Hotel Video Production in Japan
Alphabet Productions is a bilingual production company based in Tokyo. Hotel video production in Japan is a large part of what we do: brand films, launch films, social content and photography for hotels, resorts, restaurants and tourism bodies. Our work includes Roku Kyoto, Seasons Niseko, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Park Hyatt Tokyo, Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay, Oakwood, Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Conrad Osaka, Canopy by Hilton Osaka and Hilton Kyoto.
We shoot film and stills with one crew on one schedule, in English and Japanese, and we plan every day around your guests and your operations.
Selected hotel and resort work
Launch brand film and stills photography for Hilton’s luxury resort in Kyoto. With Moriya Design Studio.
Brand films and photography across winter and summer for a fully staffed luxury property in Niseko, Hokkaido.
Brand film and photography for the new Oakwood serviced apartments in central Tokyo. With Moriya Design Studio.
Brand film with the head chef and sommelier of L’Osier on pairing food with Ruinart champagne.
Restaurant photography: chef portraits and food for the hotel’s two restaurants.
Photography presenting the hotel as a wedding venue.
Inbound tourism films for three prefectures, produced for JTB.
Food and beverage photography for a café brand’s menus, website and social channels.
Brand film and photography shot over three days in cherry blossom season, for Signature Properties.
Brand film and photography for a residential development in Sydney. With Extra Black.
Hotel and resort video production services
Hotel brand films
The film that says what a stay with you feels like. We plan it with your marketing team and brand guidelines, cast and style it, and shoot rooms, dining, spa and surroundings as one story. For Roku Kyoto we made the brand film that launched the hotel.
Launch and opening films
A new property needs film and stills before the first guest arrives. We work around construction schedules, soft openings and incomplete spaces, and deliver in time for your launch. Recent openings include Roku Kyoto, Oakwood Azabu and Kamo Residences in Kyoto.
Rooms, suites and property films
Short films of rooms, suites, villas and facilities for your website and booking pages. Architecture and interiors are lit and shot with care, with or without talent.
Social content and short-form video
Vertical and square cuts for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, planned in the shot list from the start instead of cropped later.
Restaurant, bar and chef films
Food and beverage content for hotel restaurants and independent venues: chef interviews, kitchen and service, plated dishes and drinks. Work includes Ruinart at L’Osier in Tokyo and the restaurants of Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay.
Aerial and drone
Licensed drone operators for exteriors, grounds and coastlines, flown under Japanese aviation rules with the permits arranged by us. We also fly indoors: one of our shots at Conrad Osaka was a drone pass through the 40th-floor Sky Lobby.
Casting, styling and lifestyle shoots
Guests in your film should look like your guests. We cast Japanese and international models and families, and handle wardrobe, hair and make-up, and props. For Hilton’s “HiltonStay Stories” campaign we cast Japanese and Korean families, an international couple and a bartender across three hotels in Osaka and Kyoto.
Tourism and destination films
Films for prefectures, destinations and travel companies that show the region around a stay. For JTB we produced inbound tourism films across Tottori, Hyogo and Tokushima.
Hotel photography in Japan and Tokyo
Most hotel projects need stills as much as film. We photograph interiors and architecture, rooms and suites, food and drink, chef and staff portraits, and lifestyle scenes with cast.
Where the schedule allows, stills are shot alongside the film, so the light, styling and cast match across both and the hotel is disrupted once, not twice. Photography work includes Seasons Niseko, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay, Kamo Residences in Kyoto and Waldorf Astoria Osaka.
Photography is led by our founder, Andrew Goldie, an advertising photographer with 25 years of experience across Japan and Asia. See his hotel and tourism photography, or read more about our commercial photography production in Japan.
Hotel and resort shoots across Japan
We are based in Tokyo and travel as one unit, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, with the same producer from first scout to final delivery.
Tokyo
Park Hyatt Tokyo, Oakwood Azabu, Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay, and Ruinart at L’Osier. City hotels mean tight windows: we shoot public spaces early, rooms between check-out and check-in, and skyline views when the light is right.
Kyoto
Roku Kyoto, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Hilton Kyoto and Kamo Residences. Kyoto is as much about what surrounds the hotel as the hotel itself, so we plan for seasons, crowds and location permissions. Kamo Residences was shot at the peak of cherry blossom.
Osaka
Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Conrad Osaka and Canopy by Hilton Osaka, produced with London agency Precious for Hilton.
