The Master of Colors

The Master of Colors is a 1981 American animated fantasy film produced by Michael Wildshill Productions and released by Universal Pictures. The feature film directorial debut of animator Michael Wildshill, many CalArts graduates led by Wildshill, as well as some former The Animated Feature Film Company animators were involved with this film. Featuring the voices of Lisa Maxwell, Helen Shaver, Will Ryan, and Wildshill, the film follows a young girl named Teresa whose hair magically changes colors that represent her expressions over a witch's spell.

The Master of Colors was released on December 25, 1981 and received positive reviews with praise to its animation, story, characters, and voice acting. It was a financial success, grossing $25.8 million worldwide on a $10 million budget during its initial run. The film, alongside Topia, also marked the first time Universal released two animated feature films in the same year. In recent years, the film has garnered a cult following.

Plot
Teresa is a 17-year-old girl who lives in a ordinary life with her parents while attempting to fulfill her crush Chuck.

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Voice cast
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 * Lisa Maxwell as Teresa
 * Helen Shaver as The Magic Witch
 * Will Ryan as Nibbler
 * Michael Wildshill as Chuck, Teresa's love interest

Development
Michael Wildshill first came up with the concept of The Master of Colors following the success of his short film Landing in 1975.

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Writing
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Casting
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Animation
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Music
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Home media
The Master of Colors debuted on Super 8 film and several home video formats in 1982, including VHS, Betamax, CED Videodisc, Video8 and LaserDisc, which were distributed by MCA Videocassette, Inc. With a $80 purchase price in the US, the VHS version sold approximately 22,000 copies within the first few months. On November 17, 1989, the film was re-released on both VHS and LaserDisc in a new advertising campaign with lower retail prices. It was this new wide availability on video, as well as broadcasts on cable, that helped The Master of Colors garner a cult following long after its theatrical debut. A 15th Anniversary VHS edition was released on November 19, 1996, alongside a LaserDisc release. This was followed by another VHS release under the Universal Family Features label on September 22, 1998, and the Signature Collection LaserDisc was released on October 13, 1998.

The film was released on DVD for the first time on December 15, 1998, which was reprinted numerous times in the ensuing years, both as a stand-alone release or bundled with other animated movies from Universal or DreamWorks. On December 18, 2001, a 2-disc DVD set called the "20th Anniversary Edition" was released and included special features such as audio commentary from both individuals and an interview featurette. The film was also released on VHS and DVD under the Universal Animated Features Collection label on January 15, 2002, again on DVD on July 25, 2006 as a 25th Anniversary Edition, and later on Blu-ray on June 28, 2011. Both releases retained the special features of the 20th Anniversary Edition. Another Blu-ray release from Universal for the film was released on June 5, 2012, as a part of Universal's Universal 100th Anniversary releases.

Box office
The film's distributor, Universal Studios, barely did any promotion for the film, leading Wildshill to finance the advertising campaign themselves. The financiers had expected the film to open in wide release in 1,000 venues, but Universal opted for a limited opening weekend in 100 theaters, with its widest release in only 700. Although in competition with Chariots of Fire, it performed better in those theaters alone in its opening week than other Holiday fare. However, as a result of its release and competition in the Christmas season, The Master of Colors became only a moderate success, grossing $25,859,066 in North America, though it was more successful on home video, cable and foreign release, ultimately turning a profit.

Critical response
The Master of Colors has a 82% "Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The consensus states: "Highly original and well-written, The Master of Colors is a remarkable animated tale for both children and adults alike." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 53 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades
The Master of Colors won Best Animated Film of 1981 at the 9th annual Saturn Awards, where it also received a nomination for Best Fantasy Film, losing to Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Legacy
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Main transcript
To see the transcript of the film, click here.

Trailer transcripts
To see the transcripts for the trailers of the film, click here.