The Company
„Sometimes there are things in life you don’t want to experience. Only years later you know why you had to go through them.“
A company like a good movie: colorful, adventurous and sometimes highly dramatical. This is how the company history reads.
The beginning
In
1974 Klaus Pille, cameratechnician and globetrotter started the
company. For years Klaus Pille travelled the world designing and
building cinemas. Then he decided to settle down in Rheinbach near
Bonn. He started selling and servicing filmcameras and accessories.
Only two years later he started a camera rental department. He also
became ARRI camera and lighting salespoint. Shortly after that, the
first camera technician had to be employed.
The first employee
By
coincidence precision mechanic and to be camera technician Uli Fischer
joined the company in 1984. He only wanted to fill in time before going
to university. He now is managing director of the company. In 1985 the
company moved to bigger premises on the Taunus Film & Studio
grounds
in Wiesbaden.
The expansion
More and
more the focus lies on camerarental and cameraservice. The expansion of
the workshop leads to the expansion of the rental department. The
enlargement lead to two new departments: lighting and dolly grips. From
then on, Tungsten and HMI lighting, Panther Dollies and a Cine Jib
cameracrane were available. In 1987 several 35mm MOS and sound cameras
were purchased. At the same time Klaus Pille invested in
transportation. Several trucks up to 7,5 tons went into rental to serve
small and bigger filmsets.
Two locations
Pille
rental is growing and growing. There is need for another branch in
Cologne. It was opened in 1989 in the Technology parc with four
employees on top of six in Wiesbaden. Pille has now become an industry
standard for quality, reliability and technical knowledge. The rental
capacity has grown to serve several productions at the same time –
nationwide and international. In 1996 the Cologne branch moved to new
and bigger premises in the Lukasstrasse. The Wiesbaden branch rented a
neighbouring warehouse to store lights and grips increasing storage
room to 350 square metres.
The cut
In 1996 Klaus
Pille died suddenly and difficult times began for all employees. But
one thing was clear to all: It had to go on. With the second wife of
Klaus Pille as a partner, Uli Fischer made a restart to the company.
Unfortunately this cooperation didn’ t work out too well. There were
too many differences in how to carry on Klaus Pilles rental and service
philosophy. These problems were solved by lawyers in 2001. Thanks to
the support of cameramen, focuspullers, gaffers, electricians and
friends, the team around Wolfgang Damm, Uli Fischer and Martin Höhe
were able to concentrate on the most important thing again that
matters: the film.
Pille today
„We live film“ Uli
Fischer says. Looking at the offices one understands what he means. No
red carpets, no Oscar statues, just high qualitity film equipment
stored in its very own place. There are only made to measure cases for
all the cameras and lenses. Technicians know every screw, understand
every lens. The spirit of Klaus Pille can be felt everywhere in these
perfect organized premises meaning: shine through brilliantly
maintained equipment.