Niseko and Hokkaido
Seasons Niseko, filmed and photographed in both winter and summer. Winter meant close to a metre of fresh snow a day and temperatures down to minus 20.
Boutique hotels and ryokan
Not every property needs a large crew. We also take on smaller shoots for boutique hotels and ryokan, with a compact team suited to a quiet house.
What clients say
“I’m impressed with Alphabet Productions’ local cultural knowledge.”
Peter Christiansen, Managing Director, Precious (London). Hotel photo and video campaigns for Hilton at Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Conrad Osaka, Canopy by Hilton Osaka and Hilton Kyoto, 2025.
Read Peter’s verified review on Clutch. More client testimonials.
A production partner in Japan for agencies and hotel groups
Many hotel shoots come to us from agencies and brand teams outside Japan who already have the concept, the director or the photographer. We run everything on the ground: location scouting and permits, Japanese and international casting, styling, crew, equipment, drone, translators and transport.
If your team cannot travel, we shoot to your brief while you watch and approve over a live video link. For London agency Precious and its client Hilton, we produced photo and video shoots at four hotels in Osaka and Kyoto in 2025.
More on our production support in Japan.
Hotel video production in Japan: questions we are asked
Do you specialize in hotel and resort video production in Japan?
Yes. Hotel and resort video and photography is one of our main areas of work. Projects include Roku Kyoto, Seasons Niseko, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Park Hyatt Tokyo, and Hilton hotels in Osaka and Kyoto.
Can you provide both video and photography in the same shoot?
Yes, our bilingual team is experienced in delivering cohesive video and photography content during the same shoot. This ensures a consistent visual style and an efficient production schedule.
Do you offer creative planning such as scripting and storyboarding for hotel videos?
Absolutely. We offer complete creative services including concept development, scripting, storyboarding, and shot planning tailored specifically for hotel and resort storytelling.
Are you familiar with working with hotel marketing teams and brand guidelines?
Yes, we have extensive experience working with in-house marketing teams, global brand agencies, and regional PR teams to ensure all creative content meets brand standards and tone.
Can you help us highlight local experiences, cultural elements, or neighborhood attractions?
Yes, our storytelling often blends the hotel experience with its surrounding environment, including cultural points of interest, dining, nature, and local charm.
Do you also offer aerial drone footage of hotel properties?
Yes, we can provide aerial and drone video and photography in accordance with Japanese aviation laws. We have licensed operators and experience filming in urban and remote locations.
Can you film guest experience stories, including interviews or lifestyle scenes?
Yes, we specialize in narrative-style content that highlights the guest experience. We can also conduct on-camera interviews with staff, talent, or influencers.
Do you help with casting, styling, and wardrobe for hotel shoots?
Yes, we can provide casting of models or talent, wardrobe styling, hair and makeup, and prop coordination to match the tone and positioning of the hotel brand.
Can we work with you remotely if we’re not based in Japan?
Yes, many of our hotel projects are managed remotely. We provide remote monitoring of shoots via live video links and can handle pre-production, location sourcing, and post-production entirely on your behalf.
Can you work with tight hotel schedules or guest access restrictions?
Yes, we are experienced in working discreetly around guest schedules and hotel operations, and can plan shoots that minimize disruption while maintaining a high standard of quality.
How much does a hotel video cost in Japan?
It depends on the number of shoot days, crew size, cast, locations and deliverables. Tell us the property, what you need and when, and we will send an itemised estimate. We work with a wide range of budgets, from a one-day shoot with a small crew to a multi-day campaign.
How far ahead should we book a hotel shoot?
A month or more is ideal, because some permits and locations need that long. Simpler shoots can be organised in a week, and we have put shoots together in a few days when needed.
Do you shoot hotels outside Tokyo?
Yes. We have filmed and photographed hotels in Kyoto, Osaka and Niseko, and we travel throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. We arrange crew travel, accommodation and transport and itemise them in the estimate.
Do you work with boutique hotels and ryokan?
Yes. Alongside the large international brands, we take on smaller shoots for boutique hotels and ryokan, with a compact crew.
Can one film work for both Japanese and international audiences?
Yes. We work in English and Japanese and deliver versions in both. We also provide subtitles, voiceover and dubbing in other languages, including Chinese, Spanish, French and German.
Which currencies can you invoice in?
Japanese yen, US dollars, euros, Australian dollars and Singapore dollars, and other currencies on request.
