Sipur Studios President and former Red Arrow Studios Chief Creative Officer Michael Peter Schmidt, a major force on the international television stage for more than three decades who is known for possessing a rare blend of creative, business and distribution acumen, as well as a smart wit, died Sunday at his home in Scarsdale, New York. He was 52.
Sipur CEO Emilio Schenker, speaking on behalf of company Chairman Gideon Tadmor and the entire studio team, said, “We are heartbroken by this loss of our beloved friend and colleague, and our thoughts are with Michael’s family, friends and all those around the world who had the privilege of working with him and learning from him. He was our mentor and our dear friend – the heart and soul of a young company trying to rise up. He was our guiding source, our compass and our spark.”
He continued, “Michael was a driving force who has been with me since the beginning in shaping our expanding international strategy of developing , financing, producing films series, documentaries and reality formats for the international market. He was as a visionary, hands-on leader and a true champion of the global entertainment industry who has played such a key role in Sipur’s phenomenal growth in a relatively short amount of time. As a longtime senior executive in international television, he brought leadership and unmatched passion, wisdom and integrity to every project he touched. His contributions to the history of the global television industry will resonate for years to come.”
Known to his colleagues as “The Oracle of Sipur,” Schmidt’s most recent works have been recognized with awards, critical acclaim and global viewer popularity.
Schmidt has shepherded some of Sipur’s most impactful productions, including the recent award-winning Oct. 7 documentary “We Will Dance Again” produced in collaboration with Bitachon 365, MGM Television, See It Now Studios for Paramount+, BBC Storyville and Hot Channel 8. He also led the production of the “The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes” and the hit scripted series “Bad Boy” (with Peter Chernin’s North Road Company, where Schmidt’s former Red Arrow colleague Jan Frouman serves as international president), HOT and Netflix; and has set up a number of other major projects with co-production partners in major territories around the world.
Two weeks ago, Schmidt and the entire “We Will Dance Again” team received an Honorary Emmy for their exceptional achievement in a Television Academy Honors ceremony in Los Angeles. He was due to attend the News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York this week, where the film is nominated for Best Documentary.
“Michael embodied the true essence of why we do this – why we tell stories at all,” Schenker said. “In an industry that can sometimes forget its heart and get swept away by the hustle and bustle, Michael never did. He was a creative through and through, a boy who grew up with the camera glued to his hand, who lived for making people smile and ‘feel something,’ as he would say, who lived for storytelling, who was ready at any point in the day to talk through an idea with you. Big or small. Morning or night.”
Schenker said Schmidt displayed a zest for life, things, technology and history, and was “still excited by every facet of it - from the seed of an idea, to the long hours of its development, pre-production, post-production, dailies, excels and table reads. He wasn't afraid to be vulnerable. And most importantly, he was absolutely hilarious, a comedy lover and a joke enthusiast with a laugh and sense of humor that could lift anyone up.”
Demonstrating his trademark humor in a recent interview, Schmidt, a resident of Scarsdale, noted he lived with his wife and three children “and a fluctuating population of guinea pigs and hamsters” in New York.
Prior to Sipur, Schmidt spent 15 years at ProSiebenSat.1, joining in 2005 and assuming a number of senior management roles including head of development, head of comedy and senior VP of entertainment for German free TV operations. He joined the management team that founded Red Arrow Studios in 2009, becoming its chief creative officer in January 2010 and leading global format and IP development, acquisitions and internation distribution. Upon his departure from the company, he was credited with playing an instrumental role in Red Arrow’s growth.
Previously a writer, producer and director, Schmidt began his career as a performer in a well-known German comedy troupe and went onto work in the TV industry with roles on both the network and production side of the business, including producer at WDR; TV director at entertainment producer Brainpool; creative producer for RTL Television’s entertainment department; executive producer and consultant for Granada Germany and editorial director at youth entertainment station Viva.
The executive also has been serving in a number of industry roles, including as a board member of FRAPA, the international industry association dedicated to the recognition and protection of entertainment formats; chairman of Vault AI, delivering AI-powered consumer insights for leading streamers, TV networks and film studios; and as a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Schmidt is survived by his wife of 25 years, Gaby Sonnenberg, their children Jonathan, Julia Esther and Bennet Sonnenberg, and their beloved dog, Pam, who was constantly by his side sleeping under his desk while he worked.