in the Lounge

Tell us the production and the scene

When you enquire, tell us the type of work, the scenes you wish to shoot, preferred dates and numbers. We are happy to discuss a production without its title being disclosed.

Tell us the equipment

We ask the type and size of cameras, tripods, sound and lighting, and which equipment will draw power.

Check the angles at a location scout

The butler shows you the Manor and confirms positions, backgrounds, equipment paths and any action that touches the furnishings.

Settle the dates and the spaces

We set out your wishes including load-in, preparation, filming and load-out, and confirm the terms of use.

Load in and set up

Under the butler's guidance, equipment is carried to the spaces where it will be used. Anything placed near the antiques is positioned together.

QCan we see the Manor before filming?

Yes, location scouts can be arranged. If you tell us the scenes, preferred dates, numbers and equipment in advance, the butler will show you the spaces that need checking in turn.

QHow many people can be admitted?

Up to six, including cast and crew. Please tell us everyone's role and how many will be in the Manor for each scene before booking.

QCan we bring in filming equipment?

We ask the type and size of cameras, tripods, sound and lighting, and how they will be brought in, and confirm what is possible. Please list separately equipment that draws power and equipment to be placed near the antiques.

QCan we use the Manor's lighting equipment?

Photographic lighting equipment is available. Tell us the angles you want and the equipment you are bringing, and confirm positions at the location scout. We consider the direction of light while keeping paths clear for cast and butler.

QCan the antiques be moved?

Please discuss any wishes for arrangement in advance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler; for other pieces we check their condition and the content of the scene. If the cast will touch a piece, we ask how and how many times beforehand.

QCan we record sound?

Please tell us in advance what will be recorded: dialogue, conversation, movement. Loud noise and use after 9 pm require prior confirmation. Where sound equipment will be placed and where the butler will wait can be checked at the location scout.

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