1972…
…it all starts with a very simple idea: Erich Fitz, camera assistant at that time, and Hans-Joachim Schmidle, DoP have to encounter in their daily work that there is much more request for professional equipment than there is stock in the rental departments. Pretty soon the idea was born not only to offer the own inventory – consisting of an ARRIFLEX 35 IIc, an ARRI 16 and two Macro Kilar lenses – but also to support the clienst with first hand knowledge from filming.
Three years later a fast growing inventory resulted in the need to move into the long term company home base at Rotbuchenstr. in Munich. The client list already reads like a who is who in the industry: Charly Steinberger, Wolfgang Treu, Gernot Roll, Jost Vacano, Michael Ballhaus, Wolfgang Peter Hassenstein, Josef Vilsmeier and many othersFGV… all internationally well-known DoPs.
1990…
…FGV Schmidle GmbH was founded from the original roots of FGV with Hans-Joachim Schmidle becoming the chief executive. A year later, he extens his operation, taking over Germany’s very first rental company in Berlin formerly named Onasch. With a staff of 30 persons FGV Schmidle is now able to offer services also in the German capital.
Through all the changes, it was important that FGV Schmidle remained to be a very traditionally run family operation, with all the benefits of fast decisions and reliable personal contacts: From the beginning on, Margarete Schmidle was responsible for accounting, and also the next generation was working for the company from the beginning of the 90ties on. In 2002 Oliver Schmidle (banker) and Markus Schmidle (graduate engineer) are taking over the business from their parents to carry it on in their spirit.
2007…
…marked out a quantum leap: a high performance center was carefully planned and build to be the new company home in Aschauer Str. in Munich. With all departments under one roof, the experience of more than three decades in the industry, tried and tested workflows and an extra eye on details a truly unique one-stop shop was set-up uniting the departments for camera, video, digital photography, lighting, grip, production offices and one of the most modern equipped stages currently available.