TSF

What TSF does

TSF (SAS GROUPE TSF) is a French technical equipment rental and studio services company serving film, television, advertising, and music video productions. Founded circa 1980 and headquartered in La Plaine Saint Denis (Paris), the company operates regional agencies in Bordeaux, Marseille, and Montpellier, plus a Belgian subsidiary, and runs owned-and-operated studio facilities including Studios d'Epinay, Studios 77, Studios de Bordeaux, the Backlot Rues de Paris modular urban set, and a converted Airbus A300 set piece. Its core offering spans six rental categories — cameras and optics, lighting, grip and machinery, technical vehicles, mobile control units, and studios/backlot — alongside adjacent services: Cinéboutique (consumables e-commerce), TSF Compagnons (technician training), TSF Parking, and emerging virtual production using PRG-supplied LED wall technology at Studios d'Epinay.

The business is asset-heavy: TSF invests €10M per year in equipment and infrastructure, supporting roughly 100 feature films and 400 hours of TV fiction annually. The technology stack is fundamentally physical rather than digital — inventory is built around the latest ARRI (ALEXA 35, 265, Mini LF), Sony Venice, Hawk V+ anamorphic, Coral Anamorphic, Nanlux, Ayrton, and other leading camera, lens, and lighting brands — augmented by proprietary assets such as the modular Backlot Rues de Paris and the SuperTechno 48+ crane with digital assist planning modes.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through transactional daily/weekly equipment rental, supplemented by mandatory equipment insurance (8% of rental value), studio and backlot rental, vehicle rental with fuel and insurance surcharges, parking, training fees, and consumables. Customers span enterprise feature and TV productions, mid-market independent films, advertising agencies, music videos, and short films/emerging filmmakers. Sales are direct B2B via account managers, with quote-based pricing, minimum €5,000 deposits, mandatory insurance, and 50% cancellation fees inside 7 working days. TSF is privately held, with no external investors, parent company, or disclosed financial statements.

Name

TSF

Legal name

SAS GROUPE TSF

Website

https://tsf.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TSF is a French technical equipment rental and studio services company serving film, TV, advertising, and music video productions across France and Belgium, with regional agencies, multiple studios, and a modular Backlot set.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Equipment Rental Services

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Studio Lighting & Grip Infrastructure Services (MPADAIAF), Production Office Space & Support Facilities (MPADAIAD), Production Vehicles & Transportation (Trucks, Trailers, Drivers) (MPADAFAD), Production Equipment & Technical Services (Camera/Lighting/Grip, Virtual Production) (MPAAAMAH), Production Supplies & Expendables (Consumables, Office/Unit Supplies) (MPADAFAN)

Keywords

• Film equipment rental
• Camera lens rental
• Lighting grip services
• Production studio rental
• Television technical services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-denis

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Rental of cameras, optics, lighting, grip/machinery, vehicles, and grip equipment to film and TV productions. Pricing based on rental duration with daily rates. Extended rentals (over 5 working days) billed weekly. Equipment available across all categories: cameras, optics, lighting, machinery, vehicles, control rooms.
2. Studio and Backlot Rental: Rental of film studios (Epinay, Bordeaux, Studios 77) and the Backlot Rues de Paris outdoor set. Studios include production offices, dressing rooms, and HMC spaces. Bordeaux studio offers 400m2 with cyclorama.
3. Equipment Insurance: Mandatory insurance coverage offered to clients at 8% of the rental value (excluding tax), covering damage, theft, fire, and other risks. Optional deductible waivers available.
4. TSF Parking: Secure parking services for production vehicles and equipment at their facilities, with recent price reductions.
5. TSF Compagnons Training: Professional training programs for film technicians, including short immersive courses designed by industry professionals. Offered through the TSF Compagnons program.
6. Grip Services: Specialized crane, Russian Arm, motorised travelling, and gyrostabilized head services with trained operators and technicians. Includes day rates, travel charges, and standby fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TSF rents technical equipment and studio facilities to film, television, advertising, and music video productions across France and Belgium. Its catalog spans professional cinema cameras and lenses (Full Frame, S35, film), lighting (HMI, LED, tungsten, supports, control, effects), grip and camera movement equipment (cranes, dollies, telescopic and gyro rigs, travelling, structures), technical vehicles and generators, mobile control units (roulantes), and production studios including the modular Backlot "Rues de Paris" and the Airbus A300 set. Complementary offerings include Cinéboutique (consumables e-commerce), TSF Compagnons technician training, TSF Parking, and a Virtual Studio with an LED wall at Studios d'Épinay.

Product overview

TSF is a French film and television technical equipment rental company operating as a single unified platform with multiple specialized product categories. The core offering consists of: Caméras & Optiques (cameras and lenses for all formats), Lumière (professional lighting equipment), Machinerie (grip and camera movement equipment including dollies, cranes, and traveling systems), Véhicules (technical vehicles and generators), Régie (mobile production units), and Studios & Backlot (production studios including the modular 'Rues de Paris' backlot). Additional services include Cinéboutique (consumables), TSF Companions (professional training), and regional agency offices across France (Montpellier, Marseille, Bordeaux) and Belgium. The company also explores emerging technologies like virtual production using LED walls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cinéboutique: Online store for consumables including adhesives, gels, photo backgrounds, aerosols, and other production supplies.
• TSF Compagnons
• Cercle Rouge
• TSF Parking
• TSF Régie
• TSF Véhicules

Products and services

• Caméras & Optiques Rental Rental of professional cinema cameras and optical lenses for film, TV, advertising, and music video productions, covering Full Frame, S35, and Film formats with associated lens series. Targeted at cinematographers, production companies, and producers across feature films, TV series, commercials, and short films.
• Lumière (Lighting) Rental Rental of professional lighting equipment including HMI, LED, and tungsten projectors, grips and supports, power and control systems, and special-effects lighting for film and television productions.
• Machinerie (Grip and Camera Movement) Rental

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 feature films supported annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PRG (Production Resource Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationPRG provides LED wall technology for TSF's virtual studio at Studios Epinay. The 15x6m LED wall installation enables real-time virtual production with compositing. PRG makes the LED wall available for TSF to experiment and conduct tests with film and TV productions.
• Studio Acoustik (Saint-Denis, Réunion)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal rental partner in Réunion providing additional ARRI ALEXA 35 and Atlas Orion lens availability for productions shooting on the island.
• CST (Commission Supérieure Technique de l'Image et du Son)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSF officially joined the CST organization, establishing formal ties with the French film industry's technical standards and best practices body.
• Paname LogeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive discount partnership for TSF Parking services. Paname Loge members receive special pricing on parking facilities.
• ARRIcoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment supplier providing ARRI cameras (ALEXA 35, ALEXA 265, ALEXA Mini LF, ALEXA Mini) and ARRI Signature Prime lenses for TSF rental inventory.
• SonycoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment supplier providing Sony Venice cameras for TSF rental inventory, used extensively in recent productions.
• Hawk V-Lite / Century OpticscoreTechnology or IntegrationAnamorphic lens manufacturer whose Hawk V+ and V-Lite lenses are available through TSF for feature film productions.
• NanluxcoreTechnology or IntegrationLighting equipment manufacturer providing Dinolite, Evoke, and Fortis series for TSF inventory. New Nanlux 5kW recently added.
• AsteracoreTechnology or IntegrationLED lighting manufacturer providing Titan, Comet, and QuickSpot series for TSF inventory.
• AyrtoncoreTechnology or IntegrationLighting manufacturer providing Domino Profile TC and other automated lighting fixtures for TSF inventory.
• VelvetcoreTechnology or IntegrationLED lighting manufacturer providing Cyclo series fixtures (Cyclo 3, Cyclo 6) for TSF inventory.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Keslow Camera: Keslow Camera is a US-based premium cinema camera and lens rental house serving feature films, episodic TV, and commercials. It is comparable to TSF as a similarly full-service equipment rental company competing for international productions.
• Band Pro Film & Digital: Band Pro is a US-based cinema equipment reseller and rental company offering high-end cameras, lenses, and lighting. It is comparable to TSF as a premium equipment provider serving feature film and commercial production.
• Otto Nemenz International: Otto Nemenz is a US-based film equipment rental house specializing in cameras and lenses for feature and commercial productions. It is comparable to TSF as a long-established rental peer serving premium productions.
• ARRI Rental: ARRI Rental is the equipment rental arm of ARRI, providing ARRI ALEXA cameras, Signature Prime lenses, and lighting to film and TV productions worldwide. It is a direct competitor to TSF, particularly for ARRI-camera-driven features shooting in Europe.
• Vantage Film: Vantage Film is a German-based film equipment rental company providing cameras, lenses, lighting, and grip across Europe. It is a direct European peer to TSF with similar rental categories and target customers.
• Movie Tech AG: Movie Tech is a German-based specialist in grip, dollies, and camera movement equipment for film and TV production. It is comparable to TSF's Machinerie category as a European specialist in camera support and movement rental.
• Studios de Bry: Studios de Bry is a French film and TV studio facility located in the Île-de-France region. It is a direct peer to TSF's Studios d'Epinay, Studios 77, and Bordeaux operations as a French studio rental competitor.

Emerging players

• Leitz Cine: Leitz Cine is a German-based manufacturer and renter of premium cine lenses (Hugo, Summilux-C). It is comparable to TSF as a European specialist in high-end cinematography optics, with overlap on feature film lens inventory.

Regional players

• Cinecittà Studios: Cinecittà is Italy's historic film studio complex offering sound stages, backlots, and production services. It is comparable to TSF as a European studio operator serving international film and TV productions, though operating in a different national market.

Broad incumbents

• Panavision: Panavision is the world's largest film equipment rental company, offering cameras, optics, lighting, and grip on a global scale. It is comparable to TSF as a direct competitor for premium international feature productions shooting in France and Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbaWXXfRnQS1GCDXIBLrvtg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GroupeTSF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-tsf
• Instagraminstagram.com/tsf.fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TSF